Wolf Gold vs Buffalo King

Wolf Gold vs Buffalo King: the core difference

Both games come from Pragmatic Play, both put North American wildlife on the reels, and both return about the same in theory. The split is in how they pay. Wolf Gold spreads its value across line wins, a free spins round and a respin feature with three fixed jackpots, which keeps it at medium volatility. Buffalo King channels its value through a wider grid and a free spins round in which wilds multiply wins, which makes it high volatility with a much higher ceiling.

If you want a session that rarely feels empty, Wolf Gold is the better fit on temperament. If you prefer a slot that can sit quiet for long periods and then produce a sharp result, Buffalo King fits that description.

Verified figures

Wolf Gold’s top prizes are fixed jackpots, so they scale with your stake rather than growing over time; the paytable shows their values at the stake you choose. Buffalo King was released in 2020. Both games come in more than one RTP version, so the help screen at your casino gives the live figure.

25 lines vs 4,096 ways: how wins are counted

Wolf Gold uses 25 fixed paylines. Your stake is split across them, so at a 25p total each line carries 1p, and a win needs matching symbols from the leftmost reel along one of those set patterns.

Buffalo King uses ways to win. With six reels of four rows, there are 4 × 4 × 4 × 4 × 4 × 4 = 4,096 routes across the grid. A win needs a symbol on adjacent reels from the left, in any row.

Counting a ways win

Say buffalo symbols land twice on reel 1, once on reel 2 and three times on reel 3. That is 2 × 1 × 3 = 6 ways, so a three-buffalo win pays six times its listed value. Add a buffalo on reel 4 and the win both lengthens and keeps its six ways. This is why a messy-looking Buffalo King screen can pay more than expected, and why its quiet spins are quieter: when the left reels do not connect, nothing pays. Our guide on paylines vs ways compares the two systems.

Wolf Gold’s Money Respin, step by step

The Money Respin is Wolf Gold’s signature feature and an early example of the hold and win format. Moon symbols carry either cash values or a jackpot label.

1. Land enough moon symbols in one spin to trigger the feature; the help screen gives the exact number.
2. The moons lock in place and everything else clears.
3. You receive three respins; each new moon locks and resets the count to three.
4. When the respins run out, every cash value and any jackpot labels on the grid are paid.
5. Fill every position with moons and the top fixed jackpot, the Mega, is added.

Buffalo King has no equivalent respin feature; its bonus value sits entirely in free spins.

Free spins: giant symbols vs multiplying wilds

Wolf Gold’s giant symbol can cover the middle of the grid with one premium animal, which, paired with matching symbols on reel 1, lights up many of the 25 lines at once. The round is short, so its results are usually moderate.

In Buffalo King’s round, every wild that lands carries a multiplier of 2x, 3x or 5x, and a win running through more than one wild has their multipliers combined. That is the engine behind the 93,750x cap. A round with few wilds can pay very little; a round with several on the same ways can pay a great deal.

Fixed jackpots vs a 93,750x cap

Wolf Gold does not publish a single headline max win; its ceiling is formed by the Mega jackpot added to a full grid of moon values, plus whatever lines pay. Buffalo King publishes a max win of 93,750x stake.

Approaching Buffalo King’s cap needs several high multiplier wilds on a screen full of premium symbols over many ways, which is extremely rare. Wolf Gold’s best outcomes are more modest, which is consistent with its medium rating.

Wolf Gold vs Buffalo King RTP

Fifty pence per £1,000 is effectively no difference. The RTP version at your casino is more likely to separate them than the published figures. Our guide to slot RTP versions explains why.

Medium vs high volatility over 100 spins

Take £25 at 25p a spin, which is 100 spins and, at the UK minimum of 2.5 seconds a spin, a short session.

• Wolf Gold: line wins land fairly often, stacked animals can cover several lines, and the Money Respin can arrive between free spins rounds. The balance usually moves in smaller steps.
• Buffalo King: many spins return nothing because the left reels fail to connect. Free spins are the main event, and without them the balance tends to fall steadily.

Both games keep the house edge, and over time losses are the likely outcome. The volatility guide explains why the same RTP feels so different.

Related animal slots

More games in each style are on our wolf slots and buffalo slots pages.

Which animal slot suits which player

• Wolf Gold: players who want variety (lines, respins and free spins) and a steadier balance.
• Buffalo King: players who accept long quiet runs for a high ceiling and multiplier wilds.
• Small budgets: Wolf Gold is usually the gentler choice.
• Ways-to-win fans: Buffalo King, or its Megaways version for even more ways.

Where to play Wolf Gold and Buffalo King

Search the lobby for each title after logging in and check the RTP version in the help screen. Ladbrokes credits up to 500 spins at 10p, 50 a day across 10 days, on selected slots after you stake £10 on slots, with no wagering. PlayOJO’s 80 no-wagering spins at 10p are on Big Bass Bonanza after a first deposit of £10 or more. Casumo’s offer is a 50% match up to £100 on a first deposit of at least £20, to be wagered 10x within 7 days, with bets capped at £5 while it is active. 18+, new customers, T&Cs apply.

18+. Gambling should be entertainment that costs money, not a way to make it. Set a deposit limit before you play: how to set limits. Free, confidential help: National Gambling Helpline 0808 8020 133.