Systems and methods of electronic gaming
Systems, methods, and articles of manufacture for electronic gaming are disclosed. In a first aspect, a method of electronic gaming includes selecting a plurality of primary game symbols, displaying the plurality of primary game symbols, initiating, based upon the plurality of primary game symbols, a secondary game, displaying a trigger symbol in association with the secondary game, displaying a trigger symbol action associated with the trigger symbol, selecting a plurality of secondary game symbols in association with the secondary game (where one of the secondary game symbols comprising the trigger symbol), displaying the plurality of secondary game symbols, and performing the trigger symbol action based upon the trigger symbol.
1 . An electronic gaming system comprising:
a game server in communication with a database storing a first portion of data associated with a primary electronic game and data associated with a secondary electronic game; and
at least one gaming machine in communication with the game server, the at least one gaming machine comprising:
a display device configured to display the primary electronic game and the secondary electronic game, wherein the secondary electronic game includes a plurality of reels;
at least one memory with instructions stored thereon, the instructions relating to a second portion of data associated with the primary electronic game; and
at least one processor in communication with the at least one memory and the game server, wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to:
initiate the primary electronic game based on the first portion of data associated with the primary electronic game received from the game server and the second portion of data associated with the primary electronic game stored on the at least one memory;
determine that an outcome of the primary electronic game triggers the secondary electronic game; and
in response to determining that the secondary electronic game is triggered, receive distinct instructions from the game server relating to the data associated with the secondary electronic game, wherein the distinct instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, further cause the at least one processor to:
cause display, on the display device, of a secondary electronic game icon having a shape and being associated with a plurality of trigger symbol actions;
initiate the secondary electronic game;
identify a trigger symbol action from the plurality of trigger symbol actions as determined by the game server;
cause display, on the display device, of electronic game symbols for a play of the secondary electronic game, the electronic game symbols displayed on the display device, as determined by the game server, in the plurality of reels and including a trigger symbol having the shape of the secondary electronic game icon to indicate that at least one trigger symbol action of the plurality of trigger symbol actions will be applied during the play of the secondary electronic game;
cause display, on the display device, of a conversion of the trigger symbol that reveals which trigger symbol action of the plurality of trigger symbol actions is identified to be applied during the play of the secondary electronic game, wherein the conversion causes the trigger symbol to include a visual indicator symbol associated with the identified trigger symbol action; and
perform the identified trigger symbol action after the conversion of the trigger symbol.
2 . The electronic gaming system of claim 1 , wherein the visual indicator symbol comprises at least one of a wild symbol or a multiplier symbol.
3 . The electronic gaming system of claim 2 , wherein the identified trigger symbol action is a multiplier action, the visual indicator symbol comprises the multiplier symbol, and wherein the multiplier action comprises multiplying an electronic game award for the outcome of the primary electronic game by a multiplier associated with the multiplier symbol.
4 . The electronic gaming system of claim 3 , wherein the instructions further cause the at least one processor to select, based upon a random number, the multiplier from a plurality of multipliers.
5 . The electronic gaming system of claim 1 , wherein the instructions further cause the at least one processor to display the trigger symbol and the visual indicator symbol prior to the play of the secondary electronic game to indicate that at least one instance of the trigger symbol displayed during play of the secondary electronic game will cause application of the identified trigger symbol action.
6 . The electronic gaming system of claim 1 , wherein the identified trigger symbol action is an extra wild symbols action, and wherein the extra wild symbols action comprises making at least one of the electronic game symbols wild.
7 . The electronic gaming system of claim 1 , wherein the identified trigger symbol action is a display positions addition action, and wherein the display positions addition action comprises adding a plurality of additional symbol display positions to the secondary electronic game.
8 . The electronic gaming system of claim 7 , wherein the plurality of additional symbol display positions are added to each of a plurality of reel strips to generate a visual effect in which each of the plurality of reel strips appears to grow vertically.
