Patent ID: 11869310
Assignee: ARISTOCRAT TECHNOLOGIES AUSTRALIA PTY LIMITED
Field: Control (Instruments)
Classification: CPC G | IPC G

Claim 17:
18. An electronic gaming machine comprising:
at least one display device;
a player input interface configured to receive player input from a player;
a credit input device configured to receive a credit wager; and
a game controller configured to execute instructions stored in a tangible, non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium, which, when executed by the game controller, cause the game controller to at least:
display, on the at least one display device, a game play area including a plurality of columns, each of the plurality of columns including a number of symbol positions for which symbols are to be selected;
in response to receiving a player input, display, on the at least one display device, a first plurality of symbols in the displayed symbol positions for a first spin, wherein the first plurality of displayed symbols include a column growth symbol indicative of increasing a column size of a corresponding column of the plurality of column; and
based on the column growth symbol being displayed in at least one symbol position of a first column of the plurality of columns:
increase the column size of the first column of the plurality of columns to include at least one additional symbol position; and
replace the column growth symbol in the at least one symbol position of the first column with an additional symbol from a plurality of reel strips;

based on the column growth symbol not being displayed in at least one symbol position of a second column of the plurality of columns, do not change the column size of the second column; and
cause display of a second plurality of symbols to be evaluated responsive to the first spin for winning combinations, the second plurality of symbols including the first plurality of symbols and at least one additional symbol having replaced the column growth symbol.