US 2014/0274284 A1Published application

Gaming system and method providing a multiplay slot game including a cascading symbols feature in which symbols are removed from corresponding symbol display areas of different sets of symbol display areas

AssigneeIgt

InventorsJon M. Leupp, Mark C. Nicely, Leandro Basallo, Timothy L. Isaacson, Scott A. Caputo

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Abstract

Various embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to a gaming system and method providing a game including a cascading symbols feature in which symbols are removed from corresponding symbol display areas of different sets of symbol display areas. In one embodiment, the gaming system displays a first set and a second set of symbol display areas. For each symbol display area, the gaming system displays one of a plurality of different symbols at that symbol display area. If a designated symbol combination is formed by the symbols displayed at the symbol display areas of the first set, the gaming system removes the symbols displayed at the symbol display areas of the second set that correspond to the symbol display area of the first set displaying the symbols forming the designated symbol combination.

Claims36

Dependent claims

A gaming system comprising:

at least one input device;
at least one display device;
at least one processor;
and
at least one memory device storing a plurality of instructions which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to operate with the at least one input device and the at least one display device to:
(a) display a first set of a plurality of symbol display areas;
(b) display a second different set of a plurality of symbol display areas, wherein for each of the symbol display areas of the first set, said symbol display area corresponds to one of the symbol display areas of the second set;
(c) for each of the symbol display areas, display one of a plurality of different symbols at said symbol display area;
and
(d) if one or more of a plurality of different designated symbol combinations are formed by the symbols displayed at the symbol display areas of the first set:
(i) for each of at least one of said one or more formed designated symbol combinations, for each of at least one of the symbols of said formed designated symbol combination, remove the symbol displayed at the symbol display area of the second set that corresponds to the symbol display area of the first set at which said symbol of the formed designated symbol combination is displayed to create an empty symbol display area;
and
(ii) thereafter, for each empty symbol display area, generate and display one of the symbols at said empty symbol display area.

10 more elements

A method of operating a gaming system, said method comprising:

(a) causing at least one processor to execute a plurality of instructions stored in at least one memory device to operate with at least one display device to display a first set of a plurality of symbol display areas;
(b) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to operate with the at least one display device to display a second different set of a plurality of symbol display areas, wherein for each of the symbol display areas of the first set, said symbol display area corresponds to one of the symbol display areas of the second set;
(c) for each of the symbol display areas, causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to operate with the at least one display device to display one of a plurality of different symbols at said symbol display area;
and
(d) if one or more of a plurality of different designated symbol combinations are formed by the symbols displayed at the symbol display areas of the first set, causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to:
(i) for each of at least one of said one or more formed designated symbol combinations, for each of at least one of the symbols of said formed designated symbol combination, operate with the at least one display device to remove the symbol displayed at the symbol display area of the second set that corresponds to the symbol display area of the first set at which said symbol of the formed designated symbol combination is displayed to create an empty symbol display area;
and
(ii) thereafter, for each empty symbol display area, generate and operate with the at least one display device to display one of the symbols at said empty symbol display area.

5 more elements

A gaming system comprising:

at least one input device;
at least one display device;
at least one processor;
and
at least one memory device storing a plurality of instructions which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to operate with the at least one input device and the at least one display device to:
(a) display a first set of a plurality of symbol display areas;
(b) display a second different set of a plurality of symbol display areas;
(c) for each of the symbol display areas, display one of a plurality of different symbols at said symbol display area;
and
(d) if one or more of a plurality of different designated symbol combinations are formed by the symbols displayed at the symbol display areas of the first set:
for each of at least one of said one or more formed designated symbol combinations, for each of at least one of the symbols of said formed designated symbol combination, remove each instance of said symbol displayed at any of the symbol display areas of the second set to create at least one empty symbol display area;
(ii) thereafter, for each of any displayed symbols having a designated spatial relationship with one or more empty symbol display areas, reposition said displayed symbol to one of said one or more empty symbol display areas;
and
(iii) thereafter, for each empty symbol display area, generate and display one of the symbols at said empty symbol display area.

11 more elements

A method of operating a gaming system, said method comprising:

(a) causing at least one processor to execute a plurality of instructions stored in at least one memory device to operate with at least one display device to display a first set of a plurality of symbol display areas;
(b) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to operate with the at least one display device to display a second different set of a plurality of symbol display areas;
(c) for each of the symbol display areas, causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to operate with the at least one display device to display one of a plurality of different symbols at said symbol display area;
and
(d) if one or more of a plurality of different designated symbol combinations are formed by the symbols displayed at the symbol display areas of the first set, causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to:
(i) for each of at least one of said one or more formed designated symbol combinations, for each of at least one of the symbols of said formed designated symbol combination, operate with the at least one display device to remove each instance of said symbol displayed at any of the symbol display areas of the second set to create at least one empty symbol display area;
(ii) thereafter, for each of any displayed symbols having a designated spatial relationship with one or more empty symbol display areas, operate with the at least one display device to reposition said displayed symbol to one of said one or more empty symbol display areas;
and
(iii) thereafter, for each empty symbol display area, generate and operate with the at least one display device to display one of the symbols at said empty symbol display area.

6 more elements

A gaming system comprising:

at least one input device;
at least one display device;
at least one processor;
and
at least one memory device storing a plurality of instructions which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to operate with the at least one input device and the at least one display device to:
(a) display a first set of a plurality of symbol display areas;
(b) display a second different set of a plurality of symbol display areas;
(c) for each of the symbol display areas, display one of a plurality of different symbols at said symbol display area;
and
(d) if one or more of a plurality of different designated symbol combinations are formed by the symbols displayed at the symbol display areas of the first set:
(i) for each of said one or more formed designated symbol combinations:
(A) determine a pattern formed by the symbol display areas displaying the symbols of said formed designated symbol combination,
(B) determine one or more symbol display areas of the second set that correspond to a mirror image of said pattern, and
(C) remove the symbol displayed each symbol display area of the second set that corresponds to the mirror image of said pattern;
(ii) thereafter, for each of any displayed symbols having a designated spatial relationship with one or more empty symbol display areas, reposition said displayed symbol to one of said one or more empty symbol display areas;
and
(iii) thereafter, for each empty symbol display area, generate and display one of the symbols at said empty symbol display area.

14 more elements

A method of operating a gaming system, said method comprising:

(a) causing at least one processor to execute a plurality of instructions stored in at least one memory device to operate with at least one display device to display a first set of a plurality of symbol display areas;
(b) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to operate with the at least one display device to display a second different set of a plurality of symbol display areas;
(c) for each of the symbol display areas, causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to operate with the at least one display device to display one of a plurality of different symbols at said symbol display area;
and
(d) if one or more of a plurality of different designated symbol combinations are formed by the symbols displayed at the symbol display areas of the first set:
(i) for each of said one or more formed designated symbol combinations, causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to:
(A) determine a pattern formed by the symbol display areas displaying the symbols of said formed designated symbol combination,
(B) determine one or more symbol display areas of the second set that correspond to a mirror image of said pattern, and
(C) operate with the at least one display device to remove the symbol displayed each symbol display area of the second set that corresponds to the mirror image of said pattern;
(ii) thereafter, for each of any displayed symbols having a designated spatial relationship with one or more empty symbol display areas, causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to operate with the at least one display device to reposition said displayed symbol to one of said one or more empty symbol display areas;
and
(iii) thereafter, for each empty symbol display area, generate and causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to operate with the at least one display device to display one of the symbols at said empty symbol display area.

9 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.