If you’ve been playing slots for a while, you’ll be pretty familiar with a slot called Gonzo’s Quest. First launched back in 2011, when online gambling was still a pretty new thing in South Africa, it’s gone on to become an all-time classic slot. In fact, it is so popular that it actually became a franchise with developer, NetEnt, one of the leading names in the world on online gaming, releasing several titles based on the original, including Gonzo’s Quest Megaways, Gonzo’s Gold, and Gonzo’s Treasure Hunt.
Gonzo’s Quest is a slot with three rows, six reels, and 20 paylines. It boasts a slightly above average RTP of 95.97% and is considered to be a medium to high volatility slot. The minimum is a pretty hefty R1 per spin while the maximum allowed is R500 per spin. The game is based on the adventures of Gonzo, an explorer on an exciting mission searching through dense and dangerous jungles for the fabled South American city of El Dorado and its mountains of gold.
In this Gonzo’s Quest slot review, we dig deep to tell you everything you need to know, including how to play, what all the symbols are, how the features work, and more!
- It’s an all-time classic
- Easy to play
- Simple yet exciting gameplay
- Easy to understand but interesting features
- One of the oldest online slots around
- May be a bit basic for more experienced players
How to Play Gonzo’s Quest
Since the Gonzo’s Quest slot is almost 20 years old, you might expect it to be pretty bare-bones. This is true for the most part, however, it does have a few features that have proven to be very popular and has actually been adopted by countless newer games.
Gonzo’s Quest has just three rows, five reels, and 20 possible paylines. The game plays from left to right. To score a win, you’ll need to match at least three symbols across your reels. The Avalanche feature, which we’ll get into more detail a bit later, removes all of the matching symbols after a winning spin so that they can be replaced by new symbols, moving your chances of scoring another win. Also, after you score a win, your multiplier will go up. So, every time you win, the chances and amount you can win on your next win improves.
Now that we’ve got that out of the way, let’s look at what you need to do to play Gonzo’s Quest…
- Find a local real-money online casino where you can play the Gonzo’s Quest slot. You can play it over at HollywoodBets where it’s a part of their Spina Zonke collection of over 400 slots.
- Log into your account and make sure that you have enough funds available in your wallet to play. If not, you’ll need to make a deposit into your account.
- Next, you’ll need to find the game. There are a few ways to do this. Firstly, you can click on the button that takes you to all of the slots the casino has. Then, just scroll down until you find Gonzo’s Quest. However, we prefer to use the search bar. It’s a lot quicker and far easier.
- Once the game has loaded, click on the “i” button to read the different cards card explains how the game works.
- Once you’re familiar with the mechanics of Gonzo’s Quest, you’ll need to set your bet. The minimum amount you can bet per spin is R1 while the maximum amount is R500.
- You can set the amount to wish to bet per spin by adjusting the bet level or the coin amount.
- If you’re feeling confident, and brave, you can press the MAX BET button. Just be warned – at R500 per spin it’s either going to either be a pretty short or super expensive session!
- Once you know how Gonzo’s Quest works and have set your bet, it’s time to play. All you need to do to play is hit the big round button. Trust us, you can’t miss it! But, if you’d rather not hit the button each tie, you can always use the AUTO-PLAY feature. Just hit the button next to the play button and then select if you’d like the system to automatically spin the next 10, 25, or 50 games.
Gonzo’s Quest Tips and Strategy
As with any slot at an online casino, there is no surefire way to win Gonzo’s Quest. In the end, we hit spin and hope for the best. That being said, there are a couple of things you can do to give yourself the best of coming out ahead when you play Gonzo’s Quest…
Do your research
Yes, this might seem like a pain but it’s honestly the best thing you can do. The good news is that reading this review is probably the best and easiest way to do that! We also recommend that you take some time to read the info cards before the game starts and try to memorise the paylines.
Understand how slots work
Apart from knowing the specifics of the game, you should also have an understanding of slots in general. For example, Gonzo’s Quest is considered to be a medium to high-volatility game. This means that it might not pay out as regularly as some other slots but when it does pay out, it generally for larger amounts.
Consider the RTP
Another thing that you should know about Gonzo’s Quest before you start playing is the RTP. RTP stands for Return to Player and it’s the average amount you can expect to see. It’s usually expressed as a percentage. The RTP for Gonzo’s Quest is 95.97%, which is a tiny bit above the industry standard of 95%. Put simply, for every R100 you spend playing the Gonzo’s Quest slot, you should see an average return of R95.97.
