Slot machine bonus game
A bonus round for a slot game. A player can continuously touch an active area on a touch screen in order to pet a virtual animal. A player can earn an award for the bonus round based on how well the player pets the virtual animal.
1 . A method to play a wagering game, the method comprising:
displaying an active area;
receiving continuous touching from a player inside the active area; and
awarding an award to the player after the continuous touching is completed.
2 . A method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the award is predetermined.
3 . A method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the award is determined based on characteristics of the continuous touching.
4 . A method as recited in claim 3 , further comprising displaying an animal in the active area.
5 . A method as recited in claim 4 , further comprising:
initially displaying the animal in a first state; and
displaying the animal in a second state based on the continuous touching.
6 . A method as recited in claim 5 , wherein the second state is indicative of the animal's contentment.
7 . A method as recited in claim 5 , wherein the second state is displayed when the player has performed the continuous touching to meet a predetermined condition.
8 . A method as recited in claim 7 , wherein the predetermined condition is an accrual of a predetermined amount of points during the continuous touching.
9 . A method as recited in claim 1 , further comprising:
dividing the active area into cells;
when the player touches a particular cell, adding a value of the particular cell to a point total and resetting the value of the particular cell;
increasing values of the cells;
continuing the adding, resetting and increasing until a time limit is over; and
when the time limit is over, determining the award based on the point total.
10 . A method as recited in claim 9 , wherein the increasing increases the values of the cells whenever a new cell is touched by the player.
11 . A method to play a wagering game, the method comprising:
dividing an active area into cells and initializing values of the cells;
allowing a player to touch any of the cells;
when the player touches a particular cell, adding a value of the particular cell to a point total and resetting the value of the particular cell;
increasing values of the cells;
continuing the allowing, adding, resetting and increasing, until a time limit is over; and
when the time limit is over, determining an award based on the point total.
12 . A method as recited in claim 11 , wherein the award is determined by:
categorizing point totals into a plurality of states, each state with a respective low range and a high range;
determining a current state out of the plurality of states that the point total falls into; and
selecting a random number between the current state's respective low range and a respective high range.
13 . A method as recited in claim 12 , further comprising multiplying the random number by an amount bet.
14 . A method as recited in claim 11 , further comprising:
outputting, when the point total reaches a predetermined amount, an indication that the player has achieved a measure of success.
15 . A method as recited in claim 11 , wherein the increasing increases the values of the cells whenever a new cell is touched by the player.
16 . A method of displaying successful players on a slot game, the method comprising:
triggering a bonus round on a slot machine;
allowing players to guess a preselected item for the bonus round;
if the player guesses incorrectly then continuing the triggering and allowing without changing the preselected item;
if the player guesses correctly, then performing:
inputting the player's name on the slot machine;
transmitting the player's name to a central server;
adding, by the central server, the player's name to a list of successful players;
transmitting the list to a plurality of slot machines; and
displaying the list on the plurality of slot machines.