Patent Application
20190168107
This relates to a game of cards, especially a game of word cards. Typical word card games are limited to cards that bear single letters that a player must draw from a deck of similar cards in order to spell one or more words, and a person who must use a limited configuration of letters may experience increased frustration or boredom at having to come up with words to spell. Coming up with words to spell is largely a result of expanding one's lexicon , and this comes from learning even during moments of entertainment. U.S. Pat. No. 6,076,828 to McGill (2000) is a word card game that is strictly educational. U.S. Pat. No. 5,310,347 to Brand (1994), U.S. Pat. No. 5,417,432 to Dwyer (1995), U.S. Pat. No. 6,450,499 B1 to Letang (2002), and U.S. Pat. No. 6,575,468 B1 to Hall (2003) are word cards that are accompanied by pictures or definitions or numbers, other than point value numbers, which adds a level of complication to the player who wants quick rounds of entertainment. U.S. Pat. No. 5,014,996 to von Braunhut (1991) and U.S. Pat. No. 8,678,392 B2Alhazza (2014) are games that require arithmetic or more spelling after spelling a word, which can be useful for educational purposes but can take away from the fun aspect of playing a game. U.S. Pat. No. 6,966,556 B1 to Barry et al (2005) is a game that teaches spelling and building words. However, one may prefer his or her entertainment and education served at separate times.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,344,137 B2 to Loke (2008), U.S. Pat. No. 8,465,023 B2 to Scriven (2013), and U.S. Pat. No. 8,721,414 B1 to Alhazza (2014) are word card games that require that a player form one or more words with some of the cards in their respective hands before being able to discard the cards in play or else draw more cards in order to spell a word. Loke also names the winner as the last player to form a word while using wildcard and “special function” cards to his or her advantage. U.S. Pat. No. 4,219,197 to Acuff (1980) and U.S. Pat. No. 6,276,940 B1 to White (2001) are games made solely of single-letter cards that are played like poker, bridge, or other standard playing card games and merely use letters instead of numbers. U.S. Pat. No. 4,826,175 to Quatrino (1989), U.S. Pat. No. 4,923,199 to Hahn (1990), U.S. Pat. No. 6,234,486 B1 to Wallace (2001), and U.S. Pat. No. 7,182,344 B2 to Bloom (2007) are games that merely require drawing cards and making words by combining letters or making the most words or longest words. In fact, America's Favorite Card Games, of the United States of America, has sold a word card game named Quiddler that rewards for both the longest word and the most words after eight rounds of play.
The former Rivera Systems, of the United States of America, has sold a word card game named Whizord, which has several versions but basically claims the winner as the player who scores a certain number of points by spelling words with single-letter cards, and this is the typical and outdated word card game. Parker Brothers, of the United States of America, has sold a word card game named Lexicon, which plays like the game Scrabble where each card bears a letter and a point value but the lowest score wins. Victory Point Games, of the United States of America, has sold a word card game named Vie that uses square cards having one to four letters each where the winner is the player who has the highest score, an accumulation of the number of letters on each card used in play, after replacing as many cards as possible in each turn in order to alter a visible card. Multiple letters on each card can be confusing to the players to keep track of what word a player is spelling.
Word card games, as with most games of cards, typically require shuffling during each game to recycle the cards and after each game to ensure randomization of the cards for the next game, and needing to shuffle takes away from the enjoyment of the game especially if one is not good at shuffling. U.S. Pat. No. 5,409,237 to Marcley et al (1995) is merely a word-matching game where players use single-letter cards to spell a word cast at the start of the game. Scriven's word card game uses two-sided cards merely as an alternate option that contains the same type of playable face card. U.S. Pat. No. 6,412,781 B1 to Lund (2002) is a word card game where players are simultaneously under a time crunch to create as many words as they can from a hand full of letter combinations that must be positioned in a certain place within the words they spell, which also requires a lot for the player to have to keep track of between a set number of rounds. Quatrino's word card game declares the winner as the first player who reaches a certain score, which is the accumulation of the points designated on each card, after using the single-letter cards she or he is dealt in order to form words from letters within the same color group, which also presents an added cost in manufacturing the game. In fact, Gentertainment, of the United States of America, has sold a word card game named Tri-Virsity, where each card bears a letter and a point value and belongs to one of three suits, and the winner is the player with the highest score after creating words from letter cards within the same suit. I have found that recycling and randomization are largely a result of how the game is played and how a card can be kept in play or used again without jeopardizing the playability of the game during play. However, most word card games require shuffling because they require matching or assembling letters into a word or an order of some kind.
