Gonzo’s Gold Slot Review

Gonzo’s Gold Slot RTP, Details & Wager Limits

The design in the Gonzo’s Gold slot might be similar to the original Gonzo’s Quest but the gameplay is rather different. The original was one of the first online slots to use the cascading reels mechanic. NetEnt has kept things simpler here. The action plays out on a 5 reel, 5 row, Cluster Pays engine.

To create a winning combination, you need to land 3 higher value or 4 lower value symbols in a cluster. By cluster, we mean touching vertically or horizontally. The bigger the cluster, the better the potential rewards. The top payouts come if you manage to land a full cluster of 25 symbols.

You can play this quest at bet levels of between 10p and £200 per spin. Click on the pile of coins to the side of the spin button then choose from the options shown. All payouts in the paytable are shown in your currency so it’s easy to understand.

The Gonzo’s Gold RTP is 96.2% which is slightly higher than the 95.97% in the original Gonzo’s Quest slot. The volatility is in the medium range.

The maximum win is 5,000 x your total stake which is quite a bit lower than the 37,500 x stake offered in Gonzo’s first outing. This can be achieved by filled all positions with the highest value symbol.

Theme – Audio & Design Features – join Gonzo in search of temple gold

Just like Gonzo’s Quest, the action in the Gonzo’s Gold slot centres on Spanish conquistador Gonzalo Pizarro. With an Incan theme, this time, he’s found himself in a magnificent Incan pyramid.

The visuals here are super sharp and a step up from the original Gonzo’s Quest (which is no surprise given the original was released way back in 2013). The haunting soundtrack adds to the atmosphere. As usual for a NetEnt release, the sound and visuals in Gonzo’s Gold are impressively done.

The game grid is made up of lower value A to 10 royals. They’re joined by a selection of more rewarding Incan icon symbols. Top of the bill as far as payouts are concerned is the bearded figure of Gonzo. Land the minimum 3 Gonzo symbols in a cluster and you’ll receive a payout equal to 2 x stake. If you manage to fill the whole of the reels with 25 matching Gonzo symbols, you’ll scoop a bumper payout of some 5,000 x your total stake.

The Inca pyramid symbol serves a dual role. It’s a wild and substitutes for all the other symbols when it makes up part of a winning cluster. The pyramid is also a scatter symbol. Land 3, 4 or 5 of them on the same spin to trigger the solitary bonus feature.

Gonzo’s Gold Mobile

The colourful visuals and simple gameplay are an ideal combination for play on a smaller screen. The Gonzo’s Gold mobile slot works very nicely. You can of course, play the game on desktop and tablet devices as well as smartphones.

Gonzo’s Gold Bonus Features

NetEnt has kept the gameplay relatively simple in Gonzo’s Gold. The game’s only bonus feature gives you free spins where expanding symbols can boost your chances of landing a decent winning cluster.

Free Spins feature

To trigger the Free Spins feature, you need to land 3 or more Inca pyramid scatter symbols anywhere on the reels on the same spin. All options will give you 10 free spins but the initial payout varies:

Before the free spins begin, you’ll be shown a block of 9 mystery ? symbols. Pick a mystery symbol which will reveal a random symbol. The revealed symbol will be the special expanding symbol for the duration of the free spins.

Land 2 of the special symbol adjacent to each other (either horizontally or vertically) and they will expand to fill the whole of that reel or row. A payout consideration is then made with the expanded symbols in place. This second payout comes on top of the payout from the original free spin before the expansion took place.

Landing 3, 4 or 5 pyramid scatter symbols during the feature results in a retrigger. You’ll receive a payout equal to 2, 20 or 200 x your total stake depending on the number of scatters and 10 extras free spins will be added to your total. There’s no limit to the number of free spins you can win.

Gonzo’s Gold Review Summary – underwhelming from NetEnt

The original Gonzo’s Quest has proven to be a real fan favourite (and a staple of free spin giveaways). The Gonzo’s Gold slot sequel maintains the theme from the original but offers rather different gameplay.

Cluster Pays slots are popular (think Jammin’ Jars 2) but NetEnt has missed a trick here. There are free spins with special expanding symbols but these elements can be found in countless slot games.

There are no avalanches or multipliers which made the original slot so popular. Even Gonzo’s Quest Megaways offered them. NetEnt has every right to go into a new direction but adding multipliers would have done the trick in my opinion. With 5,000 x stake max wins, adding multipliers up to 10x for example would allow for 50,000 x stake max payouts. This would have worked.

In summary, Gonzo’s Gold is well designed but I would have hoped for more in the way of features from such an iconic, big-name slots brand. On the other hand, NetEnt did deliver this in Starburst XXXtreme as its similar to the original game but adds multipliers for max wins of 200,000 x stake (compared to 500 x stake in the original).