Patent Application
20240325868
The disclosure of Japanese Patent Application No. 2023-050117 filed on Mar. 27, 2023 including specification, drawings and claims is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
The present invention relates to a game toy.
Among competitive card games, there is a game where multiple types of cards placed on a playmat can be combined in order to activate special effects (For example, Patent Document 1).
There is a desire to enhance enjoyability of a card game without increasing the number of card types. Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a game toy capable of enhancing the enjoyability of such a card game.
One of the aspects of the present invention is a game toy. The game toy includes first type game items and second type game items, and a playmat having a first placement area and a second placement area, for placing game items including the first and second type game items. Each of the first type game items has first information including information for placing the fast type game item in the first placement area, and second information indicating an attack value against an opponent's game items. The second type game items fulfills a first function serving as an element of the first information, and a second function to increase the second information.
According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a game toy for enhancing the enjoyability of the game toy.
A first embodiment according to the present invention will be explained below. The present invention relates to a game toy, and the game relates to a competitive game where players battle against each other by placing game items on a playmat. Characters are associated with the respective game items, and two or more areas for placing game items are allocated on the playmat. Players place game items in any one of the regions (areas) on the playmat and play the game using the abilities of the characters respectively associated with the game items.
The game cards 2 correspond to the game items described above and are cards owned by the players. The players can acquire such game cards 2 through purchase, exchange of the cards between players, distribution to players who have met certain conditions, and the like.
Each of the game cards 2 has front side face and a back side face. A common design, symbol, and/or text is drawn on the back side face of each game card regardless of the card types, and is common to all the game cards. In other words, the front side face of the game card 2 cannot be identified from the back side face thereof.
The game card 2 has a normal orientation where a player can read the content written on the front side face of the game card 2 without changing the orientation. In the description set forth below, the state where the game card 2 is placed in the normal orientation is referred to as an active state. A state of a lateral orientation thereof where the game card 2 is rotated by 90 degrees from the normal orientation, is referred to as a rest state. A predetermined orientation may be designated as the active state in advance, and the game card 2 may be considered to be in the rest state when the orientation of the game card is changed from the predetermined orientation.
In the present embodiment, two or more types of front side face are prepared as game cards 2. Each of the game cards 2 has a different front side face depending on a type written in the information. In the description set forth below, an example will be explained, using game cards 2 without color information, such as the cost card 10 (corresponding to a second type game items), game cards 2 with color information, such as character cards 20 (corresponding to a first type game items), leader cards 30 (corresponding to a third type game items), stage cards 40, and event cards 50. As long as there are such cards without color information and such cards with color information, any number of types of the game cards 2 can be set. Each of the players construct a deck by using a predetermined number of game cards 2 and a predetermined number of cost cards 10 belonging to the same color information. This color information represents a type of a character associated with the game card 2, and, for example, characters associated with game cards 2 having the same color information are of the same type, which may represent a team (party), episode, etc. In other words, the characters associated with the game cards 2 belonging to the same color information indicate the same team (partners). A deck constructed from such game cards 2 belonging to the same color information is also a collection of characters and skills associated with the same team (party). Additionally, a single game card 2 may have multiple types of color information. In this case, although the game card 2 is associated with a single character, the character belongs to two or more types of, for example, team, episode). Furthermore, when the player battles against an opponent, the player may use such game cards 2 belonging to the same color information or may use game cards 2 belonging to different color information.
The second function is a function for increasing the attack value in information of a character card 20 or a leader card 30 when combined with the cost card 10. In this card game, the cost card 10 placed on the playmat 3 can be used by combining it with a character card 20 or a leader card 30. When the player combines the cost card 10 with the character card 20 or the leader card 30 during his or her turn, the attack value of the game card is increased.
