A pattern matching mechanic for touch screen slot machines. A pattern consisting of a sequence of randomly selected cells in a displayed symbol matrix is generated and momentarily displayed to a player as their spin is ending. The sequence can be displayed whether the spin is lost or won. A player sequence is received and compared to the pattern. A reward is provided to the player if the player sequence matches the pattern sequence. The pattern sequence can be generated with a cadence that must be matched by the player sequence. The pattern can be generated at different levels, and the reward based on the level of the pattern generated. The level can be increased when a number of consecutive patterns are matched, and decreased when a number of consecutive patterns are not matched.