Board Game Assembly

Information

  • Patent Application
  • 20240017154
  • Publication Number
    20240017154
  • Date Filed
    July 13, 2022
    a year ago
  • Date Published
    January 18, 2024
    5 months ago
  • Inventors
    • McGuinness; Shannon (La Palma, CA, US)
    • Jang; Judy (La Palma, CA, US)
    • Kim; Matthew (La Palma, CA, US)
Abstract
A board game assembly includes a game board that has game board indicia printed thereon comprising imagery of a floor plan of a house. A plurality of identity boards is provided and each of the identity boards is assigned to a respective player. A pair of dice is provided for rolling during the course of game play. A plurality of playing cards is provided which includes a set of hint cards, a set of character cards, a set of ability cards, a set of quest cards and a set of memory cards. A selected number of the playing cards is dealt to each of the respective players and is positioned on a respective card location on the identity board that is assigned to the respective player. A plurality of game pieces is each assigned to a respective player and each of the game pieces is positionable on the game board to indicate a location of a character assigned to the respective player.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

Not Applicable


STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not Applicable


THE NAMES OF THE PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT

Not Applicable


INCORPORATION-BY-REFERENCE OF MATERIAL SUBMITTED ON A COMPACT DISC OR AS A TEXT FILE VIA THE OFFICE ELECTRONIC FILING SYSTEM

Not Applicable


STATEMENT REGARDING PRIOR DISCLOSURES BY THE INVENTOR OR JOINT INVENTOR

Not Applicable


BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
(1) Field of the Invention

The disclosure relates to board game devices and more particularly pertains to a new board game device for playing a board game involving solving a murder/mystery. The device includes a game board which has a floor plan of a housing printed as a game area. The device includes a plurality of playing cards that includes a set of hint cards, a set of character cards, a set of ability cards, a set of quest cards and a set of memory cards. The device includes a plurality of identity boards that are each assigned to a respective player and which each has card locations thereon for placing respective playing cards on respective card locations. The device includes a plurality of game tokens, a pair of dice and a plurality of game pieces.


(2) Description of Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97 and 1.98

The prior art relates to board game devices including a board game that includes a game board with indicia indicating barricaded sectors and a set of game pieces. The prior art discloses a board game that includes a game board with street indicia printed thereon to resemble a map of city streets and a plurality of game cards for solving a murder mystery. The prior art discloses a variety of board games that each includes a game board that has path indicia printed along a perimeter of said game board, a plurality of game cards a plurality of game tokens for answering questions about a variety of topics. The prior art discloses a method of playing an interacting game which includes a game board which has map indicia printed thereon comprising a map of a walkway through a fanciful landscape. The prior art discloses a board game assembly which includes a game board which has indicia printed thereon comprising an image of an exterior view of a house. The prior art discloses a board game device which includes a game board which has indicia printed thereon comprising a map of a golf course.


BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising a game board that has game board indicia printed thereon comprising imagery of a floor plan of a house. A plurality of identity boards is provided and each of the identity boards is assigned to a respective player. A pair of dice is provided for rolling during the course of game play. A plurality of playing cards is provided which includes a set of hint cards, a set of character cards, a set of ability cards, a set of quest cards and a set of memory cards. A selected number of the playing cards is dealt to each of the respective players and is positioned on a respective card location on the identity board that is assigned to the respective player. A plurality of game pieces is each assigned to a respective player and each of the game pieces is positionable on the game board to indicate a location of a character assigned to the respective player.


There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the disclosure in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the disclosure that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.


The objects of the disclosure, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the disclosure, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure.





BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING(S)

The disclosure will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein:



FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a board game assembly according to an embodiment of the disclosure.



FIG. 2 is a top perspective in-use view of an embodiment of the disclosure.



FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a memory card of an embodiment of the disclosure.



FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a quest card of an embodiment of the disclosure.



FIG. 5 is a perspective view of an ability card of an embodiment of the disclosure.



FIG. 6 is a perspective view of an identity card of an embodiment of the disclosure.



FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a hint card of an embodiment of the disclosure.





DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to FIGS. 1 through 7 thereof, a new board game device embodying the principles and concepts of an embodiment of the disclosure and generally designated by the reference numeral 10 will be described.


