Patent ID: 8684826

Claim:
A computer-implemented method of conducting a wagering game on a gaming system with at least first and second gaming machines, the gaming machines being operable such that players at the gaming machines can play a community game, the method comprising: determining, via at least one of one or more processors, an outcome of a base game of the wagering game, wherein the base-game outcome is randomly determined from a plurality of base-game outcomes; displaying on the first gaming machine a bonus-game-enabling event associated with the community game, wherein completing the bonus-game-enabling event enables at least one of a plurality of inaccessible bonus games associated with the community game, the plurality of inaccessible bonus games being initially inaccessible to players such that the inaccessible bonus games, until enabled, cannot be triggered during play of the base game at the gaming machines; and in response to a first player at the first gaming machine completing the bonus-game-enabling event, enabling at least a first one of the inaccessible bonus games such that both the first player at the first gaming machine and a second player at the second gaming machine can trigger the first enabled bonus game during any of a plurality of subsequent plays of the base game of the wagering game.