System and method of providing a hold and spin feature game with dynamically variable symbol values
A feature game presented on a gaming machine after a base game includes symbols having corresponding values which may be incremented based at least in part on a random determination during an instance of the feature game. Such symbols and their associated values may persist through one or more subsequent instances of the feature game. In some embodiments values of individual symbols may be incremented multiple times.
1 . A gaming device, comprising:
one or more display devices; and
one or more processors, wherein execution of instructions by the one or more processors causes the one or more processors to:
present a base game outcome via the one or more display devices;
trigger a feature game based on configurable symbols in the base game outcome, wherein each configurable symbol is a value symbol that displays a respective numeric prize value;
combine two or more value symbols of the base game outcome with one another into a unified value symbol at an initial instance of the feature game, thereby opening one or more display symbol positions;
present a feature game outcome comprising symbols via the one or more display devices, wherein each configurable symbol of the feature game outcome is a value symbol that displays a respective numeric prize value;
for each configurable symbol in the presented feature game outcome, randomly determine whether a respective configurable symbol is to be enhanced based on a weighted table that accounts for whether the respective configurable symbol has been previously enhanced; and
in response to determining to enhance the respective configurable symbol:
randomly select, for the respective configurable symbol, a group of value increments from multiple groups of value increments such that a probability of each group of value increments is dependent upon a weighting associated with each group of value increments, wherein the group of value increments is also selected from the multiple groups of value increments based on weightings dynamically associated with the multiple groups;
randomly select, for the respective configurable symbol independently from any value increment selected for other configurable symbols, a value increment from the group of value increments selected for the respective configurable symbol; and
enhance the respective configurable symbol by incrementing its respective numeric prize value by the value increment independently selected for the respective configurable symbol.
2 . The gaming device of claim 1 , wherein execution of the instructions causes the one or more processors to select the value increment from the group of value increments based on weightings associated with the value increments of the group.
3 . The gaming device of claim 1 , wherein execution of the instructions causes the one or more processors to select the group of value increments from multiple groups of value increments based on predefined weights assigned to each group of value increments.
4 . The gaming device of claim 1 , wherein execution of the instructions causes the one or more processors to select the group of value increments from multiple groups of value increments based on a number of times the respective configurable symbol has been previously enhanced.
5 . The gaming device of claim 1 , wherein execution of the instructions causes the one or more processors to present the value increment selected for the respective configurable symbol and the numeric prize value of the respective configurable symbol for a period of time before presenting an incremented numeric prize value of the respective configurable symbol.
6 . The gaming device of claim 1 , wherein execution of the instructions causes the one or more processors to present an update of the numeric prize value of the respective configurable symbol that includes one or more intermediary numeric prize values as the numeric prize value is increased to its incremented numeric prize value.
7 . The gaming device of claim 1 , wherein execution of the instructions causes the one or more processors to:
hold any configurable symbols in the feature game outcome at their respective display positions for each spin in an initial quantity of spins; and
for each configurable symbol in the presented feature game outcome after each spin,
determine whether the respective configurable symbol is to be enhanced; and
in response to determining to enhance the respective configurable symbol, select a value increment from a group of value increments, and increment a numeric prize value presented by the respective configurable symbol per the value increment selected for the respective configurable symbol.
8 . A method of a gaming system, the method comprising:
presenting a base game outcome via one or more display devices;
triggering a feature game based on configurable symbols in the base game outcome, wherein each configurable symbol is a value symbol that displays a respective numeric prize value;
combining two or more value symbols of the base game outcome with one another into a unified value symbol at an initial instance of the feature game, thereby opening one or more display symbol positions; and
for each spin of the feature game,
holding any configurable symbols in a feature game outcome and replacing other symbols in the feature game outcome;
randomly determining whether a respective configurable symbol in the feature game outcome is to be enhanced based on a weighted table that accounts for whether the respective configurable symbol has been previously enhanced; and
in response to determining to enhance the respective configurable symbol:
randomly selecting, for the respective configurable symbol, a group of value increments from multiple groups of value increments such that a probability of each group of value increments is dependent upon a weighting associated with each group of value increments, wherein the group of value increments is also selected from the multiple groups of value increments based on weightings dynamically associated with the multiple groups;
independently selecting, for the respective configurable symbol independently from any value increment selected for other configurable symbols, a value increment for the respective configurable symbol from a group of value increments; and
incrementing the respective numeric prize value per the value increment independently selected for the respective configurable symbol from the group of value increments.
9 . The method of claim 8 , comprising selecting the value increment from the group of value increments based on weightings associated with the value increments of the group.
10 . The method of claim 8 , comprising selecting the group of value increments from multiple groups of value increments.
11 . The method of claim 8 , comprising selecting the group of value increments from multiple groups of value increments based on a number of times the respective configurable symbol has been previously enhanced.
12 . The method of claim 8 , comprising selecting to select the group of value increments from multiple groups of value increments based on weightings associated with the multiple groups.
13 . The method of claim 8 , comprising presenting, via the one or more display devices, a value increment and the numeric prize value of the respective configurable symbol for a period of time before presenting an incremented numeric prize value of the respective configurable symbol.
14 . The method of claim 8 , comprising presenting, via the one or more display devices, an update of the numeric prize value of the respective configurable symbol that includes one or more intermediary numeric prize values as the numeric prize value is increased to its incremented numeric prize value.
15 . A non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprising instructions which, in response to being executed, cause a device to:
present a first phase outcome comprising symbols via one or more display devices; and
present a second phase outcome of a second phase via the one or more display devices, wherein the second phase outcome includes any configurable symbols of the first phase outcome, and wherein each configurable symbol is a value symbol that displays a numeric value;
combining two or more value symbols of the first phase outcome with one another into a unified value symbol at an initial instance of the second phase, thereby opening one or more display symbol positions; and
for each configurable symbol in the second phase outcome, randomly determine whether a respective configurable symbol is to be enhanced based on a weighted table that accounts for whether the respective configurable symbol has been previously enhanced; and
in response to determining to enhance the respective configurable symbol:
randomly select, for the respective configurable symbol, a group of value increments from multiple groups of value increments such that a probability of each group of value increments is dependent upon a weighting associated with each group of value increments, wherein the group of value increments is also selected from the multiple groups of value increments based on weightings dynamically associated with the multiple groups;
select a value increment independently for the respective configurable symbol from the group of value increments selected for the respective configurable symbol; and
increment the respective numeric value displayed by respective configurable symbol per the value increment independently selected for the respective configurable symbol.
16 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein the instructions, in response to being executed, cause the device to select the value increment from the group of value increments based on weightings associated with the value increments of the group.
17 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein the instructions, in response to being executed, cause the device to select the group of value increments from multiple groups of value increments.
18 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein the instructions, in response to being executed, cause the device to select the group of value increments from multiple groups of value increments based on a number of times the respective configurable symbol has been previously enhanced and weightings associated with the multiple groups.
19 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein the instructions, in response to being executed, cause the device to:
hold any configurable symbols in the second phase outcome for each spin in an initial quantity of spins; and
for each configurable symbol in the second phase outcome after each spin:
select a second group of value increments;
select a second value increment from the second group of value increments; and
increment the numeric value presented by the respective configurable symbol per the second value increment.