Word card games typically require more than one player, and a person who must find at least one other player is forced to rely on someone else to cure his or her boredom. U.S. Pat. No. 5,207,435 to Tanner (1993) and U.S. Pat. No. 5,586,765 to Lackey (1996) are games that have multiple words per card that other players must unscramble to form a recognizable word, and these games cannot be played with a solo player. U.S. Pat. No. 4,877,255 to von Braunhut (1989) and Charpentier are word card games that require stealing letters or words from other players, which requires at least two players. Letang, Lund, Scriven, and U.S. Pat. No. 6,986,512 B2to Charpentier (2006) are games that require apparatus other than the cards to effect game play, and this makes it inconvenient if not impossible to play solo. Solving boredom is largely a result of finding a means of entertainment that is independent of other people. However, one who is entertaining himself or herself may want the option to invite others to play the same game that he or she has first come to enjoy by himself or herself.
In conclusion, as far as I am aware, no game of cards, especially word cards, formerly developed provides an uncomplicated yet challenging and quick game solely of the provided cards, for one or many players, without having to shuffle the cards to recycle or randomize cards during or after game play.
A new game of cards has cards that each have two playable sides. A first playable side contains a word, letter, symbol, or number that a user must make his or her objective to change in some permissible manner. A second playable side contains a pair, including a symbolic instruction on how to effect change and at least one alphabetical or other symbol to use to effect the commanded change. A number of unique symbolic instructions form a set of second playable sides that oppose a set of first playable sides each first playable side in the set having the same word and point value. Each set of second playable sides may change several words, letters, symbols, or numbers but are specifically designed to change a set of first playable sides on cards other than cards that support the set of first playable sides that oppose said set of second playable sides. This allows the player to use the second playable side of each card while playing each round, to immediately recycle each used card to the bottom of the deck in order to use the first playable side of that card at a later point in the game, and to entertain himself or herself by playing a game solo or by challenging other players.
Accordingly, several advantages are to manufacture a game of cards that one or more players can cause to randomize and recycle during game play. Still further advantages will become apparent from a study of the following description and the accompanying drawings.
In manufacturing a game of cards 1, a manufacturer develops any number of ways to change one word, letter, symbol or number into some other recognizable word, letter, symbol or number, including a first way to effect change 2 by using a letter to replace another letter in a word, a second way to effect change 3 by adding a letter to a word, and a third way to effect change 4 by removing a letter from a word. The manufacturer compiles a list of words, letters, symbols or number, each word, letter, symbol or number on the list accepting the first 2, second 3 and third 4 way of being changed.
The manufacture produces a predetermined number of cards to form the game of cards 1. To ensure recycling during game play, each card has a first playable side 5 that supports a predetermined word, letter, number or symbol from the list and a second playable side 6 that supports a predetermined way to effect change to a specific word, letter, number or symbol. To ensure randomization during game play, for each word, letter, number or symbol in the list the manufacturer creates one second playable side for each of the predetermined ways to effect change and an opposing set of first playable sides, each first playable side in the set supporting that word, letter, number or symbol. The manufacture makes a first set of first playable sides 7 each supporting one word, letter, number or symbol and a predetermined number of points and opposing a set of second playable sides 13, each card supporting one of the ways to effect change 2, 3 or 4, each way being unique from the other ways.
