Patent Application
20120267852
1. Field of Invention
The present board game communicates the results of sowing seeds. It is an interactive, Bible-based, multiplayer board game. The game addresses the importance of financial management, investments, tithing, and sowing good seed, while facing challenging life events. A successful player is one who advances to the Inner Circle and is able to achieve his or her God-given dreams and goals.
2. Description of Prior Art
There are several other board games that address financial management and investments. The following are example of prior artwork that appears to be relevant:
Each of the above board games uses a board where players move in a certain pattern that demonstrates Biblical teaching. However, none of these games teaches Biblical values as it relate to personal finances and business in the method of the present invention. None of the prior art uses the unique colorful board with pictures that illustrate modern real-life challenges. Nor do any of the board games use color crowns as moving markers. More importantly, none of these boards offers clear demonstrations of how tithing and sowing seeds affects one's everyday life.
Accordingly, it is the objective of the present invention to educate people in a board game environment the Kingdom principle of sowing seeds and reaping harvests.
Countless Christians have harbored the desire to gain wealth and see great success in their everyday life. But many are unaware of how sowing financial seeds, volunteering for a worthy cause, or deciding to help someone in need and being a good steward of what they have is directly related to their reaping great success in business as well as in everyday life. The present board game provides a comprehensive approach to gaining wealth and favor that can be applied in everyday life, starting at any level in life. The interactive multiplayer game includes a board game with pictures of good and bad life events.
The board is square in shape, with 28 smaller squares, of different colors, lined around the edge of the board, with four separate spaces to hold playing cards. In the center of the board, there is a second level where players may advance. The second level is in the shape of a circle, divided into eight landing spaces. In the center of the circle is a crown with the words “Kingdom Principles” in the middle. The board can be folded to fit comfortably in the included storage box. Along with the board, the game includes playing money with the unique picture of a king in the center of the bills; six crowns of different colors used as moving markers; three rolling dice; one deck of 50 cards called The Tither; one deck of 50 cards called The Harvest; one deck of 50 cards called Ooops; one deck of 50 cards called The Prospect; and 12 Character Cards.
The game begins with each player picking a Character Card. This card will tell the player what occupation they will have, how much money they owe to creditors, and how much money they will receive each time they land on Paycheck or Payday.
Next, each player chooses a crown place marker. Each player places his or her marker in the square of the board that reads “Start here.” The first player rolls a six-sided dice, which determines how many spaces the player will move on the game board. The player then moves his or her crown that number of spaces. The player reads the box that he or she lands on and carries out the requested task.
There are two levels on the board. In order to advance to Level 2, the player must successfully pay off their debt and replace their Paycheck income with other income that they may obtain by pulling a card from the Prospect deck. Once the player advances to Level 2, they must dedicate their efforts towards fulfilling their goals and dreams. The first player to initiate their goal and implement their dream wins the game.
FIG. 1—Example of the playing board
FIG. 2—Example of one of the 12 Character Cards used during the game
FIG. 3—Example of the crowns (in six different colors) that players use to mark their space on the board during the game
FIG. 4—Example of the drawing cards called the Tither Card.
FIG. 5—Example of the drawing cards called the Ooops Card
FIG. 6—Example of the drawing cards called the Prospect Card
FIG. 7—Example of the drawing cards called the Harvest Card
FIG. 8—Example of the play money
FIG. 9—Example of the three rolling dice
FIG. 10—Example representing the storage box
The game board is prepared by unfolding it and placing it on a flat surface. Then place the Tither Cards, Ooops Cards, Prospect Cards and Harvest Cards in their appropriate places on the board. All words on the cards should be placed face down.
FIG. 1A—“Sow a Seed, Reap an Instant Harvest.” By landing here, a player has the option to sow a financial seed and reap an instant harvest. The seed is determined by the Character Card. The harvest is determined by selecting a card from the Harvest Card stack.
FIG. 1B—“Paycheck.” By landing here, a player will receive their paycheck. The paycheck is determined by the Character Card. Once a player receives their paycheck, they are faced with the option to sow their tithe or not. If the player chooses not to tithe, they must select an Ooops Card, which is filled with life challenges. If the player chooses to tithe, they must choose a Tithe Card, which is filled with blessings. Once a card is drawn, the player must carry out that task.
FIG. 1C—“?” By landing here, player must carry out whatever action that was required of player prior to landing here.
FIG. 1D—“Prospect.” By landing here, the player may choose a Prospect Card, which is filled with opportunities on all levels. If the opportunity is a good fit for the player, the player may carry out the task. However, if it is not a good fit, the player must pass up the opportunity.
FIG. 1E—“Married and Having a Baby.” By landing here, the player's debt will increase by the amount the Character Card states. if they have more than three children when they land, “Married and Having a Baby” is just a free landing space with no consequences.
FIG. 1F—“Ooops.” By landing here, the player must choose an Ooops Card, which is loaded with life challenges.
FIG. 1G—“Give to Charity; Reap an Instant Harvest.” By landing here, the player may choose to sow a seed into charity and reap an instant harvest by pulling a Harvest Card. If the player does not choose to sow, there are no consequences.
FIG. 1H—“Steward Check.” During the course of the game, the person to each player's right must keep track of how many times the player to their left has tithed or decided not to tithe. When a player lands on Steward Check, the person to their right must add up how many times they pulled from the Tither deck or the Ooops deck. Whichever deck they pulled from the most is the deck they must pull two cards from when landing on Steward Check.
FIG. 1I—“Sow.” By landing here, a player may choose to sow financially into another player's life by paying off one bill. If the player does so, they must collect one of the player's rings and pull a Harvest Card. The player may choose not to sow at all, with no consequences.
FIG. 1J—“Reap.” By landing here, a player may pull a Harvest Card and carry out that task, but only if the player tithed the last time they landed on Payday. If the player did not tithe, they must draw from the Ooops deck.
FIG. 1K—“Payday.” By landing here, a player will receive money and have an option to tithe or not. If the player decides to tithe, they will pull a Tithe Card. if the player chooses not to tithe, they must pull an Ooops Card.
FIG. 2—At the start of the game, each player will select a Character Card. This card will depict the following things about the character: how much money the player has in savings, how much debt the player has, the player's dream, the player's destiny, how much the player's paycheck is, how much the player should tithe, and how much the player's debt would increase if the player has a baby. It will also depict how much seed a player should sow in order to reap a certain amount of Harvest Cards.
FIG. 3—Each player should select a colored crown of his or her choice, as well as its matching ring. Selected crowns and rings will represent them for the entire game. A crown is what each player will use to move around the board. A ring is what a player will give to the player who helps pull them out of a financial jam.
FIG. 4—The Tithe Card—The King James Bible teaches us that tithing is a commandment, and when you tithe, you are guaranteed to receive certain things. This stack of cards is filled with all the benefits a player may reap for being a tither.
FIG. 5—The Ooops Card—The King James Bible teaches us that tithing is a commandment, and when you don't tithe, things may not go smoothly in life. The Ooops stack is filled with bad things that could go wrong due to not tithing. When the stack is used up, it is shuffled and reused.
FIG. 6—The Prospect Card—This stack is filled with many investment and business opportunities. When the stack is used up, it is shuffled and reused.
FIG. 7—The Harvest Card—This stack is filled with all positive things. When the stack is used up, it is shuffled and reused.
The format of the game can be embodied in several ways. For example: An actual physical appearance, with a game board and game pieces. Or it could be an electronic format, making it possible to be played on a computer, hand-held device or video game. Or it could be played over a network such as LAN or the Internet, as well as on a single machine.
