Gaming system and method of gaming
View Patent ↗A gaming system, comprising a game controller arranged to control play of a game, and a display arranged to display a representation of play of the game, the game controller being arranged to select a plurality of symbols from a set of symbols for play of the game, to control the display to display a plurality of the selected symbols in rows and columns, to determine a game outcome based on patterns of symbols in the rows and columns, and also being arranged to generate a feature game in response to a trigger condition, and determine an outcome of the feature game depending on the occurrence of a non-linear pattern of symbols.
1. A gaming system, comprising a game controller arranged to control play of a base game and a feature game, and a display arranged to display a representation of play of the base game and the feature game, the game controller being arranged to:
select a plurality of symbols from a set of symbols for play of the base game;
control the display to display the selected plurality of symbols in fixed rows and columns;
determine an outcome of the base game based on the selected plurality of symbols in the rows and columns, wherein a winning outcome of the base game is determined in response to the selected plurality of symbols forming a predefined winning pattern of symbols that spans across all columns of the display and that aligns with a win line from a plurality of activated win lines of the base game;
generate a feature game after the base game in response to a trigger condition; and
determine an outcome of the feature game depending on whether a non-linear pattern of symbols displayed in the fixed rows and columns of the display during the feature game is a winning pattern of symbols that is distinguishable from the plurality of activated win lines of the base game, wherein the non-linear pattern comprises two or more symbols within a column.
2. A gaming system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the non-linear pattern comprises a stair combination.
3. A gaming system in accordance with claim 2 , wherein the stair combination comprises a stair-down combination.
4. A gaming system in accordance with claim 2 , wherein the stair combination comprises a stair-up combination.
5. A gaming system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the non-linear pattern comprises a pyramid combination.
6. A gaming system in accordance with claim 5 , wherein the pyramid combination comprises a normal pyramid pattern.
7. A gaming system in accordance with claim 5 , wherein the pyramid combination comprises an inverted pyramid pattern.
8. A gaming system in accordance with claim 5 , wherein the pyramid combination is a flattened pyramid pattern.
9. A gaming system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the game is a reel game including reels with stacked symbols, and the two or more symbols are stacked symbols on a reel.
10. A gaming system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the non-linear pattern is a rectangle.
11. A gaming system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the non-linear pattern is a rhombus.
12. A gaming system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the non-linear pattern is a hexagon.
13. A gaming system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the non-linear pattern is a triangle.
14. A gaming system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the game controller is arranged to adjust the position of at least one of the symbols in a non-linear pattern outcome to result in a line pattern.
15. A gaming system in accordance with claim 1 wherein the game controller is arranged to control the display to display a graphical character moving over the non-linear pattern of symbols.
16. A gaming system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the trigger condition is that a player must make an ante-bet of credit.
17. A gaming system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the game controller and display are implemented as a stand alone gaming machine.
18. A gaming system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the game controller and display are implemented by a gaming server and gaming client architecture.
19. A computer program comprising instructions for controlling a computer to implement a gaming system in accordance with claim 1 .
20. A computer readable medium providing a computer program in accordance with claim 19 .
21. A data signal comprising a computer program in accordance with claim 19 .
22. A gaming system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the non-linear pattern does not extend across all the columns of the display.
23. A method of gaming, comprising:
selecting a plurality of symbols from a set of symbols for play of a base game;
displaying the selected plurality of the symbols in fixed rows and columns of a display;
determining an outcome of the base game based on the selected plurality of symbols in the rows and columns, wherein a winning outcome of the base game is determined in response to the selected plurality of symbols forming a predefined winning pattern of symbols that spans across all columns and that aligns with a win line from a plurality of predetermined win lines of the base game;
playing a feature game after the base game in response to a pre-determined trigger condition being satisfied; and
determining an outcome of the feature game depending on whether a non-linear pattern of symbols in the fixed rows and columns of the display during the feature game is a non-linear winning pattern of symbols that is distinguishable from the plurality of predetermined win lines of the base game, wherein the non-linear pattern includes a plurality of symbols in one column.
