Patent Application
20100013156
The present invention relates generally to the field of game boards.
A number of patents have been granted on a variety of game boards. Many of the patented games include a plurality of tokens that are movable along a path or paths printed on the game board. Likewise, a die is typically used to determine the movement of the tokens across the path. Further, decks of cards are used to control various aspects of the game including movement of the tokens. Nevertheless, there is always a need for a new interesting game to provide new levels of entertainment.
One type of prior game emphasizes values and virtues to be used in life with some of the games having religious overtones. As an example, see United States Patent Application Publication No. 2007/0063434 and 2003/0227132. The games in both of these publications disclose movement of tokens or game pieces along a path to a final destination, such as heaven or the Promised Land. Both of the games utilize a deck of cards to control various aspects of the game. Other examples of games with religious overtones include the following references: U.S. Patent Application Publication 2005/0133996; 2006/0261550; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,529,308.
Some of the prior games include not only movement of a token across the game board but further questioning of one player by another player concerning a particular aspect as determined by the playing of the game. For example, U.S. Patent Application Publication 2006/0261548 discloses a board game promoting personal growth by asking players to answer personal growth questions. Other games have been developed to be utilized as educational tools for training purposes by having the players discuss a particular aspect to which the training is directed. For example, see U.S. Patent Application Publication 2006/0290051 wherein a board game is utilized as an educational tool for training for emergency preparedness. Three additional references disclosing game boards are U.S. Patent Application Publication Nos. 2004/0155404; 2007/0007726; and 2007/0069464.
With respect to the prior game boards, we have invented a game board having new and unique attributes. More specifically, each player is provided with a separate path towards the final destination. Eventually, the path merges into a common pathway to the final destination or Promised Land. Each path has a separate color from the other path with the colors of each path corresponding to colors within the common pathway. Each player is required to obtain value cards from a deck of cards each of which displays a value in an everyday life situation with the value including at least two virtues. When a sufficient number of value cards having the same virtue are obtained, the player may obtain the corresponding virtue card from an additional deck of cards. Finally, third and fourth decks of cards provide factual situations in current life which provide both positive incentives and negative incentives towards advancing towards the Promised Land. The net result is that the inner play of the various cards in conjunction with the inner play of the colors of the players token and the colors on the paths and pathway provide for a new and interesting game experience.
One embodiment of the present invention is method and game for players to journey to a destination through the selection of values and virtues. A game board is provided having a top surface with a plurality of game paths thereon with each game path having at least a portion thereof of a separate color assigned to a player. The game paths each have a series of spaces extending from a beginning space to a destination space. A die has a plurality of number indicia and a plurality of tokens. Each token is of a separate color which corresponds to the path color assigned to a player and assignable one to a player with each of the tokens corresponding to and advanceable along a separate game path as a function of the number indicia on the die. A first deck of virtue cards has virtue indicia thereon with some of the virtue cards having common virtues. A second deck of value cards have value indicia thereon with the value indicia including one or more of the virtues. A third deck of instruction cards have instruction indicia thereon containing a plurality of instructions relating to moving the tokens relative to the destination space on the path.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved game to journey to a destination through the selection of values and virtues.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a method for playing a game to impart values for living.
Related and objects of the present invention will be apparent from the following description.
For the purposes of promoting an understanding of the principles of the invention, reference will now be made to the embodiment illustrated in the drawings and specific language will be used to describe the same. It will nevertheless be understood that no limitation of the scope of the invention is thereby intended, such alterations and further modifications in the illustrated device, and such further applications of the principles of the invention as illustrated therein being contemplated as would normally occur to one skilled in the art to which the invention relates.
Referring now more particularly to the drawings, there is shown a game board 110 displaying a number of game paths provided on the top surface of the board. In the embodiment shown in the drawings, the starting location 111 consist of eight separate paths 113-120 with each path consisting of eleven footprints provided on a dashed line path leading to a circular pathway 121 eventually terminating in a destination space 112. The circular pathway 121 in the embodiment shown in the drawing includes an outer circle 122 surrounding an intermediate circle 123, in turn, surrounding an inner circle 124 within which is located the destination space 112.
