Gaming system and methods of operating gaming machines to provide skill-based wagering games to players

A method of operating a gaming machine, the gaming machine including a display device, a user input device, and a controller including a processor, the method including the processor performing the steps of:

• displaying a skill-based wagering game on the display device including a game screen including a plurality of user input buttons arranged in a matrix using computer generated graphical images;
• receiving a signal from the user input device indicating a wager being placed by the player, the user input device including a player selection device, an acceptor device, and a cashout device, the player selection device configured to generate and transmit a signal indicating a player touch operation associated with each of the user input buttons, the acceptor device configured to accept an item associated with a monetary value to establish a credit balance being increasable and decreasable based at least on wagering activity, the cashout device configured to receive an input to cause an initiation of a payout associated with the credit balance;
• initiating a skill contest game and display the skill contest game on the display device;
• determining a number of skill events being included in the skill contest game, each skill event including an image being displayed in a corresponding user input button for a predefined event time period;
• determining a reference point total as a function of the number of skill events;
• conducting a round of the skill contest game including displaying the skill events on the game screen in a sequential display pattern;
• detecting a player touch operation associated with each skill event;
• determining a total amount of base points associated with the detected player touch operations;
• determining a normalized skill game point total based on the total amount of base points and the reference point total;
• determining an award as a function of the normalized skill game point total;
• and
• adjusting the credit balance based on the award.

One or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media, having computer-executable instructions embodied thereon, wherein when executed by at least one processor, the computer-executable instructions cause the at least one processor to:

• display a skill-based wagering game on a display device including a game screen including a plurality of user input buttons arranged in a matrix using computer generated graphical images;
• receive a signal from a user input device indicating a wager being placed by the player, the user input device including a player selection device, an acceptor device, and a cashout device, the player selection device configured to generate and transmit a signal indicating a player touch operation associated with each of the user input buttons, the acceptor device configured to accept an item associated with a monetary value to establish a credit balance being increasable and decreasable based at least on wagering activity, the cashout device configured to receive an input to cause an initiation of a payout associated with the credit balance;
• initiate a skill contest game and display the skill contest game on the display device;
• determine a number of skill events being included in the skill contest game, each skill event including an image being displayed in a corresponding user input button for a predefined event time period;
• determine a reference point total as a function of the number of skill events;
• conduct a round of the skill contest game including displaying the skill events on the game screen in a sequential display pattern;
• detect a player touch operation associated with each skill event;
• determine a total amount of base points associated with the detected player touch operations;
• determine a normalized skill game point total based on the total amount of base points and the reference point total;
• determine an award as a function of the normalized skill game point total;
• and
• adjust the credit balance based on the award.