Player interactive wagering using hole symbols and shifting gaming symbols
View Patent ↗A game is provided including a symbol shifting graphic display at one or more gaming machines. Games, methods, systems, and program products are taught using gaming symbols and hole symbols, into which gaming symbols may be shifted during the course of the game. Shifted symbols may reveal another hole symbol, or a bonus symbol or multiplier symbol. The player is allowed to select a symbol to shift in order to try and solve the matrix by producing a winning combination of gaming symbols.
1. A method of providing a wagering game for a player at an electronic player station having an associated electronic processor, the method comprising:
(a) receiving, at a player input device associated with the player station, a wager input from the player, and determining an outcome for a wager associated with the wager input, the outcome being associated with a plurality of presolve scripts each configured to implement a game sequence for a different possible selection available to be made by the player;
(b) causing the processor to control an electronic display device associated with the player station to display a matrix of symbol locations including a plurality of symbol locations;
(c) causing the processor to control the electronic display device associated with the player station to further display a number of first symbols of a first symbol type at first selected symbol locations in the matrix, the first symbol type indicative of elements in the matrix that are made available to be used in forming patterns according to rules of the game;
(d) causing the processor to control the electronic display device associated with the player station to further display a number of second symbols of a second symbol type at second selected symbol locations in the matrix, the second symbol type indicative of hole elements in the matrix that may receive shifting symbols from other symbol locations in the matrix;
(e) receiving, at the player input device, a first player selection input indicating a chosen one of the first symbols in the matrix to be moved to the location of a selected adjacent one of the second symbols;
(f) in response to receiving the first player selection input, causing the processor to control the electronic display device to display a shift of the chosen one of the first symbols into the location of a selected adjacent one of the second symbols;
(g) based on the first player selection input, selecting one of the presolve scripts from the plurality of presolve scripts, and operating the electronic display device under control of the selected presolve script to display a number of secondary moves of the first symbols displayed at (c) into adjacent locations of second symbols after the move displayed in (f);
(h) after performing (g), causing the processor to determine the presence of one or more winning patterns in the matrix formed by the first symbols; and
(j) in response to the processor finding a winning pattern, causing the processor to award a wager win result to the player.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second symbol type, which is indicative of hole elements in the matrix, is depicted as a blank location displaying in at least substantially all the location's area a background color or pattern of the matrix and distinguished from the first symbol type by the absence of a symbol graphic icon.
3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising, revealing a multiplier element in the location from which the selected one of the first symbols is shifted.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second plurality of symbol locations is displayed in an initial display immediately following a symbol spinning or symbol changing sequence, responsive to the player wager input.
5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising, before receiving the first player selection input, evaluating the matrix for presence of one or more winning patterns, in addition to the determination and award made in (h) and (j).
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein shifting the selected one of the first symbols further comprises providing one of the second symbols at the original location of the chosen one of the first symbols.
7. A gaming system including:
a gaming device including (i) a display arrangement having one or more display devices, and (ii) a player input device arrangement having one or more player input devices;
a game controller arrangement for causing the display arrangement to (i) display a matrix of symbol locations including a plurality of symbol locations; to (ii) display a number of first symbols of a first symbol type at first selected locations in the matrix, the first symbol type indicative of elements in the matrix that are made available to be used in forming patterns according to rules of the game; to (iii) display a number of second symbols of a second symbol type at second selected locations in the matrix, the second symbol type indicative of hole elements in the matrix that may receive shifting symbols from other symbol locations in the matrix; for (iv) receiving a first player selection input indicating a chosen one of the first symbols in the matrix to be moved to the location of a selected adjacent one of the second symbols; for (v) causing, in response to receiving the first player selection input, the display arrangement to shift the chosen one of the first symbols into the location of a selected adjacent one of the second symbols; for (vi) based on the first player selection input, selecting one of a plurality of presolve scripts, and operating the display arrangement under control of the selected presolve script to display a number of secondary moves of the first symbols displayed at (ii) into adjacent locations of second symbols after the move displayed in (v); for (vii), after the number of secondary moves, determining the presence of one or more winning patterns in the matrix formed by the first symbols; and for (viii), in response to finding a winning pattern, awarding a wager win result to the player.
8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the second symbol type, which is indicative of hole elements in the matrix, is depicted as a blank location displaying in at least substantially all the location's area a background color or pattern of the matrix and distinguished from the first symbol type by the absence of a symbol graphic icon.
9. The system of claim 7 , wherein the gaming controller arrangement is further for revealing a multiplier element in the location from which the selected one of the first symbols is shifted.
10. The system of claim 7 , wherein the second plurality of symbol locations is displayed in an initial display immediately following a symbol spinning or symbol changing sequence, which is performed immediately responsive to a player wager input.