Quick Stats
| Detail | Info |
|---|---|
| Provider | Pragmatic Play |
| Game Type | Video Slot |
| RTP | 96.06% (alternatives: 95.53% and 94.55% — check your casino) |
| Volatility | High (5/5 on Pragmatic Play’s in-game scale) |
| Reels / Rows | 6 × 4 |
| Ways to Win | 4,096 |
| Min Bet | $0.40 |
| Max Bet | $60.00 |
| Max Win | 93,750x stake |
| Features | Wild Multipliers (Free Spins), Free Spins (up to 100), Retrigger |
| Theme | American Wildlife / Western |
| Release Date | 21 December 2019 |
| Platform | Desktop & Mobile |
What Is Buffalo King?
Buffalo King is a 6-reel, all-ways pokie built around the wildlife of the American plains. Wins form on any of the 4,096 ways — meaning you need three or more matching symbols on adjacent reels starting from the leftmost reel, with no fixed payline pattern to worry about. The grid is wide and tall (6 reels, 4 rows), and symbols stack, which means entire reels can fill with the same animal during a big spin.
This one is for players who don’t mind waiting. High volatility means the base game can run cold for extended stretches — don’t come in expecting regular small wins to pad your balance. The value is concentrated in the Free Spins feature, where stacking wild multipliers can turn a decent spin into a session-defining one. If you prefer steady, low-pressure sessions with frequent small returns, this isn’t your game. If you’re comfortable managing a larger bankroll through quiet patches in search of a high-multiplier bonus, Buffalo King has real ceiling.
RTP and Volatility
The standard RTP is 96.06%, which is solid — above the 95–96% industry average for online pokies. Think of it this way: over millions of spins, the game theoretically returns $96.06 for every $100 wagered. Your individual session will deviate significantly from that number in either direction, especially at this volatility level.
Volatility is high — 5 out of 5 on Pragmatic Play’s own scale. That’s the maximum rating. In a practical $40 session at $0.40 per spin, you get 100 spins. Without triggering Free Spins, many of those will produce no win at all. The base game pays are modest and infrequent. The entire math model is designed to concentrate value in the bonus round, so if the Free Spins never fire, a session can end flat. When they do fire — especially with retriggers and stacked multiplier wilds — the variance swings sharply the other way.
Betting Range
Stakes run from $0.40 to $60 per spin, which is a narrower top end than some high-volatility pokies but still accessible across budget levels. At $0.40, you have enough runway for an extended session at a modest stake. At $60, a single Free Spins round with full multiplier stacking could return significant sums — but so could a long dry base-game stretch before the bonus fires.
Because this game’s variance is extreme, bankroll sizing matters more here than on a low-volatility title. A common approach is sizing your session budget to cover at least 100–150 base spins at your chosen stake, giving the variance enough room to deliver the bonus before you’re forced to stop.
How to Play Buffalo King — Step by Step
- Set your stake. Use the + and – buttons next to the spin button to adjust your bet between $0.40 and $60 per spin.
- Check the paytable. Before your first spin, open the paytable from the settings menu. Confirm the RTP version active at your casino — it’s listed there. Also review the symbol pay values at your current stake.
- Spin the reels. Press the spin button (or use Turbo Spin for faster rounds). Winning combinations form when three or more matching symbols land on adjacent reels from left to right.
- Watch for Scatters. The golden buffalo coin is the scatter. It can land on any reel. Three or more anywhere on the grid triggers Free Spins.
- During Free Spins, track the wilds. Wild symbols appear on reels 2–6 and carry random multipliers of 2x, 3x, or 5x. When two or more wilds contribute to the same win, their multipliers multiply together — two 5x wilds on the same win pay 25x, not 10x.
- Retrigger the bonus. Landing two or more scatter symbols during Free Spins adds additional spins to your total. Two scatters adds 5 spins; three, four, five, or six scatters add 8, 15, 25, or 100 spins respectively.
- Collect your win. After Free Spins end, winnings are added to your balance automatically.
Try this: Set your first session stake to $0.40 and play 50 base spins before adjusting your bet. It gives you a feel for how often the scatter lands before committing to a higher stake.
Symbols and Paytable
Buffalo King uses a split between high-value animal symbols and low-value card rank symbols. All pay values below are for six-of-a-kind combinations (the maximum across 6 reels).
