Buffalo King Megaways

Buffalo King Megaways Slot Review Overview

What this review covers

This deep-dive review looks at Buffalo King Megaways from a real player’s angle, with a focus on how it actually feels to play from Canada.

You’ll find:

• How the North American wilderness theme comes across on a big monitor and on a phone
• How the Megaways system works in this game, in plain language
• What the symbols pay, and how the buffalo and wild multipliers really drive wins
• The math model: RTP ranges, volatility, and what that means for your bankroll
• How the free spins and multipliers interact once the bonus kicks in
• Thoughts on the bonus buy / ante bet where available
• Practical tips on bet sizing, session length, and expectations

By the end, you should have a clear sense of whether Buffalo King Megaways suits your style before you risk real money at a Canadian online casino.

Quick snapshot of Buffalo King Megaways

Buffalo King Megaways is a high-volatility Megaways slot set in a stylized North American canyon at sunset. It runs on a 6-reel Megaways engine with up to 117,649 ways to win, cascading wins, and a free spins bonus round where wilds can carry progressive-style multipliers.

Key points at a glance:

• Provider: Pragmatic Play
• Reels / ways: 6 reels + horizontal top reel, up to 117,649 Megaways
• RTP: Commonly around 96% (but may vary by casino / jurisdiction)
• Volatility: Very high
• Features: Cascading wins, free spins, wild multipliers, bonus buy / ante bet (where allowed)
• Theme: North American wildlife / buffalo stampede

It is a classic “high risk, high reward” Megaways slot, more about swingy sessions and occasional big spikes than steady, frequent small payouts.

Who might like this game (and who might not)

Buffalo King Megaways will likely appeal to:

• Players who like volatile Megaways slots with explosive bonus rounds
• Fans of North American wildlife themes and Pragmatic-style visuals
• Those comfortable with dry spells while hunting bigger hits
• Bonus hunters who enjoy chasing free spins and multipliers

It may not be ideal for:

• Casual players with small bankrolls who prefer steady, low-risk gameplay
• Anyone who finds Megaways layouts visually busy or confusing
• Players who dislike long stretches of low returns between features
• Those who prefer low-variance, “coffee break” style slots

If you enjoy games like Great Rhino Megaways, this one sits in a similar space, but with its own pacing and feel.

First Impressions: Theme, Setting, and Visuals

North American wilderness concept and atmosphere

The theme leans heavily into a romanticized North American wilderness. The backdrop is a canyon-like landscape with a purple-orange sky that feels like late evening in the prairies. Tall rock formations, distant silhouettes, and warm lighting create a sense of open space rather than cramped reels.

There is a slightly glossy, game-like polish instead of gritty realism. Colours are saturated, with deep purples and reds at the horizon and brighter hues on the reels. For Canadian players, the imagery feels broadly familiar: eagles, cougars, wolves, and bison (buffalo) suggest a cross-border North American ecosystem rather than a specific province or state.

The base game atmosphere is calm, with light ambient sound and slow clouds drifting in the background. Buffalo King Megaways aims more for a “majestic” feel than a frantic stampede, at least until the bonus round kicks in and the tempo rises.

Reel layout and Megaways presentation on screen

The slot uses a standard Megaways setup with:

• 6 vertical reels where each reel can show 2–7 symbols
• A horizontal “extra” reel at the top (over reels 2–5) feeding extra symbols

The number of ways to win changes every spin, depending on how many symbols land on each reel. Your current number of Megaways is clearly displayed at the top. On a desktop, it sits comfortably above the reels; on mobile, it shrinks but remains readable.

Reels are slightly narrow to make room for changing symbol heights. During spins, symbols snap into place quickly. The shifting grid of different column heights might feel busy for first-timers, but the layout is clean enough that it becomes second nature after a short while.

Graphics quality, animations, and symbol motion

Visually, Buffalo King Megaways sits in the familiar Pragmatic Play house style: clean, colourful, and sharp without aiming for ultra-realism. Animal symbols are detailed with bold outlines and distinct colours, which helps when several cascades happen in quick succession.

