Patent ID: 8585485

Claim:
A method of conducting a wagering game including a basic wagering game and a community bonus game, the method comprising: receiving, via at least one input device, wagers from a plurality of players of the wagering game to play the basic wagering game; triggering the community bonus game for at least a first player and a second player; and conducting the community bonus game, the conducting including: (i) displaying, on at least one display, a first set of randomly determined outcomes for a first part of the community bonus game for each player, the first set of randomly determined outcomes including a last outcome for each player, the last outcome for at least the first player being different than the last outcome for the second player, the last outcome for at least one of the players including a persistent symbol that persists from the last outcome into at least one subsequent outcome for that player in a second part of the community bonus game; (ii) determining, with at least one processor, which of the last outcomes is optimal for achieving a certain award within the community bonus game; (iii) applying an optimal aspect of the optimal last outcome to at least the first player and the second player; (iv) for the first player, continuing with the second part of the community bonus game with the optimal aspect applied such that an outcome of the second part of the community game for the first player is based on a combination of the optimal aspect and a first newly added aspect from the second part of the community bonus game; and (v) for the second player, continuing with the second part of the community bonus game with the optimal aspect applied such that an outcome of the second part of the community game for the second player is based on a combination of the optimal aspect and a second newly added aspect from the second part of the community bonus game.