Patent Application
20220305367
The present invention relates to a game toy and, in particular, to a game toy used for a trading card game.
In a trading card game (TCG), two players have alternating action turns (“attack” and “defense” turns). In their own action turn, the player places, in a field, an attack card (e.g., a character) from their hand. Thus, the player can take an attack action on one of a plurality of cards that are placed by the opponent player. If after several turns, a condition that disables the action of the opponent player is met, the player wins.
In general, in TCG, a cost is associated with an attack card. The player can place the card in the field or take an attack action by consuming their own points during the game. In order to guarantee the fairness of the game, a higher cost is allocated to a card that makes the progress of the game advantageous. For example, the condition for placing the card in the field is strictly set. For this reason, in order to place an attack card that is high cost in the field, the player needs to not place an attack card on the field on several action turns but place a card that increases their own points and wait for a chance (Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2006-247178).
As mentioned above, in TCG, there may be turns that end with only actions to increase player's own points and, thus, the game play may become monotonous. In addition, managing the earned points may bother the player. Furthermore, since the playing time increases, the player's interest and attention may not be maintained throughout the entire game.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a game toy used to play a trading card game that prevents the game progress from becoming monotonous.
In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a game toy played with a first player and a second player. The game toy includes a play field configured such that a first placement region that is provided for each of the players and that allows a physical game component associated with a game element to be placed thereon is visually identifiable and an indicator configured to indicate which one of the players currently takes their action turn during game progress. The indicator includes a marker movable in accordance with at least one of placement of the physical game component in the first placement region and use of the physical game component during game play, and the indicator indicates which one of the players currently takes their action turn by using a position at which the marker is placed.
According to the present invention, such a configuration provides a trading card game that prevents the game progress from becoming monotonous.
An exemplary embodiment of the present invention is described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that according to the embodiment described below, the present invention is applied to, as an example of a game toy, a toy with a set consisting of a play field having an indicator integrated thereinto and game cards. However, the present invention is applicable to any game toy which is played with two players and which consists of a physical game component, a play field that allows the physical game components arranged therein, and a indicator for providing visual information as to which one of the players takes this action turn.
The configuration of a game toy used for a game play of the trading card game (TCG) according to the present embodiment is described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.
According to the TCG of the present embodiment, game play can be started by setting a deck of a set of cards for each of the players. The deck includes a prescribed number of game cards. Basically, each of the game cards is associated with one of two types of game elements, that is, a character and an effect, and can be visually identified by an image and text printed on the front face of the card.
The game cards each associated with a character include an avatar card which serves as an alter ego to the player in the game and a unit card mainly used for the battle action. That is, the game cards play different roles in the game and have different composition thereof.
Due to the nature of the game, the actions that can be taken by the player not having any card in their hand are limited. Accordingly, the ability 212 of each of the avatar cards 210 includes an ability to take at least one game card 200 from a stock among a plurality of decks. The stock includes the game cards 200 each having no specific role assigned thereto and being not placed face upward.
In addition,
In addition, as illustrated in
As described above, for each of the unit card 220 and the effect card 230, the cost necessary for placing or presenting the card from the player's hand into the play field 100 is predetermined. In a TCG according to the present embodiment, the action turn is given back to the opponent player in accordance with cost consumption of each of the players.
In addition, the types of game cards used According to the TCG of the present embodiment are only the avatar card 210, the unit card 220, and the effect card 230. Unlike existing technologies, the TCG does not include a game card used to earn points for cost consumption.