As illustrated in
The card type information 11 includes information from which the card type can be identified as a character card. The card identification information 21 includes information from which the game card 2 can be uniquely identified. The color Information 22 contains information capable of identifying color to which the game card 2 belongs. The character name 23 includes the name of the character associated with the game card 2. An image of the character associated with the game card is drawn as a character image 24. The cost information 25 includes a numerical value of the cost (condition) required for the player to place the character card 20 from his or her hand onto the playmat 3. In the example in
The card type Information 11 indicates that the card is a leader card. Similar to that of the character card 20, the card identification information 21 includes information from which the game card 2 can be uniquely identified. Similar to that of the character card 20, the color information 22 includes information capable of identifying color to which the game card belongs. The character name 23 includes the name of a character associated with the game card similar to that of the character cards 20. Similar to that of the character cards 20, an image of the character associated with the game card is drawn as the character image 24. The life information 27 contains information of the number of character cards 20 which can be placed in the life area of the playmat 3 at the beginning of the game. Similar to that of character cards 20, the power information 26 includes a numerical value indicating an attack value against the opponent's game card 2. Additionally, a leader card 30 is associated with a character who becomes a leader of characters who are associated with character cards 20 having the same color information.
The card type information 11 indicates that the card is a stage card. The color information 22 incudes information for identifying the color of the game card. The stage name 41 includes the name of a stage associated with the game card. The stage image 24 includes an image of the stage associated with the game card. It is most preferable that the stage image 24 include an image, by which at least part of the effect the stage card 40 has can be intuitively recognized. As such, since the players can intuitively understand some of the effects even if they do not memorize the effect of each stage card 40, the progress of the game won't be delayed in order to grasp the effect(s) that the card has, so that the enjoyability of the game will not be lost. The cost information 25 includes a numerical value of the cost required for the player to place the stage card 40 from his or her hand onto the playmat 3. The effect information 26 contains information about the effect(s) of the stage card obtained when the card is placed on the playmat 3.
The card type information 11 includes information which makes it to possible to recognize the card as an event card. The color information 22 includes information which makes it possible to recognize which color the game card belongs to. The name of an event associated with the game card is written as the event name 51. The event image 52 includes an image of the event associated with the game card. It is most preferable that the event image 52 include an image, by which at least part of the effect(s) the event card 50 has can be intuitively recognized. In this way, the players can intuitively understand some of the effects even if they do not memorize the effects of each of the event cards 50, the progress of the game won't be disturbed due to grasping the effect(s) that the card has, so that the enjoyability of the game will not be lost. The cost information 25 includes a numerical value of the necessary cost for the player to place the event card 50 from his or her hand onto the playmat 3. The effect information 26 contains information about the effects of the event card 50 which will be obtained at time when the event card 50 is placed on the playmat 3.
Next, the playmat 3 will be explained referring
On the playmat 3, multiple areas (regions) are formed. These multiple areas indicate places where the player may place game cards 2. In the following explanation, an example with eight areas, that is, a deck area 31, a character area 32, a leader area 33, a stage area 34, a cost deck area 35, a cost area 36, a life area 37, and an out-of-gam area 38 will be used for the explanation. These eight areas may be any areas as long as they may have different roles. The names of these areas may be any as long as the players can understand the names of the areas when playing.
As shown in
The deck area 31 is an area where a deck constructed by a player is placed wherein the deck is made up of stacked game cards 20 in a state where they may not be identifiable. That is, the deck area 31 is an area where the game cards 20 are stacked and placed so that front faces of the game cards are faced down.
The character area 32 is an area where cost cards 10 and character cards 20 can be placed. The character card(s) 20 is placed from the player's hand if the value of the cost information 25 of the character card 20 is equal to or less than the total number of cost cards 10 placed in the cost area 36. The cost cards 10 to be placed in the character area 32 are moved from the cost area 36 only if the cost cards 10 are in the active state. The cost cards 10 placed in the character area 32 are placed under the character cards 20 so that part of the cost cards 10 is hidden. In the following explanation, placing the cost cards 10 under the character cards 20 is referred to as “to give a power to the character card 20.” By giving the power to a character card, the attack value of the character card 20 increases. For simplification in the following explanation, an example is described referring to case where the attack value of the character cards 20 increases by “1000” points each time one cost card 10 is stacked.
