Gonzo's Quest - OLBG Slot Review (original) (raw)
Volatility:
Medium to High
Release Date:
11th Nov 2011
Overview
Go in search of the lost golden city of El Dorado with the Gonzo’s Quest slot. With 5 reels and 20 paylines, this iconic slot game from NetEnt can be played from 20p per spin on all devices, including mobiles.
NetEnt’s first platinum release pioneered the Avalanche feature which gives you another chance to win. Every win/Avalanche increases the multiplier up to 5x in the base and up to 15x in the Free Falls feature (free spins). This can lead to max wins of 37,500 times your total bet.
With a 95.97% RTP rate, Gonzo’s Quest, amongst other games such as Book of Dead and Starburst, is ever-present at slot sites in the UK. Find out why with our free demo and detailed review.
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Slot Details
The Gonzo’s Quest slot has 5 reels, 3 rows and 20 paylines. With no option to play with fewer paylines, 3, 4 or 5 identical symbols landing from left to right will constitute a winning combination. The matching symbols need to start on the leftmost reel and across any of the 20 paylines for the above the occur. This leads to Avalanches which are described in more detail further down the review.
You can join this rewarding expedition from 20p to £50 per spin. Being an older NetEnt slot game, you can change the level from 1 to 10 and coin value from 0.01 to 0.50. For non-UK players, there is an Autoplay function with up to 1,000 auto spins as well various win, single win and balance limits.
The Gonzo’s Quest RTP is 95.97% which is marginally lower than the 96% average rate for online slots. 65.3% is accounted for in the base game and 30.4% in the free spins. The good news is that it’s the only RTP rate meaning you’ll play this rate at all UK online casinos.
Expect a winning combination every 2.415 spins as the hit frequency rate is 41.1%. In the Free Falls feature, wins will arrive more frequently (1 in 1.838 spins) as the hit frequency rate is 54.4%.
Medium to high volatility, the Gonzo’s Quest slot can dish out maximum wins of 37,500 times your total bet. This is possible in the free spins with the possible 15x multiplier. In the base game, 12,500 times bet max wins are possible.
Lastly, the Starburst slot can award maximum wins of 500 times your total bet. In fact, it’s 250 times your total bet but the Win Both Ways technology doubles this amount.
The king of slots
Chris Taylor is an industry veteran originally from Gibraltar. Having worked in the online gambling industry since 2004, Chris loves slots and has reviewed over 10,000 online slot games. Running a slots-focused website for 13 years, Chris is the go-to guy for everything slots-related.
👨🏫 Specialist Subjects🔬📚
Chris’ online gambling career has spanned more than 2 decades. This includes working for online casino sites, consulting for software/slot providers and running his own slots portal.
With a passion for slots, Chris reviews games from an honest and blunt point of view to give readers an accurate portrayal of the slots they might play. The slot games are just the start as Chris deep dives into the slot sites to provide factual and insightful information as to where to play the games he so loves.
Gonzo's Quest Expert Review
Theme, Audio + Symbols
Released on the 11th of November 2011, the Gonzo’s Quest slot has a Mayan theme. NetEnt’s first-ever platinum release, you join Spanish explorer/conquistador Gonzalo Pizarro (Gonzo) who goes in search of the lost golden city of El Dorado. For context, Gonzo led the Spanish conquest of the Inca Empire.
Set deep in the Mayan jungle, you’ll see a golden pyramid in the backdrop with symbols carved on stone blocks. You’ll notice Gonzo next to the reels who comes to life as you spin away. He even moonwalks across the screen when you win a decent amount.
The soundtrack is quite understated and features flutes and Spanish guitars. Despite being released in 2011, the graphics and animations are superb and stand up well against newer releases.
On the reels, you’ll see bird, snake and alligator fossil symbols. The higher-value symbols include purple, gold, green and blue tribal masks. The blue tribal mask symbol pays the most with 125 times your total bet awarded for 5 across any payline.
There is a Wild symbol which substitutes for all the symbols above. The other important symbol is the Scatter which is key to triggering the Free Falls feature (the free spins). Below you’ll find payouts and functions of all Gonzo’s Quest symbols:
- Bird: 3, 4 or 5 = 0.15, 0.5 or 2.5 x bet
- Snake: 3, 4 or 5 = 0.2, 0.75 or 3.75 x bet
- Alligator: 3, 4 or 5 = 0.25, 1 or 5 x bet
- Purple Mask: 3, 4 or 5 = 0.5, 1.25 or 10 x bet
- Gold Mask: 3, 4 or 5 = 0.75, 2.5 or 25 x bet
- Green Mask: 3, 4 or 5 = 1, 5 or 50 x bet
- Blue Mask: 3, 4 or 5 = 2.5, 12.5 or 125 x bet
- Wild: Substitutes for symbols above to form wins
- Scatter: 3 triggers free spins
Gonzo’s Quest Mobile
Remastered by NetEnt using HTML5 technology, Gonzo’s Quest is available to play on desktop, mobile and tablet devices. Compatible with iOS and Android smartphones, the 5x3 layout works well on smaller, handheld screens.
Bonus Features
With 3 bonus features, the Gonzo’s Quest online slot is quite simple. That said, it was the first game to introduce Avalanches which can lead to successive wins and increasing multipliers. In the free spins, the multipliers get bigger (up to 15x).
Avalanche
Gonzo’s Quest is an iconic slot game as it was the first ever slot to use the Avalanche feature. When you land a winning combination, the winning symbols explode and are removed from the reels. With the remaining symbols falling to the empty positions, new symbols fall from above to occupy the new empty positions.
This can lead to another winning combination. Avalanches continue as long as you get wins. For reference, Avalanches are known as Cascading Wins, Tumbles or Cascades in other slots, especially Megaways slot games.
