The present invention includes a variety of methods to issue awards during free spins. In general, the present invention involves placing a wager, spinning the slot reels, triggering the free-spin bonus feature, and collecting awards based upon the cumulative numeric value(s) attained over the course of one or more free spins. In a preferred embodiment, a cumulative numeric value starts at zero and increases by the amount shown on "increase value" symbols, with each cumulative numeric value associated with an award. Upon completion of the free spins, the game issues the award associated with the final cumulative numeric value.