Introduction to 3 Blazing Buffalos: Hold & Win
3 Blazing Buffalos: Hold & Win is a casino slot from Octoplay where Giant Buffalo Symbols take the spotlight. Octoplay certainly has a soft spot for the powerful Buffalo, as we’ve seen it roam in previous releases such as Buffalo Smash: Supercharged and Roaming Wild Buffalo. Here, we get sharp visuals of the American prairie and a lovely sunset, creating a familiar but decent slot atmosphere. The studio has included a Cash Collect feature during the Base Game, which works fine while we wait for the Hold & Win to trigger. The Hold & Win is combined with a 3 Pot mechanic, where up to 3 Giant Buffalo Symbols can be activated, collecting Jackpots and awarding Coin Symbols. It should work well for fans of the studio’s previous Hold & Win releases and those who appreciate the collecting mechanic. Overall, activating Giant Buffalos can award some decent payouts, but the gameplay changes are too minor to stand alone compared to similar Hold & Win releases.
Theme, Gameplay, & Payouts
3 Blazing Buffalos: Hold & Win is a video slot by Octoplay that features 5 reels, 3 rows, and 5 paylines. You can select bet sizes ranging from 0.1 to 150, with a default RTP of 95.74%. This game has low/medium volatility and a hit frequency of 15.40%, offering potential wins of up to 5,530X your bet. On average, it takes 167 spins to activate the bonus game.
The game’s design is based on an American Wildlife theme, set in the prairie of the Southwestern US. The sharp backdrop shows the sun setting over cliffs and vast landscapes. The 5x3 game grid is in the middle of the screen, with the 3 Buffalo Pots above the reels. At the top of the page, you see the Jackpots ranging from 15X to 5,000X the bet, which can be awarded during the Bonus Game. If you want to boost the gaming experience for a cost, activate the Double Chance button on the right side. All other buttons, including the Spin and Bet Size, can be found below the reels. You can play 3 Blazing Buffalos: Hold & Win on all mobile devices, desktops, and notepads. You create a winning combination by landing 3 or more of the same symbol types on adjacent reels starting at the leftmost reel.
The lower-paying symbols are 10, J, Q, K, and A. Landing 5 of the same symbol type pays between 5X and 10X. The higher-paying symbols are a horseshoe, a bell, and a gold bar. Landing 5 of the same symbol type pays between 15X and 25X.
The game’s Wild Symbol has the text “Wild,” and creating a win with 5 Wild Symbols awards a direct payout of 50X the bet. The Coin Symbol carries values ranging from 1X to 10X the bet, which gets collected by Buffalo Symbols during the Base Game. There are Red, Green, and Blue Buffalo Symbols, and whenever they appear in view, there’s a chance of randomly triggering the Hold & Win with the corresponding Buffalo Bonus Feature. Let’s find out what kind of features this game has to offer.
Special Features & Slot Mechanics
What is the max win in the slot of 3 Blazing Buffalos: Hold & Win?
The max win is 5,530X the bet.
What features are available in the slot of 3 Blazing Buffalos: Hold & Win?
The features of this slot game are Wild Symbol, Cash Collect, Hold & Win, and Extra Chance.
Wild Symbol
The Wild Symbol substitutes all symbols except the Buffalo Symbols and helps you create winning combinations. Creating a winning combination with 5 of this symbol type pays 50X the bet.
Cash Collect
The Cash Collect can be triggered when a Coin and Buffalo Symbols land at the same time during the Base Game. The Buffalo Symbol will collect the values of all Coin Symbols in view.
The Coin Symbol have values of 1X, 2X, 3X, 5X, 7X, or 10X the bet. Up to 10 Coin Symbols can land on the reels during one spin.
Blazing Buffalos
There are 3 Blazing Buffalos above the reels: Red, Green, and Blue. If a Buffalo Symbol lands on the reels, it gets collected in the corresponding Blazing Buffalo above the reels with a chance of triggering the Hold & Win feature with the respective activated Blazing Buffalo feature.
As mentioned in the last section, all Buffalo Symbols will collect the total value of all Coin Symbols in view.
Hold & Win
This Bonus Game can be randomly triggered whenever a Buffalo Symbol lands in view, activating the corresponding Blazing Buffalo Feature with 3 respins. The feature is played on an expanded game grid of 6x6. Only blanks, Coins, Jackpots, and Buffalo Symbols can land on the reels. Whenever these symbols land in view (except the blank symbols), the respins reset to 3.
The activated Blazing Buffalo that triggered the feature remain on the reels as a 3x3 symbol until the Hold & Win ends. It collects the prizes of all the symbols that land in its area. All activated Buffalos move to an adjacent position on each spin and can overlap if several are activated. If a Coin or Jackpot Symbol is in a covered area of multiple Buffalos, they get collected by all of them.
There is a chance to trigger more Blazing Buffalos during the feature. Whenever a Buffalo Symbol lands in an uncovered area on the reels, it can randomly activate a giant Blazing Buffalo. When it lands on top of an activated buffalo, the non-activated buffalo is guaranteed to activate.
The Jackpot can be awarded when Buffalo Symbols collect the required number of Jackpot Symbols. The Mini, Minor, Major, Maxi, and Grand Jackpot awards 15X, 30X, 100X, 250X, and 5,000X the bet, and require 2, 3, 5, 7, and 10 collected Jackpot Symbols of the corresponding type.
Extra Chance
Trigger the Extra Chance options if you want to boost the gaming experience for a cost.
1X per round = More than 3 times the chance of triggering the Bonus Game. Played with an RTP of 95.86%.
4X per round = More than 10 times the chance of triggering the Bonus Game. Played with an RTP of 95.80%.
Final Thoughts on 3 Blazing Buffalos: Hold & Win
Octoplay lets the Buffalo roam wild once again, adding another edition to their catalogue. Compared to previous releases, such as Buffalo Blaze: Wild Wealth, we get a warmer visual style that shows the American prairie at sunset, which creates a nice vibe, although it has an AI vibe. Even though we appreciate the harmonious atmosphere, we wonder how many times slot providers will present this overly familiar slot setting, which does little to stand out and create a unique design.
In terms of gameplay, the Base Game revolves around a classic Wild Symbol and a Cash Collect feature. We enjoy it when providers include a Cash Collect in Hold & Win games right from the first spin, letting us get a taste of what’s to come. The Hold & Win feature combines with the trending 3 Pot mechanic, featuring red, green, and blue Buffalo. However, compared to other 3 Pot games such as Triumph Of The 3 Gods, the 3 Blazing Buffalo features all share the same effect. Here, all activated Blazing Buffaloes appear as a sticky 3x3 symbol, collecting all Jackpot and Coin Symbols in view. You have a chance of activating all 3 Buffalos, boosting the win potential when they cover the entire game grid, collecting cash prizes. Although we collected some decent wins while testing the game, we wish the studio had made each Buffalo unique, adding Multipliers, etc. Now, the gameplay loops after a while and doesn’t create the long-term interest we expect.
In conclusion, the design creates a decent slot environment, but it’s hard to overcome the overly familiar feeling. In terms of gameplay, it’s nicely balanced with okay win potential in both the Base and Bonus Game. The 3x3 Giant Buffalo Symbols is the game’s highlight, collecting cash prizes during the Hold & Win, and even though it can lead to decent payouts, it isn’t enough to become memorable compared to similar games in Octoplay’s Buffalo series.
3 Blazing Buffalos: Hold & Win is inspired by the trending 3 Pots mechanic, adding a Giant Buffalo Symbol to a familiar Bonus Game without introducing any groundbreaking elements.
