Gonzo's Quest 2 slot review

Gonzo's Quest 2 slot key facts

NetEnt, the Stockholm studio owned by Evolution since December 2020, built Gonzo's Quest 2 around the cascading idea that made the original Gonzo's Quest famous. The numbers below are from our checked data; anything else should be read from the game's help screen.

How the features work in Gonzo's Quest 2

Gonzo's Quest 2 has two moving parts: Avalanche wins and Calamity Wilds. Neither needs a separate trigger in the way a bonus round does. The Avalanche can start on any paid spin that produces a win, and the wilds are part of the symbol set.

Avalanche wins, step by step

1. A paid spin lands a winning combination and the win is paid.
2. The symbols that formed it disappear, and fresh symbols fall into the empty spaces.
3. If the new arrangement makes another win, the chain continues.
4. Each linked win enlarges the grid and lifts the multiplier, so the next drop has more ways available and any further win is boosted.
5. When a drop produces nothing new, the sequence stops and you're ready for the next paid spin.

The combination of a bigger grid and a rising multiplier is why one spin can sometimes keep paying for several drops, while another ends after its first win. The top count of up to 262,144 ways belongs to the furthest stage of that growth, not to an ordinary spin.

Calamity Wilds

The second feature named for this sequel is Calamity Wilds. At heart they do the job of any wild: they replace regular paying symbols to help complete a combination. Their name marks them out as a special version of the wild, but what extra behaviour they carry isn't part of our checked data, so the in-game rules are the place to see it.

Because feature buys aren't offered to British players, both features in the UK version come only from normal spins. See our cascading reels guide for how chain wins work across other games.

Gonzo's Quest 2 RTP: three versions and what each costs

This is the most important number on the page. The same game exists at three RTP settings, and a casino chooses which one to run. The house edge is 100% minus the RTP, so the cost difference is easy to put into pounds.

Playing the 92.13% version costs almost exactly double what the 96.06% version costs, for the same game, graphics and features. You can't see the difference in a short session, which is why it's worth checking. Our guide on why the same slot has different RTPs explains why casinos offer lower settings.

1. Load Gonzo's Quest 2 at the casino.
2. Open the game menu and choose the rules, paytable or information page.
3. Scroll to the return to player line, usually near the end.
4. Compare it with 96.06%; if it reads 94.15% or 92.13%, you are on a costlier version.

How Avalanche wins grow the Gonzo's Quest 2 grid

Avalanche is the name this game uses for cascading reels. When a win lands, the winning symbols are cleared and new ones fall into the gaps, which can create another win from the same paid spin.

In this sequel, those consecutive wins do two things, according to the game's specification: they grow the grid and they raise the multiplier. A bigger grid offers more ways for the next drop, and a higher multiplier boosts the next win. That chain effect is why so much of the return depends on runs of linked wins, and why the volatility is high.

The top count of 262,144 ways equals 8 × 8 × 8 × 8 × 8 × 8, the number six reels would give at eight positions each. That's arithmetic, not a description of every spin, and the help screen shows how the grid expands in practice.

Calamity Wilds in Gonzo's Quest 2

The second named feature is Calamity Wilds. Like any wild symbol, a wild substitutes for paying symbols to complete wins; the help screen describes what makes the Calamity version different and when it can appear. We won't describe behaviour that our checked data doesn't confirm.

Since a Gambling Commission warning in January 2020, feature buy-ins are not offered to British players, so features in UK versions of Gonzo's Quest 2 come only from normal spins.

Gonzo's Quest, Gonzo's Quest Megaways and Gonzo's Quest 2 compared

The Gonzo name now covers three slots in our reviews, and they are more different than the branding suggests. The sequel sits between the other two on max win but swaps the original's medium volatility for high.

At the top setting the sequel is the cheapest of the three per £100 staked, though only by a few pence. More of the adventure slots family is covered in our themes section.

A £20 budget on Gonzo's Quest 2 at different stakes

The table shows how many spins £20 buys and the average cost of staking it all, at the best and worst RTP versions. Real outcomes vary widely: the average is only what the game takes over a very long run.

Stake size doesn't change the percentage cost, but it decides how many chances the game gets to build an Avalanche chain before the money runs out. Twenty £1 spins is a very short session for a high-volatility game. See our page on slot volatility for why that matters.

Gonzo's Quest 2 max win: 15,825x in context

The cap of 15,825 times the stake works out at £1,582.50 at 10p, £7,912.50 at 50p, £15,825 at £1, £31,650 at the £2 limit for 18 to 24-year-olds and £79,125 at the £5 limit for those 25 and over. That is more than six times the original game's 2,500x ceiling, which is one reason the sequel swings harder. Read what a max win cap means for how caps are applied.

Playing Gonzo's Quest 2 online in the UK: the rules

The Gambling Commission's guidance on online slot stake limits (opens in a new tab) caps each game cycle at £5 for adults 25 and over and £2 for 18 to 24-year-olds. Since 31 October 2021, slots must also take at least 2.5 seconds per spin, with no turbo, slam-stop or autoplay, and must not celebrate a return at or below the stake.

Those speed rules are enforced. The Commission required Stakelogic BV to pay £122,835 for running slots too fast (opens in a new tab), which shows the 2.5-second minimum is more than a guideline. Our 2.5-second rule explainer and autoplay ban page cover the detail.

How to play Gonzo's Quest 2

1. Register with a UK-licensed casino and complete age and ID verification.
2. Set a deposit limit at the prompt that appears before your first deposit.
3. Open Gonzo's Quest 2 and confirm the RTP version in the rules.
4. Choose a stake that suits your budget and stays within your age-based cap.
5. Press spin; Avalanche drops resolve automatically within the paid spin.
6. Keep an eye on the net spend display and stop at your planned limit.

Where to play Gonzo's Quest 2 in the UK

Our partners' free spins are tied to set or selected slots, and none is confirmed for Gonzo's Quest 2. Check each casino's game lobby for the title and its RTP version. 18+ and terms apply.

• PlayOJO: new UK customers outside Northern Ireland get 80 free spins on Big Bass Bonanza with a first deposit of at least £10; 10p a spin, no wagering and cash winnings.
• Coral: after depositing, bet £10 on slots for 100 free spins on selected games at 10p each, with 48 hours to accept and 7 days to play, and no wagering on winnings; PayPal, Skrill, Neteller, Paysafe, prepaid and some debit cards are excluded.
• Ladbrokes: play £10 on slots to receive 50 free spins daily for 10 days (500 maximum) at 10p each on selected games, claimed by 23:59 each day and valid for 7 days, no wagering; some e-wallets and prepaid cards don't qualify.

If play stops feeling like entertainment, GamCare (opens in a new tab) runs the free National Gambling Helpline on 0808 8020 133.

18+. Every casino game has a built-in house edge, so over time you should expect to lose what you stake. Set a budget before you play and stop when it’s gone: safer gambling tools and support. Free, confidential help: National Gambling Helpline 0808 8020 133.