| Developer | Aristocrat |
|---|---|
| Theme | American wildlife |
| Reels x rows | 5x4 |
| Paylines | 1,024 ways |
| RTP | 94.85% |
| Volatility | Medium-high |
Few slots are as recognisable as Buffalo. Aristocrat’s stampeding herd started life on casino floors in the late 2000s, became one of the best-known pokies in Australian pubs and clubs and one of the most played machines in American casinos, and spawned an entire franchise of sequels. The online version keeps everything players love about the cabinet: 1,024 ways to win, a thundering soundtrack and free spins with multiplying wilds.
Buffalo Slot Free Demo and Review game details
Buffalo game details
| Detail | Buffalo |
|---|---|
| Developer | Aristocrat |
| Origin | Land-based cabinet, late 2000s; later brought online |
| Grid | 5×4, 1,024 ways (Xtra Reel Power) |
| RTP | 94.85% (online version) |
| Volatility | Medium to high |
| Free spins | 8, 15 or 20 for 3, 4 or 5 scatters |
| Wild multipliers | 2x or 3x in free spins, multiplying up to 27x |
How Buffalo plays
There are no fixed paylines. Matching symbols on adjacent reels from left to right pay across 1,024 ways, which Aristocrat calls Xtra Reel Power. The buffalo is the top-paying symbol and often lands stacked, so a full screen of charging buffalo is the base game’s big moment. The sunset is the wild, and it only appears on the middle three reels.
Free spins and multiplying wilds
Three, four or five gold coin scatters trigger 8, 15 or 20 free spins. During the round, every sunset wild that’s part of a win carries a 2x or 3x multiplier, and when more than one wild is in the same win, their multipliers multiply together. Three 3x wilds in one combination make a 27x multiplier, which is where Buffalo’s big wins come from. Landing more scatters during free spins adds extra spins.
RTP and why it’s lower than most online slots
The online version’s published RTP is 94.85%, below the roughly 96% many online-first slots offer. That’s common for games converted from land-based cabinets, where returns are set differently. It doesn’t change how the game plays, but over time it means a slightly higher house edge than a game like Book of Dead. Published maximum win figures vary widely between sources, so we haven’t listed one.
The Buffalo family
The original’s success led Aristocrat to build a whole series around the herd, including Buffalo Gold, Buffalo Stampede and many more, each adding its own twist, such as gold-coin collection or expanding reels, to the same 1,024-ways foundation. If you like the original, the sequels are the natural next step.
Who it suits
Buffalo suits players who love the classic casino-floor feel and a free spins round that can suddenly explode thanks to stacked multipliers. If you prefer higher RTPs and modern features, online-first slots such as Gates of Olympus may suit you better.
FAQ
What is the Buffalo slot RTP?
94.85% for the online version.
How do Buffalo free spins work?
Three to five scatters award 8 to 20 free spins, with sunset wilds that carry 2x or 3x multipliers and multiply together up to 27x.
Can I play Buffalo for free?
Yes. The demo at the top of this page uses virtual credits, with no download and no sign-up. 18+ only.
Buffalo is a gambling game for adults aged 18 and over, or the legal age where you live. Outcomes are random and no strategy changes the RTP. Only play with money you can afford to lose, and if gambling stops being fun, see our responsible gambling page.
18+ only. Free demos use play money. If you play for real money, set a limit first. Responsible gambling.