Patent ID: 8641510

Claim:
A method of playing a game using a game symbol location matrix in which a plurality of game symbols can appear within a plurality of game symbol locations within the game symbol matrix, the game playing method comprising: providing a plurality of game symbol replication properties for at least one of a plurality of game symbol locations in the game symbol location matrix; associating a first game symbol replication property at a first predetermined location with a predetermined first game symbol; displaying an arrangement of at least one game symbol in a resulting game symbol matrix within the game symbol location matrix; assessing whether said at least one game symbol in the resulting game symbol matrix has an associated first game symbol replication property, and if so: replicating said at least one game symbol in all adjacent game symbol locations to the at least one game symbol and displaying a replicating resulting game symbol arrangement; determining whether at least one winning combination of game symbols is formed in the resulting game symbol arrangement; and issuing award indicia if the determining step determines the occurrence of one or more winning combinations of game symbols formed in said resulting game symbol arrangement.