Set a budget
Set yourself a budget and STICK TO IT! There are two types of limits you can set yourself – a win limit or a loss limit. With a win limit, set a target that you’d like to make and once you make this target you cash out. The downside to this type of limit is that you're not going to win as much as you would have if you didn’t set yourself a limit. But the positive is that you will come out with more than you went into the game with.
The other, and more popular option, is the loss limit. This is when you decide how much you are willing to spend. The best way to do this is to only deposit that amount before you start playing, In the end, it’s up to whether you use a limit but it is a good way to limit potential losses.
Try Gonzo’s Quest Demo
Spend some time playing the Gonzo’s Quest demo. This is the best way to get to know the game without losing any money. We always recommend you do this. We can’t even count the number of times we played the demo version of a game only to discover that we don’t like it. Plus, there’s nothing worse than losing money playing a game because you have no idea what’s going on!
Gonzo’s Quest Demo
Want to give Gonzo’s Quest slot a go before playing for real money? Play for free with the Gonzo’s Quest demo version below…
Gonzo’s Quest Symbols
Gonzo’s Quest takes place deep in the Amazon jungle as our hero searches for a mythical treasure horde. As you would expect, the symbols are quite fitting and resemble stone masks. The game has two types of symbols – special symbols and regular symbols. Let’s take a closer look at these symbols and how much you can expect to score if you match them…
Special Symbols in Gonzo’s Quest
Symbol | Description | Details |
---|---|---|
Freefall Symbol | The Freefall symbol is a large golden mask | Match three of them while playing the Gonzo’s Quest slot and you’ll win 10 Free Falls. These symbols must be consecutive and run from left to right. You can win more Free Falls while playing Free Falls. |
Wilds Symbol | The Wilds symbol is a golden question mark within a silver square | The Wild can substitute any symbol and increase the chances of you scoring a win. |
Regular Symbols in Gonzo’s Quest
Symbol | Description | Details |
---|---|---|
Silver and Gold Face Mask | You must match at least three of these symbols in a row across your six reels to score a win while playing the Gonzo’s Quest slot | Match five symbols = x2,500 your wager Match four symbols = x250 your wager Match three symbols = x50 your wager |
Green and Gold Face Mask | You must match at a minimum three of these masks consecutively to score a win in Gonzo’s Quest | Match five symbols = x1,000 your wager Match four symbols = x100 your wager Match three symbols = x20 your wager |
Brown and Gold Face Mask | Match three or more of these masks in a row playing Gonzo’s Quest and win | Match five symbols = x500 your wager Match four symbols = x50 your wager Match three symbols = x15 your wager |
Purple and Gold Face Mask | Get three or more of these symbols consecutively to register a win while playing Gonzo’s Quest | Match five symbols = x200 your wager Match four symbols = x25 your wager Match three symbols = x10 your wager |
Brown Lizard Mask | You must match at least three of these symbols in a row across your six reels to score a win in the Gonzo’s Quest slot | Match five symbols = x100 your wager Match four symbols = x20 your wager Match three symbols = x5 your wager |
Red Dragon Mask | Get three or more of these symbols consecutively to register a win when you play Gonzo’s Quest | Match five symbols = x75 your wager Match four symbols = x15 your wager Match three symbols = x4 your wager |
Blue Parrot Mask | Get three or more of these symbols consecutively to win in Gonzo’s Quest | Match five symbols = x50 your wager Match four symbols = x10 your wager Match three symbols = x3 your wager |
Gonzo’s Quest Bonus Features
Avalanche Multipliers
Match three or more of the same symbols playing Gonzo’s Quest and you’ll trigger the Avalanche Multipliers feature. Once activated, this feature will cause all of the winning symbols on the next spin to drop out while the rest remain in place. New symbols will then fall to fill in the gaps. This will keep going until you don’t get a match.
Every time you win, you’ll hit a multiplier. You’ll start with a multiplier of x1 and increase each time you win. If you win two rounds in a row, you’ll have a x2 multiplier, win three and get a x3 multiplier, and win four rounds in a row and get a x5 multiplier. X5 is the largest multiplier you can get so even if you somehow manage to score 10 wins in a row, you’ll still end up with a x5 multiplier. But who’s complaining? Have you win multiplied by five is pretty sweet!
