A new board game is shown and described. Further, the disclosed board game also includes a unique timing element for determining the length of time a player has to carry out his/her turn. The timing element includes a gyroscopic or top device enclosed within a cubical shell. A rip cord is used to spin the top within the cubical shell and the shell, when placed on one of its corners that supports the central axis of the top, also spins and the duration of the player's turn extends from the time at which the player places the cubical shell on its corner, with the top spinning inside, until the time the cubical shell stops spinning as a result of the top slowing down or ceasing spinning inside the shell as the shell falls on one of its six sides.
Board games are well known in the art. One type of board game is a “start to finish” or a “race-type” board game where the board is printed with at least one primary pathway extending from a start to a finish. Players are typically assigned a single token and move around the pathway with the length of each advance be determined by the roll of one or more die, a spinner element or the drawing of one or more cards. These games rely upon an inherent excitement found in racing from a start to a finish. Often, the typical start to finish or race-type board games include detours or side pathways. Often the decision to take a side passageway or side pathway adds certain decision making requirements to the game instead of players simply rolling the dice or spinning the wheel.
One variation of the start to finish or race-type game are the games which involve multiple laps around an endless pathway with the winner being the player who has accumulated the most money, points, tokens or the like. These games are better suited for older children as younger children and toddlers often do not understand or appreciate games where players must accumulate money or points or which involve decision making skills during the play of the game.
One advantage to the simple start to finish or race-type games is that the pace of play tends to proceed at a relatively rapid pace. Each player simply rolls the dice or spins the wheel and moves his or her token the appropriate number of steps before another player takes a turn. The only exception to this general rule may be those situations where a player rolls a “double” or a spinner, wheel or card indicates that a player is entitled to one or more additional turns.
One disadvantage with board games with side pathways, detours and additional decision making requirements is that the pace of play may be rather slow. Players are forced to strategize and therefore think and the time in which one player has to complete his or her turn may be undefined or limitless. While one player is taking his or her turn, the other players may become bored or distracted. One solution to this problem is the use of a timer. While timers with spring-loaded timing elements or hour glasses have been used, these types of devices are also relatively boring and do not necessarily add any excitement to the game.
Therefore, there is a need for an improved timing element for a board game that adds an element of excitement to the game.
Further, it would also be beneficial if new board games were designed with timing elements or timing devices that, in addition to providing an element of excitement to the game, also performs a function in addition to determining the length of a player or a team's turn. In other words, it would be desirable to have a board game with a timing element or a timing device that actually affects the outcome of a player's turn and therefore the game in addition to defining the length of time a player or a team has to complete a turn.
In satisfaction of the aforenoted needs, an improved board game is disclosed which comprises a board with a plurality of indicia printed thereon. In addition to other things, the indicia may define one or more pathways to be followed during the course of a game. The board game also includes a timing device that defines an amount of time for a single turn. The timing device comprises a cubical shell, a top and a rip cord. The shell comprises two bearings disposed in diagonally opposite corners inside the shell. The bearings support opposite ends of an axial shaft of the top. The shell also comprises two openings for passing the rip cord through the shell. The top comprises the aforementioned shaft which extends through a wheel and a gear. The rip cord comprises a set of linear teeth along the cord and the rip cord passes through the openings of the shell with the teeth of the rip cord being enmeshed with the gear of the top. To start the timing device, the player inserts the rip cord through the openings of the shell with the teeth enmeshed with the gear at the top. When fully inserted, the player then pulls the rip cord swiftly through the cubical shell thereby causing the top to spin about its axis as defined by the shaft of the top. As the top is spinning and being supported by the bearings, the player places the shell on one of its corners that houses a bearing and the spinning top causes the shell to spin on said corner for an amount of time that can be used to determine the length of time for the player or team's turn.
In an embodiment, indicia are printed on each of the six outer faces of the cubical shell. Therefore, when the top begins to slow down and the cubical shell eventually stops spinning and eventually lands on one of its faces with an opposite face being directed upwardly, the indicia on the upwardly directed face can be used to affect the outcome of the player or team's turn, such as the award of bonus points, the imposition of a penalty, the return of the player's token to a start point, etc.
In an embodiment, the board game also includes a base that rests on top of the board. The base includes an upper surface having a recess for accommodating a corner of the shell so that the shell can spin on top of the base and be confined to the recess while the shell is spinning. In a further refinement, the recess is circular. In yet another further refinement, the base has a truncated pyramidal shape.
