Merged game matrices on an electronic gaming machine

1. A method of displaying a feature game on a gaming machine; wherein the gaming machine comprises a display, a game controller, a credit input mechanism, and a credit meter; wherein the credit input mechanism is configured to establish a credit balance being increasable and decreasable, and the credit meter is configured to monitor the credit balance, the method comprising the steps of:

displaying a first game instance having a first plurality of display positions and a second game instance having a second plurality of display positions;

merging the first game instance and the second game instance on the display when a merging condition occurs; wherein a set of additional display positions are added between the first plurality and the second plurality of display positions to form a third plurality of display positions; whereby the third plurality of display positions forms a merged game instance of contiguous display positions;

selecting symbols from a symbol set and displaying the selected symbols in the third plurality of display positions of the merged game instance;

determining, via the game controller, if the selected symbols of the merged game instance form a winning outcome;

incrementing the credit balance on the credit meter based on the winning outcome; and

displaying a separator that separates the first game instance from the second game instance; and

wherein merging of the first game instance and the second game instance includes removing the separator such that the set of additional display positions can be added.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the merging condition occurs when the first game instance has been displayed a predetermined number of times.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the merging condition occurs when the first game instance displays a predetermined symbol.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the merging condition occurs when both the first game instance and the second game instance have winning outcomes.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein an animation is displayed when the separator is removed; the animation showing at least one rope being attached and pulling the separator away from between the first game instance and the second game instance.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising displaying a fixed symbol at each display position of the set of additional display positions.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the fixed symbol is a wild symbol.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

forming a special symbol set with a wild symbol and a predetermined symbol from the symbol set; and

selecting symbols from the special symbol set and displaying the symbols selected from the special symbol set at the set of additional display positions.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

displaying a fourth game instance having a fourth plurality of display positions; and

merging the fourth game instance with the merged game instance to obtain a second merged game instance comprising the third plurality of display positions and the fourth plurality of display positions.

10. A gaming machine for presenting a feature game, the gaming machine comprising:

a credit input mechanism configured to establish a credit balance being increasable and decreasable based on one or more game outcomes;

a display configured to display a first game instance having a first plurality of display positions and a second game instance having a second plurality of display positions, and to merge the first game instance and the second game instance based on satisfying a merging condition; wherein a set of additional display positions are added between the first plurality of display positions and the second plurality of display positions to form a third plurality of display positions; wherein the third plurality of display positions forms a merged game instance of contiguous display positions;

a game controller configured to select symbols from a symbol set for display at the merged game instance, and to determine whether the symbols selected for the merged game instance form a winning outcome;

wherein the display is further configured to display the symbols selected in the third plurality of display positions of the merged game instance; and

a credit meter configured to monitor the credit balance, and to increment the credit balance based on the winning outcome, and

wherein the display is further configured to display a separator that separates the first game instance from the second game instance before merging, wherein the display is further configured to remove the separator such that the set of additional display positions can be added.

11. The gaming machine of claim 10 , wherein the merging condition occurs when the first game instance has been played a predetermined number of times.

12. The gaming machine of claim 10 , wherein the merging condition occurs when the first game instance displays a predetermined symbol.

13. The gaming machine of claim 10 , wherein the merging condition occurs when both the first game instance and the second game instance have winning outcomes.

14. The gaming machine of claim 10 , wherein an animation is displayed when the separator is removed; the animation showing at least one rope being attached and pulling the separator away from between the first game instance and the second game instance.

15. The gaming machine of claim 10 , wherein the display is further configured to display a fixed symbol at each display position of the set of additional display positions.

16. The gaming machine of claim 15 , wherein the fixed symbol is a wild symbol.

17. The gaming machine of claim 10 , wherein the game controller is further configured to form a special symbol set with a wild symbol and a predetermined symbol from the symbol set, and to select symbols from the special symbol set, and the display is further configured to display the symbols selected from the special symbol set at the set of additional display positions.

18. The gaming machine of claim 10 , wherein the display is further configured to display a fourth game instance having a fourth plurality of display positions, and to merge the fourth game instance with the merged game instance to obtain a second merged game instance comprising the third plurality of display positions and the fourth plurality of display positions.