If you spin the reels and score a winning combo, the Avalanche Multipliers feature will kick in. Once this feature is active, all the symbols that were part of the winning combo will drop off f and new symbols will fall in theoir place. It’ll keep going as long you’re matching new winning combinations. ANother great thing about the Avalanche feature are the multipliers it brings. They start at x1 and go up with with evry win you score. This feature is active during regular and bonus play.
Start Avalanche = x1 Base Game = x3
2nd Avalanche = x2 Base Game = x6
3rd Avalanche = x3 Base Game = x9
4th+ Avalanche = x5 Base Game = x15
Wild Symbol
The Wilds significantly improved your chances of winning by filling in for any other symbol. They can pop up at any time while playing Gonzo’s Quest - during regular play and Free Falls.
Free Fall
Spinning and landing 3 scatter symbols will trigger the Free Fall feature, granting 10 initial free spins with opportunities for more. Extra free spins are awarded based on the activating scatters. This feature also includes Avalanche Multipliers, ranging from 3X to 15X, increasing the value of your wins.
Gonzo’s Quest Payout and Volatility
When it comes to games like Gonzo’s Quest, understanding your winning chances is key. Gonzo's Quest has an RTP of 95.97%, which is a whisker above average. It has a high variance, so wins are harder but more valuable. Generally speaking, the more you’re willing to wager on each, the more you stand to win.
Gonzo’s Quest Graphics
Even though Gonzo’s Quest is one of the oldest slots around these days, its graphics are far from dated. In fact, it’s actually one of the strongest points of the game. We especially love the little animated Gonzo who’s standing next to the reels and reacts to each spin. A nice detail is how he checks on his map when you take too long between spins. It adds a bit of fun and quirkiness to the game. The soundtrack is on point and perfectly suits the theme of the game.
Gonzo’s Quest on Mobile
Gonzo's Quest's top-notch graphics and unique avalanche mechanic translate well to mobile play. It smoothly operates on iOS and Android platforms, performing admirably on various devices. We tested the game on Android 13 and Windows 11 and it performed perfectly on both platforms. We love that the game seems to look, play, and perform identically across platforms and devices.
Should You Play Gonzo’s Quest?
Absolutely. If you're seeking an adventure-packed slot with captivating visuals and an innovative gameplay twist, Gonzo's Quest is a must-try. The Avalanche Reels and Free Falls features ramp up the excitement, while the potential for significant wins adds to the thrill. With mobile compatibility and a unique character, playing Gonzo's Quest is an adventure worth embarking on."
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FAQ
What makes Gonzo's Quest different from other online slots?
Gonzo's Quest stands out due to its unique Avalanche Reels mechanic, where symbols fall into place instead of traditional spinning. When a winning combo forms, symbols explode, creating potential consecutive wins in a single spin.
How do Free Falls work in Gonzo’s Quest?
The Free Falls feature activates when you land 3 Golden Mask Scatter symbols. You'll enjoy 10 initial free spins, and extra spins can be earned during the feature. The number of extra spins correlates with the activating Scatter symbols. This feature also offers Avalanche Multipliers ranging from 3X to 15X, boosting potential payouts.
What is the difference between Gonzo’s Quest and Gonzo’s Quest Megaways?
Well, they are two different games. Gonzo’s Quest is a typical slot while Gonzo’s Quest Megaways is considered a Megaways slot. A Megaways slot is pretty similar to your average slot, however, the algorithms and the mechanism of a Megaways slot that are programmed into the game change the number of symbols on a particular reel after each spin.
Where can I find out more about online gambling in South Africa?
You can check out our pages on the best online casinos in South Africa and the casino games you’ll find there. You can also visit the National Gambling Board of South Africa or the Gauteng Gambling Board to learn more about the laws and regulations around online casinos and gambling in South Africa.
Rudie Venter is a seasoned online casino games expert with 13 years of industry experience. Holding a degree in psychology, he combines academic insight with practical knowledge of casino game strategies. Rudie's talent lies in demystifying game mechanics, making them accessible and fun for everyone. On his time off, Rudie loves a good ol’ braai and watching the rugby with a naughty Klippies & Coke (in moderation, of course).
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