9 . At least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium with instructions stored thereon that, in response to execution by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to:
initiate a primary electronic game based on a first portion of data associated with the primary electronic game received from a game server and a second portion of data associated with the primary electronic game included in the instructions stored on the at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium;
determine that an outcome of the primary electronic game triggers a secondary electronic game;
in response to determining the secondary electronic game is triggered, receive distinct instructions from the game server relating to data associated with the secondary electronic game, wherein the distinct instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, further cause the at least one processor to:
cause display, on a display device, of a secondary electronic game icon having a shape and being associated with a plurality of trigger symbol actions;
initiate the secondary electronic game;
identify a trigger symbol action from the plurality of trigger symbol actions as determined by the game server, the secondary electronic game including a plurality of reels;
cause display, on the display device, of electronic game symbols for a play of the secondary electronic game, the electronic game symbols displayed on the display device, as determined by the game serve, in the plurality of reels and including a trigger symbol having the shape of the secondary electronic game icon to indicate that at least one trigger symbol action of the plurality of trigger symbol actions will be applied during the play of the secondary electronic game;
cause display, on the display device, of a conversion of the trigger symbol that reveals which trigger symbol action of the plurality of trigger symbol actions is identified to be applied during the play of the secondary electronic game, wherein the conversion causes the trigger symbol to include a visual indicator symbol associated with the identified trigger symbol action; and
perform the identified trigger symbol action after the conversion of the trigger symbol.
10 . The at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 9 , wherein the visual indicator symbol comprises at least one of a wild symbol or a multiplier symbol.
11 . The at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 10 , wherein the identified trigger symbol action is a multiplier action, the visual indicator symbol comprises the multiplier symbol, and wherein the multiplier action comprises multiplying an electronic game award for the outcome of the primary electronic game by a multiplier associated with the multiplier symbol.
12 . The at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11 , wherein the instructions further cause the at least one processor to select, based upon a random number, the multiplier from a plurality of multipliers.
13 . The at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 9 , wherein the instructions further cause the at least one processor to display the trigger symbol and the visual indicator symbol prior to the play of the secondary electronic game to indicate that at least one instance of the trigger symbol displayed during play of the secondary electronic game will cause application of the identified trigger symbol action.
14 . The at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 9 , wherein the identified trigger symbol action is an extra wild symbols action, and wherein the extra wild symbols action comprises making at least one of the electronic game symbols wild.
15 . The at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 9 , wherein the identified trigger symbol action is a display positions addition action, and wherein the display positions addition action comprises adding a plurality of additional symbol display positions to the secondary electronic game.
16 . The at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein the plurality of additional symbol display positions are added to each of a plurality of reel strips to generate a visual effect in which each of the plurality of reel strips appears to grow vertically.
17 . A method of electronic gaming implemented using a gaming system comprising a game server in communication with a database storing a first portion of data associated with a primary electronic game and data associated with a secondary electronic game, and at least one gaming machine in communication with the game server, the at least one gaming machine comprising a display device and at least one processor in communication with at least one memory storing a second portion of data associated with the primary electronic game, the method comprising:
initiating, on the at least one gaming machine, the primary electronic game based on the portion of data associated with the primary electronic game received from the game server and the second portion of data associated with the primary electronic game stored on the at least one memory;
determining, on the at least one gaming machine, that an outcome of the primary electronic game triggers the secondary electronic game;
in response to determining that the secondary electronic game is triggered, receiving distinct instructions from the game server relating to the data associated with the secondary electronic game to be executed by the at least one processor;
causing display, on the display device and based on the received distinct instructions, of a secondary electronic game icon having a shape and being associated with a plurality of trigger symbol actions;
initiating, based on the received distinct instructions, the secondary electronic game;
identifying, based on the received distinct instructions, the trigger symbol action from the plurality of trigger symbol actions;
controlling display on the display device, based on the received distinct instructions, of electronic game symbols for an outcome of the secondary electronic game, the electronic game symbols displayed on the display device in a plurality of reels and including a trigger symbol having the shape of the secondary electronic game icon to indicate that at least one trigger symbol action of the plurality of trigger symbol actions will be applied during the secondary electronic game, wherein the outcome of the secondary electronic game is determined by the game server;
controlling display on the display device, based on the received distinct instructions, of a conversion of the trigger symbol that reveals which trigger symbol action of the plurality of trigger symbol actions is identified to be applied during the secondary electronic game, wherein the conversion causes the trigger symbol to include a visual indicator symbol associated with the identified trigger symbol action; and
causing, based on the received distinct instructions, the identified trigger symbol action to be performed after the conversion of the trigger symbol.
18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the identified trigger symbol action is a multiplier action, the visual indicator symbol comprises a multiplier symbol, and wherein the multiplier action comprises multiplying an electronic game award for the outcome of the primary electronic game by a multiplier associated with the multiplier symbol.
19 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the identified trigger symbol action is an extra wild symbols action, and wherein the extra wild symbols action comprises making at least one of the electronic game symbols wild.
20 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the identified trigger symbol action is a display positions addition action, wherein the display positions addition action comprises adding a plurality of additional symbol display positions to the secondary electronic game, and wherein the plurality of additional symbol display positions are added to each of a plurality of reel strips to generate a visual effect in which each of the plurality of reel strips appears to grow vertically.