The character cards 20 placed in the character area 32 can attack either a character card 20 placed in the character area 32 of the opponent player or a leader card 30 placed in the leader area 33 of the opponent player.
The leader area 33 is an area where a leader card 30 and a cost card(s) 10 are placed. The leader card 30 in the leader area 33 is placed from the beginning of the game. The cost card 10 to be placed in the leader area 33 is placed there by moving it from the cost area 36, but only the cost card 10 in an active state which is placed in cost area 36 become movable. The cost cards placed in the leader area 33 are placed under the leader card 30 so that part of them is hidden. In the explanation set forth below, “to place the cost cards 10 under a leader card 30” is referred to as “to give a power to a leader card 30.” This power giving increases the attack value of the leader card 30. In order to simplify the explanation, in the example set forth below, each time one cost card 10 is stacked, the attack value of the leader card 30 is increases by “1000” points. Similar to the power given to the character card 20, in this embodiment, the attack value is increased by “1000” points in the power giving to the leader card 30 each time a cost card 10 is stacked. But the attach value to be increased in the power giving to the character card 30 may differ from that in the power giving to the leader card 30.
The stage area 34 is an area where a stage card(s) 40 can be placed. The stage card 40 is placed from the player's hand if the total value of cost information 25 of the stage card 40 is less than or equal to the total number of the cost cards 10 placed in the cost area 36.
The cost deck area 35 is an area where a cost cards 10 can be placed. At the start of the game, a predetermined number of cost cards 10 are stacked and placed in the cost deck area 35. In the description set forth below, for simplicity thereof, ten cost cards 10 are stacked and placed in the cost deck area 35 at the start of the game.
The cost area 36 is an area where a predetermined number of cost cards 10 are placed from the cost deck area 35. In the following description of the example, two cost cards 10 are drawn and placed from the cost deck area 35.
The life area 37 is an area where at least any ones of character cards 20, stage cards 130, and event cards 50, are placed as many as a numerical value written on the life information 27 of the leader card 30, which are placed in the leader area 33. The out-of-game area 38 is an area where used game cards 2 are placed.
The player places his or her playmat 3 so as to face the opponent's playmat 3. The player selects a character card(s) 20, a stage card(s) 40, and an event card(s) 50 with the same color information, thereby constructing a deck to be placed in the deck area 31. The number of cards in the constructed deck is predetermined. In this explanation, fifty cards are used as an example. The constructed deck is placed in the deck area 31 so that the front side faces thereof face down. The player selects one leader card 30 with the same color information as that of the constructed deck and places it so as to face up in the leader area 33. A predetermined number of cost cards 10 are placed in the cost deck area 35. In this explanation set forth below, ten cost cards are used as an example. The player draws a predetermined number of game cards from game cards placed in the deck area 31 to form his or her hand. In this case, it is assumed that he or she draws five game cards 2.
The player draws game cards 2, whose number is equal to the number of cards written in the life information 27 of the leader card 30 placed in the leader area 33, from the stacked game cards 2 placed in the deck area 31, and places them so as to face down in the life area 37.”
When the game begins, the turn order, either the first move and the last attack, is determined between the players. Turns proceed in alternating fashion, starting with the player of the first move. Each turn consists of multiple phases such as a refresh phase, a draw phase, a cost phase, a main phase, and an end phase and the like. In a description set forth below, in order to simplify explanation, five phases are exemplified, but any number of phases can be set in each turn.
During the refresh phase, game cards 2 placed on the playmat (field) are activated. Additionally, cost cards in the character area 32 and the leader area 33 are turned into in an active state and returned to the cost area 36. In the draw phase, a player draws one game card 2 from the deck area 31 and adds it to his or her hand. The cost phase includes steps of drawing two cost cards 10 from the cost deck area 35 and placing the cost cards in the cost area 36 in an active state. In the main phase, a player must perform at least one of the following actions:
Next, in the main phase, the effects of the stage card 40 and the event card 50 can be activated. The activated stage card 40 is turned into a rested state from the active state. The activated event card 50 is moved to the out-of-game area 38. Additionally, in the main phase, it is possible to give a power to the character card 20 and the leader card 30.
