Gonzo’s Quest Slot
NetEnt’s Gonzo’s Quest slot game first saw the light of day in 2011. The game’s revolutionary mechanic and superb graphics immediately took the online gaming world by storm and it still remains one of the most popular titles by the leading Swedish provider, available across their massive network of casinos. But what is Gonzo’s Quest about? The slot focuses on the story of the 16th-century Spanish conquistador Gonzalo Pizarro, nicknamed Gonzo. His famed brother, Francisco Pizarro was the conqueror of the Inca Empire.
In this Labslots slot game, we see Gonzo on a quest to find the hidden city of El Dorado, also known as the Lost City of Gold. He arrives to the Peruvian coast and begins to follow the treasure map through the jungle, determined to find the golden city and strike it rich on its artefacts. When the game loads, Gonzo will greet us on the side of the reels and we’ll see him in front of a wall made of blocks with tribal symbols, deep inside the jungle. As the reels spin, a shining golden temple can be seen in the distance. Will you help Gonzo reach the treasures he’s after?
Gonzo’s Quest Slot Features
- RTP: 95.97%
- Betting Range: £1 – £50
- Max Win: 37,500x the bet
- Similar Slots: Asgardian Stones, Jungle Jim el Dorado, Pixies of the Forest
Gonzo’s Quest Slot: How to Win
Gonzo’s Quest online slot features 5 reels, 3 rows and offers 20 fixed pay-lines, which pay left to right, starting from the far left reel. To win a payout, you must land at least 3 matching symbols on a predetermined paying line. The control panel lines up the following buttons: game info and pay-table, bet levels, Autoplay, Play, Max Bet and coin value.
As soon as you hit the Play button, you’ll notice that Gonzo’s Quest does not run like most slots. The reels do not spin and come to a stop, revealing the symbols for a payout evaluation; something else happens instead, but we’ll address that topic soon enough. What symbols can we expect to see? All symbols are theme-related and they are all presented in the form of stone blocks with carvings – alligator, fish, bird, snake and symbols representing moon, fire and heath. The wildcard symbol is the question mark, with the power to replace all paytable symbols to complete a winning combination. A strange golden mask symbol takes the role of the Scatter/Bonus icon and activates the main special feature.
Gonzo’s Quest Bonus Rounds
Technically, the Avalanche Reels feature in Gonzo’s Quest isn’t exactly a bonus round, but it certainly affects how the game is played and modifies the way it issues payouts. Just like snow falls down in an avalanche, the symbols in this slot machine drop from above whenever the Play button is pressed. There are no typical rotations, no spinning reels. When a winning line is formed, the symbols explode and get replaced by new ones in a consequent avalanche, which means there can be several payouts in a single spin. Wait, it gets better.
Every consecutive avalanche introduces an increasing multiplier. The second avalanche awards a 2x multiplier, the third a 3x multiplier and the fourth consecutive avalanche will apply a 5x multiplier on any potential winnings. After the fourth, the multiplier will stay at 5x and as you keep winning the avalanches will continue.
Three Bonus symbols on a bet line activate the Free Fall feature, which is the equivalent of a free spins round. The player receives 10 free falls with the possibility of winning more over the course of the feature. Avalanches stay active during free falls, with bigger multipliers. Initial avalanche awards a 3x multiplier, then 6x, 9x and 15x for 4 or more explosions.
Gonzo’s Quest Slot: The Verdict & RTP
At the time when Gonzo’s Quest was released the technology of Avalanche Reels was unique and original. Other slots have benefited from it and other software developers have taken the concept and put their own spin on it (tumbling reels, reactions etc.), but Gonzo’s Quest remains synonymous with this mechanic.
An army of punters across the globe has this game among their absolute favourites for multiple reasons, whether it is the game engine or the impressive visuals and animations. A moderate RTP of 95.97% and medium-to-high volatility make Gonzo’s Quest a timeless classic worth revisiting time and time again. NetEnt has built their own El Dorado with this one.
