System and method for presenting a game space with discoverable items to be prospected

Abstract

A game space may be provided to a user in which the user attempts to obtain discoverable items that have been associated with individual zones in the game space. The user may attempt to obtain the items through strategically employing one of a plurality of selectable actions that are associated with different costs in the game space. The costs of the actions may be balanced to create a prospecting mechanic within the game. The game space may be provided to the user as a discrete game, or as one or more mini-game(s) within a larger game or virtual space.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system configured to provide an electronic game to a user, the system comprising:
 one or more processors configured to execute computer program modules, the computer program modules comprising:
 a game space module configured to determine a view of a game space for presentation to a user, the game space including discoverable items; 
 an action selection module configured to receive selection of an action to be performed from among a set of potential actions, the set of potential actions including a harvesting action and a locator action, wherein the harvesting action is associated with a first cost of a resource in the game space and the locator action is associated with a second cost of the resource in the game space; 
 a selection result module configured to determine whether the selected action results in discovery of a discoverable item, 
 wherein, responsive to the harvesting action being the selected action, the selection result module is configured to collect the first cost from the user and to award the discoverable item to the user upon discovery, and 
 wherein, responsive to the locator action being the selected action, the selection result module is configured to collect the second cost from the user and indicate to the user whether the discoverable item would have been discovered if the selected action had been the harvesting action. 
   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the game space is segmented into an array of separate zones depicted in the view of the game space, the computer program modules further comprising:
 an item module configured to associate the discoverable items with individual zones.   
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the first cost of the resource in the game space is a rechargeable resource in the game space. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 2 , the computer program modules further comprising:
 a zone selection module configured to receive selection of a zone of the game space on which the selected action should be performed.   
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the selection result module is further configured such that, responsive to the locator action being the selected action and discovery of the discoverable item not resulting from the selected action, a hint is provided in the view determined by the game space module indicating an area in the game space that includes a discoverable item. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 5 , wherein the game space is segmented into an array of separate zones depicted in the view of the game space, and wherein the selection result module is configured such that the hint specifies a particular zone that includes a discoverable item. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 6 , wherein the selection result module is configured such that the hint specifies a direction in which the area that includes a discoverable item is located with respect to the selected zone. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the game space module is configured such that, responsive to the harvesting action being the selected action, the view of the game space indicates where the discoverable item has been discovered. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the action selection module is further configured such that the set of potential actions includes an identifier action, and wherein the selection result module is further configured such that, responsive to the selected action being the identifier action, and responsive to discovery of the discoverable item resulting from the selected action, the view of the game space indicates information about the discoverable item. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the selection result module is configured such that collecting the first cost from the user in the game space includes deducting a first amount of the resource from an inventory of a character in the game space associated with the user, and wherein selection result module is further configured such that collecting the second cost from the user in the game space includes deducting a second amount of the resource from the inventory of the character. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the first amount is greater than the second amount. 
     
     
         12 . A computer-implemented method of providing an electronic game to a user, the method being implemented by a system comprising one or more processors configured to execute computer program modules, the method comprising:
 determining a view of a game space for presentation to a user, the game space including discoverable items;   receiving selection of an action to be performed from among a set of potential actions, the set of potential actions including a harvesting action and a locator action, wherein the harvesting action is associated with a first cost of a resource in the game space and the locator action is associated with a second cost of the resource in the game space; and   determining whether the selected action results in discovery of a discoverable item,   wherein, responsive to the harvesting action being the selected action, the method further comprises:
 collecting the first cost of the resource from the user, and 
 awarding the discoverable item to the user upon discovery, and 
   wherein, responsive to the locator action being the selected action, the method further comprises:
 collecting the second cost of the resource from the user, and 
 indicating to the user whether the discoverable item would have been discovered if the selected action had been the harvesting action. 
   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein responsive to a determination that the selected action does not result in discovery of a discoverable item, and responsive to the locator action being the selected action, the method includes:
 providing a hint in the view of the game space indicating an area in the game space that includes a discoverable item.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the hint specifies a direction in which the area that includes a discoverable item is located with respect to a current location of the user within the game space. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein, responsive to the harvesting action being the selected action, the view of the game space indicates where the discoverable item has been discovered. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 12  wherein the set of potential actions includes an identifier action, and wherein determining the result of the selected action on the selected zone further comprises, responsive to the selected action being the identifier action, and responsive to discovery of the discoverable item resulting from the selected action, the view of the game space indicates information about the discoverable item. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein collecting the first cost of the resource from the user in the game space includes deducting a first amount of the resource from an inventory of a character in the game space associated with the user, and wherein collecting the second cost of the resource from the user in the game space includes deducting a second amount of the resource from the inventory of the character. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the first amount is greater than the second amount.