Next, the player executes an attack against his or her opponent player. The player determines a game card 2 (attack card), which is used for the attack, from either the character cards 20 in his or her character area 32 or the leader card 30 in his or her leader area 33. Subsequently, a character card 20 or a leader card 30 (target card) of the opponent player in the character area 32 to be attacked is determined. The attack card is then used to attack the target card. The outcome of the battle is determined depending on whether the value of the power information 26 of the attack card exceeds the value of the power information 26 of the target card. The battle is won when the power of the attack card exceeds that of the target card.
If the target card is a character card 20, and the value of the power information 26 of the attack card exceeds the value of the power information of the target card, the player wins the battle for the turn. The opponent player places the attacked character card 20 in the out-of-game area 38.
If the target card is a leader card 30, and the value of the power information 26 of the attack card exceeds the value of the power information of the target card, the attacking player wins the battle for the turn. At this time, the opponent player, who receives the attack, adds one game card from his or her life area 37 to his or her hand. If the opponent player has no game cards in the life area 37 to be added to his or her hand, the attacking player wins, and the game ends. In the end phase, game cards 2 in a rested state on the playmat are turned into an active state, and then the turn ends.
In Example 1 of the present embodiment, game cards are placed from his or her hand onto the playmat 3 in the main phase, and cost is given to a character card. In this example, as shown in
In the main phase, the player attempts to place the character card 20_1 having cost information 25 which is “2”, and attack value information 25, which is “3000” points, from his or her hand in the character area 32. Here, since the cost information 25 of the character card 20_1 is “2”, two out of the three cost cards 10 in the active state placed in the cost area 36, are turned into a rested state, and the character card 20_1 is placed in the character area 32. As shown in
Furthermore, the player gives a cost to the character card 20_1. At this time, as shown in
In example 2 of the present embodiment, multiple powers are given to the leader card 20. In this example, as illustrated in
In the main phase, the player gives two costs to the leader card 20_0.1. At this time, the arrangement of the game cards 2 on playmat 3 is shown in
Moreover, in the above explanation of the configuration, the color information 22 includes information from which it is possible to identify which color the game card belongs to. However, any part of the front side face of the game card may be colored in a color to which the game card belongs. By configuring it in this way, the player can intuitively grasp the color to which the card belongs, based on the color of the colored portion thereby making it easier for the player to construct a deck.
Furthermore, in the above explanation, although the power information 26 is described as an attack value against the opponent player, it may represent either an attack value or a defense value against an attack from the opponent player. By this way, a variation in the battle content may increase, thereby improving the overall interest in the game.
According to the present embodiment, the cost card 10 is configured to fulfill the role of a second function which increases the attack value of the game card combined with the cost card 10. This configuration results in a diverse game progression depending on combined game cards, thereby enhancing the overall interest in the game.
Next, the second embodiment will be explained. The game toy according to the embodiment 1 can be executed as a battle game by a computer.
The player terminals 500 are computers capable of executing a game program(s), connected to a communication line N via a wireless communication base station(s), etc., and capable of data communication with the game server 600. Each of the player terminals 500 is a device such as a smartphone, a mobile phone, a portable gaming device, a home gaming console, an arcade gaming device, a personal computer, a tablet computer, and a controller for a home gaming console. There are basically two or more player terminals 500, each of which is operated by a player.
The game server 600 is a server system composed of one or more server devices, a storage device(s), etc. The game server 600 controls the card game of the above embodiment, provides various services for operating the card game, manages necessary data for the game operation, and delivers game program(s) and data required for execution of the game on the player terminals 500.
The communication unit 501 is a processing unit which controls communication with other devices such as the game server 600 and the player terminals 500 of other players, and is also a communication interface such as a network interface card. The storage unit 502, such as a memory or a hard disk, stores various data and programs executed by the control unit 503.
