A name shared by many separate games
Walk through a casino floor or scroll an online lobby and you will see the same animal theme attached to machines that play nothing alike. One cabinet has five reels and a fixed jackpot; another has six reels and a progressive meter climbing above the screen. The question "how many different types are there" runs into an immediate problem: no central registry publishes a count, and the number keeps changing as new titles launch and old ones retire.
What you can do is learn the structural axes that separate one Buffalo-branded slot from another. Reel count, payline format, jackpot type, volatility setting, and the specific paytable all vary between machines that share the same name and artwork. Once you can read those differences, the total number matters less than knowing which machine you are sitting at.
What "Buffalo" refers to
The name is a trademarked theme used by a game developer, not a single game. The developer has released a long series of titles under that brand over more than a decade, often reusing the same animal symbols, sound effects, and visual style. Some are sequels; some are regional variants built for different markets; some are adaptations of the same core game for different cabinet sizes or online platforms.
Whether a machine in one venue may carry the same name as a machine in another venue while running different software turns on the licensing terms each venue holds and the state gaming authority’s current register. The name tells you the theme. It does not tell you the reel layout, the return percentage, or the jackpot structure. Those live in the game's own information panel, which every machine and online title is required to make available.
The structural axes that separate variants
Rather than count titles, sort them by the features that change how a spin resolves. Four axes do most of the work: reel and row configuration, payline or ways-to-win format, jackpot type, and volatility. A fifth axis, the paytable's symbol values and bonus triggers, changes even between machines that look identical.
| Axis | What changes | Where to find it |
|---|---|---|
| Reel and row layout | Number of reels, rows per reel, and total symbol positions; some variants use 5 reels, others 6 or more | Game information panel or help screen |
| Payline format | Fixed paylines versus ways-to-win adjacent-symbol combinations; number of lines or ways differs by title | Paytable, usually under "lines" or "ways" |
| Jackpot type | Fixed jackpot pays a set amount; progressive jackpot grows from qualifying wagers and resets after a win | Jackpot meter or rules page |
| Volatility | How payouts are distributed over time; high volatility means rarer but larger payouts, low volatility more frequent but smaller ones | Not always published; may be described in the game rules or review materials |
| Paytable values | Symbol payouts, bonus triggers, and feature rules specific to that title | Paytable screen inside the game |
A Buffalo title with 1,024 ways to win resolves combinations differently from a fixed-line Buffalo title, even if both show the same animals on the reels. The ways-to-win format pays on adjacent-symbol combinations rather than fixed lines. That single change alters how often a spin returns something and how the paytable is written.
Reading the information panel
Every regulated slot, physical or online, carries a game information screen. On a cabinet it is usually behind a button labelled "help", "info", or "paytable". Online, the same panel sits behind an "i" icon or a menu. Open it before you put money in, and read it in this order.
First, the reel and line configuration. The panel states how many reels and rows the game uses and whether it pays on fixed lines or ways. Second, the paytable: a grid of symbol values, usually expressed as multiples of your stake per line or per way. Third, the bonus rules: what triggers free spins, whether a multiplier applies, and whether any jackpot requires a maximum-stake bet to qualify. Progressive contributions are typically taken out of the game's return, and some progressives require a maximum-stake bet to qualify, so the jackpot meter is not free money layered on top of the base game.
The panel also carries the game's theoretical return, expressed as Return to Player (RTP). RTP is a theoretical percentage of total wagered money a game returns to players over a very large number of spins or hands. It is a long-run statistical average, not a per-session guarantee. House edge and RTP are complements: they sum to 100% for the same game. Two Buffalo variants can carry different RTP figures, and the same title can be configured at different RTP settings in different venues or online markets.
Fixed versus progressive jackpots
Jackpot structure is the difference most players notice first, because a progressive meter is visible from across the room. Fixed jackpots pay a set amount, printed in the paytable. Progressive jackpots grow from a share of qualifying wagers and reset after a win. A Buffalo variant with a fixed top prize behaves differently from one where the top prize climbs, even if the base game is identical.
The jackpot type also changes what you are paying for. On a progressive machine, a portion of each qualifying wager feeds the meter. That contribution is typically taken out of the game's return, which means the base game may pay back less than a fixed-jackpot variant with the same reel layout. The meter is not a bonus added by the venue; it is funded by the players' own wagers.
Volatility and what it does not change
Volatility describes how payouts are distributed over time. High volatility means rarer but larger payouts; low volatility means more frequent but smaller ones. Volatility does not change a game's RTP. Two Buffalo variants can share the same theoretical return while one pays small amounts constantly and the other goes long stretches with nothing and then pays a large multiple.
This matters when you are choosing between machines that look similar. A high-volatility variant will feel streakier: longer dry spells, bigger single wins. A low-volatility variant will return something more often, but the amounts are smaller. Neither is better in a way that changes the long-run expectation. The choice is about how you want your session to feel and how long a given bankroll lasts under each distribution, not about improving the programmed return.
Why no one can give you a definitive count
The number of Buffalo-branded titles is not published in any single authoritative place. The developer releases new titles, retires old ones, and licenses the brand into different markets with different feature sets. A title available in one jurisdiction may not exist in another. An online casino may carry a different subset of the series than the physical cabinet next door.
If you want to know how many variants exist in a specific place, the reliable method is to check the game library of the operator you are using or the floor of the venue you are in. Online, the casino's game lobby lists every title it carries, and each title's information panel identifies its reel layout and features. In a physical venue, the cabinet's help screen does the same. A count you read in a forum or an old article will be out of date almost immediately.
What stake size changes and what it does not
Stake size scales the value of every symbol payout in the paytable. If a symbol pays a fixed multiple of your line stake, doubling the stake doubles the cash value of that win. It does not change the probability of the win, the RTP, or the volatility profile. A machine does not become looser or tighter because you bet more; the programmed return is the same per unit wagered.
The exception is a jackpot that requires a maximum-stake bet to qualify. On some progressive variants, the top prize is only available to players betting at the highest level. The game rules state this explicitly. If you are playing a progressive Buffalo title, read the jackpot rules before you assume your current stake qualifies for the meter.
How outcomes are resolved
Every spin on a modern slot is resolved by a random number generator (RNG). The RNG is the algorithm that determines game outcomes. Independent testing laboratories are commonly used to certify RNG behaviour; certification covers game mechanics, not an operator's financial conduct. The RNG produces a number, and that number is mapped to a reel position through a lookup table built into the game's software.
The reel mapping is not the same as a physical reel spinning. What you see on screen is a representation of the outcome the RNG already selected. The stopping positions are determined at the moment the spin is initiated, not by how long the reels appear to spin. The paytable and the reel mapping together determine what each combination pays. No play pattern, timing choice, or stake adjustment alters the mapping or the programmed return.
FAQ
How can I tell two Buffalo machines apart?
Open the information panel on each machine and compare the reel layout, payline or ways count, jackpot type, and paytable values. Two cabinets with the same name and artwork can run different software, so the help screen is the only reliable way to see which variant you are on.
Does a progressive Buffalo slot pay worse than a fixed one?
Not necessarily worse, but differently. Progressive contributions are typically taken out of the game's return, so the base game may return less than a fixed-jackpot variant with the same layout. The meter is funded by player wagers, not added by the venue.
Is there a list of every Buffalo slot ever released?
No central registry publishes a complete, current list. The developer's own site and the game library of the operator you use are the closest thing to a list, and each will reflect only the titles currently available in that market.
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This article is general information about how these mechanics work. It is not legal advice and not a recommendation to gamble or to use any particular operator. Availability and legality differ by jurisdiction — check the rules that apply where you are.