In a related refinement, the board comprises a square center or base section with four outer edges hingedly connected to triangular panels that enable the board to be folded into a hollow pyramid that houses the other parts of the game.
In a refinement, the rip cord includes a handle.
In yet another refinement, the board game comprises a plurality of tokens, at least one die, and the indicia printed on the board define at least one pathway. To start a turn, the player pulls the rip cord through the shell thereby causing the top to spin. The player then places the shell on one of its corners which houses one of the bearings thereby allowing the shell to spin on said corner as discussed above. This event denotes the start of a player's turn and thereafter the player rolls the die or dice and moves his/her token repeatedly until the shell stops spinning and rests on one of its six faces with an opposite face directed upward. In a further refinement, indicia printed on the upwardly directed face alters the outcome of the player's turn.
In another refinement, the shell also houses a plate secured within the shell. The plate comprises an aperture through which the shaft and gear of the top extend. The plate is connected to a bracket through which the rip cord slides. The bracket has a shaped cross-sectional profile that matches a cross-sectional profile of the rip cord. The-bracket is positioned within the shell so that insertion of the rip cord through the openings of the shell results in the rip cord extending through the bracket and with the teeth of the rip cord enmeshing with the gear of the top. In short, the shape of the openings of the shell and the cross-sectional profile of the bracket along with the cross-sectional profile of the rip cord are all matched so that the rip cord and be inserted only one way which results in the teeth of the rip cord being enmeshed with the gear of the top. In a refinement, the plate is fastened to an interior of the shell. In a further refinement, the bracket is integrally connected to the plate.
In yet another refinement, the shaft of the top also passes through and is connected to a hub. The hub is connected to the wheel by a plurality of spokes.
In an embodiment, an improved timing device is disclosed for use on board games and other games of chance that includes the cubical shell, top and rip cord as described above.
In another embodiment, a method for determining the time of a player's term during play of the game is disclosed. The method comprises providing a timing device as described above, inserting the rip cord through the openings of the shell and enmeshing the teeth of the rip cord with the gear of the top, pulling the rip cord back through the shell at a rate sufficient to cause the top to spin within the shell, placing the shell on one of its corners that houses one of its bearings while the top is spinning thereby causing the shell to spin on its corner and designating the start of the turn, declaring an end to the turn when the shell stops spinning and falls to a resting position on one of its six outer faces.
The disclosed board game, timing device and method for determining the time of a player's turn during play of a board game are described more or less diagrammatically in the accompanying drawings, wherein:
It should be understood that the drawings are not necessarily to scale and that the embodiments are sometimes illustrated by graphic symbols, phantom lines, diagrammatic representations and partial or fragmentary views. In certain instances, details which are not necessary for an understanding of the disclosed board game, timing device or method for timing a player or team's turn may have been omitted. It should be understood, of course, that this disclosure is not necessarily limited to the particular embodiments illustrated herein.
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As described below, the duration of the turn or each player or team is determined by a timing device which includes the cubical shell shown at 31 and the rip cord 32. The operation and use of these devices will be described below with respect to
Each shell half 31a, 31b also preferably includes a bearing 44 for supporting the top or gyroscopic element 45. The top 45 includes a shaft 46 that passes coaxially through a wheel 47 and a gear 48. In the embodiment shown in
The rip cord 32 is used to impart rotation to the top 45. Specifically, the rip cord 32 includes a handle 55 which is connected to a cord element 56 which, in turn, carries a linear set of teeth 57. The rip cord 32 is inserted through the shell 31 so that the teeth 57 engage and are enmeshed with the gear 48 of the top 45. After filly inserting the rip cord 32 through shell 31, the rip cord 32 may then be pulled rapidly back through the shell 31 and the teeth 57 impart a spinning rotation to the gear 48 and the top 45.
