Patent Application
20200261789
This application claims the benefit of priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119(a) to GB Patent Application 1902217.7, filed Feb. 18, 2019 (pending), the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.
This application relates to a logical puzzle board game which may be played by two players.
The object of the game is for the players to take it in turns to create a hidden code using playing pieces which each represent an element of the code while the other player attempts to decipher the hidden code. A standard game uses a 4-digit code where each digit may be one of six unique code bases. For example, the code may be a sequence of four colors selected from a range of six different colors. The guessing player attempts to guess the hidden code and each attempt is provided with an indication of how accurate their guess is compared to the hidden code. These indications provide the guessing player with clues to decipher the code within the available amount of time.
The invention as described below enables the game to be adapted to adjust the difficulty and complexity of the task of deciphering the hidden code.
The level of difficulty of similar, known, games may be achieved by increasing the number of unique bases from which to create the hidden code. For example, if colors are being used as the code elements then including additional colors would increase the level of difficulty. Additionally, the game could be made harder by increasing the number of digits comprising the code. For example, a code comprising five numbers would be more difficult to decipher than a code comprising four numbers.
Conversely, the difficulty could be decreased by reducing the number of unique bases or digits used to form the code. The level of difficulty could also be reduced by imposing fewer restrictions on what constitutes a “correct” guess. For example, players could decide to decrease the level of difficulty by deciding that the particular order of the code elements is not required to decipher the code. Accordingly, a player need only correctly guess the individual code elements that constitute the hidden code rather than the correct code elements and the order in which those elements are presented.
However, continually adding digits or unique bases does not necessarily add to the enjoyment of the game. This is because too many combinations can be created, thus removing the skill of logically deducing the hidden code and reducing the game to one of chance. For example, using six colors as unique bases in a 9-digit code provides 10,077,696 possible combinations.
Accordingly, there is a need to be able to adjust the difficulty of the game while retaining the players' ability to logically decipher the hidden code.
The invention is defined by the independent claims, which are provided below. Preferred features are laid out in the dependent claims.
The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate exemplary embodiments of the invention and, together with a general description of the invention given above, and the detailed description given below, serve to explain the principles of the invention.
Embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
The game comprises a playing surface, a plurality of playing elements and a plurality of marking elements.
In the embodiment shown in
Each of the playing and marking areas include a plurality of holes 105, 106 arranged into a grid. Each of the holes 105 in the playing areas 103 is operable to receive one of the plurality of playing elements. In preferred embodiments, the playing elements are pegs or pins which are inserted into the holes 105 of the playing areas 103. The playing elements have contrasting characteristics, for example they may be different colors, and are used to indicate a player's guess as to what the hidden code may be, as further described below. Similarly, each of the holes 106 in the marking areas 104 is operable to receive one of the plurality of marker elements. In preferred embodiments, the marker elements are pegs or pins that are inserted into the holes 106 of the marking areas 104. The marking elements have contrasting characteristics, for example they may show different patterns or symbols, and indicate the degree of success of an attempt to decipher the hidden code, as further described below.
In some embodiments, the board game also comprises a separate code board 200 as shown in
The complexity and degree of difficulty of the game is adjusted by changing the configuration of the hidden code to become an array whereby, in some embodiments, the dimensions of the array are determined on a game-by-game basis. As indicated above, the complexity of the game can be adapted by varying the number of digits comprising the code. The above problems associated with increasing the number of digits may be ameliorated by changing the hidden code to become an array, rather than a 1×m string of digits, as further described below.
In some embodiments, instead of the code being a 1×m string, the code is formed by a p×q array, where:
m=p×q
For example, instead of having a code comprising a 6-digit string, the code is instead represented as, say, a code having two rows and three columns.
Accordingly, the number of possible locations to house a particular code element remains the same but, crucially, the guessing player can now be provided with information relating to whether the code element is located in the correct row, as well as whether the code element is located in the correct column. Enabling the hidden code to be in an array configuration therefore provides the advantage of providing the guessing player with additional information for solving codes, which is particularly useful for codes formed of relatively large numbers of digits. As will be appreciated, arrangements with fewer rows and columns are easier to decipher, as a particular code element has fewer possible locations to be housed, resulting in the hidden code having fewer possible combinations.
Before the game commences, the players agree which configuration the hidden code will take, preferably by choosing the values of p and q before each game commences. The playing areas on the playing surface are adjusted accordingly to match the hole configuration of the hidden code.
