Gaming system, gaming device and method including a community trail game

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

• (a) causing at least one display device to display a matrix including a plurality of different positions, wherein prior to any movement of any player symbols and prior to any movement of any participant symbols:
• a plurality of said positions are each associated with one of a plurality of different outcomes, and
• (ii) the outcomes associated with the outcome positions are selected from the group consisting of:
• an award, a modifier of a value, a quantity of free spins, a quantity of free activations, an additional quantity of position moves, a quantity of picks, and a reduced quantity of position moves;
• (b) causing the at least one display device to display:
• (i) a player symbol at one of the different positions, and
• (ii) at least one participant symbol at at least one of the different positions;
• (c) causing at least one processor to randomly generate a quantity of position moves associated with the player symbol;
• (d) causing the at least one processor to determine a plurality of said positions available for the player symbol to move to, said determination based on the position the player symbol is displayed at and the generated quantity of position moves;
• (e) enabling a player to designate one of the determined plurality of said positions available for the player symbol to move to as a player destination position;
• (f) for each participant symbol:
• (i) causing the at least one processor to determine a quantity of position moves, and
• (ii) causing the at least one processor to designate one of the positions to move to as a participant destination position, said designation based on the position said participant symbol is displayed at and the determined quantity of position moves for said participant symbol;
• (g) causing the at least one processor to determine a movement order for the player symbol and the at least one participant symbol;
• (h) prior to moving each of (i) the player symbol in association with the quantity of position moves associated with the player symbol, and (ii) each of the at least one participant symbol in association with the quantity of position moves associated with said participant symbol, if the designated player destination position is the same position as one of the designated participant destination positions:
• (i) causing the at least one processor to determine which one of the player symbol and the participant symbol to move to said designated destination position, and
• (ii) causing the at least one processor to determine which one of the other one of the player symbol and the participant symbol to move to another one of said positions, wherein which of said player symbol and said participant symbol is determined to move to the designated position is based on the determined movement order;
• (i) causing the at least one display device to display at least one of the player symbol and the at least one participant symbol moving to at least one of the designated destination positions;
• and
• (j) causing the outcome associated with the moved to position of the player symbol to be provided to the player.

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

• (a) causing at least one display device to display:
• (i) a matrix including a plurality of positions, wherein prior to any movement of any player symbols and prior to any movement of any participant symbols:
• (A) a plurality of said positions are each associated with one of a plurality of different outcomes, and
• (B) the outcomes associated with the outcome positions are selected from the group consisting of:
• an award, a modifier of a value, a quantity of free spins, a quantity of free activations, an additional quantity of position moves, a quantity of picks, and a reduced quantity of position moves,
• (ii) a player symbol at a current one of the positions, and
• (ii) at least one participant symbol at a separate current one of the positions;
• (b) for the player symbol:
• (i) causing at least one processor to randomly generate a quantity of position moves, and
• (ii) for each of the generated quantity of position moves, enabling a player to input a direction of movement;
• (c) for each participant symbol:
• (i) causing the at least one processor to determine a quantity of positions moves, and
• (ii) for each of the quantity of position moves associated with the participant symbol, causing the at least one processor to determine a direction of movement;
• (d) prior to moving each of:
• (i) the player symbol in association with the quantity of position moves associated with the player symbol, and (ii) each of the at least one participant symbol in association with the quantity of position moves associated with said participant symbol, causing the at least one processor to determine a movement order for the player symbol and the at least one participant symbol;
• (e) after determining the movement order:
• (i) causing the at least one display device to display the player symbol moving to one of the positions, wherein the position the player symbol is moved to is based on at least a plurality of:
• the current position of the player symbol, the player inputted direction of movement and the determined movement order;
• (ii) causing the at least one display device to display each participant symbol moving to a separate one of the positions, wherein the position each participant symbol is moved to is based on at least a plurality of:
• the current position of said participant symbol, the determined direction of movement for said participant symbol and the determined movement order;
• and
• (f) repeating (b) to (e) at least once and until a terminating event occurs.