The Buffalo is the top symbol, paying 7.5x your stake for six. The Eagle follows at 6.25x, and the Cougar matches the Eagle at 6.25x. The Wolf pays 5x, and the Moose also pays 5x for six. These five animals are the premium symbols and the ones you’re chasing — especially the Buffalo.
Card suit symbols (Ace, King, Queen, Jack) fill the lower rungs, paying between 2x and 3x for six of a kind. These show up far more frequently than the animals and keep the base game ticking over during quiet stretches, though their contribution to a big win is minimal.
The Wild is represented by a rocky desert mountain. It substitutes for all symbols except the scatter and appears on reels 2 through 6. During Free Spins, each wild carries a random multiplier of 2x, 3x, or 5x. Wilds do not carry multipliers in the base game.
The Scatter is the golden buffalo coin. Three or more anywhere on the reels triggers the Free Spins round. The scatter does not need to land on adjacent reels — it pays from any position on any reel simultaneously.
Bonus Features
Free Spins
Landing three, four, five, or six scatter symbols anywhere on the reels during the base game awards 8, 15, 25, or 100 Free Spins respectively. This is the entire point of Buffalo King — the base game is functional but quiet. Everything worth chasing lives here.
During Free Spins, wild symbols still appear on reels 2–6, but each wild now carries a random multiplier of 2x, 3x, or 5x. When a winning combination includes multiple wilds, those multiplier values multiply together rather than add. Two 5x wilds on the same win produce a 25x multiplier. Three 5x wilds produce 125x. Five 5x wilds across all eligible reels multiply to 3,125x — and this is the path to the 93,750x theoretical maximum win when combined with a full-grid Buffalo symbol win.
The key distinction: multipliers apply per win, per spin. They don’t accumulate across spins or carry over between rounds — each spin during Free Spins is evaluated independently.
Free Spins Retrigger
During the Free Spins round, landing two or more scatter symbols adds bonus spins to your remaining total. Two scatters awards 5 additional spins; three, four, five, or six scatters awards 8, 15, 25, or 100 extra spins. There is no cap on how many times you can retrigger. In theory, a series of retriggers with multiplier wilds landing consistently is how this game reaches its extreme ceiling. In practice, it’s rare — but the structure supports it mathematically.
Is Buffalo King Worth Playing?
Pros:
- The 93,750x maximum win is genuine, not a one-in-a-billion theoretical ceiling — it’s reachable through the multiplier stacking structure within a normal Free Spins round with retriggers.
- 4,096 ways to win means no payline tracking — winning combinations form naturally across the wide grid.
- The RTP of 96.06% is above average. Even if your casino runs a lower version, it remains competitive for the genre.
- Free Spins retrigger is uncapped, which means a hot session can extend itself significantly without additional cost.
- Straightforward mechanics — there are no cascades, no base-game modifiers, no buy-feature (in most markets). What you see is what you get.
Cons:
- The source page lists medium volatility, but independent sources and the Pragmatic Play in-game meter both confirm 5/5 high volatility. This is a meaningful discrepancy — if you came in expecting a medium-volatility ride, the reality will feel significantly drier in the base game.
- The base game is sparse. Long stretches without a meaningful win are entirely normal. Players who need frequent feedback to stay engaged will find the base game frustrating.
- The $60 maximum bet is lower than comparable high-volatility titles from other providers, limiting high-roller ceiling.
- Casinos can run lower RTP versions (94.55% or 95.53%) without prominently advertising it. You have to check the in-game paytable.
- No buy-bonus feature in most regulated markets, so the only path to Free Spins is through the base game.
Buffalo King is a proven, well-constructed high-volatility pokie. It rewards patience and bankroll discipline. The Free Spins round with stacking multiplier wilds is one of the more genuinely volatile bonus structures Pragmatic Play has produced. Play it if you understand high-volatility sessions and have the budget to sustain them — but verify the RTP version at your casino before you start.
Responsible Gambling
Buffalo King uses a certified random number generator (RNG). Every spin outcome is independent of the last — no pattern, no due wins, no hot or cold streaks that can be predicted. Set a firm session budget before you start, and given this game’s high volatility, be especially disciplined about chasing losses. If gambling is causing distress, step away and contact a responsible gambling support service in your region.