24. A method in accordance with claim 23 , wherein the non-linear pattern comprises a stair combination.
25. A method in accordance with claim 24 , wherein the stair combination comprises a stair-down combination.
26. A method in accordance with claim 24 , wherein the stair combination comprises a stair-up combination.
27. A method in accordance with claim 23 , wherein the non-linear pattern comprises a pyramid combination.
28. A method in accordance with claim 27 , wherein the pyramid combination comprises a normal pyramid pattern.
29. A method in accordance with claim 27 , wherein the pyramid combination comprises an inverted pyramid pattern.
30. A method of gaming in accordance with claim 27 , wherein the pyramid combination is a flattened pyramid pattern.
31. A method in accordance with claim 23 , wherein the game is a reel game, and the plurality of symbols are stacked symbols within a reel.
32. A method in accordance with claim 23 , wherein the non-linear pattern is a rectangle.
33. A method in accordance with claim 23 , wherein the non-linear pattern is a rhombus.
34. A method in accordance with claim 23 , wherein the non-linear pattern is a hexagon.
35. A method in accordance with claim 23 , wherein the non-linear pattern is a triangle.
36. A method in accordance with claim 23 , further comprising adjusting the non-linear pattern to result in a line pattern.
37. A method in accordance with claim 23 , further comprising displaying graphical character moving over the non-linear pattern of symbols.
38. A method in accordance with claim 23 , wherein the pre-determined trigger condition is placement of an ante-bet specifying a particular non-linear pattern, by a player.
39. A method of gaming in accordance with claim 23 , wherein the non-linear pattern does not extend across all the columns of the display.
40. A game controller for a gaming system comprising a display, the game controller comprising a processor arranged to:
select a plurality of symbols from a set of symbols for play of a base game;
control the display to display the selected plurality of symbols in fixed rows and columns;
determine an outcome of the base game based on the selected plurality of symbols in the rows and columns, wherein a winning outcome of the base game is determined in response to the selected plurality of symbols forming a predefined winning pattern of symbols that spans across all columns and that aligns with a win line from a plurality of activated win lines of the base game;
generate a feature game after the base game in response to a trigger condition; and
determine an outcome of the feature game depending on whether a non-linear pattern of symbols in the fixed rows and columns the display during the feature game is a winning pattern of symbols that is distinguishable from the plurality of activated win lines of the base game, wherein the non-linear pattern comprises two or more symbols within a column.
41. A game controller in accordance with claim 40 , wherein the non-linear pattern comprises a stair combination.
42. A game controller in accordance with claim 41 , wherein the stair combination comprises a stair-up combination.
43. A game controller in accordance with claim 41 , wherein the stair combination comprises a stair-down combination.
44. A game controller in accordance with claim 40 , wherein the non-linear pattern comprises a pyramid combination.
45. A game controller in accordance with claim 44 , wherein the pyramid combination comprises a normal pyramid pattern.
46. A game controller in accordance with claim 44 , wherein the pyramid combination comprises an inverted pyramid pattern.
47. A game controller in accordance with claim 44 , wherein the pyramid combination is a flattened pyramid pattern.
48. A game controller in accordance with claim 40 , wherein the game is a reel game, and the two or more symbols are stacked symbols on a reel.
49. A game controller in accordance with claim 40 , wherein the non-linear pattern is a rectangle.
50. A game controller in accordance with claim 40 , wherein the non-linear pattern is a rhombus.
51. A game controller in accordance with claim 40 , wherein the non-linear pattern is a hexagon.
52. A game controller in accordance with claim 40 , wherein the non-linear pattern is a triangle.
53. A game controller in accordance with claim 40 , arranged to adjust the position of at least one of the symbols in a non-linear pattern outcome to result in a line pattern.
54. A game controller in accordance with claim 40 , arranged to control the display of a graphical character moving over the non-hyphen linear pattern of symbols.
55. A game controller in accordance with claim 40 , wherein the trigger condition is that a player must make an ante-bet of credit.
56. A computer program, comprising instructions for controlling a computer to implement a game controller in accordance with claim 40 .
57. A computer readable medium, providing a computer program in accordance with claim 56 .
58. A data signal, comprising a computer program in accordance with claim 56 .
59. A game controller in accordance with claim 40 , wherein the non-linear pattern does not extend across all the columns of the display.