Methods and apparatuses for electronic gaming including stacks and blocks of symbols

A gaming system, comprising:

• a game display;
• and
• processing circuitry operably coupled to the game display and configured to cause the gaming system to:
• display an electronic reel simulation of a wagering game on the game display, the electronic reel simulation including a multiple reel array;
• determine a game outcome and causing the game outcome to be presented on the game display, the game outcome comprising a plurality of symbols for an array of displayed positions of the multiple reel array;
• define, before a game play and without player input, one or more block arrangements, wherein each block arrangement comprises two or more stacks of a same size within the array, each stack comprises two or more adjacent positions along a first direction within the array, each stack occupies a different position within the array in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, and all of the two or more stacks are aligned in the second direction;
• determine any winning combinations of the symbols, wherein each winning combination comprises two or more matching symbols appearing in the displayed positions in combinations of payout ways predefined before the game play;
• and
• determine one or more winning blocks, wherein each of the one or more winning blocks comprise matching symbols appearing in displayed positions corresponding with the one or more block arrangements.

A computer implemented method of administering game play, comprising:

• displaying an electronic reel simulation of a wagering game on a game display of a gaming system, the electronic reel simulation including a multiple reel array;
• determining a game outcome and causing the game outcome to be presented on the game display, the game outcome comprising a plurality of symbols for an array of displayed positions of the multiple reel array;
• randomly applying one or more stack frames to at least one reel of the multiple reel array, wherein each stack frame comprises three or more matching symbols that appear in adjacent symbol positions on the at least one reel;
• determining if a winning combinations for the game outcome, wherein the winning combination comprises three of more reels of matching symbols appearing in the displayed positions;
• and
• triggering a jackpot award for the one or more stack frames.

A gaming system, comprising:

• a game display;
• and
• processing circuitry operably coupled to the game display and configured to cause the gaming system to:
• display an electronic reel simulation of a wagering game on the game display, the electronic reel simulation including a multiple reel array;
• determine a game outcome and cause the game outcome to be presented on the game display, the game outcome comprising a plurality of symbols for an array of displayed positions of the multiple reel array;
• randomly apply one or more stack frames to at least one reel of the multiple reel array, wherein each stack frame comprises three or more matching symbols that appear in adjacent symbol positions on the at least one reel;
• determine one or more winning combinations for the game outcome, wherein the winning combinations comprise three or more reels of matching symbols appearing in the displayed positions;
• and
• trigger a jackpot award for the one or more stack frames.