Wagering games, methods and systems including skill-based components

Abstract

A wagering game system configured to conduct a wagering game includes a wagering game that itself includes at least one display device and at least one user input device, as well as one or more processors operatively associated with the wagering game machine. The one or more processors are configured to perform, responsive to instructions stored on one or more physical memory devices, the acts of randomly determining an outcome of a base wagering game, determining if a trigger condition for a skill-based game feature is satisfied by the outcome of the base wagering game, providing an option to accept the skill-based game feature or to decline the skill-based game feature in favor of a non-skill-based game feature, and executing the skill-based game feature responsive to an instruction to accept the skill-based game feature.

1 . A wagering game system configured to conduct a wagering game, the wagering game system comprising:
 a wagering game machine comprising at least one display device and at least one user input device; and   one or more processors operatively associated with the wagering game machine, the one or more processors being configured to perform, responsive to instructions stored on one or more physical memory devices, the acts of
 randomly determining an outcome of a base wagering game; 
 determining if a trigger condition for a skill-based game feature is satisfied by the outcome of the base wagering game; 
 providing an option to accept the skill-based game feature or to decline the skill-based game feature in favor of a non-skill-based game feature; and 
 executing the skill-based game feature responsive to an instruction to accept the skill-based game feature. 
   
     
     
         2 . The wagering game system of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to perform, responsive to instructions stored on one or more physical memory devices, the acts of
 receiving an input to the at least one user input device during the conduct of the skill-based game feature;   displaying, on the display device, movement of a player element indicative of the input to the at least one user input device;   determining an outcome of the skill-based game feature, the outcome being independent of the input to the at least one user input device during the conduct of the skill-based game feature.   
     
     
         3 . The wagering game system of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to perform, responsive to instructions stored on one or more physical memory devices, the acts of
 receiving an input to the at least one user input device during the conduct of the skill-based game feature;   displaying, on the display device, movement of a player element indicative of the input to the at least one user input device; and   determining an outcome of the skill-based game feature, the outcome being related to the input to the at least one user input device during the conduct of the skill-based game feature.   
     
     
         4 . The wagering game system of  claim 1 , wherein an expected value of the skill-based game feature and the non-skill-based game feature are at least substantially the same. 
     
     
         5 . The wagering game system of  claim 1 , wherein an expected value of the skill-based game feature is higher than an expected value of the non-skill-based game feature, and wherein the expected value of the skill-based game feature is within a predetermined range of the expected value of the non-skill-based game feature. 
     
     
         6 . The wagering game system of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a plurality of wagering game machines, each wagering game machine comprising at least one display device and at least one user input device,   wherein the one or more processors are operatively associated with each of the plurality of wagering game machines, and   wherein the one or more processors are further configured to perform, responsive to instructions stored on the one or more physical memory devices, the acts of
 randomly determining an outcome of a base wagering game for each of the plurality of wagering game machines; 
 determining if a trigger condition for a skill-based game feature is satisfied by the outcome of the base wagering game at each of the plurality of wagering game machines; 
 providing, for each wagering game machine satisfying the trigger condition, an option to accept the skill-based game feature or to decline the skill-based game feature in favor of a non-skill-based game feature; and 
 executing the skill-based game feature at respective ones of the plurality of wagering game machines responsive to an instruction at the respective ones of the plurality of wagering game machines to accept the skill-based game feature. 
   
     
     
         7 . The wagering game system of  claim 6 , wherein the skill-based game feature is a group game feature. 
     
     
         8 . The wagering game system of  claim 7 , wherein the group game feature is a persistent-state group game feature. 
     
     
         9 . The wagering game system according to  claim 1 , wherein at least one award offered in the skill-based game feature is an award of player points or other commodity exchangeable only in a secondary economy associated with the base wagering game or the skill-based game feature. 
     
     
         10 . The wagering game system according to  claim 1 , wherein at least one award offered in the skill-based game feature is an award of cash or credits. 
     
     
         11 . The wagering game system according to  claim 7 , wherein the group game feature is zero sum plus rake. 
     
     
         12 . The wagering game system according to  claim 8 , wherein at least one award offered in the persistent-state group skill-based game feature is an award of cash or credits. 
     
     
         13 . The wagering game system according to  claim 12 , wherein at least one award offered in the persistent-state group skill-based game feature is a progressive award. 
     
     
         14 . The wagering game system according to  claim 12 , wherein a probability of winning the progressive award increases with each failed attempt to win the progressive award during the persistent-state group skill-based game. 
     
