Gonzo's Quest Slot Review

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GAME PLAY

GAME RULES

WIN

Based on the 16th Century adventures of Spanish explorer Gonzalo Pizarro y Alonso, NetEnt attempts a modern retelling of the search for El Dorado in its Gonzo’s Quest slot. The game was released to international markets in 2011 but remains a classic due to graphics and gameplay features that were well ahead of its time. 

Gonzo’s Quest isn’t exactly the most rewarding slot on the block, with its slightly below average RTP of 95.97% and maximum win amount of 2,500x your bet. However, it makes up for this deficit with unique bonuses and a relatively high hit rate. 

Join our expedition as we explore all the major features of this game in the rest of our Gonzo’s Quest slot review. 

Considering that Gonzo’s Quest is one of the pioneering classics of the modern slot era, its gameplay leans toward simplicity. The slot favors a traditional grid with five reels, three rows and 20 paylines. While there have been slight upgrades to the game’s outlook by the developer, the grid is still pretty much recognizable from over a decade ago. 

Let’s explore aspects of the slot’s setup and how to play briefly below. 

Important Buttons on the Gonzo’s Quest Slot
There are several important buttons on the screen that’d help you better navigate the slot. They are as follows:

• Bet: Flanked by “-” and “+”  buttons that you can toggle to change your wager per spin, the bet button helps you adjust your stake size and determines how much you can risk from your bankroll on a single spin. . 
• Spin: Once your bet is set, click on the green double rotate arrow icon to spin the reels. 
• Autoplay: This button, also with a double rotate arrow but including a play icon in the middle, activates up to 100 automated, hands-free spins on the slot. 
• Turbo: Located to the left of the spin button, this icon allows you to increase the spin speed from regular to fast and super-fast.  

Playing Gonzo’s Quest in Three Steps

With the basics out of the way, here’s a three-step guide on how to play Gonzo’s Quest slots at online casinos. 

• Set your bet by either clicking on the bet button to unveil amount options or toggling the - and + buttons for your preferred value. 
• Click on the spin button to start the game. You can also use the Autoplay feature for continuous spins or the Turbo button for faster spins. 
• Land at least three symbols on a designated payline to score a winning combination. Also, land bonus symbols to trigger any of the special features.

Gonzo’s Quest is available to play on both your mobile and desktop devices with the same gameplay features and bonuses available. However, the experience may be slightly different as mobile screens are more small-scale, and some casinos offer mobile-only bonuses on the Gonzo’s Quest slot. 

It’s also worth noting that the slot is built with Random Number Generation technology which ensures that its outcomes are fair and free from distortion. 

Below are some important rules that determine how players interact with the Gonzo’s Quest slot machine and win. 

Betting Range

You can bet any amount between $0.20 and $50. Although this range is not particularly suited to high rollers, some casinos offer higher betting limits.    

Symbols

There are a total of seven symbols in the Gonzo’s Quest slot, all of which are heads of animals or masks consistent with representations of the Mayan culture. At the lower rung of the pay table, you have the bird, alligator and snake heads. Higher up the payout ladder are purple, yellow, green and blue masks. 

Here’s a quick table showing how much each of these symbols pay when you land three, four or five matches on a payline. 

Paylines

There are 20 paylines in the slot, all of which are predetermined and on which you’re to land matching symbols for a win. Payline wins are counted from the leftmost reel to the right.  

RTP

NetEnt set the base RTP rate at 95.97%, which is below the average of most similar online slots. Albeit some casinos feature 96.04% and 94% as possible ranges to choose from.

Volatility

Gonzo’s Quest features medium/high volatility, meaning wins occur at a moderate frequency and typically offer payouts of average value when they do hit. 

Slot Payout

For the luckiest of players, you can earn a maximum payout of 2,500x your base game wager playing the Gonzo’s Quest game and taking full advantage of the different bonus features. 

Now, let’s turn our attention to perhaps the most important and most entertaining aspect of any casino game—the bonus gameplay elements. 

Gonzo’s Quest Bonus Features
Now, let’s turn our attention to perhaps the most important and most entertaining aspect of any casino game—the bonus gameplay elements. 

Wild

A large golden question mark is the game’s wild symbol. It appears only on the second, third and fourth reels. When wilds appear, they substitute for all other base game symbols to form a winning combination. 

Free Falls Symbol

This symbol is yet another mask, but this time golden and enclosed within both circular and square casings. You need to land three Free Falls symbols on the first three reels, starting from the left, to activate the Free Falls feature.   

Free Falls

In Gonzo’s Quest slot, the Free Falls is the equivalent of the free spins feature. Landing three Free Falls symbols gives you 10 Free Falls. When you land an extra three Free Falls symbols during the bonus round triggers another 10 Free Falls. Wins from the Free Falls are added to your base game wins. 

Avalanche Feature

Every win in Gonzo’s Quest triggers an Avalanche. This means that symbols forming part of that winning combo disappear while new symbols drop down to fill the empty positions. If there are new wins from the fresh symbols that fall onto the screen, the Avalanche takes place again until there are no more wins. 

Multipliers

At the top right of the slot grid is a multiplier bar. With each Avalanche in the base game, the multiplier increases by x1, while in the Free Falls, the multiplier increases by x3. If Avalanches continue, the multiplier increases up to a maximum of x5 in the base game and x15 in the Free Falls. Where there are no more Avalanches, the multiplier resets to its starting point. 

Inspired by the life and times of the Spanish conquistador, this slot adopts a Mayan theme, perhaps as the closest representation to El Dorado. Unsurprisingly, you’ll find stone carved symbols and the masks associated with the Mayan culture everywhere you turn on the slot grid. Gonzo himself makes an appearance, bringing an animated presence to the reels. 

The reels themselves are set against a backdrop of dense jungle ruins, enhancing the feeling of discovery and mystery. In addition, the Avalanche feature adds a dynamic twist to the visuals. Despite being over a decade old, the pictures in the slot remain crisp, thanks to periodic updates from NetEnt. 

That said, the soundtrack features ambient jungle noises and mystical chimes, making for an overall immersive experience. 

The Gonzo’s Quest slot is best enjoyed at casinos that prioritize the safety and security of players above all else. In view of this phenomenon, we always recommend that you play casino games at sites that are fully licensed and regulated by the appropriate gaming authorities. 

Playing at a licensed casino offers you the security of regulator intervention if things go south. Similarly, regulated casinos typically adopt Random Number Generation technology to ensure that game outcomes are fair while also guaranteeing the privacy and safety of your deposits or withdrawals. 

Online slots gaming, much like any entertaining activity, can be sometimes addictive. That’s why it is important to set responsible gambling guardrails that will prevent you from falling into compulsive habits. Examples of these guardrails include having a strict budget, periodic withdrawals from gambling activity and avoiding chasing losses. 

However, if you do find yourself stuck, there are organizations willing to provide help. They include the National Council on Problem Gambling and Gamblers Anonymous.