As best illustrated in FIGS. 1 through 7, the board game assembly 10 generally a game board 12 that has game board indicia 14 printed thereon comprising imagery of a floor plan of a house. The game board 12 has an upper surface 16 and the game board indicia 14 are printed on the upper surface 16. The floor plan of the housing includes a basement 18, a dining room 20, a kitchen 22, a green house 24, a bathroom 26, a living room 28, a closet 30, a bedroom 32, an attic 34 and a plurality of walkways 36. Additionally, the upper surface 16 has grid indicia 38 printed therein and the grid indicia 38 comprise a grid defining a plurality of player squares 39 that are distributed over an entirety of the upper surface 16 of the game board 12. The upper surface 16 has location indicia 40 printed thereon and the location indicia 40 comprise the number “2” being randomly distributed at various locations of the floor plan.


A plurality of identity boards 42 is provided, each of the identity boards 42 has a plurality of card locations 44 that is defined on the identity boards 42 and each of the identity boards 42 is assigned to a respective player. Each of the identity boards 42 has a first end 46, a second end 48 and a top surface 50 extending between the first end 46 and the second end 48, and each of the identity boards 42 is elongated between the first end 46 and the second end 48. The top surface 50 has card indicia 52 printed thereon and the card indicia 52 comprise imagery of playing cards to define the plurality of card locations 44. Furthermore, the card indicia 52 are spaced apart from each other and are distributed between the first end 46 and the second end 48 of a respective identity board. The card indicia 52 comprise quest card indicia 54, memory card indicia 55, ability card indicia 56, character card indicia 58 and item card indicia 60. The top surface 50 has health meter indicia 62 printed thereon and the health meter indicia 62 comprise numbers ranging between one and ten. The top surface 50 has blood token indicia 64 printed thereon and the blood token indicia 64 comprise an image of a pair of drops of blood surrounded by a circle.


A pair of dice 66 is provided and each of the dice 66 is rolled during the course of game play for rolling a number ranging between two and twelve. Each of the dice 66 has a plurality of intersecting sides 68 and each of the intersecting sides 68 has number indicia 70 printed thereon. A plurality of playing cards 72 is provided and the plurality of playing cards 72 includes a set of hint cards 74, a set of character cards 76, a set of ability cards 78, a set of quest cards 80 and a set of memory cards 82. A selected number of each of the character cards 76, the ability cards 78, the quest cards 80 and the memory cards 82 is dealt to each of the respective players. Additionally, each of the character cards 76, the ability cards 78, the quest cards 80 and the memory cards 82 dealt to a respective player is positioned on a respective card location 44 on the identity board 42 that is assigned to the respective player.


Each of the hint cards 74 has hint indicia 84 printed thereon and the hint indicia 84 comprise words describing a question to be answered by a selected player. Each of the character cards 76 has character indicia 86 printed thereon and the character indicia 86 comprise the name of a respective game character. Each of the ability cards 78 has ability indicia 88 printed thereon and the ability indicia 88 comprise words describing an ability the game character assigned to a respective player can attain when the respective player rolls a pre-determined number with the pair of dice 66. The ability indicia 88 may include, but not be limited to, phrases such as “If you take damage from a player, you can attempt to take an item from them”, or the phrase “You can teleport to an adjacent room of your choice” and other possible abilities, both supernatural and natural, the character assigned to the respective player might attain.


Each of the quest cards 80 has quest indicia 90 printed thereon and the quest indicia 90 comprise words describing an action the game character assigned to a respective player is to undertake and a pre-determined number to be rolled with the dice 66 to succeed in taking the action. The quest indicia 90 may include, but not be limited to, the phrase “Go to the closet and find a net”, “Take another player into the greenhouse and cultivate the mandrake root”, “You are searching through the cabinets in the dining room and find the notebook written by the witch and you open the book and read off a phrase” and other actions that the game character might undertake while trying to solve a murder mystery.


Each of the memory cards 82 has memory indicia 92 printed thereon and the memory indicia 92 comprise words describing a memory recalled by the game character assigned to a respective player. The memory indicia 92 may include, but not be limited to, “magical binoculars allow you to see other people's secrets”, “Spells aren't everything you know” and other phrases related to memories that can recalled by the game character that they have forgotten at the beginning of the game.


