Patent Application
20060249903
Playing card games have been popular for many years. However, with the advent of computer games, the relative simplicity of classic playing card games appears to have taken a backseat. Many of today's computer games do not require an opponent or any personal interaction with other individuals. Some computer games are also extremely complex to learn and costly to obtain. These obstacles can serve as deterrents for younger players. Further, many of the old style playing card games are necessarily restricted by the inherent limitations of the standard 52-card playing card deck which can lack creativity and diversity. Consequently, an increasing number of individuals appear to be gravitating toward somewhat more anti-social, less interactive computer games.
The present invention is directed toward an interactive game for use by a first player and a second player. The game includes a first game board assembly used by the first player, and a second game board assembly used by a second player. The first game board assembly includes a first game board having a first variable board component that is selected by the first player. In one embodiment, the first game board assembly includes a removable first cover that conceals a first board component indicia. In this embodiment, the first variable board component includes the first cover and the first board component indicia. The first board component indicia is revealed upon removal of the first cover.
The second game board assembly is separate from the first game board assembly. In one embodiment, the first cover is attached to the second game board assembly following removal of the first cover from the first game board assembly. Further, the position of attachment of the first cover onto the second game board assembly is based on the first board component indicia revealed upon removal of the first cover from the first game board assembly.
In another embodiment, the second game board assembly includes a removable second cover that conceals a second board component indicia. The second board component indicia is revealed upon removal of the second cover. Additionally, the first game board assembly includes one or more response cards that are read to one or more other players. The particular response card that is read can be based upon the second board component indicia that is revealed when the second cover is removed.
In a further embodiment, the first game board assembly includes a plurality of game boards and an assembly retainer. The assembly retainer retains the game boards. At least one of the game boards can be a used game board that has been permanently altered from a previously-played game.
The present invention is also directed toward a method for playing an interactive game.
The novel features of this invention, as well as the invention itself, both as to its structure and its operation, will be best understood from the accompanying drawings, taken in conjunction with the accompanying description, in which similar reference characters refer to similar parts, and in which:
The assembly retainer 14 retains the rules section 16, the response card retainer array(s) 18 and the game board(s) 20. Further, the assembly retainer can include animated or other appropriate graphics 22, and/or a text region 24. The graphics 22 can relate to a category or classification of the game board assembly, i.e. different age groups or levels, or a different genre of characters, as non-exclusive examples. The text region 24 can be preprinted or can be customizable by the player, and can indicate the player's name, dates used, the name of the game 10 and/or category or classification of the game 10, as non-exclusive examples.
In one embodiment, the assembly retainer 14 is a ringed binder or other type of notebook-type organizer. For example, in this embodiment, the assembly retainer 14 includes three retaining rings 25 that open and close to releasably secure the contents of the assembly retainer 14. Alternatively, any other suitable assembly retainer 14 can be used that maintains the contents in an organized fashion.
In one embodiment, the response card retainer array 18 can include one or more transparent sleeves that each holds one or more response cards 26. With this design, at least a portion of the response card 26 can be viewed through the sleeve, while also serving to protect the response card 26 from damage, fingerprints, etc.
The card number 28 can be a number that identifies the particular response card 26. The request 30 can be in the form of a question that is to be answered, a dare that is to be performed, or any other request that is intended to elicit a response from another player, as non-exclusive examples. For instance, in non-exclusive embodiments, the request 30 can include a question such as, “What is your favorite class at school?” or “What is your favorite brand of clothing?”. Alternatively, the request 30 can include dares such as, “Make a sound like a tuba!” or “Arm-wrestle me!”. Still alternatively, the request 30 can include a request for secret information, such as, “If you get married and have a boy and a girl, what will you name them?”. The foregoing examples are merely representative of the types of requests that can be included on the response card 26, and are in no way intended to be limiting.
The request 30 can be textual or graphical. The response card indicia 32 can be the name of an animated character that is depicted on the response card 26, as one example. Alternatively, the response card indicia 32 can be the name of an inanimate character, an inanimate object, a number or a color, as non-exclusive examples.
The card type 34 can identify the type of request 30 included on the card. For example, the card type 34 can indicate a “dare”, a “favorite”, a “secret” or any other suitable category relating to the type of request 30 on the card. The graphics 36 can include any artistic designs, colors, patterns, objects, etc., which can also help differentiate one response card 26 from another, for instance.
Additionally,
The game board surface 38 can include one or more of various artistic graphics, preprinted text and spaces for the player to add written text or drawings. For example, as explained in greater detail below, the game board surface 38 can include a space for the player to indicate the date, the names of those players that played the game 10 on that date, music that was played or that was popular as of the date of the game 10, names of the players that contributed to assemblage of the game board 20, and/or any personal notes or a diary-type entry by the player, as non-exclusive examples.
In one embodiment, the variable board component 40 is the operative portion of the game board 20. The variable board component 40 can be different for each game played by a player. In one embodiment, prior to commencement of the game 10, the player can select the variable board component 40 that he or she will use during the course of the game 10. Thus, the player may have numerous variable board components 40 in that player's possession, but only one is selected for use for each game played. Alternatively, more than one variable board component 40 can be selected for each game. Still alternatively, a second player can select the variable board component to be used by a first player.
In one embodiment, the variable board component 40 can be in the form of a card. Alternatively, the variable board component 40 can take on other suitable forms. Further, the variable board component 40 can be one-sided or two-sided.
The component number 46 can be a number that identifies the particular variable board component 40. The component title 48 includes the title of the variable board component 40, and can provide a clue as to the type of promise that is included in the Promise section 56, explained below.
The artistic graphics 50 can be any animated or non-animated pictures, characters, patterns, or any other suitable graphics that provide a decorative aspect to the variable board component 40. Further, each variable board component 40 can include one or more covers 52 that each conceals one or more board component indicia 54. In one embodiment, the cover 52 can include a removable sticker, a magnet, or any other suitable means for concealing the board component indicia 54 beneath it. Further, in one embodiment, during the course of the game, each cover 52 is removed and given to another player.
The type of board component indicia 54 under each cover 52 can vary depending upon the design requirements of the game 10. For example, the board component indicia 54 can be the name of an animated character that is depicted on one of the response cards 26. Alternatively, the board component indicia 54 can be the name of an inanimate character, an inanimate object, a number or a color, as non-exclusive examples.
Referring back to
The received cover region 44 is a region on the board surface 38 that the player can use to place any covers 52 that are received by other players in the game, as explained in greater detail below.
Although it is recognized that the rules of the game can vary widely depending upon the desires of the players, the rules of one embodiment of the game will now be described.
Each player chooses a predetermined number of response cards from that respective player's collection of response cards. In one embodiment, each player chooses eight response cards and places them into the response card retainer array. The response cards can be chosen, for example, based on the types of questions or other requests that the player would want to ask of the remaining players.
Each player also chooses one variable board component which is then attached to, and becomes part of, the game board of that respective player. The game board can be pre-dated, or it can be manually dated by the player. In one embodiment, each player announces the title of that player's variable board component to the other players. Further, if two players have chosen the same variable board component, one of the players is selected by any suitable means to choose a different variable board component so that all players have chosen a different variable board component from one another. The players can then fill out the game board with all pertinent information, including the date, the names of the other players, etc.
In one embodiment, the youngest player is selected to take the first turn. Because each player's turn proceeds in a substantially similar manner, only one player's turn will be described herein (also referred to as the “first player”). It is recognized that any of the players can be the first player.
In the embodiment described with respect to
At step 82, the first player announces the board component indicia to the remaining players. For example, in one embodiment, the board component indicia can be a character's name, e.g., “Flora”, or a description of the effect of the card, e.g., “Dare”, or any other suitable type of card. In any event, the board component indicia corresponds to the response card indicia that are included on one or more of the other player's response cards. In one embodiment, the board component indicia can be identical to the response card indicia on the response cards of other players. Alternatively, the board component indicia can be related to or associated with, although not necessarily identical to, the response card indicia of one or more of the other players.
At step 84, the first player determines which of the other players are responding to the first player's announcement. For instance, each player who wants to respond can raise her respective hand, or can in some other suitable way, show her intent to respond to the first player's announcement. In one embodiment, if none of the other players has an appropriate response card indicia in response to the announcement of the first player, and consequently no response from another player is made to the first player, the first player can use one of the first player's own response cards, if available.
At step 86, the first player determines from which other player to accept a response. The player that is chosen by the first player is referred to herein as the “responding player”. The first player can then provide the cover that previously concealed the first player's board component indicia to the responding player.
At step 88, the responding player can place the cover over the response card used by the responding player to respond to the first player (also referred to herein as the “operative response card”). In one embodiment of the rules, the responding player can place the cover on the response card retainer, or on the response card itself.
At step 90, the responding player asks the question or otherwise reads the statement to the first player indicated on the operative response card.
At step 92, the first player answers or otherwise responds to the question read by the responding player. In one embodiment, the question can be in the form of a dare, a request for information, or any other statement or questions requiring a response from the first player.
At step 94, the first player records the name of the responding player in the appropriate location on the game board of the first player.
The steps indicated in
The players can then remove the cover(s) they have each collected and decorate their respective game boards with them by placing the covers in the received cover region of the game board, for example. Once this has been completed, each player can save the game board in the assembly retainer or some other location, and can reflect back on the game at some future date. In one embodiment, the game board is used only once, and the recordings by the player and the covers collected from other players remain on the game board as momentos. Alternatively, the game boards can be erased and the covers removed so that the game boards can be reused.
Although the specific genre of the game can be varied, in one embodiment, the game takes the form of a scrapbook or diary game. In this embodiment, players are encouraged to play the game on a daily or otherwise periodic basis. With this design, the players can save the used game boards as keepsakes, which can include the player's own diary or scrapbook entries. The player can then maintain and occasionally review the used game boards, which will have a record of the players, the popular music at the time, and the thoughts and feelings of the player, etc., in a somewhat similar manner as an actual diary or scrapbook.
While the particular interactive game 10 as herein shown and disclosed in detail is fully capable of obtaining the objects and providing the advantages herein before stated, it is to be understood that it is merely illustrative of the presently preferred embodiments of the invention and that no limitations are intended to the details of construction or design herein shown other than as described in the appended claims.
