This is a tale about the search by maverick conquistador Gonzalo Pizarro for El Dorado the fabled Mayan city of gold. With this game, NetEnt pioneered the concept of Avalanche slots; in Gonzo's Quest, the reels crash land on the screen, with the winning icons blowing up into dust. Then others fall in their place.
Though Gonzo’s Quest was released in 2011, it remains one of the most popular slot games. The graphics are excellent with a Mayan temple in the jungle background, and the hero himself providing the antics. The accompanying audio effects suit the theme and set the mood.
The reel icons feature various animals, masks, and various other Mayan symbols representing the moon, fire, and heath. Heath is the most rewarding symbol, which can pay out from 2.5 times to 125 times the stake if it crash lands in a combination 3, 4, or 5 from the left.
The question mark represents the wild and substitutes the other icons to form winning permutations. Gonzo looks bored most of the time, but gets quite animated; he dances around, and at times even does a Michael Jackson when players win significantly.
Gonzo's Quest comes in 5 reels, 3 rows and 20 paylines, which are fixed. Some casinos also offer VR versions of the slot. The avalanche reels gives players wins up to five times. The free falls bonus feature increases the multipliers by up to 15 times in case of consecutive wins. The RTP of above 95% compares favorably with most other slots.
No wonder it has achieved a cult status amongst slot enthusiasts. After loading, the game begins with an introductory video, after which players join Gonzo in their individual quests for a little bit of El Dorado.
Gonzo's Quest is classified as medium to highly volatile, which means you can go without significant wins for long periods, with occasional big wins. The base game has an RTP of 65.3% while 30.7% of the winnings come in the free falls feature. The hit frequency is 41% in the base game with more than 54% during free falls.
In total, there are seven winning symbols. Players win when 3, 4, or 5 identical symbols land on the reels. The avalanche reels can provide winning up to 2,500 times. The free falls feature has a multiplier with a 15x potential, which can lead to payouts of 37,500 times the original stake on every free spin. Here are some tips to get the most out of Gonzo's Quest.
Welcome bonuses and other promotions are generally geared to have people play on slots, including those that specifically provide free spins for Gonzo’s Quest. Though bonuses come with playthrough requirements, they are ideal for extending your play session without spending from your own pocket.
Since the paylines are fixed, you have no option but play all 20 paylines at each spin. This makes your minimum bet as GBP 0.20, which can deplete your cash pretty fast if you go through extended periods without significant wins. That’s you need to set limits about how much you are willing to lose. Autoplay is a good option to set those limits.
High volatility slots are better played with higher bets as they provide bigger winnings. Hence, most experienced players play Gonzo's Quest in Max Bet mode. However, betting bigger can also mean higher losses. Hence, even here players need to play within set limits. New players should first acquaint themselves with the game’s features by first playing in demo mode.
NetEnt's Gonzo's Quest was the first game to replace the conventional spinning reels with symbols crash landing on the screen. The symbols that form the winning combinations crumble into dust, and are replaces by other symbols, which fall on the lower ones. The new symbol can also be winning combinations. This gives players a chance to win more in a single spin.
There is an Avalanche Multiplier Meter in the top right-hand corner of the screen. Whenever you get winning combination, the Avalanche multiplier feature comes into play. You first avalanche win comes with no multiplier. However, the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th avalanche wins increase the multiplier by 2, 3, and 5 respectively.
This feature has a scatter symbol, which is a very important part of the game. When the scatter symbol falls on the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd reels at once, it triggers the free fall bonus. The free falls are ten free spins, which multiplies avalanche wins from 3 times to 15 times the original bet, if you get 4 avalanches. The Avalanche Multiplier also changes to reflect this. If the scatters land again, the free fall is reactivated.
Gonzo’s Quest was the first video mobile slot that NetEnt developed, which has been optimally adapted for entertaining game play on the smaller screens. The mobile game is graphically enhanced and runs as smoothly as on desktops.
The slot plays out in the same HD clarity and sound quality. Gonzo’s Quest is compatible with Android, Windows Phone, and iOS operating systems and can be played on virtually all smartphones and tablets. All reputable online casinos have Gonzo’s Quest in their mobile games section.
NetEnt’s 2011 creation still remains one of brand’s signature slot titles. The game is highly-rated for all its features, including the theme, graphics, audio effects, game play and payouts. Gonzo’s Quest introduced the mechanics of Avalanche game play to the iGaming world, which can also be found on various other popular slots from the same developer.
Free falls is the most attractive and exciting feature of the game. The win multipliers from x3 and x15 can produce some of the biggest wins. However, some reviews suggest that the increasing multipliers scarcely reach the highest level both in the base game, and in the free falls bonus. This can be a bit frustrating at times.