Each of the memory cards 82 dealt to the respective player is positioned face-down on a respective one of the quest cards 80 of the card indicia 52 on the identity board 42 assigned to the respective player. Each of the quest cards 80 is dealt to the respective player is positioned face-down on a respective one of the quest cards 80 is positioned on the identity board 42 assigned to the respective player. The ability card 78 dealt to the respective player is positionable face down on the ability card indicia 56 of the card indicia 52 on the identity board 42 that is assigned to the respective player. The character card 76 dealt to the respective player is positionable face-down on the ability card 78 that is positioned on the identity board 42 which is assigned to the respective player.


A plurality of game tokens 87 is provided and the plurality of game tokens 87 includes a set of crystal ball tokens 93, a set of health tokens 94, a turn tracker token 95 and a set of blood tokens 96. Each of the crystal ball tokens 93 is positionable on a respective one of the location indicia 40 printed on the top surface 50 of the game board 12. Each of the crystal ball tokens 93 may have an image applied thereon which may comprise an image of a crystal ball. Each of the health tokens 94 is given to a respective player and each of the blood tokens 96 is given to a respective player. The health token 94 assigned to a respective player is positionable on a respective one of the numbers of the health meter indicia 62 on the identity board 42 assigned to the respective player to indicate a level of health associated with the game character assigned to the respective player. Each of the health tokens 94 may have an image applied thereon which may comprise skull and crossbones. The blood token 94 assigned to a respective player is positionable on the blood token indicia 64 on the identity board 42 assigned to the respective player. Each of the blood tokens 96 may have an image applied thereon which may comprise drops of blood.


A plurality of game pieces 97 is provided and each of the game pieces 97 is assigned to a respective player. Each of the game pieces 97 is positionable on the game board 12 to indicate a location of a game character assigned to the respective player and each of the game pieces 97 is structured to resemble a human being. The game piece 96 assigned to each of the respective players is positionable in a respective one of the player squares 39 defined by the grid indicia 38 on the top surface 50 of the game board 12.


In use, each player is assigned an identity board 42 and each player is dealt four quest cards 80, four memory cards 82, an ability card 78 and a character card 76. Each of the quest cards 80, memory cards 82, the ability card 78 and the character card 76 are positioned on the identity board 42 in the above stated manner for each player.


Furthermore, none of the players reads the playing cards 72 that they have been dealt as they are being positioned on the respective identity board 42. The crystal ball tokens 93 are positioned on the game board 12 in the above stated manner and each of the game pieces 97 is positioned in the living room 28 defined on the game board 12. Game play begins with the game character assigned to each of the players gaining consciousness in the living room with no recollection of their identities or what their purpose might be.


Each player begins by flipping over a chosen quest card 80 on their respective identity board 42 and attempts to complete the quest on the chosen quest card 80. The player can flip over the memory card 82 that was beneath the chosen quest card 80 when the player successfully completes the quest on the chosen quest card 80. Once the player unlocks all of their memory cards 82 the player can then flip over their character card 76 to learn the identity of their game character. At this point the game character assigned to the player that has learned their identity can begin to battle the game character assigned to competing players to gain blood tokens 96. Furthermore, the game character assigned to each player gains hints from the crystal ball tokens 93 to learn the identity of the game character of competing players when the game character assigned to the player. Once the game character assigned to all of the players learns their identity, then the game character assigned to each player has ten turns to complete their objective. The first game character to learn their identity and complete their objective wins the game.


Each player begins by flipping over a chosen quest card on their respective identity board and attempts to complete the quest on the chosen quest card. The player can flip over the memory card that was beneath the chosen quest card when the player successfully completes the quest on the chosen quest card. Once the player unlocks all of their memory cards the player can then flip over their character card to learn the identity of their game character. At this point the game character assigned to the player that has learned their identity can begin to battle the game character assigned to competing players to gain blood tokens. Furthermore, the game character assigned to each player gains hints from the crystal balls to learn the identity of the game character of competing players when the game character assigned to the player. Once the game character assigned to all of the players learns their identity, then the game character assigned to each player has ten turns to complete their objective. The first game character to learn their identity and complete their objective wins the game.


With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodiment enabled by the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by an embodiment of the disclosure.


Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the disclosure. In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be only one of the elements.

