Wagering game with enhanced bonus feature
View Patent ↗A gaming system includes at least one display configured to display a plurality of symbols positions. The plurality of symbol positions are configured to display symbols indicative of a randomly selected outcome of a wagering game in relation to a plurality of paylines. The gaming system further includes a controller configured to award an award for any winning outcome occurring along a payline and to add a number of winning paylines to a counter configured to track a number of winning paylines. The controller is further configured, in response to a number of winning paylines in the counter exceeding a predetermined threshold number, to activate a game feature in which a second award is awarded.
1. A gaming system comprising:
at least one display configured to display a plurality of symbol positions, the plurality of symbol positions being configured to display symbols indicative of a randomly selected outcome of a wagering game in relation to a plurality of paylines; and
a controller configured to award an award for any winning paylines with a winning combination of the symbols occurring along the payline in the outcome of the wagering game, and to add a number of the winning paylines in the outcome of the wagering game to a counter configured to track a total number of winning paylines,
wherein the controller is further configured, in response to the total number of winning paylines in the counter exceeding a predetermined threshold number of winning paylines, to activate a game feature in which a second award is awarded.
2. The gaming system of claim 1 , wherein a size of the second award is related to the total number of winning paylines in the counter.
3. The gaming system of claim 1 , wherein the second award is a multiplier.
4. The gaming system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured, in response to at least one predetermined triggering condition in the wagering game, to modify all of the symbols displayed on a cluster of adjacent ones of the symbol positions to display a common symbol thereby forming a modified array, to determine a number of winning paylines with a winning combination of the symbols occurring along one of the paylines in the modified array, and to add the number of winning paylines with a winning combination of the symbols in the modified array to the counter.
5. The gaming system of claim 1 , wherein the gaming system is configured to display at least one pay table associated with the predetermined threshold number of winning paylines.
6. The gaming system of claim 5 , wherein the at least one pay table includes a plurality of threshold numbers of winning paylines, at least one of the plurality of threshold numbers of winning paylines having more than one award value associated therewith.
7. The gaming system of claim 6 , wherein the award is randomly selected from the more than one award value.
8. The gaming system of claim 1 , wherein the counter is reset to zero prior to initiation of another wagering game.
9. A method of conducting a wagering game on a gaming system with at least one display device and at least one processor, the method comprising:
displaying, via the at least one display device, a first array of randomly selected symbols, the first array of randomly selected symbols forming an outcome in a wagering game;
evaluating, via the at least one processor, the first array of randomly selected symbols for a predetermined triggering condition;
displaying, via the at least one display device and in response to the occurrence of the predetermined triggering condition in the first array, a second array of symbols comprising a cluster of adjacent symbol positions each displaying a common symbol; and
awarding an award associated with the amount of winning paylines occurring at least in association with the cluster of the common symbols.
10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the second array of symbols comprises a modified subsection of the first array.
11. The method of claim 9 , wherein the act of awarding comprises awarding an award associated with the number of winning paylines occurring in the first array and in the second array.
12. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
awarding a second award if the symbols in the first array form a winning outcome along at least one payline.
13. The method of claim 9 , wherein the second array is a subsection of the first array modified such that each of the adjacent symbol positions in the subsection displays the same common symbol.
14. The method of claim 9 , further comprising displaying at least one pay table associated with the predetermined amount of paylines.
15. The method of claim 9 , wherein the common symbol displayed in each of the adjacent symbol positions of the cluster is a standard symbol.
16. The method of claim 14 , wherein the at least one pay table includes a plurality of threshold amounts of winning paylines, at least one of the plurality of threshold amounts having more than one award value associated therewith.
17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the act of awarding an award includes randomly selecting an award from the more than one award value.
18. A method of conducting a wagering game on a gaming system with at least one display device and at least one processor, the method comprising:
displaying, via the at least one display device, a plurality of reels having a plurality of standard symbols for indicating a randomly selected outcome of the wagering game, the plurality of reels forming an array of symbol positions;
determining, via the at least one processor, if a predetermined event occurred; and
in response to the predetermined event, modifying a cluster of adjacent symbol positions within the array such that all of the symbol positions in the cluster include like standard symbols.
19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the plurality of reels have both the plurality of standard symbols and at least one wild symbol.
20. The method of claim 18 , wherein the plurality of reels have both the plurality of standard symbols and at least one bonus trigger.
21. A method of conducting a wagering game on a gaming system, the method comprising:
displaying an array of symbol positions configured to indicate a randomly selected outcome of the wagering game;
populating the plurality of symbol positions with symbols corresponding to the randomly selected outcome;
awarding an award if the symbols populating the array of symbol positions correspond to a winning outcome;
evaluating the array of symbol positions for a predetermined triggering condition;
modifying, in response to a satisfaction of the predetermined triggering condition, a plurality of symbols positions adjacent a selected symbol position to display a common symbol;
evaluating the modified array of symbol positions to determine a number winning of paylines indicated by the modified array; and
awarding an award relating to the indicated number of paylines.
22. The method of claim 21 , wherein the act of modifying comprises modifying a plurality of symbols adjacent a randomly selected symbol to display the common symbol.
23. The method of claim 21 , wherein the award is a multiplier.
24. The method of claim 21 , wherein the act of modifying comprises modifying a cluster of symbols adjacent a randomly selected symbol to display a common symbol.