To ensure that the teeth 57 of the rip cord 32 are enmeshed with the gear 48 of the top 45 during each use, a bracket 61 is provided that is connected to a plate 62 which, in turn, is securely fastened to one of the shell halves 31a, 31b, and in the embodiment illustrated in
The bracket 61, in combination with specially shaped apertures in the shell 31, one of which is shown at 65 in
Also, the shell 31 is designed so that when the rip cord 32 is inserted through the shell 31 to the position as shown in
To keep the shell 31 from rotating all over the board 10, the base 33 is provided or some other platform or holder for limiting the lateral movement of the shell 31. An upper surface 72 of the base 33 includes a recess 73 for limiting the lateral movement of the spinning shell 31. When the shell 31 stops spinning or slows a sufficient amount caused by the reduced rotational speed of the top 45, the shell 31 will fall downward off of the base 32 and land on one of its six outer faces 74. As discussed below, indicia may be printed on the faces 74 as shown in
Therefore, at the beginning of a turn, a player or a team member grasps the cubical shell 31 and inserts the rip cord 32 through the shell 31 by inserting the cord portion 56 through the openings 65, 66 until the rip cord 32 is in the position shown in
Because the teeth 57 of the rip cord are enmeshed with the gear 48 of the top 45, the pulling action on the rip cord 32 imparts a spinning motion to the top 45 within the shell 41. By balancing the shell 31 on one of its corners 71, the top 45 is placed in its upright position as shown in
The length of duration for which the shell 31 spins on top of the base 33 determines the length of time for the player's turn. When the top 45 slows down, causing the rotational movement of the cubical shell 31 to decrease and eventually causing the shell 31 to fall down off of the base 33 and onto one of its faces 74, the turn is over. As shown in
To play the game, the board 10 is placed on a flat surface with the flaps 12a-12d open. The base 33 is then placed in a central area 34 of the board 10 with its lower feet (not shown) securely accommodated in the recesses 35. Each player or team chooses one of the explorer pawns or player tokens 27 and a treasure bag or explore pack 28 with a color that matches the chosen pawn 27. Each explorer pawn 27 is then placed in the start area 15 on the board with the explore pack 28 placed in front of the player or team. Ten treasure tokens 26 are placed in each of the treasure chambers 24a, 24b. The mummy pawn 30 is placed on the mummy tomb space 18. The mummy's cube 31, die 29 and rip cord 32 are then placed within easy reach by all of the players.
To begin the game, each player or team rolls the dice 29. The player team with the highest roll starts the game. If there is a tie for the highest roll, the tied players or teams re-roll until there is a highest roll. Returning to
The object of the game is to be the first player or team (i.e., explorer) to collect five treasures or treasure tokens 26 and to further escape from the pyramid or from the board 10. With the treasure tokens 26 placed on the treasure chamber squares 24a, 24b and with the mummy token 30 placed on the mummy's tomb 18 and with all player tokens or explorer pawns 27 placed on the start square 15, the game is ready to be played.
The first player or team begins their turn by spinning the cube 31 as described above and discussed in connection with
The cube 31 has three different printed indicia on its outer faces 74 as indicated in
Then the cube and the game passes to the next player or team. During the player's turn, if movement of the mummy pawn 30 lands on a player's token or explorer pawn 27, that player or team gives back a treasure token 26. Treasure tokens 26 are collected when a player lands on one of the “take a treasure” squares indicated at 25 in
In one embodiment, if the cube 31 knocks one or more explorer pawns 27 over as it stops spinning, the pawn 27 is moved to the closest open space on the board 10. If a pawn 27 is knocked off of the board 10, the player or explore pawn (or even the mummy pawn 30) is moved to the closest hidden chamber 22a, 22b.
Once a player or team has collected five treasure tokens 26, their goal is to move to the exit or escape from the pyramid shown at 23. In order to win the game, the player or team must roll doubles (including double mummies 78) to finally exit the tomb or pyramid and win the game.
The disclosed timing device 40 adds elements of excitement to and quickens the pace of the disclosed “Escape the Mad Mummy” game or any board that uses the device 40. The game also becomes one of skill and dexterity as the dice 29 must be rolled quickly and the explorer pawns 27 move quickly while the cube 31 is spinning on the base 33. Also, strategic decisions regarding the use of the secret passageways 19a-19d and whether or not to exit or stay in one of the trapped doors 21a, 21b must be made quickly as the cube 31 is spinning.
In addition, the timing device 40 disclosed herein may be used with a wide variety of board games, card games and other games of chance. Thus, it will be understood, that many of the elements described herein may find useful applications with other games and other forms of entertainment. While only certain embodiments have been set forth, alternative embodiments and various modifications will be apparent from the above description to those skilled in the art. These and other alternatives are considered equivalents and within the spirit and scope of this disclosure.