Claims
  • 1. A board game assembly for solving a murder mystery, said assembly comprising: a game board having game board indicia printed thereon comprising imagery of a floor plan of a house;a plurality of identity boards, each of said identity boards having a plurality of card locations being defined on said identity boards, each of said identity boards being assigned to a respective player;a pair of dice, each of said dice being rolled during the course of game play for rolling a number ranging between two and twelve;a plurality of playing cards, said plurality of playing cards including a set of hint cards and a set of character cards and a set of ability cards and a set of quest cards and a set of memory cards, a selected number of each of said character cards and said ability cards and said quest cards and said memory cards being dealt to each of the respective players, each of said character cards and said ability cards and said quest cards and said memory cards dealt to a respective player being positioned on a respective card location on said identity board being assigned to the respective player;a plurality of game tokens, said plurality of game tokens including a set of crystal ball tokens and a set of health tokens and a turn tracker token and a set of blood tokens; anda plurality of game pieces, each of said game pieces being assigned to a respective player, each of said game pieces being positionable on said game board to indicate a location of a character assigned to the respective player.
  • 2. The assembly according to claim 1, wherein: said game board having an upper surface, said game board indicia being printed on said upper surface;said floor plan of said housing includes a basement, a dining room, a kitchen, a green house, a bathroom, a living room, a closet, a bedroom, an attic and a plurality of walkways;said upper surface has grid indicia being printed therein, said grid indicia comprising a grid defining a plurality of player squares being distributed over an entirety of said upper surface of said game board; andsaid upper surface has location indicia being printed thereon, said location indicia comprising the number “2” being randomly distributed at various locations of said floor plan.
  • 3. The assembly according to claim 1, wherein: each of said identity boards has a first end, a second end and an upper surface extending between said first end and said second end, each of said identity boards being elongated between said first end and said second end;said top surface has card indicia being printed thereon, said card indicia comprising imagery of playing cards to define said plurality of card locations, said card indicia being spaced apart from each other and being distributed between said first end and said second end of a respective identity board;said card indicia comprise quest cards and ability cards and character cards and item cards;said top surface has health meter indicia being printed thereon, said health meter indicia comprising numbers ranging between one and ten; andsaid top surface has blood token indicia printed thereon, said blood token indicia comprising an image of a pair of drops of blood surrounded by a circle.
  • 4. The assembly according to claim 1, wherein each of said hint cards has hint indicia being printed thereon, said hint indicia comprising words describing a question to be answered by a selected player.
  • 5. The assembly according to claim 3, wherein: each of said character cards having character indicia being printed thereon, said character indicia comprising the name of a respective game character; andsaid character card being dealt to the respective player being positionable face-down on said ability card positioned on said identity board assigned to the respective player.
  • 6. The assembly according to claim 3, wherein: each of said ability cards has ability indicia being printed thereon, ability indicia comprising words describing an ability the game character assigned to a respective player can attain when the respective player rolls a pre-determined number with said pair of dice; andsaid ability card dealt to the respective player being positionable face down on said ability card of said card indicia on said identity board being assigned to the respective player.
  • 7. The assembly according to claim 3, wherein: each of said quest cards has quest indicia being printed thereon, said quest indicia comprising words describing an action the game character assigned to a respective player is to undertake and a pre-determined number to be rolled with said dice to succeed in taking the action; andeach of said quest cards being dealt to the respective player being positioned face-down on a respective one of said quest cards being positioned on said identity board assigned to the respective player.
  • 8. The assembly according to claim 3, wherein: each of said memory cards has memory indicia being printed thereon, said memory indicia comprising words describing a memory recalled by the game character assigned to a respective player; andeach of said memory cards dealt to the respective player being positioned face-down on a respective one of said quest cards of said card indicia on said identity board assigned to the respective player.
  • 9. The assembly according to claim 2, wherein each of said crystal ball tokens is positionable on a respective one of said location indicia printed on said top surface of said game board.
  • 10. The assembly according to claim 3, wherein each of said health tokens is given to a respective player, said health token assigned to a respective player being positionable on a respective one of said numbers of said health meter indicia on said identity board assigned to the respective player to indicate a level of health associated with the game character assigned to the respective player.
  • 11. The assembly according to claim 3, further comprising each of said blood tokens being given to a respective player, said blood token assigned to a respective player being positionable on said blood token indicia on said identity board assigned to the respective player.