The playing areas, and—equivalently—the level of difficulty of the game being played, may be adjusted in a number of different ways, as further described below.
In one embodiment the complexity of the game is changed by selecting an appropriate overlay, as illustrated in
The playing area hole configurations shown in
In preferred embodiments, the overlay 102 acts as an attachment or template that is placed on top of the base element 101 to form the playing surface during the game. In preferred embodiments, overlay 102 comprises a plurality of crosspieces 112 interconnected by support members 122 into a rectangular annulus shape, as shown in
In the embodiments of
In the embodiments of
The overlay 102 may be retained in position by the base element 101 using one or more releasable fastening means (not shown). For example, the releasable fastening means may be snap fasteners, hook-and-loop fasteners or other suitable fastening means.
The complexity of the game may be adjusted using alternative means. In one embodiment, both the playing areas 103 and marking areas 104 are located on the base element 101, as shown in
In another embodiment (not shown) both the playing areas and marking areas are located on the base element, with an overlay operating as a mask to expose a predefined number of the playing area holes thereby forming a particular grid pattern. This may be achieved in a number of ways.
In a first example, the base element may include a plurality of playing areas and marking areas each having a 16-hole configuration in four rows of four holes. A plurality of masks are provided, each mask providing a characteristic aperture which exposes a particular grid pattern in the playing areas and the marking areas of the underlying base element. Accordingly, to play with a 6-hole configuration, the players select the appropriate overlay for attaching to the base element that masks two rows of holes and one column of holes in each playing area, thereby leaving two rows of three holes left exposed for play.
In a second example, a plurality of masks are provided that may be combined in an interleaved manner. The interleaved masks enable a user to select a desired grid pattern as the aperture of each mask may be combined to produce a particular exposed grid pattern in the playing areas and the marking areas.
In another example, a single, adjustable, mask is used to expose a plurality of different grid patterns in the playing areas and marking areas. In specific embodiments, the apertures of the mask are adjusted to produce a particular grid pattern. For example, the adjustable mask may comprise a plurality of apertures and a plurality of horizontal and vertical sections whose position can be slidably adjusted. When moved, each of the horizontal or vertical sections incrementally overlap the plurality of apertures to reduce the dimensions of the aperture, thereby adjusting the configuration of holes in the playing areas and marking areas left exposed by the mask.
The rules of the game are now described below.
Firstly, the degree of difficulty of the game is decided upon by the players choosing an appropriate playing area hole configuration. Playing areas having 4-hole or 6-hole configurations are better suited for newer players, who may then increase the number of holes in play as they gain experience.
In playing the game, the first player is selected by any suitable random process such as tossing a coin. The first player creates a target code in secret that conforms with the agreed configuration. The target code is created using the playing elements, which each include a representative characteristic. In preferred embodiments, the playing element characteristics are different colors. In a specific embodiment, the playing elements are one of six different colors. To further increase the complexity of the game, the players may choose whether to include duplicates, i.e. more than one of the same color, and/or blanks, i.e. an absence of a playing element.
Once chosen, the code is placed in a hidden location, such as the separate code board above, which is visible to the first player but not to the second player. The hidden code pattern will correspond to the playing area grid arrangement selected when establishing the degree of difficulty of the game. The second player takes turns to guess the target code with the first player providing feedback on each attempt.
The second player has a predetermined number of turns in which to correctly deduce the hidden code. In preferred embodiments, this may be between 8 to 12 turns. A first attempt is made by the second player placing playing elements within a first playing area for review by the first player. Once placed, the first player provides feedback on the number of playing elements with the correct characteristic and an indication of the relative positioning of those playing elements. This feedback is provided by the use of marking elements placed within the marking area paired with the playing area. In other words, each playing element is matched to a single corresponding code element and marker elements are used to indicate the extent to which the playing element corresponds to the matched code element. In preferred embodiments, the marking elements enable the positive identification of four distinct scenarios:
The marking elements may identify each of the above scenarios with a representative characteristic, such as a color, pattern or symbol. In preferred embodiments, the representative characteristics are: a circular, solid black marker to denote an exact match (scenario 1 above); a circular, solid red marker to denote a row match (scenario 2 above); a circular, unfilled black marker to denote a column match (scenario 3 above); and a circular, unfilled red marker to denote a color-only match (scenario 4 above).
Marking elements are not used to provide feedback for playing elements which have a characteristic that is not present in the hidden code. For example, if the hidden code contained a single row of three blue playing elements and the second player guessed that the code contained three red playing elements, no marking elements would be used.
