Electronic gaming machine with symbols streaming adjacent an active reel matrix with reel expansion and symbol absorption processes

A method of maintaining a return-to-player value while providing a plurality of feature games in an electronic gaming device having a display device having a space adjacent a plurality of reels, and a controller having a processor and memory storing a pay table, a set of game symbols including a plurality of trigger symbols, and a set of configurable symbols having a plurality of values, respectively, and instructions, which, when executed, cause the processor to initiate a game, the method comprising:

• controlling the display device to display to animate in the plurality of reels a plurality of game symbols selected from the set of game symbols based on one or more random numbers generated by a random number generator;
• controlling the display device to display to animate a first movement of a plurality of configurable symbols selected from the set of configurable symbols from the space into at least one reel of the plurality of reels replacing some or all of the plurality of game symbols in the at least one reel of the plurality of reels, and activating the plurality of configurable symbols in the plurality of reels;
• expanding one or more reels of the plurality of reels, when the plurality of game symbols selected include a first trigger symbol, to include one or more of the plurality of configurable symbols in the plurality of reels, activating the plurality of configurable symbols in the plurality of reels dynamically;
• activating, when the plurality of game symbols selected include a second trigger symbol, the plurality of configurable symbols displayed in the space dynamically;
• controlling the display device to animate a second movement of the values of the plurality of configurable symbols activated to be accumulated into the second trigger symbol;
• and
• accessing the pay table in the memory to evaluate if an award exists in the plurality of reels.

A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising storing a pay table, a set of game symbols including a plurality of trigger symbols, a set of configurable symbols having a plurality of values, and instructions, for conducting a game on a gaming system including a display device operable to provide a space adjacent an active reel matrix, and one or more processors, and the instructions, which, when executed, cause the one or more processors to perform the steps of:

• populating in the active reel matrix with a plurality of game symbols selected from the set of game symbols based on one or more random numbers generated via a random number generator;
• populating the space with a plurality of configurable symbols selected from the set of configurable symbols;
• animating the plurality of configurable symbols in the space moving from the space into the active reel matrix;
• expanding the active reel matrix, when the plurality of game symbols selected include a first trigger symbol, to include one or more of the plurality of configurable symbols populated in the space in the active reel matrix;
• accumulating, when the active reel matrix includes a second trigger symbol, the values of the plurality of configurable symbols into the second trigger symbol;
• and
• controlling the display device to display an award evaluated based on the second trigger symbol with the values absorbed, and the plurality of configurable symbols in the active reel matrix.