     
         15 . The wagering game system according to  claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors operatively associated with the wagering game machine is further configured to perform, responsive to instructions stored on the one or more physical memory devices, the act of
 executing the skill-based game feature, the act of executing the skill-based game feature itself comprising accepting, during the skill-based game feature, one or more player inputs influencing a movement of a player element in the skill-based game feature.   
     
     
         16 . The wagering game system according to  claim 15 , wherein the one or more processors operatively associated with the wagering game machine is further configured to perform,
 responsive to instructions stored on the one or more physical memory devices, the act of randomizing an outcome in the skill-based game feature such that the outcome is dependent in part on the one or more player inputs and is not randomly determined.   
     
     
         17 . The wagering game system according to  claim 15 , wherein the one or more processors operatively associated with the wagering game machine is further configured to perform, responsive to instructions stored on the one or more physical memory devices, the act of
 determining a random outcome for the skill-based game feature, the random outcome being independent of the one or more player inputs during the skill-based game feature.   
     
     
         18 . A wagering game system configured to conduct a wagering game, the wagering game system comprising:
 a wagering game machine comprising at least one display device and at least one user input device; and   one or more processors operatively associated with the wagering game machine, the one or more processors being configured to perform, responsive to instructions stored on one or more physical memory devices, the acts of
 randomly determining an outcome of a base wagering game; 
 determining if the outcome of the base wagering game satisfies a trigger condition for the execution of one or more game features; 
 executing a non-skill game feature, a skill-based game feature, or both a non-skill game feature and a skill-based game feature responsive to satisfaction of the trigger condition; 
 awarding a monetary award responsive to a winning outcome in the non-skill game feature; and 
 awarding a non-monetary award responsive to an outcome in the skill-based game feature corresponding to a level of achievement in the skill-based game feature. 
   
     
     
         19 . The wagering game system according to  claim 18 , the wagering game system comprising:
 a plurality of wagering game machines, each wagering game machine comprising at least one display device and at least one user input device; and   one or more processors operatively associated with the plurality of wagering game machines, the one or more processors being configured to perform, responsive to instructions stored on one or more physical memory devices, the acts of
 randomly determining an outcome of a base wagering game for each of the plurality of wagering game machines; 
 determining if the outcome of a base wagering game at each of the plurality of wagering game machines satisfies a trigger condition for the execution of one or more game features; 
 executing a non-skill game feature, a skill-based game feature, or both a non-skill game feature and a skill-based game feature on wagering game machines satisfying the trigger condition; 
 awarding a monetary award responsive to a winning outcome in the non-skill game feature; and 
 awarding a non-monetary award responsive to an outcome in the skill-based game feature corresponding to a level of achievement in the skill-based game feature. 
   
     
     
         20 . The wagering game system according to  claim 18 , wherein the one or more processors operatively associated with the plurality of wagering game machines are further configured to perform, responsive to instructions stored on the one or more physical memory devices, the act of
 executing a skill-based game feature, the act of executing a skill-based game feature itself comprises accepting, during the skill-based game feature, one or more player inputs influencing a movement of a player element in the skill-based game feature.   
     
     
         21 . A wagering game system according to  claim 18 , wherein the one or more processors operatively associated with the plurality of wagering game machines are further configured to perform, responsive to instructions stored on the one or more physical memory devices, the act of
 randomizing an outcome in the skill-based game feature such that the outcome is dependent in part on the one or more player inputs and is not randomly determined.   
     
     
         22 . A wagering game system according to  claim 15 , wherein the one or more processors operatively associated with the plurality of wagering game machines are further configured to perform, responsive to instructions stored on the one or more physical memory devices, the act of
 determining a random outcome for the skill-based game feature, the random outcome being independent of the one or more player inputs during the skill-based game feature.   
     
     
         23 . A wagering game system configured to conduct a wagering game, the wagering game system comprising:
 at least one wagering game machine, the at least one wagering game machine comprising at least one display device and at least one user input device; and   one or more processors operatively associated with the at least one wagering game machine, the one or more processors being configured to perform, responsive to instructions stored on one or more physical memory devices, the acts of
 executing a skill-based game feature on the at least one wagering game machine; 
 displaying on the at least one display device, during the skill-based game feature, a representation of a player element within a game space of the skill-based game feature; 
 receiving one or more inputs from the at least one user input device during the skill-based game feature, the one or more inputs initiating a movement of the player element within the game space; and 
 determining an outcome of the skill-based game feature responsive to the movement of the player element within the game space. 
   
     
     
         24 . The wagering game system according to  claim 23 , wherein the one or more inputs not only initiates a movement of the player element within the game space, but also controls a movement of the player element within at least a portion of the game space. 
     
     
         25 . The wagering game system according to  claim 23 , wherein the outcome of the skill-based game feature is randomized at least in part.