The four positively-identifiable scenarios above are indicated by placing the appropriate marking element into the marking area. When placing the marking elements into the marking area, the following rules apply:
Firstly, establish a match between corresponding pairs of playing elements and code elements in accordance with a predetermined order of importance. In preferred embodiments, the order of importance is as listed below:
Importantly, once a code element has been matched with a playing element, the code element cannot be matched again with a different playing element.
Secondly, allocate each matched pair of elements with the appropriate marking element, as described above. For example, in the examples described above, if no playing elements exactly match the characteristics and location of any of the hidden code elements, then the marking player does not include any solid black marking elements in the marking area. The scoring player would then proceed to consider whether any row-matches exist between the playing elements and the code elements.
As indicated above, there may be instances where matches may be made between multiple playing elements and multiple code elements in the hidden code. To ensure consistency only the most important, i.e. the highest-ranking, match is scored, as further described below. Priority is given to pairs of elements which can only be row-matched and not column-matched. This ensures that elements that only have one option of a row match will be row-matched first, whereas elements having two options still have the chance to be column-matched instead.
Three examples of how to determine which marking element should be used are provided in
In the example of
In accordance with the above, element “x” 503 is correctly scored by allocating priority to the elements which are only row-matched. In the case of
In the second example shown in
In the example shown in
Once feedback has been provided on the first attempt, further attempts are made on subsequent playing areas to thereby retain a historical record of the second player's attempts and the first player's feedback. This continues either until the second player correctly deduces the hidden code, or the player runs out of turns in which to decipher the code.
Two illustrative games are provided in
In
The final attempt in 611f, which includes one green element, one yellow element and two red elements, was marked with four solid black markers in marking area 612f, meaning that the guessing player correctly deciphered the code on the sixth attempt. As may be seen from the above description and marking area 612a, the guessing player's first attempt, which included one green element, one yellow element, one red element and one blue element, included three correct colors in the correct row, but wrong location, and one incorrect color.
In
As may be seen from
Although the code to be deciphered in
It is to be noted that the arrangement of holes in each marking area is unimportant. Marking pieces are placed in the marking holes in rank order in accordance with the above order of importance and it is sufficient that the number of holes in the marking area equals or exceeds the corresponding number of holes in the playing area.
In some embodiments, the two players may compete amongst themselves to determine an overall winner. The overall winner may be determined by awarding points to the winner of each round. In preferred embodiments, one point is awarded to the player who sets the target code for each incorrect attempt to decipher the code. An extra bonus point may be earned if the code remains unbroken after a pre-determined number of attempts. Accordingly, harder codes which take more turns to decipher earn the code-setter more points. The winner is the player with the most points after the pre-determined number of rounds have been played.
Although the above description refers to a physical playing board and playing pieces, it will be appreciated that the game as described above may also be played on an executable computer program that visualizes each of the physical aspects described above.
In such embodiments, the computer program may be executed on a computing device, such as a desktop computer, a laptop computer, a tablet computer, a personal digital assistant, a mobile telephone, a smartphone.
The executable computer program may comprise a Graphical User Interface. Embodiments of the invention may include an on-screen graphical user interface. The user interface may be provided, for example, in the form of a widget embedded in a web site, as an application for a device, or on a dedicated landing web page. Computer readable program instructions for implementing the graphical user interface may be downloaded to a client device from a computer readable storage medium via a network, for example, the Internet, a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN) and/or a wireless network. The instructions may be stored in a computer readable storage medium within the client device.
The computer readable program instructions may be stored on a non-transitory, tangible computer readable medium. The computer readable storage medium may include one or more of an electronic storage device, a magnetic storage device, an optical storage device, an electromagnetic storage device, a semiconductor storage device, a portable computer disk, a hard disk, a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or Flash memory), a static random access memory (SRAM), a portable compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), a digital versatile disk (DVD), a memory stick, a floppy disk.
While the present invention has been illustrated by a description of various embodiments, and while these embodiments have been described in considerable detail, it is not intended to restrict or in any way limit the scope of the appended claims to such detail. The various features shown and described herein may be used alone or in any combination. Additional advantages and modifications will readily appear to those skilled in the art. The invention in its broader aspects is therefore not limited to the specific details, representative apparatus and method, and illustrative example shown and described. Accordingly, departures may be made from such details without departing from the spirit and scope of the general inventive concept.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1902217.7 | Feb 2019 | GB | national |