Animations are crisp. When a win lands, the winning symbols glow and pulse, then disappear as new ones fall into place. The tumble effect feels smooth, with a slight sense of “weight” as symbols drop, giving the reels a tactile quality.

Premium symbols, especially the buffalo, have subtle idle animations and glow effects when part of a larger hit. Screen shake is modest during regular wins and more pronounced during substantial hits, but it stops short of feeling overdone.

Sound design, background music, and effect cues

Audio does a lot of the heavy lifting in terms of feel. The base game has a low-key, atmospheric soundtrack with soft drums and a western-style melody that fades in and out instead of looping aggressively.

Spin sounds are clean and short: a brief reel whoosh, a solid “thunk” as symbols settle, and a brighter jingle when wins connect. Cascades trigger a quick chime, rising slightly in pitch as they chain together, which makes streaks of wins more satisfying.

When scatters land, the audio shifts into a more tense, anticipatory tone, often with a drum roll or rising note. Triggering free spins brings in a more dramatic soundtrack with stronger percussion and a more urgent rhythm. Wins in the bonus are backed by richer sound cues, and big wins have distinct fanfares that make them easy to recognize without staring at every number.

Desktop vs mobile experience (portrait/landscape, UI feel)

On desktop, Buffalo King Megaways feels spacious. The reels take centre stage, with controls lined up neatly at the bottom or side depending on your resolution. The paytable and game rules open in an overlay that is easy to scroll through with a mouse or trackpad.

On mobile, the game holds up well:

• In portrait mode, the reels are tall and narrow, with the Megaways counter and balance tucked in close. This suits one-handed play, though the symbols are slightly smaller.
• In landscape mode, the reels spread out more, animal details are clearer, and the overall view can feel more comfortable for longer sessions.

Buttons for spin, autoplay (where available), and bet size are large enough to tap easily. The interface will feel familiar if you’ve tried other Pragmatic titles: quick spin toggles, sound controls, and info buttons sit within thumb reach.

Performance is generally solid on modern devices. The game still runs on mid-range phones, though on older hardware it can help to switch off quick spin if the visuals feel a bit intense.

Symbols and Payout Structure

Low-paying symbols and how often they appear

Buffalo King Megaways uses the standard card ranks as low-paying symbols: 10, J, Q, K, and A.

They appear often and frequently form smaller wins, especially when you hit several cascades in a single spin. Payouts from these symbols are modest, usually nudging the balance rather than creating big swings.

Even so, they do some quiet work in the background. Many base-game hits are a mix of card ranks with one or two premium animals attached. Their main role is to keep the reels active, sustain cascades, and occasionally bridge the gap to a stronger combination.

Premium animal symbols and relative value

The premium symbols give the slot most of its character. You’ll see:

• Cougar / puma
• Wolf
• Eagle
• Moose (or elk-style deer)
• Buffalo as the top payer

These pay much more than the card ranks when they land across many reels. Even a mid-strength hit with four or five animals in a row can be noticeable, especially when multiple Megaways combinations line up within the same tumble.

The buffalo sits clearly at the top, while the other animals form a second tier that can still deliver decent returns. Clusters of mixed premium animals in high Megaways layouts can add up quickly, particularly when wild multipliers come into play in the free spins round.

Buffalo symbol role in Buffalo King Megaways

The buffalo symbol is the highest-paying regular symbol in the game. Landing a full way of buffalo across multiple reels can be dramatic, especially during the bonus where multipliers can boost each win path.

In the base game, strong buffalo combinations are less common, but even partial hits with several buffalo symbols can help recover from quieter stretches. Many of the memorable win screens show buffalo lined up in several rows at once, with multipliers pushing the total to eye-catching levels.

Even though the buffalo does not trigger any special feature on its own, its payout weight makes it the symbol most players end up watching for. In both base and bonus rounds, it naturally becomes the main target.

