Given the popularity of Buffalo Gold, it’s surprising the Gold head mechanic hadn’t been extended to any other games. However, it’s finally happened with Timber Wolf Gold, which takes the popular Timber Wolf theme and extends it to feature the same style bonus as Buffalo Gold.
The game features a 5×4 reel set, all ways pays format with 60 credit bet increments including the gold feature, the same cost as Buffalo Gold. But unlike certain versions of Buffalo Gold, you can’t choose lines or turn on/off the gold feature – you’re in for all 60 credits every spin. Of course, you get all the features that come with it, which is why many choose to play the game to begin with.
Like Buffalo Gold, the wilds can gain a multiplier on random base game spins, although the multipliers are amped up a bit, as is the normal nature of this game. On reel 2 it gains a 3x multiplier, and on reel 4 it gains a 5x multiplier. Land both and it’s a 15x multiplier. If a multiplier wild lands, but there’s no winning symbol line-up, a single respin can occur, effectively a second chance at a win.
The bonus is triggered when you get three or more owl characters (and the moons can match with them to trigger the bonus). Regardless of the number of symbols to trigger the bonus, you get 12 free spins, but you do get a bigger pay for more symbols in the trigger.
Like on Buffalo Gold, 15 of the wolf heads are gold, and you collect the gold heads, reaching milestones to upgrade various semi-premium symbols to wolves for more and bigger line hits. They upgrade as follows:
- 4 Gold Heads: Man symbols change to Wolf heads
- 7 Gold Heads: Bear symbols change to Wolf heads
- 13 Gold Heads: Deer symbols change to Wolf heads
- 15 Gold Heads: House symbols change to Wolf heads
Like Buffalo Gold, if you get 15 heads on your final bonus free game, an extra free game is awarded.
The moons have multipliers for the length of the free games (the same x3 and x5 as the base games on reels 2 and 4, respectively). The respin still happens if a line hit isn’t won on a spin where a moon appears.
This is a tough game. I put $100 in, doing some 60 cent and $1.20 spins on the game when I found it recently, and it took the entire $100 within about $135 in coin-in – no free games, although the multiplier came out a few times. But it appears to be a really tough game, and not a popular one because I saw the machines largely open during my visit.
The game is part of one of the Wonder 4s, and perhaps plays a bit differently in there, but this definitely feels like a harder game than Buffalo Gold.
Watch and Learn
Slotlady got a 4 scatter symbol bonus during a session on the game:
KURI Slot got a jackpot on the game:
