Patent ID: 8905831

Claim:
A gaming system comprising: a plurality of gaming devices, each gaming device including: at least one input device; at least one display device; at least one processor; and at least one memory device which stores a plurality of instructions, which when executed by the at least one processor, causes the at least one processor to operate with the at least one input device and the at least one display device to enable a player to place a wager to play a primary game, each player being associated with an individual participant; and at least one controller configured to communicate with each of the gaming devices, said at least one controller programmed to: (a) independent of any occurrence of any community game triggering event, cause a display of: (i) a community game matrix including a plurality of displayed positions, at least one of the displayed positions associated with a community game award and at least one of the displayed positions associated with a community game award opportunity, and (ii) for each of the plurality of players, the respective individual participant at one of the plurality of displayed positions; and (b) if a community game entry event occurs: (i) determine a quantity of position moves associated with one of the players, and (ii) for each of the determined quantity of position moves associated with the player: (A) enable the player to designate one of the displayed positions, wherein which of the displayed positions available to be designated by the player is based on the position the respective individual participant is displayed at, (B) cause a display of the respective individual participant moving to the designated displayed position, (C) if the designated displayed position is associated with any community game award, cause the associated community game award to be provided to the player, and (D) if the designated displayed position is associated with any community game award opportunity: (I) randomly determine any community game award associated with the community game award opportunity, and (II) cause any determined community game award to be provided to the player.