As described above, the TCG according to the present embodiment is configured such that each of the players can arrange the game cards 200 included in their deck in the play field 100 on the basis of the roles of the game cards 200, and the play field 100 may be formed in, for example, a sheet shape. As illustrated in
More specifically, as illustrated in
According to the TCG of the present embodiment, two players (the players 300a and 300b) play in a face-to-face fashion. As illustrated in
In addition, as illustrated in
More specifically, as illustrated in
In the example illustrated in
As illustrated in
According to the present embodiment, the numbers printed in the cells 113 starting from the cell 113 closest to the central cell 112 are natural numbers starting with “1” and going up by ones. However, the embodiments of the present invention is not limited thereto. In the movement path 111, a series of numbers that goes up by any amount as the cell 113 is located farther from the central cell 112 can be employed. In this case, it is desirable that the amount be determined on the basis of a numerical value that can be used as the cost. In the example illustrated
During the game play, if the marker 120 is moved and placed in the central cell 112 (the boundary area 116), the action turn is determined in accordance with the position at which the marker 120 is located before the movement. That is, even when the marker 120 is moved and reaches the central cell 112 during the action turn, the marker 120 has not reached the area of the indicator 110 on the side of the opponent player. Accordingly, the action turn remains unchanged. That is, if the marker 120 located in the first area 114 is moved and reaches the central cell 112, the player 300a continuously takes their action turn. If the marker 120 located in the second area 115 is moved and reaches the central cell 112, the player 300b continuously takes their action turn.
Furthermore, while the present embodiment is described with reference to the indicator 110 integrated with the play field 100, it is appreciated that the indicator 110 may be separated from the play field 100. That is, the indicator 110 may be an article that has a surface on which the marker 120 is movably placed and that can be placed in the play field 100. For example, the indicator 110 may be included in a game toy in the form of indicator cards provided separately from game cards. Like the play field 100, by bringing the sides of the cards of the players into contact with each other, the indicator 110 may be formed. Alternatively, a single card may include a connected indicator 110 (the entire indicator 110).
The game progress and visual information provided by the indicator 110 according to the TCG of the present embodiment are described below.
To start playing the game, it is necessary to arrange the game cards 200 in the play field 100 and to set the marker 120 on the indicator 110. Each of the players 300 selects one avatar card to be used and places the avatar card face upward in the avatar zone 101 first. In addition, the player 300 shuffles the deck that does not contain the avatar card 210 placed in the avatar zone 101, stacks the game cards of the deck face downward, which are equal in number to the number of available guardians 213 printed on the avatar card 210. Thereafter, the player 300 places the game cards in the guardian zone 102. Subsequently, the player 300 stacks the remaining game cards of the deck face downward and places the game cards in the deck zone 104. The remaining game cards form a stock.
After the stock is placed, each of the players takes five game cards from the stock in their own play field 100 as hands. In addition, a player who takes the first action turn (a first player) is determined by a dice roll or the like. At this time, the marker 120 is placed in the central cell 112 of the indicator 110, and the game play can be started.
After game play is started, the two players alternately take action turns, and the game progresses until the end condition is satisfied. The action which the player can take in each action turn, the movement of the game card caused by the action, and a change in visual information provided by the indicator 110 are described below with reference to the flowchart illustrated in
In step S501, if the player who is in their action turn (an action player) finds the game card that has completed the action (due to the action performed in the previous action turn) in the play field 100 of their own, the player sets the game card in a not-yet-acted mode. In addition, if the uppermost game card in the guardian zone 102 is face up, the action player moves the game card into the trash zone 105. Whether the game card is in an already-acted mode or the not-yet-acted mode may be determined by, for example, determining whether the game card is placed in the play field 100 vertically or horizontally.
In step S502, the action player selects the ability to be invoked in the current action turn on the basis of the description of the ability 212 of the avatar card 210 and resolves the action or effect related to the ability. As mentioned above, the type of ability of the avatar card 210 that can be invoked varies depending on the avatar level, that is, the number of avatar cards 210 stacked in the avatar zone 101. The action player selects any one of the abilities that can be invoked and resolves the action or the effect on the basis of the printed descriptions. The abilities may include, for example, acquisition of a game card from the stock and movement of the marker 120 on the indicator 110.
In S503, the main phase related to the current action turn is started, and the action player can take any of the following actions as many times as desired as long as the action turn continues. The actions that can be taken in the main phase include the following four actions:
1. Placing the avatar card 210 in hand on top of the avatar card 210 in avatar zone 101
2. Placing the unit card 220 in hand in the unit zone 103 and setting the unit card 220 in an actionable mode
3. Exposing the effect card 230 in hand to use the effect related to the card
4. Setting, among the unit cards 220 arranged in the unit zone 103, the card in a not-yet-acted mode to an already-acted mode and performing a battle action related to the card
Among the above-described actions, Actions 2 and 3 require consumption of the cost indicated by the game card.
