Buffalo Stack n Sync Review
From Hacksaw Gaming
The original Stack n Sync slot in which SnS symbols trigger stacks of up to 60 identical symbols on one reel. Watch out for buffalo stacks that stampede across the reels triggering multipliers of up to 100x. In the bonus round
OUR RATING:
Name: Buffalo Stack n Sync
Developer: Hacksaw Gaming
Paylines: 10
Reels: 5
Rows: 4
RTP: 96.36%
Variance: High
Top Payout: 10,000x
Jackpot: No
Release Date: May 2022
Features: Wilds, Free Spins, Stacked Symbols, Re-Spins
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About This Slot
In May 2022, Buffalo Stack n Sync was the first Hacksaw Gaming slot to feature the Stack n Sync mechanic. Since then, Alpha Eagle has been added to the series and we can expect more in the future. This game takes place in Wild West setting with red rock formations and cacti making up the background to a 5×4 reel set framed with wooden beams lashed together and topped by a set of bison horns. The atmosphere is fun with a minimal guitar twang backtrack and relentless beat that gets faster and includes chanting at various moments as the action gets more exciting.
Don’t let the somewhat basic design and artwork fool you though. This is, unsurprisingly given its Hacksaw we’re dealing with, a tough, high-risk slot with the potential for massive pay sequences. The Stack n Sync mechanic is quite basic – symbols form in stacks and sync when more than one stack forms, followed by re-spins. But there are some build-in triggers that can elevate your wins to huge levels. Namely, a Stampede feature with up to 100x multipliers and a special bonus round that plays out on reels with only the highest paying symbols in play.
RTP, Variance and Top Payout
Buffalo Stack n Sync has a variable RTP and which level you play at will depend on the site you play the game on. The options are 96.36%, 94.48%, 92.37% and 88.46%. In the UK, playing this game at Casumo and Dream Vegas the RTP published on the game info screen was 94.38%. That is disappointing for the UK where most games play at around 96%.
As for volatility, Hacksaw make no apologies for being a high variance game studio. They rarely kick out much that is rated lower than a 4/5 on their own volatility scale and Buffalo Stack n Sync is no exception. It will be a particularly tough one to crack and experience shows with Hacksaw Gaming slots that these are relentlessly unforgiving. So don’t expect an easy ride. However, with a top payout of 10,000x and the possibility of syncing stacks of high paying symbols across the reels, there is the chance of landing some seriously big wins.
Spins start at 10p per play.
Symbols and Graphics
Buffalo Stack n Sync is a traditional 5 reel, 4 row game with just 10 fixed paylines. Wins are triggered by landing 3 or more identical symbols from left to right across the reels.
Low value symbols are the cards, 10 through to Ace. They are valued at 2x for five 10s up to 4x for five Aces. The high payers are the animals which are made up of horses, wild cats, wolves, eagles and bison. These are valued at from 10x for five horses up to 20x for five bison. These is also a Wild that is the cactus and substitutes for all other symbols to form wins and pays out 20x for five on a line.
Watch out as well for the SnS symbol that lands regularly in the base game and bonus round to trigger Stack n Syncs.
What We Like
Buffalo stampedes come with up to 100x
Stampede Spins trigger premium stacks
Classic high variance maths model
What We Don't Like
Doesn't suit casual slots players
Big wins are very infrequent
Gameplay and Features
There are four extra features in Buffalo Stack n Sync. Here is how they work.
Stack n Sync – Stack up to 60 Symbols Per Reel
When the SnS symol lands on any reel then a stack of one pay symbol will appear on that reel. A stack may be 15, 30, 45 or 60 high. 60 is the limit because that is the maximum number of symbols on a reel.
You can land more than one SnS symbol on one spin but only one per reel.
After the stacks are formed a re-spin will take place and it is possible to land more SnS symbols on other reels at which point these reels are synced with those that started the Stack n Sync feature. Then, another re-spin occurs.
