Gonzo's Quest by NetEnt - Online Slot Review

For me, slots with an exciting backstory appear more enticing and more likely to develop a connection with players. Gonzo's Quest doesn't waste a second, trying to reel you in already through an intro animation. Upon entering the game's main screen, you'll also see the character constantly close by, cheering and rooting for you throughout.

However, an enticing theme is only one aspect worth pointing out. The trademarked Avalanche mechanic, increasing multipliers, and attractive win potential make Gonzo's Quest one of the most popular online slots.

How To Win On Gonzo’s Quest Slot – Features & Mechanics

The base structure is very familiar. Twenty pay lines across five reels are nothing to write home about. A minimum of three matching symbols starting from the left side will form a win. However, each paying combination is only a beginning of a sequence that might hugely boost your balance.

The Avalanche™ mechanic is something you may already know as a cascade. Simply speaking, all winning symbols disappear, and the remaining ones fall down to fill any blank areas, after which more drop from above to complete the view. Such a sequence will continue until there are no more wins.

Avalanche™ Multiplier

Above the top right corner of the main screen, you will notice four multiplier values – x1, x2, x3, and x5. Each consecutive cascade within the same sequence will move you up that trail. After you reach the final step, all subsequent wins will be multiplied by that value.

To paint a more hands-on picture, let us mention that 5-of-a-kind on the top paying symbol will award 125 times bet. If you hit such a combination on the last trail step, that's a x625 payout on top of prizes collected on previous wins.

Free Falls – Gonzo’s Quest Free Spins

Triggering the bonus round happens in a seemingly traditional way. You must score three Free Fall symbols (a golden disc), although they can't land anywhere. They need to follow the same logic as regular wins – start from the left and sit on one of the pay lines.

It feels like it's pretty challenging to meet those conditions, but one element comes to the rescue – the Wild. It can substitute for any standard symbol and the Free Fall one.

In most scenarios, 10 free falls are awarded. However, there is a possibility to win more since the game rules clearly state that "each bet line containing 3 Free Fall symbols activates 10 Free Falls". You can also retrigger them inside the bonus round.

As for the key element that massively improves the potential of this stage, it's the increased multipliers. From initial x1, x2, x3 and x5, they grow to x3, x6, x9 and x15 respectively.

Let's return to our example, where you could win 625 times bet. Now you're standing in front of an opportunity to hit over x1800 on a single spin! There's no arguing that it is some solid win potential.

Gonzo’s Quest Graphics & Audio

The visual design is truly commendable. The setting among ancient ruins, exotic symbols carved on stone tablets, and the ever-elusive golden temple in the reel background create a unique and exciting atmosphere. Animations have been perfected to the point where you can feel the gravity pulling those heavy blocks down when others burst into dust beneath them.

Seven regular symbols show as mysterious masks in different shapes and colors. The low-paying ones sit on a plain, cracked stone, while the more valuable ones are decorated with obscure patterns. The Wild icon takes the form of a shining question mark resting on a grey block. Scatter appears as a golden disc with an image of a mysterious figure inside.

Even though the audio track doesn't contain any music as such, the relaxing nature sounds of the South-American jungle perfectly complement the mood. Effects on dropping and winning symbols also feel natural and fitting.

Gonzo’s Quest On Mobile

Gonzo's Quest is available to play on all mobile devices in HTML5 technology. The landscape view is an exact clone of the desktop, with a slightly modified UI distribution to accommodate the spin button on the right-hand side.

The portrait orientation looks amazingly well for a 5x3 slot, mainly thanks to the background below the main reels, which imitates a wall of some ancient structure and makes the game stretch vertically across the entire screen. In this view, the producers decided to hide the character, most likely to make the reels as large as possible and make the game lighter for it to load faster.

Final Thoughts

It's one of those casino games that stays with you for a long time and makes you want to come back, even if you don't manage to win big. The Avalanche™ mechanic and increasing multipliers are so enticing that one feels it must pay out generously sooner or later, especially in the free falls bonus round. Along with the friendly conquistador and thoughtful design of symbols and animations, they make Gonzo's Quest an unforgettable slot experience.

In 2020, our hero appeared in a highly anticipated sequel produced by Red Tiger Gaming (after being acquired by NetEnt) - Gonzo's Quest Megaways.