Wild symbol behaviour and where it appears

The wild symbol appears only on the horizontal top reel (above reels 2, 3, 4, and 5). It substitutes for regular symbols to help complete or extend winning combinations.

In the base game, wilds act as straightforward substitutes without multipliers. Their impact ramps up in the free spins round, where wild multipliers change the tone of the game completely.

Because wilds are restricted to the top reel, you won’t see entire vertical columns of wilds. Instead, they drop into strategic positions over the middle reels, often turning near-misses into multi-way hits across the grid.

Scatter symbol, how many you need, and what it triggers

The scatter symbol is usually a gold coin or similar emblem, clearly marked so it stands out from regular symbols. It can land on all main reels.

• 4 scatters trigger the free spins bonus round
• 5 or 6 scatters, when they appear, typically award more free spins at the start

Scatter landings are hard to miss: the symbol is visually bold, and the sound shifts when you land two or three in view. The fourth scatter is accompanied by a stronger audio cue and a brief pause before the game moves into the bonus screen.

During free spins, extra scatters can retrigger more spins, though retriggers usually add fewer spins than the initial trigger. Exact numbers can vary between versions, so it’s worth checking the in-game rules.

Pay-any-way / Megaways payouts explained in simple terms

Buffalo King Megaways uses a “ways to win” system instead of traditional paylines. In practice, that means:

• Wins pay from left to right, starting from the first reel
• You only need matching symbols on consecutive reels, not in specific line shapes
• The number of ways is calculated as: symbols on reel 1 × reel 2 × reel 3 × reel 4 × reel 5 × reel 6

For example:

• If you have 3 symbols on each of the 6 reels, that’s 3⁶ = 729 ways
• If the reels show 7, 7, 7, 7, 7, 7 symbols, that’s the maximum 117,649 ways

Each valid combination of matching symbols pays according to the paytable. If you land multiple buffalo symbols on several reels in different positions, the game can count several distinct ways of buffalo on the same spin.

It can look chaotic at first, but the game does all the math. From a player’s perspective, more symbols on each reel generally mean more opportunities for multiple ways to connect.

Game Mechanics and Math Model

Reels, rows, and number of ways to win

At its core, Buffalo King Megaways is a 6-reel slot with variable rows. Each reel can show between 2 and 7 symbols on every spin. A separate horizontal top reel adds symbols to reels 2–5 and is also where the wilds appear.

The number of ways to win changes constantly, from a few hundred up to 117,649 when all reels show 7 symbols. The current number of Megaways is displayed on each spin, which gives a quick sense of how “loaded” the grid is.

Cascading wins mean that after every winning combination, those symbols disappear and new ones drop in to fill the gaps. This can create several consecutive wins from a single paid spin.

RTP range and what it means for Canadian players

The theoretical RTP (return to player) for Buffalo King Megaways is commonly around 96%. Canadian players should be aware that:

• Operators may choose slightly different RTP settings (often around 95%–96%), depending on their platform and local policies
• Some casinos might offer alternate versions with marginally lower RTP

A 96% RTP means that, in the very long run, the game is designed to pay back about $96 for every $100 wagered. In real play, individual results can swing far above or below that, especially with a high-volatility slot like this.

When playing from Canada, it is worth checking the in-game info or the casino’s details page to see the listed RTP for that specific version, if the information is provided.

Volatility level and what to expect in practice

Buffalo King Megaways sits firmly in the “very high volatility” bracket. That has clear implications for gameplay:

• Long stretches of relatively small or break-even results are normal
• Bonus rounds can be rare, especially at lower stakes over short sessions
• Larger wins usually arrive through strong multiplier chains in the bonus

This is not a slot built around gentle, predictable returns. It leans into those occasional surges where a good bonus round changes the tone of the session. Some players find that thrilling; others may find it punishing, especially with a tight budget.

Hit frequency and typical session rhythm

Hit frequency (how often you see any win) feels moderate. Cascading wins help here, since a single spin can produce multiple small payouts in sequence. Many of those hits will still be small relative to your stake.