The control unit 503, for example, a processor, is a processing unit which governs the entire player terminal 500. The control unit 503 includes a game card management unit 531, a playmat display unit 532, a game information calculation unit 533, and a game execution unit 534. Each processing unit represents an example of an electronic circuit which a processor has, or a process executed by the processor.
The game card management unit 531 manages the cost cards 10, the character cards 20, the leader cards 30, the stage cards 40, and the event cards 50 which are described above. The playmat display unit 532 displays the playmats 3 for the player and his or her opponent(s) on their player terminals 500. The game information calculation unit 533 performs calculations necessary for the progression of the game, using information such as cost information 25 and power information 26 which is described above. The game execution unit 534 manages and executes a performance and progression of the match game. By such terminals, the game can be executed without physical cards.
According to the present embodiment, since the control of the card game explained in Embodiment 1 is executed on the player terminals 500, and matching of opponents and overall game management are performed on the game server 600, so that the card game is executed online, the interest of players can be enhanced. It should be noted that, in the example described above, the game is played via the game server 600, but it is also possible to execute the game using only the player terminals 500.
While the preferable embodiments have been described to explain the present invention, the invention is not necessarily limited to the above embodiments and can be variously modified and implemented within the scope of its technical concept.
A game toy comprises a playmat including a first placement area and a second placement area where game items including a first type game items and a second type game items are placed. The first type game item contains first information including information for placing cards in the first placement area, and second information indicating an attack value against an opponent game item. The second type game item having a first function which serves as an element of the first information and a second function for increasing the second information.
The first function is exerted when placing the first type game item in the first placement area, in the game toy described in Note 1.
The second type game item can be placed in a stacked state as to the first type game item in the first placement area during the player's turn, in the game toy described in Note 1 or Note 2.
The playmat is rectangular and foldable, in the game toy described in any one of Notes 1 to 3.
The first placement area is formed along a first end of the playmat, and the second placement area is formed along a second end opposite to the first end, in the game toy described in any one of Notes 1 to 4.
The first end is an end on the opponent's side, and the second end is an end on the player's side in the game toy described in any one of Notes 1 to 5.
In the game toy described in any one of Notes 1 to 6, the playmat includes a third placement area formed between the first placement area and the second placement area, and two or more first type game items can be placed in the third placement area.
In the game toy described in any one of Notes 1 to 7, the first type game items can be placed in the third placement area so that at least part thereof overlaps.
In the game toy described in any one of Notes 1 to 8, the playmat includes a fourth placement area formed along a fourth end which is opposite to the third end and sandwiched between the first end and the second end, and the fourth placement area is formed to allow the stacking of two or more first type game items in a state where the first information and the second information cannot be identified.
In the game toy described in any one of Notes 1 to 9, during an attack on the opponent or a defense against an attack from the opponent, the orientation of the first type game items in the first placement area can be changed from the first direction to the second direction.
In the game toy described in any one of Notes 1 to 10, when the first type game items are placed in the second placement area and the orientation of the second type game items whose number corresponds to the first information of the first type game items can be changed from the first direction to the second direction, the first type game items can be placed in the first placement area.
In the game toy described in any one of Notes 1 to 11, third type game items is included, and the playmat includes a fifth placement area where one of the third type game items can be placed, and the first type game items and the third type game items which can be placed on the playmat have the same color information.
In the game toy described in any one of Notes 1 to 12, the first deck is composed of first type game items having the same color information as that of the third type game items, and the second deck is composed of second type game items.
In the game toy described in any one of Notes 1 to 13, each first type game item is associated with a different character, and the character associated with each first type game item belongs to the same type, and the character associated with the third type game item is a leader of that type.
A game device comprises a playmat including a first placement area and a second placement area where game items are placed, a display unit which displays a first type game item which contains first information for placing the game item in the first placement area and second information indicating an attack value against an opponent game item, a second type game item which has a first function serving as an element of the first information and a second function for increasing the second information, and a control unit which controls the game, wherein the control unit increases the second information of the first type game element by combining the first type game item and the second type game item.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-050117 | Mar 2023 | JP | national |