Avalanche Multipliers
With every Avalanche, the Avalanche Multipliers feature is triggered. Beginning with a 1x multiplier, each Avalanche/winning combination will see the multiplier increase up to 5x.
If you don’t land a win, the multiplier resets to 1x. You can track your progress with the multiplier meter above the reels. Below are the multipliers on offer as well as your chances of winning with each Avalanche:
| Avalanche | Multiplier | Chance of Winning |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | 1x | 12.50% |
| 2nd | 2x | 3.10% |
| 3rd | 3x | 0.50% |
| 4th | 5x | 0.03% |
Free Falls
The action in Gonzo’s Quest heats up in the Free Falls feature. It’s triggered when you land the Scatter symbol on reels 1, 2 and 3 simultaneously during a base game spin. With 10 free spins awarded (or free falls), the Avalanche and Avalanche Multipliers features are in full flow.
However, the multiplier values are bigger and can reach 15x. Below you’ll find the multipliers for each Avalanche and the chance of winning:
| Avalanche | Multiplier | Chance of Winning |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | 3x | 25.20% |
| 2nd | 6x | 11.50% |
| 3rd | 9x | 4.70% |
| 4th | 15x | 1.70% |
Lastly, landing 3 Scatters on reels 1, 2 and 3 simultaneously will see you retrigger the feature. This will give you 10 additional free spins. In total, that means 20 free spins.
Expert Verdict
Even though NetEnt released Gonzo’s Quest in 2011, it’s still very much loved by slot players. As prominent as ever in online casino lobbies, the design and animations were ahead of its time. Gonzo’s moves on the side of the reels have become iconic.
Being the first Avalanche slot game, it caused quite a stir in its day. Successive wins will lead to an increasing multiplier up to 5x in the base game and up to 15x in the free spins. If you filled the reels with the highest value symbol, you’d pocket 2,500 times your total bet. Apply the 15x in the free spins for 37,500 times bet max wins.
Even though it will be very hard to achieve the maximum win, your chances of winning on the 4th Avalanche increase from 0.03% in the base game to 1.7% during the free spins.
In summary, the Gonzo’s Quest slot is a must-play game. Other slot studios have followed and copied the Avalanche feature (cascading wins or tumbles) which you’ll find in many games today. The potential for big wins and the charm Gonzo possesses makes this game a timeless favourite.
Chris Taylor, King of Slots @ OLBG.com
Other Gonzo Slots
NetEnt has followed up with various sequels and spinoffs. In July 2020, Red Tiger Gaming (which is part of the Evolution group that owns NetEnt) released Gonzo’s Quest Megaways which offers up to 117,649 ways to win and 20,972.4 times bet max wins.
In October 2021, Gonzo features in Gonzo’s Gold which is a 5x5, Cluster Pays slot with a 96.11% RTP rate and 6,500 x bet max wins. Gonzo’s daughter, in Gonzita’s Quest, was released in September 2022. Finally, Gonzo and other popular NetEnt characters appear in Superstars which has 4,596 x bet max wins. Below you’ll find a table highlighting all the key information:
| Slot Game | Reels/Paylines | RTP | Max Win | Release Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gonzo’s Quest Megaways | 6/up to 117,649 | 96% | 20,972.4 x bet | 23/07/2020 |
| Gonzo’s Gold | 5x5/Cluster Pays | 96.11% | 6,500 x bet | 14/10/2021 |
| Gonzita’s Quest | 5/20 | 95.66% | 2,580 x bet | 22/09/2022 |
| Superstars | 5/45 | 96.10% | 4,596 x bet | 27/10/2022 |
Editorial Information
The Gonzo's Quest slot review was written by Chris Taylor from our OLBG Expert team who who written over 10,000 slot game reviews in an iGaming career spanning over 2 decades. It was then verified/checked by Jenny Mason, our prime Slot reviewer who has 17+ years working in online gambling, top UK brands.
Jenny Mason
Slots content manager
Jenny Mason has more than 17 years of experience in the online gambling industry and has worked for some of the UK’s top betting brands. She started at OLBG in 2014 and her role involves creating great content and looking after the marketing activity. Jenny is knowledgeable in all areas of online sports betting and has an interest in slots and bingo.
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🎰🍒🍀 Jenny has become an expert with online slots completing hundreds of our various new slot reviews and creating and writing some of the slot articles found on site. She has become a firm fan of NoLimitCity and Hacksaw gaming slot in this process and always awaits the new releases with much anticipation
FAQ
Gonzo's Quest FAQs
What is the Gonzo’s Quest RTP rate?
The Gonzo’s Quest RTP rate is 95.97%. Just below the 96% slots average, it’s the only RTP version available to play online. The volatility is in the medium to high category.
What is the Gonzo’s Quest max win?
Gonzo’s Quest can dish out maximum wins of 37,500 times your total bet. Key to winning big is from the Avalanche Multipliers which can reach 15x in the Free Falls feature.
Is Gonzo’s Quest a good slot?
Even though NetEnt released Gonzo’s Quest in 2011, it remains one of the most popular online slot games today. As a result, NetEnt or parent company Evolution has released sequels and spin-offs.
What are the minimum and maximum bets on Gonzo’s Quest?
You can play Gonzo’s Quest from as little as 20p to as much as £50 a spin. At some UK casinos, you may find the max bet of £50 has been reduced to £20 or even £10 a spin.
Is there a Gonzo’s Quest demo?
The Gonzo’s Quest free play slot is available to play in demo mode here at OLBG. You can enjoy this iconic classic on mobile, tablet and/or desktop devices.
Where can I play Gonzo’s Quest?
Gonzo’s Quest can be enjoyed at most slot sites as NetEnt slots are available at most online casinos. You’ll normally find Gonzo in the Featured or Best sections in casino lobbies too.