A typical session rhythm might look like:

• Several spins with minor or no wins
• A short cluster of spins where cascades deliver small-to-medium returns
• Sporadic free spins triggers, which can range from flat to very strong depending on multipliers and symbol placement

Dry spells are part of the design. It helps to approach Buffalo King Megaways with a bankroll that can absorb swings and to avoid expecting a feature or big hit every few spins.

How the math model compares to other Megaways slots

Compared with other Megaways games popular with Canadian players:

• Volatility is in line with titles like Great Rhino Megaways or Dog House Megaways
• The bonus round is more about wild multipliers than elaborate reel modifiers
• The base game leans on cascades rather than constant side features or random bonuses

If you prefer Megaways slots that constantly trigger mini-features, modifiers, or random wild storms, this one feels more stripped back. The depth is mostly in the Megaways grid and the multiplier math, not in a long list of separate mechanics.

Core Gameplay: Base Game Flow

How spins play out step by step

A standard base game spin in Buffalo King Megaways goes something like this:

1. You set your bet using the plus/minus buttons or bet menu.
2. You hit spin (or use autoplay where available).
3. The reels spin and come to a stop, showing a random combination of symbols with a certain number of Megaways.
4. If matching symbols land on consecutive reels from left to right, the game calculates all possible ways and pays them.
5. Winning symbols disappear, and new ones drop in from above (or slide in from the top reel).
6. The game recalculates wins for the new layout.
7. Cascades continue until no new wins form, then the spin ends.

Your balance updates once the full cascade sequence completes. That gives a sense of momentum when a single stake triggers multiple waves of wins.

Cascading wins and how they chain together

Cascading (or tumbling) wins sit at the heart of the gameplay. After every winning combination:

• All symbols involved vanish from the reels
• Symbols above drop down to fill the empty spaces
• New symbols appear from the top to fill any remaining gaps

If the new layout creates another win, the process repeats. The slot treats all these cascades as part of the same spin, so you’re not paying again for each tumble.

In the base game, cascades often produce two or three small hits in a row. Occasionally they will string together longer, and those sequences are the ones that stand out in memory.

Tumbles, symbol drops, and how they affect streaks

Because symbols drop vertically, each tumble reshapes the reels. A weak first layout can suddenly open up after a cascade clears out a block of symbols and makes room for new ones above.

The opposite happens too. You might see a promising starting screen with lots of premium symbols, only for the first cascade to wipe them away and replace them with low-paying ranks. That push-pull is part of the Megaways experience: every tumble is a fresh roll of the dice.

In practice, the spins that stick with players tend to be those where buffalo and wilds keep reappearing cascade after cascade, especially in the bonus when multipliers are active.

Base game “feel”: dry spells vs bursts of action

The base game alternates between quiet stretches and sudden flurries of activity. Most spins either:

• Miss altogether, or
• Deliver small wins that partially offset the stake

Occasional better hits, with plenty of premium animals and several cascades, create short bursts of action that break up the quieter runs. Still, the base game is not where the main potential lies. It acts as the staging ground while you look to trigger the free spins without draining your balance too quickly.

For players who like frequent mini-features or constant visual flourishes, Buffalo King Megaways may feel sparse. For those who enjoy watching the Megaways engine shuffle symbols and build tension toward a big bonus, the base game can still be engaging, even without constant fireworks.

Buffalo King Megaways Features and Bonus Rounds

Overview of all key features at a glance

Buffalo King Megaways focuses on a small number of impactful features:

• Cascading wins in both base game and bonus
• Free spins triggered by scatters
• Wild multipliers during free spins
• Retriggers within the bonus round
• Optional bonus buy / ante bet in some jurisdictions

There are no complex mini-games or pick-and-click features. The main event is very clearly the free spins round, where wild multipliers can combine to deliver larger hits.

Free spins round: how to trigger and retrigger

To trigger the free spins bonus, you typically need at least 4 scatter symbols in the base game. The number of free spins awarded usually increases if you land 5 or 6 scatters, though exact values can depend on the version offered by the casino.