Your objective here it so sync all five reels with high paying symbol stacks.
Stampede Reels – Up to 100x Multipliers
The Stampede Reel is triggered by landing a full reel stack of buffalos. Now, ANY buffalo symbol winline that passes through the buffalo stack has a 1x to 100x multiplier attached to it. If you can run winlines through more than one buffalo stack then the multipliers are added together before being applied to the win.
The win potential here is HUGE as five buffalo in a line triggers a 20x payout. A few of these with a 50x or more multiplier is going to get you wins into the 1,000s.
10 Free Spins With Enhanced Odds
The basic free spins round is triggered by landing 3 or more stampeding hooves bonus symbols. The best part is, when this happens you get 10 spins with an increased odds of landing the SnS symbol AND increased odds that your stacks will be high paying symbols.
Stampede Spins On Modified Reel Set
The Stampede Spins takes you to a different reel set where ONLY high paying buffalos, non-paying skulls and stack scatters land. You get 10 spins and each time a stack lands, then between 5 and 60 buffalos are added to that reel AND another spin is added to your total.
As you can land more than one stack symbol on each reel during the round, so you can add more and more buffalo to the stacks and increase your wins still further. A good run in this round could bring seriously big wins.
More Games Like Alpha Eagle Slot
Alpha Eagle Stack n Sync by Hacksaw Gaming – Let’s compare Buffalo Stack n Sync with the second in the series, Alpha Eagle. The maths models are very similar – 10,000x top win, high variance and same RTP levels. Alpha has more paylines at 10, but other than that they are the same. The key difference is the Eagle Link round that replaces the Stampede Spins. Now, you must collect high paying Eagles in the first phase before linking them together on the grid for the payout phase. I prefer the Stampede Spins myself as the task is simpler – keep building stacks of buffalo and adding more spins to your total. You can read all about Alpha Eagle here.
Pug Lifes by Hacksaw Gaming – If high risk Hacksaw games are your thing but you want to bring the experience closer to home you could try Pug Life, a cute-doggy slot with a 7,500x top payout. This game played well in testing and delivered us a 680x win in the bonus round. Landing treat bowls earns you multipliers that stick in the bonus round combining to deliver big wins. You can read about that here.
Where to Buffalo Stack n Sync Slot – Further Recommendations
Duelz Casino – This SuprPlay slot site is a great place to enjoy Hacksaw Games. They have more than 2000 slot games in their catalogue including many more providers like Nolimit City, Big Time Gaming and Relax Gaming. Their minimum deposit is a little high at £20 but you can get a 100% match bonus up to £100 with your first deposit. Read our full review here.
Temple Nile – Alternatively we recommend Temple Nile from White Hat Gaming, a top- quality online slot site with 2,500 games on it. This site has an Egyptian theme in line with top slots like Book of Dead. They offer the full suite of Hacksaw Gaming slots as well as over 100 other providers. Read our full review here.
Our Verdict
This is a quality slot that utilises a well-worn theme of the wild west but still delivers much originality in the gameplay, making it one that will appeal to more than just die-hard Hacksaw fans.
In our 30-minute testing session Buffalo Stack behaved as you would expect with lots of tantalising moments but never quite the big win we were hoping for. Each time the SnS symbol lands can you see top right which symbol is going to be stacked, and how many high – 15, 30, 45 or 60. Many times we saw a premium symbol there and 30 or 45 in the stacks …. 1, 2, sometimes 3 reels synced but the payout just didn’t arrive, the reel re-set and we started again. There was also one free spins trigger but the result here was disappointing too.
But that’s high variance slots play for you! Can Buffalo Stack n Sync deliver big wins? Of course … with multipliers that high and the chance to sync 5 reels there will be payouts. Just not today.
In summary, I enjoyed this slot – the gameplay was slick and simple but fun and despite frustrating I would come back to it again.
Excellent
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