Note that the use of the effect according to Action 3 is performed according to the description printed in the usage-time effect 233 of the corresponding unit card 220. The effect of the unit card 220 may be applied to the unit card 220 placed in the unit zone 103 of the play field 100 of the action player or the opponent player, for example. After resolving the effect, the action player moves the card into the trash zone 105.
In addition, the battle action related to Action 4 is performed on the unit card 220 placed in the unit zone 103 or the avatar card 210 placed in the avatar zone 101 of the play field 100 of the opponent player. Accordingly, when performing the battle action related to the unit card 220, the action player selects which one of the cards is the target of the action.
If the battle action is performed on the unit card 220 placed for the opponent player, the success or failure of the action is determined by comparing the power value 224 of the unit card 220 that takes the battle action with the power value 224 of the target unit card 220. According to the TCG of the present embodiment, the unit card 220 with a larger power value 224 wins the battle action, and each of the players operates the corresponding unit cards 220 in accordance with the result of the battle action. That is, the unit card 220 that has won the battle action is allowed to remain in the play field 100. In contrast, the unit card 220 that has lost the battle action is moved to the trash zone 105 of the play field 100 of the same player.
If the battle action is performed on the avatar card 210 placed for the opponent player, the success or failure of the action changes depending on the game cards placed in the guardian zone 102. According to the TCG of the present embodiment, the end condition is satisfied at the time when the battle action against the avatar card 210 is performed, and the player who has taken the battle action using the unit card 220 wins. However, as described above, the game cards are placed in the guardian zone 102 in order to guard the avatar. Accordingly, if a game card is placed in the guardian zone 102 of the opponent player, the target of the battle action can be changed from the avatar card 210 to the uppermost game card placed in the guardian zone 102. Thus, the condition that the action player wins the game is satisfied if the action player takes a battle action against the avatar card 210 of the opponent player when no game card is placed in the guardian zone 102 of the opponent player.
When a battle action against the avatar card 210 is declared, the opponent player can request the action player to change the declared target of the battle action to the uppermost game card, since a game card is placed in the guardian zone 102. At this time, if the game card in the guardian zone 102 is a face-down card (if the uppermost game card is face down), the opponent player turns up (opens) the face-down game card and reveals the game card in the guardian zone 102. If the uppermost game card in the guardian zone 102 is a unit card 220, the card can be used as a target of the battle action against the avatar card 210. That is, like the case where the battle action against the unit card 220 placed in the guardian zone 102 is declared, the result of the battle can be obtained by comparing the power values 224 with each other. At this time, if the unit card 220 of the action player wins, the uppermost game card in the guardian zone 102 of the opponent player is moved to the trash zone 105. However, if the unit card 220 in the guardian zone 102 of the opponent player wins, the unit card 220 can continuously remain in the guardian zone 102, and the unit card 220 of the action player that took the battle action is moved into the trash zone 105 of the action player.
If the uppermost game card in the guardian zone 102 is an avatar card 210, the opponent player places the avatar card 210 on top of the card in the avatar zone 101 similarly to the case where the opponent player has the avatar card 210 in their hand. Thus, the opponent player can increase the avatar level. However, if the uppermost game card in the guardian zone 102 is an effect card 230, the opponent player can add the effect card 230 to their hand and use the effect card 230 when the opponent player takes their own action turn. That is, in the case where a battle action against the avatar card 210 is declared by the action player, if the uppermost game card in the guardian zone 102 is not the unit card 220, the opponent player moves the game card to a predetermined position. Accordingly, the opponent player needs to repeat opening the game card until the uppermost game card in the guardian zone 102 becomes a unit card 220.