  • 12. The assembly according to claim 2, wherein: each of said game pieces is structured to resemble a human being; andsaid game piece assigned to each of the respective players being positionable in a respective one of said player squares defined by said grid indicia on said top surface of said game board.
  • 13. A board game assembly for solving a murder mystery, said assembly comprising: a game board having game board indicia printed thereon comprising imagery of a floor plan of a house, said game board having an upper surface, said game board indicia being printed on said upper surface, said floor plan of said housing including a basement, a dining room, a kitchen, a green house, a bathroom, a living room, a closet, a bedroom, an attic and a plurality of walkways, said upper surface having grid indicia being printed therein, said grid indicia comprising a grid defining a plurality of player squares being distributed over an entirety of said top surface of said game board, said upper surface having location indicia being printed thereon, said location indicia comprising the number “2” being randomly distributed at various locations of said floor plan;a plurality of identity boards, each of said identity boards having a plurality of card locations being defined on said identity boards, each of said identity boards being assigned to a respective player, each of said identity boards having a first end, a second end and an upper surface extending between said first end and said second end, each of said identity boards being elongated between said first end and said second end, said top surface having card indicia being printed thereon, said card indicia comprising imagery of playing cards to define said plurality of card locations, said card indicia being spaced apart from each other and being distributed between said first end and said second end of a respective identity board, said card indicia comprising quest cards and ability cards and character cards and item cards, said top surface having health meter indicia being printed thereon, said health meter indicia comprising numbers ranging between one and ten, said top surface having blood token indicia printed thereon, said blood token indicia comprising an image of a pair of drops of blood surrounded by a circle;a pair of dice, each of said dice being rolled during the course of game play for rolling a number ranging between two and twelve, each of said dice having an plurality of intersecting sides, each of said intersecting sides having number indicia being printed thereon;a plurality of playing cards, said plurality of playing cards including a set of hint cards and a set of character cards and a set of ability cards and a set of quest cards and a set of memory cards, a selected number of each of said character cards and said ability cards and said quest cards and said memory cards being dealt to each of the respective players, each of said character cards and said ability cards and said quest cards and said memory cards dealt to a respective player being positioned on a respective card location on said identity board being assigned to the respective player, each of said hint cards having hint indicia being printed thereon, said hint indicia comprising words describing a question to be answered by a selected player, each of said character cards having character indicia being printed thereon, said character indicia comprising the name of a respective game character, each of said ability cards having ability indicia being printed thereon, ability indicia comprising words describing an ability the game character assigned to a respective player can attain when the respective player rolls a pre-determined number with said pair of dice, each of said quest cards having quest indicia being printed thereon, said quest indicia comprising words describing an action the game character assigned to a respective player is to undertake and a pre-determined number to be rolled with said dice to succeed in taking the action, each of said memory cards having memory indicia being printed thereon, said memory indicia comprising words describing a memory recalled by the game character assigned to a respective player, each of said memory cards dealt to the respective player being positioned face-down on a respective one of said quest cards of said card indicia on said identity board assigned to the respective player, each of said quest cards being dealt to the respective player being positioned face-down on a respective one of said quest cards being positioned on said identity board assigned to the respective player, said ability card dealt to the respective player being positionable face down on said ability card of said card indicia on said identity board being assigned to the respective player, said character card being dealt to the respective player being positionable face-down on said ability card positioned on said identity board assigned to the respective player;a plurality of game tokens, said plurality of game tokens including a set of crystal ball tokens and a set of health tokens and a turn tracker token and a set of blood tokens, each of said crystal ball tokens being positionable on a respective one of said location indicia printed on said top surface of said game board, each of said health tokens being given to a respective player, each of said blood tokens being given to a respective player, said health token assigned to a respective player being positionable on a respective one of said numbers of said health meter indicia on said identity board assigned to the respective player to indicate a level of health associated with the game character assigned to the respective player, said blood token assigned to a respective player being positionable on said blood token indicia on said identity board assigned to the respective player; anda plurality of game pieces, each of said game pieces being assigned to a respective player, each of said game pieces being positionable on said game board to indicate a location of a character assigned to the respective player, each of said game pieces being structured to resemble a human being, said game piece assigned to each of the respective players being positionable in a respective one of said player squares defined by said grid indicia on said top surface of said game board.