Wagering game with ascending features

A computer-implemented method primarily dedicated to playing a casino wagering game on a gaming system including a gaming cabinet, an electronic input device, an electronic display device, a random element generator, and one or more controllers, the electronic display device and the electronic input device being mounted to the gaming cabinet, and, the wagering game including randomly selecting a game outcome from a plurality of game outcomes including at least one ascending-feature outcome;

• the method comprising:
• generating one or more random elements with the random element generator;
• receiving, responsive to a physical input to the electronic input device, an input indicative of a wager initiating the wagering game;
• determining, a game outcome of the plurality of game outcomes based, at least in part, on the one or more random elements and displaying, on the electronic display device, at least a portion of the game outcome as an array of game symbols;
• in direct response to the game outcome being one of the at least one ascending-feature outcome and prior to generating another one or more random elements, selecting, via the one or more controllers, at least one of a first set of game symbols from the array according to a first criteria and modifying the array by changing the at least one of the first set into a symbol having a higher value than the at least one symbol of the first set;
• in direct response to the modified array resulting in at least one winning combination of symbols being displayed and prior to generating another one or more random elements, awarding a player any awards associated with the at least one winning combination;
• and
• in direct response to the modified array not resulting in a winning combination and prior to generating another one or more random elements, selecting, via the one or more controllers, at least one of a second set of the displayed game symbols from the modified array according to second criteria and further modifying the modified array by changing the at least one symbol of the second set into a symbol having a higher value than the at least one symbol of the second set.

A gaming system primarily dedicated to playing a casino wagering game including randomly selecting a game outcome from a plurality of game outcomes, the gaming system comprising:

• a gaming cabinet;
• an electronic input device mounted to the gaming cabinet, the electronic input device configured to receive a physical input from a player to initiate the casino wagering game and transform the input into an electronic data signal;
• one or more electronic display devices mounted to the gaming cabinet;
• a random element generator configured to generate one or more random elements;
• one or more controllers configured to:
• receive, from the electronic input device, an input indicative of a first wager initiating the wagering game;
• determine a game outcome of the plurality of game outcomes based, at least in part, on the one or more random elements and direct the electronic display device to display at least a portion of the game outcome as an array of game symbols;
• in direct response to the displayed array including a full column of wild symbols that is not the leftmost column of the array, award the player any awards associated with the game outcome, and change the column that is left-adjacent to the full column into wild symbols for displaying in a next-subsequent game outcome;
• receive, via the electronic input device, an input indicative of a second wager;
• and
• determine a next-subsequent game outcome of the plurality of game outcomes based, at least in part, on the one or more random elements and direct the electronic display device to display, on the electronic display device, at least a portion of the next-subsequent game outcome as a new array of game symbols including the left-adjacent column of wild symbols.

A computer-readable, non-transitory medium including executable instructions that, when executed by one or more controllers, cause a gaming system including a gaming cabinet, a random element generator, an electronic input device and an electronic display device, the electronic input device and the electronic display device being mounted to the gaming cabinet, to perform a method comprising:

• receiving, via the electronic input device, an input indicative of a wagering initiating a wagering game;
• generating one or more random elements with the random element generator;
• determining a game outcome of a plurality of game outcomes including at least one ascending-feature outcome, the game outcome being based, at least in part, on the one or more random elements;
• directing the electronic display device to display at least a portion of the selected game outcome as an array of game symbols;
• in direct response to the game outcome being one of the at least one ascending-feature outcome and prior to generating another one or more random elements, select a first set of game symbols from the array according to first criteria and modify the array by changing the selected first set into symbols having a higher value than the first set;
• in direct response to the modified array resulting in at least one winning combination of symbols being displayed and prior to generating another one or more random elements, award a player any awards associated with the at least one winning combination;
• and
• in direct response to the modified array not resulting in a winning combination and prior to generating another one or more random elements, select a second set of displayed game symbols from the modified array according to second criteria and further modify the modified array by changing the selected second set into symbols having a higher value than the second set.