Cascading Symbol Blocks for Matching Game Awards
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Solution Overview
Problem
There is a need to enhance the excitement and entertainment of gaming machines by increasing the number of winning symbol combinations and awards provided to players for a single wager, while also providing new and engaging gaming experiences.
Innovation Solution
The introduction of a cascading style game that utilizes a plurality of symbol blocks, each containing partial symbols which, when appropriately arranged, form complete symbols, with the gaming system randomly selecting and shifting these blocks to create new opportunities for winning combinations and awards.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If traditional base games with fixed symbol combinations are used, then the game structure is simple and easy to understand, but the number of winning combinations and awards per wager is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The game is divided into multiple cascading rounds where symbols are processed in stages. Each round evaluates winning combinations, removes winning symbols, and triggers the next round with remaining symbols, allowing multiple awards per single wager without requiring a completely complex new game structure
Solution Approach 2:
The game structure dynamically adapts based on symbol outcomes. Winning symbol combinations trigger cascading effects where symbols are removed and remaining symbols reposition, automatically creating new winning opportunities without predetermined fixed structures, thus increasing productivity while managing complexity through adaptive rather than static design
2Productivity
If cascading symbol games with symbol removal and shifting are implemented, then multiple winning opportunities are created per wager, but the game volatility increases
Solution Approach 1:
The cascading mechanism provides immediate feedback where winning symbol combinations trigger symbol removal and repositioning, which automatically creates new evaluation opportunities in subsequent rounds. This feedback loop increases awards per wager while the structured progression through rounds provides predictable volatility patterns rather than random extremes
3Adaptability or versatility
If more symbol blocks and partial symbols are introduced to create complete symbols, then player engagement and entertainment are enhanced, but the difficulty of detecting and measuring winning combinations increases
Solution Approach 1:
Symbols are pre-arranged in blocks with partial symbols positioned to potentially form complete combinations. The system evaluates these arrangements systematically through cascading rounds, detecting winning patterns by checking if partial symbols from different blocks align to form complete symbols, thus managing evaluation complexity through structured preliminary arrangement
Solution Approach 2:
The game adds a spatial dimension to symbol evaluation by using multiple blocks with partial symbols that must align in specific orientations and positions to form complete symbols. This dimensional approach enhances player engagement through visual pattern recognition while the systematic evaluation process manages the complexity of detecting winning combinations across multiple spatial dimensions
Data Source
AI summary
A gaming system selects and displays one of a plurality of symbol blocks in each of a plurality of block positions, wherein each of the selected blocks includes at least one partial symbol. Each partial symbol has at least one complementary partial symbol which, when arranged in a designated spatial relationship with one another, form a complete matching symbol. If any of the partial symbols on the selected blocks create a complete matching symbol, the gaming system provides at least one award to the player. Each matching block which includes any portion of a complete matching symbol is then removed, creating an empty block position. The gaming system then fills the empty block position by either shifting a displayed block into the empty block position or by selecting a new block. The gaming system repeats this process until no complete matching symbols are formed.