Gonzo's Quest in South Africa: Avalanches and a Climbing Multiplier
Gonzo's Quest is NetEnt's jungle slot on five reels, three rows and 20 fixed lines, and its symbols do not spin: they fall. Every win clears the winning symbols, new ones drop into the gaps, and the multiplier bar above the reels climbs with each of these Avalanches, up to x5. Three Free Fall symbols on a line on reels 1, 2 and 3 bring 10 Free Falls, where the bar starts at x3 and reaches x15.
Figures from provider data, September 2026. The RTP is the figure the studio publishes; check the ranking and the game's own info screen before you deposit.
On this page
What Gonzo's Quest looks like
Images: NetEnt, official game page (netent.com); Our still from NetEnt's official promo video (games.evolution.com).
How Gonzo's Quest works
The grid is five reels by three rows, and wins are paid on 20 bet lines. The help inside the game calls the lines fixed, so all 20 are in play on every spin and only the bet value changes. A line pays when matching symbols run from the leftmost reel to the right without a gap; only the highest win per line is paid, and wins on different lines are added.
Symbol payouts change with the bet value you select, by the help, and NetEnt's game page gives a bet range of €0.20 to €50.00 a spin.
NetEnt's page says its Avalanche mechanic replaces traditional spins: the symbols cascade down the screen like tumbling rocks. Neither NetEnt's page nor Evolution's games site lists a bonus buy among the features.
One spin of Gonzo's Quest, step by step
From the Avalanche chapter of the game's own help and NetEnt's game page.
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The blocks fall
A new set of symbols drops onto the five reels, and the wins on the 20 lines are counted. -
Winning symbols disappear
Any win starts an Avalanche. The symbols in winning combinations disappear, and NetEnt's page describes them exploding. -
New symbols fill the gaps
A new Avalanche of symbols falls into the empty positions. Once every position is filled, the wins are evaluated again. -
The multiplier climbs
Each Avalanche raises the win multiplier bar at the top right of the reels, until it reaches its maximum. -
The chain ends
Avalanches continue until there are no more wins. Then the multiplier goes back to its starting value for the next spin.
The win multiplier in the main game and in Free Falls
From the game's own help and NetEnt's game page. Both describe the bar rising with each Avalanche until it reaches its maximum; the table gives where it starts and where it stops.
| Detail | Main game | Free Falls |
|---|---|---|
| Starting value | x1 | x3 |
| Maximum | x5 | x15 |
| Back to the start | When there are no more Avalanches | When there are no more Avalanches |
The wild and the Free Falls
The wild is a grey stone block with a golden question mark. By the help it appears on reels 2, 3 and 4 and substitutes for all symbols, paying the highest possible winning combination on a bet line. NetEnt's page adds that the wild can stand in for the Free Fall symbol too, so it may help you into the bonus round.
By the help, 3 Free Fall symbols on an active bet line on reels 1, 2 and 3, from the leftmost reel, start 10 Free Falls; NetEnt's page leaves out the bet line. By our reading of the two rules together, reel 1 needs a real Free Fall symbol, since the wild never lands there.
Free Falls are played at the bet of the spin that started them, with a multiplier from x3 to x15. Three Free Fall symbols during them add 10 more, and their total win is added to the win of the spin that started them.
Gonzo's Quest in figures
From NetEnt's game page, Evolution's games site and the help inside the game.
| Detail | Gonzo's Quest |
|---|---|
| Released | 15 March 2010 (NetEnt's page), 2011 (Evolution's games site) |
| Grid | 5 reels, 3 rows |
| Lines | 20, fixed, paid from the leftmost reel |
| Mechanic | Avalanche: winning symbols disappear, new ones fall |
| Multiplier | x1 to x5 in the main game, x3 to x15 in Free Falls |
| Wild | Reels 2, 3 and 4, substitutes for all symbols |
| Free Falls | 10, from 3 Free Fall symbols on a line on reels 1 to 3, 10 more on a retrigger |
| Hit frequency | 41%, as NetEnt states it |
| Max payout | 2,200 x bet, as NetEnt states it |
| Volatility | Medium (NetEnt), Mid (Evolution's games site) |
What 41% and 2,200x mean for a session
NetEnt's page gives a hit frequency of 41%: by our reading, about 41 spins in 100 return something, whatever the size. By our reading of the help, the first win of a spin is paid at the starting multiplier, and the bar resets when a chain ends, so nothing carries over to the next spin.
