Buffalo King Megaways

One spin in four pays, then the long waits

Pragmatic Play’s official game sheet gives Buffalo King Megaways a hit frequency of 25.25%. In plain terms, about one spin in four returns some kind of win. That sounds generous until you read the other figure on the same sheet: a High volatility rating. The studio’s 2021 launch announcement says much the same, describing the game as highly volatile.

Taken together, those two numbers describe a session that is seldom completely silent but seldom rewarding either. Many of the wins that land will be small, often below the stake. The tumbling reels can turn a decent hit into two or three follow-ups before the grid settles. Most of the heavy lifting is left to the free spins, and those need four bonus symbols to start, so the gaps between rounds can run long.

Virtual coins make this easy to test. Run a few hundred demo spins and watch the balance. Expect a slow drift downwards with the odd bump, broken up by the bonus when it eventually turns up. Nothing in these figures makes any one spin more or less likely to pay than the spin before it.

Studio and game-sheet figures

A note on the layout. Pragmatic Play publishes the grid as 6×8, while some listings call it 6×7. Both describe the same machine. There are six main reels, each showing between two and seven symbols, plus a horizontal reel running across the top of reels two to five.

If you count that top reel, each of the middle four columns can reach eight positions. Seven positions on each outer reel and eight on each of the four middle reels multiply out to 200,704. That is the published maximum number of ways.

Between bonuses: shifting reels and tumbles

The base game uses the Megaways structure, which Pragmatic Play uses under licence from Big Time Gaming. Every spin redraws how many symbols each reel holds, so the number of ways changes from one spin to the next, up to the 200,704 ceiling. Some spins offer only a few hundred routes to a win. Others open the grid right up.

When a win lands, the winning symbols are removed and new ones fall in to fill the gaps. If the refill makes another win, the process repeats. A single paying spin can therefore run through several tumbles before it ends.

This is where most of that 25.25% hit rate does its work. The frequent, modest returns slow down how fast a balance falls rather than push it upwards.

The game is a Megaways rebuild of Pragmatic Play’s earlier Buffalo King. It is the studio’s own title, not a licensed brand. The full paytable is in the demo’s information screens, and it is worth a look before you start spinning.

Free spins: the trigger and the upfront prize

Four or more bonus symbols start the free spins. The more you land, the longer the round and the bigger the instant prize, which is paid before the first free spin:

• 4 bonus symbols: 12 free spins plus 5x the stake
• 5 bonus symbols: 17 free spins plus 20x the stake
• 6 bonus symbols: 22 free spins plus 100x the stake

The upfront prize means every round begins with something already banked. Even a quiet four-symbol round returns at least 5x before any free spin is played. The six-symbol prize of 100x is the largest fixed amount in the game, and it is still only a fiftieth of the 5,000x cap.

Multiplier wilds inside the round

During free spins, wilds carry a multiplier of 2x, 3x or 5x. A wild that completes a winning combination applies its multiplier to that win. A 5x wild on a high-paying line is the clearest single source of a large result.

The studio’s published summary does not say how two or more multiplier wilds combine in the same win. Check the in-game rules in the demo rather than assuming they add together or multiply.

Retriggers with no ceiling

Landing three or more bonus symbols during the free spins adds five more spins, and there is no limit on how often this can happen. Note that the retrigger needs only three symbols, one fewer than the four needed to start the round. That makes extensions more reachable than the trigger itself.

A round that keeps retriggering gives the multiplier wilds more spins in which to appear. Uncapped does not mean likely, though. Most rounds will end at or near their starting length.

Ante Bet, and the buy option UK versions leave out

Pragmatic Play lists an optional Ante Bet in the base game. The studio’s summary does not spell out its price or exact effect, so read the in-game description before switching it on in the demo.

In some markets the game also lets players purchase the free spins directly. That option is not offered in UK versions, so in the UK the only way into the round is to land the bonus symbols.

What reaching 5,000x would take

The official game sheet caps wins at 5,000x the stake. Base-game tumbles on their own are not built to get there. The figures point instead to a free spins round where several things line up.

The most direct route would start with a strong trigger and its larger instant prize. From there, multiplier wilds would need to land on high-value wins, and retriggers would need to stretch the round long enough for that to happen more than once. Each step is possible, but stacking them is rare. That is exactly what a High rating means.

Treat 5,000x as the upper edge of the game, not a likely outcome. Over a long demo session, the realistic picture is a run of small base-game returns and a few modest free spins rounds. A better one comes along now and then.

Where it earns its place, and where it falls short

On the plus side:

• All three core figures (RTP, volatility and max win) come from Pragmatic Play itself, either its game page or its official game sheet.
• The 25.25% hit frequency means the base game rarely feels completely dead.
• Instant prizes guarantee every free spins round some return.
• Retriggers need only three bonus symbols and have no cap.

The drawbacks:

• High volatility leaves the game heavily dependent on a feature that needs four bonus symbols to start.
• A 94.51% version appears in some listings. That is nearly two points below the studio’s 96.52%, so check the in-game information to see which you are playing.
• The studio’s summary leaves out the Ante Bet’s cost and how multiplier wilds combine, so you have to read the in-game rules.
• Like any RTP, 96.52% describes very long-run play, not any one session.

Final word on the Megaways rebuild

Buffalo King Megaways pairs a frequent but thin base game with a free spins round that does almost all the meaningful work. Its numbers are well documented and come straight from the studio: 96.52% RTP, a High rating, a 5,000x cap and a hit rate just over a quarter.

If you are happy to sit through long quiet stretches waiting for multiplier wilds and retriggers, the structure is clear and consistent. If you want steadier, more even returns, the demo will show within a session or two that this is not that kind of game.