A first playable side of a first card 8 supports a first word 9, letter, number or symbol and a corresponding point value 10. A first playable side of a second card 11 supports the same first word, letter number or symbol, and number of points. A first playable side of a third card 12 supports the same first word, letter, number or symbol and number of points. A second playable side of the first card 14 supports the first way to effect change 2 and at least one alphabet letter, number or symbol to effect the change. A second playable side of the second card 15 supports the second way to effect change 3 and at least one alphabet letter, number or symbol to effect the change. A second playable side of the third card 16 supports the third way to effect change 4 and at least one alphabet letter, number or symbol to effect the change.
To ensure a playable game, the manufacturer provides a set of cards having second playable sides that effect change especially to the opposing first playable sides of another set of cards. For ease of manufacturing, each set of first playable sides oppose a set of second playable sides that effect change to the previous set of first playable sides especially, the first set of first playable sides effecting change to a last set of cards containing a last word 17, letter, number or symbol.
Many new words will result from effecting one of the predetermined ways to effect change. However, to form a set of cards, the manufacturer need only choose one solution to make one new word per each way to effect change on a respective word. Additionally, for ease of manufacturing, the manufacturer provides sets of cards having first playable sides in a predetermined order and provides each set of second playable sides in a predetermined order of ways to effect change.
A manufacturer who desires to have a minimum of fifty-two cards with one way to effect change will produce a fifty-two words, letters, numbers or symbols. A manufacturer who desires to have a minimum of fifty-two cards with two ways to effect change will produce twenty-six words, letters, numbers or symbols. A manufacturer who desires to have a minimum of fifty-two cards with three ways to effect change will produce eighteen words, letters, numbers or symbols. A manufacturer who desires to have a minimum of fifty-two cards with four ways to effect change will produce thirteen words, letters, numbers or symbols. A manufacturer who desires to have a minimum of fifty-two cards with five ways to effect change will produce eleven words, letters, numbers or symbols. A manufacturer who desires to have a minimum of fifty-two cards with six ways to effect change will produce nine words, letters, numbers or symbols.
A manufacturer who desires to have a maximum of one-hundred-eight cards with one way to effect change will produce one-hundred-eight words, letters, numbers or symbols. A manufacturer who desires to have a maximum of one-hundred-eight cards with two ways to effect change will produce fifty-four words, letters, numbers or symbols. A manufacturer who desires to have a maximum of one-hundred-eight cards with three ways to effect change will produce thirty-six words, letters, numbers or symbols. A manufacturer who desires to have a maximum of 108 cards with four ways to effect change will produce twenty-seven words, letters, numbers or symbols. A manufacturer who desires to have a maximum of one-hundred-eight cards with five ways to effect change will produce twenty-one words, letters, numbers or symbols. A manufacturer who desires to have a maximum of one-hundred-eight cards with six ways to effect change will produce eighteen words, letters, numbers or symbols.
In playing a game of cards with a solo player, the solo player uses a deck of cards 18 first playable side facing up, and deals himself or herself a card and, thereby, a second playable side of a card used in a first hand of the solo player 19. The solo player then draws from the deck of cards 18 a first playable side of a first card cast in play 20.
The solo player takes a turn in a first round to attempt to use a symbolic instruction to replace a letter in the first playable side of the first card cast in play 21 with an alphabet letter to use as a replacement letter. The solo player wins the round when he or she replaces the “e” in “bone” with a “y” to make a new word “bony”, and he or she draws a replacement for the card the player used to effect change 24 from the deck of cards 18 and collects a number of points 23 from the first playable side of the first card cast in play 20 as his or her reward, and collects the reward card itself in order to use a second playable side of the first card cast in play 25, thus giving him or her a greater chance at effecting change to future cards set in play. The player flips over the second playable side of the card used in the first hand of the solo player 19 to the first playable side of the first hand 26, and places it beneath the deck of cards 18 in order to recycle as a first playable side to use later in the game.
The solo player draws from the deck of cards 18 a first playable side of a second card cast in play 27 but because he or she cannot use any of his or her second playable sides to effect change to the first playable side of a second card cast in play 27, he or she forfeits a turn and adds to his or her hand a new card the solo player draws from the deck of cards 28. The solo player keeps playing until he or she accumulates a predetermined number of points.
