Patent Application
20080169603
This application relates generally to toys and games and, more particularly, to a game for two players in which each player attempts to possess more nodes on a gameboard than the other player.
Games have in the past and continue to be popular sources of entertainment amongst families and friends. The best games seem to have an element of competition, strategy, and chance while enabling players who are skillful, clever, or observant to excel and win. In addition, popular games often have an element of simulated control over a defined territory or over opposing players.
Various games have been proposed in the art having tokens movable between nodes on a gameboard with a player having the goal of positioning three tokens on adjacent nodes and thus controlling sections of the gameboard relative to an opponent. Although assembly effective for their entertainment purposes, the existing games do not provide a structure for enabling tokens to be easily moved between nodes while still effectively retaining the tokens even if the gameboard is accidentally bumped or disturbed. Further, the existing games do not provide electronic or computer software embodiments.
Therefore, it would be desirable to have a game in which players may move and position a plurality of tokens between and upon predetermined nodes on a gameboard in an attempt to position them in adjacent groups of three while also preventing an opponent from doing the same. Further, it would be desirable to have a game in which achieving desired linear groups of three tokens prevents another player from controlling nodes on the gameboard. In addition, it would be desirable to have a game in which tokens are easily movable between nodes of a gameboard yet that securely retains the position of said tokens if the gameboard is inadvertently disturbed.
Therefore, a game according to the present invention includes a gameboard having a top surface, a plurality of nodes extending below the top surface and being accessible from the top surface and defining a plurality of channels extending below the top surface and connecting the nodes. The game also includes a plurality of tokens in which each respective token includes a configuration that is positionable in each respective node from adjacent the top surface and that is movable along each respective channel.
Each node includes one of a magnet and a metal element. Each token includes the other of a magnet and metal element such that a token may be magnetically held in place when positioned over a desired node. The gameboard may also be foldable between deployed and storage configurations. Accordingly, a token may be moved along the channels between nodes, the channels and tokens being configured to allow movement yet not allowing the token to be removed therefrom. Once positioned at a node, the token may be held there magnetically until proactively moved or removed therefrom.
A method of game play is also provided as will be further described in detail later. The game may be embodied in several forms, including a traditional gameboard, a travel version, and various electronic forms.
Therefore, a general object of this invention is to provide a game for two players in which each player attempts to control selected nodes in linear groups of three nodes and thus eliminating possible nodes able to be controlled by the other player.
Another object of this invention is to provide a game, as aforesaid, that promotes strategy and competition.
Still another object of this invention is to provide a game, as aforesaid, having a plurality of tokens that are individually movable along channels of a gameboard between spaced apart nodes.
Yet another object of this invention is to provide a game, as aforesaid, in which a player may eliminate another player's tokens by aligning his own tokens on nodes in linear succession of three nodes.
A further object of this invention is to provide a game, as aforesaid, that may be moved between deployed and storage configurations.
A still further object of this invention is to provide a game, as aforesaid, that may be embodied in an electronic form.
Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein is set forth by way of illustration and example, embodiments of this invention.
A game 100 according to the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to
The gameboard 110 has a top surface 112, a plurality of nodes 114 extending below the top surface 112, and a plurality of channels 116 extending below the top surface and connecting the nodes 114. The nodes 114 are accessible from the top surface 112, and all of the nodes 114 may have a generally constant diameter. In other words, each node diameter may be generally equal to each other node diameter.
The channels 116 may be flared beneath the gameboard top surface 112. More particularly, as shown in
The diameter of each channel lower portion 116b may be generally equal to the diameter of each of the nodes 114. As shown in
Each token 130 has a configuration 130a that is positionable in each respective node 114 from adjacent the top surface 112 and that is movable along each respective channel 116, as shown in
As shown in
While the gameboard 110 may have different configurations in accordance with the current invention, in one currently preferred configuration the channels 116 define and connect concentric rectangles 140. More particularly, the channels 116 define three concentric rectangles 140 and connect the nodes 114 to form twenty linear segments 142, with each linear segment 142 (including each respective rectangle side) having three nodes 114 (
In use, the gameboard 110 and the tokens 130 described above (including the first lot having first indicia and the second lot having second indicia) may be provided. A first player may place a respective token 130 having first indicia inside a respective node 114, a second player may place another respective token 130 having second indicia inside another respective node 114, and the players may alternate until all of the tokens 130 are inside the nodes 114. The first player may then move a respective token 130 having first indicia from one node 114 to another node 114 by sliding the token 130 along the channel 116, the second player may move a respective token 130 having second indicia from one node 114 to another node 114 by sliding the token 130 along the channel 116, and the players may alternate moving tokens 130 in this fashion. In moving the tokens 130, the first player may try to position three of the tokens 130 having first indicia in all three nodes 114 of any of the twenty linear segments 142, and the second player may also try to position three of the tokens 130 having second indicia in all three nodes 114 of any of the twenty linear segments 142. When a player positions three of his tokens in a linear segment as described above, he declares “Weblock” and is entitled to take an action as described below.
The first player may remove a respective token 130 having second indicia from the gameboard 110 when the first player positions three of the tokens 130 having first indicia in all three nodes 114 of any of the twenty linear segments 142, (i.e. establishes a “weblock”) and the second player may remove a respective token 130 having first indicia from the gameboard 110 when the second player positions three of the tokens 130 having second indicia in all three nodes 114 of any of the twenty linear segments 142. Once a player removes a predetermined amount of the tokens 130 from the gameboard 110, he may be determined to have won.
A gameboard 210 according to another embodiment of the present invention is shown in
A game 300 according to yet another embodiment of the present invention is shown in
It is understood that while certain forms of this invention have been illustrated and described, it is not limited thereto except insofar as such limitations are included in the following claims and allowable functional equivalents thereof.
