Patent ID: 8905836

Claim:
A gaming system comprising: at least one processor; at least one display device; at least one input device; and at least one memory device storing a plurality of instructions which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to operate with the at least one display device and the at least one input device to: (a) display a play of a game associated with: (i) a plurality of reels including a plurality of symbols, the symbols including a plurality of individual symbols and one or more multi-component symbols, each of the multi-component symbols including a plurality of instances of one or more of the individual symbols; and (ii) a plurality of symbol display areas, each of the reels being associated with a plurality of the symbol display areas; and (b) for said play of the game: (i) for each of the reels, display a plurality of the symbols on said reel at the symbol display areas associated with said reel; (ii) for each individual symbol displayed at one or more of the symbol display areas associated with a first one of the reels: (A) determine a quantity of adjacent reels that each displays at least one instance of said individual symbol at one of the symbol display areas associated with said reel, the adjacent reels including the first reel; and (B) if said determined quantity of adjacent reels is at least a designated quantity, the designated quantity being at least two: (1) for each of said adjacent reels, determine a modifier for said reel based on a quantity of instances of said individual symbol displayed at the symbol display areas associated with said reel; and (2) determine any awards for said individual symbol based on said determined quantity of adjacent reels and any determined modifiers; and (iii) provide any determined awards.