In a game with a plurality of players, a dealer sets in play and deals to each player a predetermined number of cards equal to the number of players, first playable side facing up so as to shield the second playable sides from other players. Where there are three players, the dealer deals to a first player immediately to the left of the dealer a second playable side of a first card dealt to said first player 30, to a player immediately to the left of the first player a second playable side of a second card to said second player 31, to himself or herself as a third player a second playable side of a third card to said third player 32, himself or herself, and a first playable side of a first card set in play 33 to an area accessible to all players. The dealer continues by dealing to a second playable side of a second card dealt to the first player 34, the second player 35, and the third player 36, and a first playable side of a second card set in play 37. The dealer concludes by dealing a second playable side of a third card dealt to the first player 38, the second player 39, and the third player 40, and a first playable side of a third card set in play 41.
A first round of play begins when the first player takes a turn to use one of his or her cards to make any one of the cards set in play into a new word, or else forfeit his or her turn. The first player uses the second playable side of the second card dealt to the first player 34 to change the first playable side of the second card set in play 37, making a new word “row”. The first player then places the card he or she used beside the card he or she changed, and he or she uses the deck of cards 29 to draw a replacement for the card the first player used 42.
The second player must change a card that the first player has not already changed or else the second player forfeits his or her turn. The second player uses the second playable side of the third card dealt to the second player 39 to change the first playable side of the first playable side of the third card set in play 41, making a new word “faces”. The second player then places the card he or she used beside the card he or she change, and he or she uses the deck of cards 29 to draw a replacement for the card the second player used 43.
The third player must change a card that neither the first or the second player has changed or else the third player forfeits his or her turn. The third player uses the second playable side of the first card dealt to the third player 32 to change the first playable side of the first card set in play 33, making a new word “grain”. The third player then places the card he or she used beside the card he or she change, and he or she uses the deck of cards 29 to draw a replacement for the card the second player used 44.
A winner of each round is declared to be the player who was last to be able to effect change to any of the first playable sides of the cards set in play. The winner collects the cards set in play that are paired with a second playable side that effected change to it, and that player gets the points from the cards set in play and the use of the opposing second playable sides. The third player, the winner of the first round, collects 13 points as well as the second playable side of the first card set in play 46, the second playable side of the second card set in play 47, and the second playable side of the third card set in play 48 to use in subsequent rounds of play.
A next dealer is the player who took the first turn in the first round. In a second round, the first player is the player who was second in the first round, the second player is the player who was third in the first round, and the third player is the player who was first in the first round. The next dealer collects the cards that the players used to effect change, namely the second card of the second playable side of a second card dealt to the first player 34, the second playable side of a third card dealt to the second player 39, and the second playable side of a first card dealt to a third player 32, and said next dealer groups those three cards, flips them over to the first playable side, and makes them recycled cards 45 to add to the bottom of the deck of cards 29.
The next dealer uses the top of the deck of cards 29 to reset the cards that the winner of the first found collected by drawing set in play with a first playable side of a fourth card set in play 49, a first playable side of a fifth card set in play 50, and a first playable side of a sixth card set in play 51. The first player in the second round takes a turn attempting to change any one of the cards into another word, and he or she uses an “e” to replace a letter in the word “hair” in order to make a new word “heir”. When the cards set in play bear the same word, subsequent players must create a new word that has not been created by another player in that round. The second player must forfeit his or her turn because he or she has no card that will effect change properly. The third player wins the round by adding a “y” to “hair” to make a new word “hairy”.
Accordingly, the reader will notice that the cards are not merely reversible but actually encourage continued play through self-randomization and self-recycling.
Although the description above contains many specificities, these should not be construed as limiting the scope of the embodiments but as merely providing illustrations of some of several embodiments. For example, the first playable side of the card can contain any word, and the second playable side of the card can contain various options for symbols indicating what a player is to do as well as any letter or combination of letters.
Thus the scope and embodiments should be determined by the appended claims and their legal equivalents, rather than by the examples given.
This application claims the benefit of provisional patent application No. 62,430,428, filed Dec. 6, 2016 by the present inventor. The substitute attached contains no new matter.