When one action taken by the action player is resolved, it is determined in S504 whether the victor has been determined as a result of the battle action taken by the action player. That is, it is determined whether the action player declared a battle action using the unit card 220 placed in the unit zone 103 and it is determined whether the action taken against the avatar card 210 has been achieved. If the victor has been determined as a result of the battle action taken by the action player, the current game play ends. However, if the victor has not been determined, the game play proceeds to S505.
In step S505, it is determined whether the action is an action that requires movement of the marker 120, that is, whether the action is an action performed while consuming the costs. If one of the actions performed is an action that requires the movement of the marker 120, the game proceeds to S506. However, if the action is an action that does not require movement of the marker 120, the game play proceeds to S508.
In step S506, the action player moves the marker 120 on the indicator 110 along the movement path the number of cells equal to the costs consumed by placing the unit card 220 in hand in the unit zone 103 or by using the effect card 230 in hand. Thus, the action player 110 changes the cell in which the marker 120 is located.
If, in S507, the moved marker 120 is placed in the cell 113 in the area of the opponent player (that is, the second area 115 when the action player is the player 300a), the action turn of the action player ends. Accordingly, the action turn is passed to the opponent player, and the game play returns to S501 (the opponent player becomes the next action player). However, if the moved marker 120 is placed in the cell 113 in the area of the action player (that is, the first area 114 when the action player is the player 300b) or the central cell 112 in the boundary area 116, the action player continuously takes the action turn. Accordingly, the game play proceeds to S508.
In step S508, the action player determines whether to end the action turn forcibly. According to the TCG of the present embodiment, even when the marker 120 on the indicator 110 has not been moved into the area of the opponent player, the action player can forcibly end their action turn and declare that the opponent player subsequently takes an action turn. That is, even when the action player consumes all the costs in an action turn, the action player can take into account the cards in their hand and the exposed cards in the play field 100 of the opponent player and strategically decide to pass their action turn to the opponent player. If the action player forcibly ends their action turn, inconsistency occurs in the visual information provided by the indicator 110. Accordingly, the marker 120 is forcibly moved to and set in a predetermined cell 113 (for example, a cell labeled “3”) in the area of the opponent player, and the action turn is passed to the opponent player. Thereafter, the game play returns to S501. However, if the action player does not end their action turn, the game play returns to S503, where the action player performs another action on the same turn.
As described above, according to the TCG provided by using the game toy of the present embodiment, a situation that occurs in existing technologies does not occur in which a player needs to place a game card for earning points for cost consumption and continue their turn until the player earns sufficient points does not occur. As a result, it is possible to provide a game play that gives the players a sense of tension. That is, according to the TCG provided by using the game toy of the present embodiment, each time the player takes their action turn, the player can take an action that requires consumption of costs. In addition, since the action turn is passed to the opponent player in accordance with the consumption of costs, it is possible to provide the players with a suitable play experience of the game while ensuring game balance and strategic attack-defense interactions between the players.
According to the above-described embodiment, the indicator 110 has a placement section configured to allow the movable marker 120 to be placed thereon, and the player moves and places the marker 120 in accordance with consumption of costs that occurs during the progress of the game, so that the indicator tells which player currently takes their action turn. However, implementation of the present invention is not limited thereto.
That is, the indicator 110 can be any indicator configured to be capable of acquiring information about the amount of cost consumed in the action turn and configured to present, to the players, movement of the marker 120 along the movement path on the basis of the acquired information. For example, as illustrated in
It should be noted that the configuration may be achieved such that an operation member used to input the information about the consumed amount of cost is provided, and the player may input the information by using the operation member. Alternatively, for example, each of the game cards may have cost consumption information thereon, and a display device may include a reader capable of acquiring the cost consumption information. In this manner, the cost consumption information can be acquired from the game card, and the player need not manually input the cost consumption information.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017-201919 | Oct 2017 | JP | national |
This application is a National Stage Application, filed under 35 U.S.C. § 371, of International Application No. PCT/JP2018/028080, filed Jul. 26, 2018, which claims priority to Japanese Application No. 2017-201919, filed Oct. 18, 2017; the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety.
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/JP2018/028080 | 7/26/2018 | WO |
