Gaming system with play enhancement icons
A gaming system comprises a wager input device for receiving a wager and a display for displaying a wagering game having a plurality of reels comprised of a plurality of symbols. A controller operates to (i) detect receipt of the wager; (ii) activate a play of the wagering game by spinning the reels on the display; (iii) display at least one play enhancement icon on the display; (iv) cause the spinning reels to stop and the display to display a randomly selected outcome of the wagering game; and (v) enhance the randomly selected outcome of the wagering game in response to the at least one play enhancement icon on the display at any time including at least one of before spinning the reels on the display, during spinning the reels on the display, and after spinning the reels on the display.
1. A computer-implemented method of conducting a wagering game via a gaming system, the gaming system including one or more input devices, one or more display devices, and one or more processors, the wagering game including a randomly selected game outcome represented, at least in part, by displaying symbols including at least one of a first play-enhancement icon and a second play-enhancement icon, the method comprising:
receiving, via at least one of the one or more input devices, an input indicative of a wager from a player to initiate the wagering game;
randomly selecting, via at least one of the one or more processors, a game outcome from a plurality of possible game outcomes;
displaying, on at least one of the one or more display devices, a plurality of spinning reels to represent randomly selecting the game outcome;
enhancing, via at least one of the one or more processors, the game outcome in direct response to the first play-enhancement icon providing a first bonus feature at any time prior to stopping the spinning reels;
stopping the spinning reels and displaying, on at least one of the one or more display devices, at least a portion of the game outcome including symbols on the plurality of stopped reels; and
enhancing the game outcome in direct response to the second play-enhancement icon providing a second bonus feature at any time including before spinning the reels, while the reels are spinning, and after the reels stop spinning.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the game outcome triggers a bonus game.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the game outcome is enhanced by respinning at least one of the reels a selected number of respins.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first bonus feature includes respinning at least one of the reels a selected number of respins and the second bonus feature adds additional respins.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the game outcome is enhanced by forming an additional pay line on at least one of the one or more display devices.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the game outcome is enhanced by stopping one or more of the spinning reels, changing one or more reel symbols on the stopped one or more reels, and resuming spinning the stopped one or more reels.
7. A computer-implemented method of conducting a wagering game via a gaming system, the gaming system including one or more input devices, one or more display devices, and one or more processors, the wagering game including a randomly selected game outcome represented, at least in part, by displaying symbols including at least one of a first play-enhancement icon and a second play-enhancement icon, the method comprising:
receiving, via at least one of the one or more input devices, an input indicative of a wager from a player to initiate the wagering game;
randomly selecting, via at least one of the one or more processors, a game outcome from a plurality of possible game outcomes;
displaying, on at least one of the one or more display devices, a plurality of spinning reels to represent randomly selecting the game outcome;
enhancing, via at least one of the one or more processors, the game outcome in direct response to the first play-enhancement icon providing a first bonus feature at any time prior to stopping the spinning reels;
stopping the spinning reels and displaying, on at least one of the one or more display devices, at least a portion of the game outcome including symbols on the plurality of stopped reels; and
enhancing the game outcome in direct response to the second play-enhancement icon providing a second bonus feature at any time including before spinning the reels, while the reels are spinning, and after the reels stop spinning, wherein the second bonus feature can enhance the game outcome in the absence of, and in addition to, any enhancements resulting from the first bonus feature.
8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the first bonus feature and the second bonus feature cumulatively enhance the game outcome.
9. The method of claim 7 , wherein the first bonus feature and the second bonus feature provide a combined enhancement to the game outcome.
10. The method of claim 7 , wherein the game outcome triggers a bonus game and at least one of the first and second bonus features enhances a bonus game outcome.
11. The method of claim 7 , wherein one of the first and second bonus features triggers a bonus game and the other of the first and second bonus features enhances the bonus game.
12. The method of claim 7 , wherein the first bonus feature includes one or more of a reel respin, a bonus multiplier, and adding a WILD symbol to the displayed reels.
13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the second bonus feature includes one or more of a reel respins, a bonus multiplier, and adding a WILD symbol to the displayed reels.
14. The method of claim 7 , wherein the first bonus feature applies a first bonus multiplier to the game outcome and the second bonus features applies a second bonus multiplier to the game outcome, the first and second bonus multipliers adding together to apply a combined multiplier to the game outcome.
15. A gaming system configured to conduct a wagering game including a randomly selected outcome represented, at least in part, by displaying symbols including at least one of a first play-enhancement icon and a second play-enhancement icon, the gaming system comprising:
one or more input devices;
one or more display devices;
one or more processors; and
one or more memory devices storing instructions that, when executed by at least one of the one or more processors, cause the gaming system to:
receive an input indicative of a wager from a player to initiate the wagering game;
randomly select a game outcome from a plurality of possible game outcomes;
display a plurality of spinning reels to represent randomly selecting the game outcome;
enhance the game outcome in direct response to the first play-enhancement icon providing a first bonus feature at any time prior to stopping the spinning reels;
stop the spinning reels and display at least a portion of the randomly selected game outcome including the symbols on the plurality of reels;
enhance the game outcome in direct response to the second play-enhancement icon providing a second bonus feature at any time including before spinning the reels, while the reels are spinning, and after the reels stop spinning.
16. The gaming system of claim 15 , wherein the first bonus feature and the second bonus feature cumulatively enhance the game outcome.
17. The gaming system of claim 15 , wherein at least one of the first and second bonus features includes awarding an additional play-enhancement icon that provides an additional bonus feature.
18. The gaming system of claim 15 , wherein the first bonus feature and the second bonus feature provide a combined enhancement to the game outcome.
19. The gaming system of claim 15 , wherein the game outcome triggers a bonus game and at least one of the first and second bonus features enhances a bonus game outcome.
20. The gaming system of claim 15 , wherein one of the first and second bonus features triggers a bonus game and the other of the first and second bonus features enhances the bonus game.