Continuous Secondary Game with Player Selection of Hidden Objects

Abstract

A secondary game played on a gaming machine displays a plurality of objects, each object representing a hidden award. Upon a triggering event occurring, the player then touches one of the objects via a touch screen, and the award is granted to the player. The selected object is then disabled until the game is reset. The awards that remain available to be selected in the secondary game are displayed to the player separate from the objects. The secondary game is continuous and is not reset upon a player cashing out. The continuous secondary game motivates players to keep playing until the top prize is awarded and the game is reset. The trigger event that allows the player's to select an object is based on the player's accumulated wager amount and is preferably independent of any outcome of the main game or any outcome of a bonus game.

1 . A method performed by a gaming device comprising:
 carrying out a main game pursuant to wagers made by a player;   displaying a plurality of objects to the player in a secondary game separately from the main game, at least some of the objects representing hidden awards, the awards having a variety of values;   displaying, separately from the objects, at least some of the awards represented by objects that are still available for selection;   generating a triggering event, allowing the player to select one or more of the objects to win any award revealed after an object is selected;   after an object is selected by the player, granting the player its associated award, preventing that object from being selected during the same secondary game prior to a reset of the secondary game, and updating the awards represented by objects that are still available for selection; and   resetting the plurality of objects so as to allow any of the objects to be selected, and randomly distributing the hidden awards, after one or more certain awards have been selected and granted,   wherein the plurality of objects are not reset when the player cashes out of the gaming machine, such that a next player of the gaming machine resumes play of the secondary game.   
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the triggering event comprises a randomly selected accumulated wager amount after a previous triggering event. 
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 1  wherein generating the triggering event comprises randomly selecting a first amount and detecting when a wager amount accumulated since a previous triggering event meets or exceeds the randomly selected first amount. 
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 3  wherein randomly selecting the first amount comprises randomly selecting a first amount above a preset minimum amount and below a preset maximum amount. 
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the step of resetting the plurality of objects after one or more certain awards have been granted to the player comprises resetting the plurality of objects only after a top award has been selected. 
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the secondary game is continuously enabled and displayed to the player. 
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 1  wherein there are a total of X objects, and the player is guaranteed to win a top award represented by at least one of the objects within X triggering events. 
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising allowing the player to select from a plurality of different main games while not resetting the secondary game. 
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the secondary game comprises a map, and the player selects a different area in the map upon each triggering event, each area corresponding to an award or a portion of an award. 
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the gaming device comprises a plurality of linked gaming machines, each played by a different player, the exact same secondary game being displayed to and played concurrently by all the players, where each player is allowed to select one or more of the objects upon that player's accumulated wagers meeting or exceeding a certain amount since a last triggering event for that player. 
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 10  wherein a particular combination of objects must be selected to win a particular award. 
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the secondary game is displayed on a display screen separate from a display of the main game. 
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 1  where no object other than an award amount, when selected, resets the plurality of objects during the step of resetting the plurality of objects. 
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the amounts of the hidden awards are based on the player's wager for playing the main game. 
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the step of generating a triggering event, allowing the player to select one or more of the objects, comprises allowing the player to only select one object when the player wages a first amount on the main game and allowing the player to select multiple objects when the player wages a second amount on the main game greater than the first amount. 
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 1  wherein at least one object represents a progressive award pot that constantly increases based on a percentage of wagers, wherein only after the progressive award pot is won is the pot is reduced to a starting amount. 
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 16  wherein there are a plurality of objects representing progressive award pots that constantly increase based on a percentage of wagers, wherein selecting a certain plurality of the progressive award pots resets the plurality of objects. 
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 1  wherein a particular combination of objects must be selected to win a particular award, wherein different players selecting objects in the combination share the award when the complete combination of the objects is finally selected. 
   
   
       19 . A gaming device comprising:
 at least one display screen; and   a processing system for carrying out the following method:
 carrying out a main game pursuant to wagers made by a player; 
 displaying a plurality of objects to the player in a secondary game separately from the main game, at least some of the objects representing hidden awards, the awards having a variety of values; 
 displaying, separately from the objects, at least some of the awards represented by objects that are still available for selection; 
 generating a triggering event, allowing the player to select one or more of the objects to win any award revealed after an object is selected; 
 after an object is selected by the player, granting the player its associated award, preventing that object from being selected during the same secondary game prior to a reset of the secondary game, and updating the awards represented by objects that are still available for selection; and 
 resetting the plurality of objects so as to allow any of the objects to be selected, and randomly distributing the hidden awards, after one or more certain awards have been selected and granted, 
 wherein the plurality of objects are not reset when the player cashes out of the gaming machine, such that a next player of the gaming machine resumes play of the secondary game. 
   
   
   
       20 . The device of  claim 19  wherein the triggering event comprises a randomly selected accumulated wager amount after a previous triggering event.