Once triggered, you move to a dedicated bonus screen where:

• The total number of free spins is shown clearly
• The special wild multiplier rules are highlighted

During the bonus, landing extra scatters can retrigger additional free spins. Retriggers are important for building bigger payouts, since they extend the number of spins where multipliers can line up. The number of spins added on a retrigger is often smaller than the initial award, but several retriggers in one bonus can make a big difference.

Multiplier mechanics during free spins

The defining mechanic of Buffalo King Megaways in the bonus is the wild multiplier system. In free spins:

• Wild symbols on the top reel carry random multipliers (for example x2, x3, x5, etc.)
• When a wild is part of a winning combination, its multiplier is applied to that win
• If more than one wild is involved in the same win, the multipliers multiply each other

For example:

• A win that would normally pay 10x your bet becomes 30x if a x3 wild participates
• If two wilds with x2 and x3 are in the same win path, the combined multiplier is x6, turning 10x into 60x

This stacking effect is where the headline potential of Buffalo King Megaways comes from. Even fairly modest symbol combinations can become significant if multiplied several times.

Behaviour of wilds in the bonus round

Wilds in the bonus still appear only on the horizontal top reel, but they feel much more important because of the multipliers attached to them. On each free spin, attention naturally goes to that top row first, checking for wilds and their values.

Placement matters. A wild over the middle reels can transform a near-miss with buffalo or other animals into a multi-way, heavily multiplied hit. Several wilds in different positions on the same spin can create overlapping win paths that all benefit from stacked multipliers.

There is no global multiplier that climbs with each cascade. Instead, each wild applies its own multiplier to any win it touches. That means some bonus spins will be quiet, while others can spike dramatically when multiple wilds align with strong symbol layouts.

Special reel modifiers or extras (if present)

Buffalo King Megaways keeps things relatively straightforward. There are no random respin events, mystery symbols, or shifting reels beyond the core Megaways and tumble mechanics.

Any extra drama you notice in the bonus round usually comes from:

• Increased wild appearances
• The way multipliers interact with multiple ways on the same spin
• Retriggers stretching a promising bonus into a longer run

This simplicity can be appealing if you like understanding exactly why a win happened instead of juggling several overlapping modifiers at once.

How the Megaways engine interacts with the bonus

The Megaways engine is fully active during free spins. That means:

• Variable reel heights every spin
• Up to 117,649 ways on any given free spin
• Cascades after every win, with new symbols dropping in and potentially adding more wins to the same spin

When combined with wild multipliers, a single free spin can produce several winning cascades in a row, each boosted by different multipliers from the top reel. Those are the moments where the bonus round can jump sharply.

Of course, the engine can be just as harsh. Even in the bonus, some spins will come with low Megaways counts or poor symbol placement and may produce little or nothing. That swingy nature is part of the overall design.

Ante Bet / Buy Feature (If Available in Your Casino)

Bonus buy option: cost, pros, and trade-offs

Some versions of Buffalo King Megaways in Canadian-facing casinos include a bonus buy option. This lets you pay a fixed multiple of your current bet to trigger the free spins round immediately. The cost is typically high (often around 100x your stake), though exact pricing can vary or be disabled depending on the operator and jurisdiction.

Pros of using bonus buy:

• Instant access to the game’s main feature without waiting for scatters
• More time spent in high-potential free spins if that’s the part you enjoy most
• Useful for shorter sessions where you want to focus on the bonus experience

Trade-offs:

• Very high variance: a few weak bonuses in a row can deplete a bankroll quickly
• Paying upfront does not guarantee profit; many purchased bonuses will return less than the cost
• Some casinos or provinces may not allow bonus buys at all, or may offer alternate configurations

For players who like to control when the bonus happens and are comfortable with the risk, the buy feature can be appealing. For others, it may be safer to let scatters trigger the round naturally and keep the bankroll swings a bit more manageable.