The same page gives a max payout of 2,200 x bet. That is NetEnt's figure for the game, not a promise for any session. At a R2 bet, 2,200 times the bet would be R4,400, by our arithmetic.
A R5 spin wins and loses two and a half times what a R2 spin does, since the paytable follows the bet value. No staking pattern beats the house edge, so pick a stake your budget can repeat for as long as you mean to play.
The masks and the jungle
Evolution's games site describes the symbols as masks: three small low-paying ones in blue, reddish pink and yellow, and four large stone masks with golden inlay, in purple, sand yellow, green and blue, that pay more.
The Free Fall symbol is a large golden block carved with a mask, the one NetEnt shows next to the Free Fall feature on its page.
Which Gonzo's Quest this page covers
Gonzo's Quest Megaways, Gonzo's Quest II: Return to El Dorado and Gonzo's Gold are separate games with their own pages on the group's sites. This page covers the original, with 20 fixed bet lines, Avalanches and Free Falls, and lists the casinos where we have found it.
Gonzo's Quest RTP and volatility 📊
NetEnt gives Gonzo's Quest's return to player as 95.97%.
Volatility is medium: small wins mixed with occasional bigger ones.
Paying for Gonzo's Quest in rand
Gonzo's Quest is in the lobby at 9 operators we list: all of them take Ozow, cash vouchers and cards; 5 take Capitec Pay.
The smallest first deposit for Gonzo's Quest among them is R5, at Interbet and Tic Tac Bets.
Gonzo's Quest winnings are paid by EFT to an account in your own name, after FICA.
Get FICA done first · How to deposit in rand · Every payment method
Is Gonzo's Quest legal in South Africa? 📜
Gonzo's Quest is a slot. In South Africa you find it at licensed bookmakers, next to their sports markets.
All 9 operators we list for Gonzo's Quest hold a South African provincial licence.
Before you play with real money ⚠️
Set your Gonzo's Quest budget and a deposit limit before the first round, not after a losing one. If it stops being fun, the South African Responsible Gambling Foundation helpline is free on 0800 006 008.
Pros, cons and verdict ⚖️
- An Avalanche after every win, with a multiplier that climbs inside the spin
- Free Falls start the multiplier at x3 and take it to x15
- A 41% hit frequency, as NetEnt states it
- The same RTP, 95.97%, on NetEnt's page and Evolution's games site
- The multiplier resets after every chain, so nothing builds across spins
- Free Falls need three symbols on one line on reels 1 to 3
- No wild on reels 1 and 5
- Later games share the name, so check the tile
Gonzo's Quest keeps its idea in one place: a win clears the winning blocks, new ones fall, and each chain lifts the multiplier. Free Falls start that ladder higher. It suits a player who wants a short rulebook and chains inside a single spin rather than a pile of features.
Gonzo's Quest FAQ ❓
How do Avalanches work in Gonzo's Quest?
Any win starts an Avalanche: the winning symbols disappear, new symbols fall into the gaps and the wins are counted again. This repeats until a fall brings no win, and each Avalanche raises the win multiplier above the reels.
What multipliers does Gonzo's Quest have?
In the main game the win multiplier bar starts at x1, climbs with each Avalanche and stops at x5. In Free Falls it starts at x3 and stops at x15. In both, the bar goes back to its starting value when a chain brings no more Avalanches.
How do you get Free Falls in Gonzo's Quest?
By the game's help, 3 Free Fall symbols on an active bet line on reels 1, 2 and 3, from the leftmost reel, start 10 Free Falls. Three more during Free Falls add 10. NetEnt says the wild can stand in for the Free Fall symbol.
What is Gonzo's Quest's RTP?
NetEnt's game page and Evolution's games site both give 95.97%. The help inside the game states, under Return to Player, the theoretical return of the game you have open, so that is the line to read before you play.
What is the biggest win in Gonzo's Quest?
NetEnt's game page gives a max payout of 2,200 x bet. We give it as the studio's figure for the game, not as a cap from the rules. At a R2 bet, 2,200 times the bet comes to R4,400 by our arithmetic.
Where to play Gonzo's Quest in South Africa
Licensed South African operators we have found carrying Gonzo's Quest, each with its licence and our score, and the date where we saw the game in the lobby ourselves. Ordered by that score. How we score Offers checked September 2026.
Also carrying Gonzo's Quest. Bonus, payment and payout terms for each are on its review.
