Gaming machine with mystery pay feature
View Patent ↗A method of conducting a wagering game on a gaming machine is disclosed. The wagering game includes a pay table defining awards and combinations of award symbols associated with the respective awards. After a player makes a wager, a plurality of symbol-bearing reels are rotated and stopped to place symbols on the reels in visual association with at least one active pay line. If the stopped reels include a combination of mystery symbols along the active pay line, one of the award symbols is randomly selected to replace the mystery symbols. The game provides an award associated with the combination of the selected award symbol, as defined by the pay table.
1. A method of conducting a wagering game, the wagering game defining awards and combinations of award symbols associated with the respective awards, the method comprising:
receiving a wager to play the wagering game;
displaying a symbol array and a plurality of selectable elements, the selectable elements being associated with the award symbols; and
if the symbol array includes at least a predefined number of mystery symbols in a predefined arrangement, selecting an element of the selectable elements to have an associated award symbol to replace the mystery symbols, the award symbol associated with the selected element being revealed upon the selection of the selected element.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the predefined number is three.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the predefined arrangement is along an active pay line.
4. The method of claim 3 , wherein one or more of the combinations of award symbols is along a pay line.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the selecting step is performed by a player.
6. The method of claim 1 , further including providing the award associated with any of the combinations on a pay table resulting from the selecting step.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the selecting step is performed entirely by a processor.
8. The method of claim 1 , further including transforming the mystery symbols to the selected award symbol.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the awards include credit amounts and a bonus game.
10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the displaying step includes rotating and stopping a plurality of symbol-bearing reels.
11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the selectable elements are being displayed simultaneously with the award symbols.
12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the selectable elements are being displayed in a separate area than the award symbols.
13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the award symbols associated with unselected ones of the selectable elements are revealed upon the selection of the selected element.
14. A method of conducting a wagering game, the wagering game including a pay table defining awards and combinations of award symbols associated with the respective awards, the method comprising:
receiving a wager to play the wagering game;
rotating and stopping a plurality of symbol-bearing reels to place symbols on the reels in visual association with at least one active pay line;
displaying a plurality of selectable elements, each one of the selectable elements being associated with a corresponding award symbol;
if the stopped reels include a combination of mystery symbols along the active pay line, selecting one element of the selectable elements to replace the mystery symbols, the corresponding award symbol of the selected element being revealed upon the selection of the selected element; and
providing the award associated with the combination of the selected award symbol, as defined by the pay table.
15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the combination of mystery symbols includes at least three mystery symbols.
16. The method of claim 14 , wherein the selecting step is performed by a player.
17. The method of claim 14 , wherein the awards includes credit amounts and a bonus game.
18. A method of conducting a wagering game, the wagering game including award symbols for yielding awards and a mystery symbol, the mystery symbol being distinct from the award symbols, the method comprising:
receiving a wager to play the wagering game;
displaying the mystery symbol and a plurality of selectable elements, the selectable elements being associated with the award symbols;
randomly selecting one of the selectable elements to replace the mystery symbol;
revealing the award symbol associated with the selected element upon the selection of the selected element; and
providing the award associated with the selected award symbol.
19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the displaying step includes displaying at least three of the mystery symbol.
20. The method of claim 19 , wherein the at least three of the mystery symbol are displayed along an active pay line.
21. The method of claim 18 , wherein the selecting step includes randomly associating the selectable elements with the award symbols and receiving a selection from a player of one of the elements.
22. The method of claim 18 , wherein the selecting step is performed entirely by a processor.
23. The method of claim 18 , further including transforming the mystery symbol to the selected award symbol.
24. The method of claim 18 , wherein the awards include credit amounts and a bonus game.
25. The method of claim 18 , wherein the displaying step includes displaying the mystery symbol in a symbol array having rows and columns of symbols.
26. A method of conducting a wagering game, the wagering game defining awards and combinations of award symbols associated with the respective awards, the method comprising:
receiving a wager to play the wagering game;
displaying a symbol array; and
if the symbol array includes at least a predefined number of mystery symbols in a predefined arrangement, selecting an element of a plurality of displayed selectable elements to have an associated award symbol to replace the mystery symbols, the selecting step being performed by a player, the selectable elements being randomly associated with the award symbols, the award symbol associated with the selected element being revealed upon the selection of the selected element.
27. A method of conducting a wagering game, the wagering game including award symbols for yielding awards and a mystery symbol, the mystery symbol being distinct from the award symbols, the method comprising:
receiving a wager to play the wagering game;
displaying the mystery symbol and a plurality of selectable elements, the selectable elements being randomly associated with the award symbols;
randomly selecting one of the selectable elements to replace the mystery symbol, the selecting being performed by a player;
revealing the award symbol associated with the selected element upon the selection of the selected element; and
providing the award associated with the selected award symbol.