Incrementing feature in gaming device

A gaming device comprising:

• a game display having a game grid of symbol positions;
• a wager input device structured to receive physical currency or currency based tickets, the currency or currency based tickets establishing a credit balance, the credit balance being increasable or decreasable based at least on wagering activity;
• and
• a processor configured to:
• receive a first signal to initiate a first game of chance in response to placement of a first wager, the first wager decreasing the credit balance from a first credit balance amount to a second credit balance amount;
• determine an outcome for the first game of chance by randomly determining symbols to be displayed in the game grid on the game display;
• display the determined outcome of the first game of chance on the game display;
• determine if an incrementing multiplier symbol appears on the game grid as part of the determined outcome for the first game of chance, the incrementing multiplier symbol associated with a first multiplier value;
• provide any first awards for symbol combinations based on the determined outcome of the first game of chance, where any first awards associated with symbol combinations that include the incrementing multiplier symbol are multiplied by the first multiplier value of the incrementing multiplier symbol, and where the provided first awards as multiplied by the first multiplier value of the incrementing multiplier increase the credit balance from the second credit balance amount to a third credit balance amount;
• receive a second signal to initiate a second game of chance in response to placement of a second wager, the second wager decreasing the credit balance from the third credit balance amount to a fourth credit balance amount, where the second game of chance is independent of the first game of chance;
• when it has been determined that an incrementing multiplier symbol appears on the game grid in the first game of chance and the second game of chance has been initiated:
• increment the first multiplier value to generate a second multiplier value associated with the incrementing multiplier symbol, and
• lock the incrementing multiplier symbol in the symbol position on the game grid during the second game of chance;
• determine an outcome for the second game of chance by maintaining the position of the locked incrementing multiplier symbol on the game grid and randomly determining symbols to be displayed in non-locked symbol positions of the game grid;
• and
• provide any second awards for symbol combinations based on the determined outcome of the second game of chance, where provided second awards increase the credit balance from the fourth credit balance amount to a fifth credit balance amount.

A gaming device comprising:

• a game display having a game grid of symbol positions showing portions of a plurality of game reels;
• a wager input device structured to receive physical currency or currency based tickets, the currency or currency based tickets establishing a credit balance, the credit balance being increasable or decreasable based at least on wagering activity;
• and
• a processor configured to:
• receive a first signal to initiate a first game of chance in response to placement of a first wager, the first wager decreasing the credit balance from a first credit balance amount to a second credit balance amount;
• determine an outcome for the first game of chance by randomly determining symbols to be displayed in the game grid on the game display;
• display the determined outcome of the first game of chance on the game display by spinning the plurality of game reels and stopping the plurality of game reels to show the determined outcome of the first game of chance in the symbol positions of the game grid;
• provide any first awards for symbol combinations based on the determined outcome of the first game of chance, where the provided first awards increase the credit balance from the second credit balance amount to a third credit balance amount;
• determine if an incrementing symbol appears on the game grid as part of the determined outcome for the first game of chance;
• receive a second signal to initiate a second game of chance after any first awards are provided based on the determined outcome of the first game of chance, the second game of chance initiated in response to placement of a second wager, the second wager decreasing the credit balance from the third credit balance amount to a fourth credit balance amount, where the second game of chance is independent of the first game of chance;
• when it is determined that an incrementing symbol appears on the game grid in the first game of chance and a second game of chance has been initiated:
• increment the incrementing symbol by copying the incrementing symbol and replacing a symbol in an adjacent symbol position with a first copy of the incrementing symbol, and
• lock the incrementing symbol and the first copy of the incrementing symbol in their respective symbol positions on the game grid during the second game of chance;
• determine an outcome for the second game of chance by maintaining the positions of the locked symbols on the game grid and randomly determining symbols to be displayed in non-locked symbol positions of the game grid;
• display the determined outcome for the second game of chance on the game display by spinning the plurality of reels while maintaining the positions of the locked symbols on the game grid, and stopping the plurality of game reels to show the determined outcome for the second game of chance in the symbol positions of the game grid;
• provide any second awards for symbol combinations based on the determined outcome of the second game of chance, where the provided second awards increase the credit balance from the fourth credit balance amount to a fifth credit balance amount;
• receive a third signal to initiate a third game of chance after any second awards are provided based on the determined outcome of the second game of chance, the third game of chance initiated in response to placement of a third wager, the third wager decreasing the credit balance from the fifth credit balance amount to a sixth credit balance amount, where the third game of chance is independent of the first game of chance and independent of the second game of chance;
• after the third game of chance has been initiated:
• increment the incrementing symbol by copying the incrementing symbol and replacing a symbol in a symbol position adjacent to the incrementing symbol or adjacent with the first copy of the incrementing symbol with a second copy of the incrementing symbol, and
• lock the incrementing symbol, the first copy of the incrementing symbol, and the second copy of the incrementing symbol in their respective symbol positions on the game grid during the third game of chance;
• determine an outcome for the third game of chance by maintaining the positions of the locked symbols on the game grid and randomly determining symbols to be displayed in non-locked symbol positions of the game grid;
• display the determined outcome for the third game of chance on the game display by spinning the plurality of reels while maintaining the positions of the locked symbols on the game grid, and stopping the plurality of game reels to show the determined outcome for the third game of chance in the symbol positions of the game grid;
• and
• provide any third awards for symbol combinations based on the determined outcome of the third game of chance, where the provided third awards increase the credit balance from the sixth credit balance amount to a seventh credit balance amount.