The following description of path 113 applies equally to describing the paths 114-120. Path 113 consists of 11 separate footprints all of the same color joined together by a serpentine dashed path. Each footprint within path 113 is numbered consecutively with the first footprint being designated as footprint 1, the second footprint designated by 2 and continuing on to the final footprint designated by the number 11. In order to advance along path 113, a die is rolled with the number on the die facing upward being the number of footprints that token is to be advanced along path 113 from footprint 1 through footprint 11 depending upon the number appearing on the die. The color of each footprint within path 113 is the same color as the token. Similarly, paths 114-120 each have 11 separate footprints numbered consecutively starting at the beginning footprint 1 and ending at the final footprint 11. The color of each footprint in a particular path is the same whereas the colors of the footprints for the eight paths 113-120 are different and are the same as to the tokens assigned to the separate paths. In other words, eight separate tokens of eight different colors are assigned to the separate paths 113-120 and are advanced along the paths depending upon the number turned up by the player rolling the die. The individual paths intersect or cross each other, however, each token must remain on its assigned colored path and not deviate into adjacent paths.
The paths 113-120 lead to a common pathway 121 extending through three concentric circles 122-124. The outer circle 122 includes 17 separate areas that are numbered consecutively from the entering area 127, designated by the number 1 printed thereon. Each area then is located around circle 122. Area 128 designated by the number 17 printed thereon is the exit area entering into the intermediate circle 123.
The circle 123 consists of thirteen separate areas extending from the entering area 129 to the exit area 130. Exiting area 130 leads to the inner circle 124 and specifically the entering area 31 thereof. The inner circle 124 consists often separate areas consecutively numbered having the numbers 31-40 thereon with the area designated by the number 40 being a holding area leading into the destination space 112 that represents the Promised Land.
The outer circle 122 consists of two spaces each having the same color except for areas 137, 128 and 127. That is, two spaces in the outer circle 122 of the same color are provided that are the same color as the footsteps of each path. For example, path 116 has eleven green footprints thereon whereas outer circle 122 includes two green areas 135 and 136. Similarly, two areas in the outer circle of the same color are provided for each path 114-120. An exception is made for path 113 due to the uneven number of areas within the outer circle. In the case of path 113, the footprints are of the color red and as the result; three separate areas 137, 128 and 127 are provided with the color red.
The intermediate circle 123 has thirteen colored areas with two areas within circle 123 being of the same color as the footprints and paths 114-120. In order to make up for the extra red area in the outer circle 122, the intermediate circle 123 has only a single red area 140.
Last, the inner circle 124 has a total of ten separate areas with two areas having the same color corresponding to the color of the footprints within each of the paths. Thus, two purple areas are provided in the inner circle corresponding to the footprints for path 119 and so on for the remaining paths. As a result, each player must move his or her token the same number of footprints 11 and areas 40 from the starting location 111 to the destination area 112.
The footprints in the eight different paths provide colored spaces whereas the concentric circular rings provide a common pathway with separate colored areas. The footprints as well as the areas within the concentric circles have been sectioned to indicate the various colors. The colors may be changed. In the embodiment shown in the drawing, path 113 includes red footprints, path 114 includes orange footprints, path 115 includes yellow footprints, path 116 includes green footprints, path 117 includes blue footprints, path 118 includes dark purple footprints, path 119 includes light purple footprints, and path 120 includes white footprints. The same type of sectioning on the footprints applies from a color standpoint to the areas within the concentric rings.
Four separate decks of cards 150-153 (
The first deck of cards 150 includes printed thereon a single virtue from the group of eight virtues which are as follows: boldness, discipline, faith, obedience, strength, wisdom, love and relationship. In other words, each card within deck 150 (
The second deck of cards 151 (
Deck 152 (
The fourth deck of cards 153 (
The game provides an entertainment media for players to journey to a destination through the selection of values and virtues. The game includes the game board, the die, and a plurality of tokens assignable one to a player with each of the tokens corresponding to and advancable along a separate game path as a function of the number indicia on the rolled die. Four separate decks of cards are provided respectively for having thereon virtue indicia, value indicia, instruction indicia and command indicia. The instruction cards include instructions allowing the obtaining of a new value card by selecting the card from the value deck or from another player. Other instruction cards instruct the player to move the token toward the destination space. The command cards have command indicia thereon containing a plurality of commands relating to moving backwards from the destination space or returning virtue cards to the first deck of cards or giving virtue cards to another player. A cylindrical hollow mailing tube 165 (
By playing the game, values for living are imparted to the players who have differing abilities. The method for playing a game for imparting values for living by a plurality of players comprises the step includes of first providing a game board having a top surface and further providing a game path positioned on the top surface of the game board. The game paths each have a continuous series of spaces from a beginning space to an ending space. The spaces in a path are of the same color but different from the spaces of other paths. The board game further includes a continuous single game pathway in the format of a kaleidoscope with each space in the kaleidoscope having a color of the rainbow including one in white with each space in an alternating color. The pathway includes an ending destination space. A die provides for determining movement along the game path and the pathway. Cards of values are provided along cards of exclamations including a plurality of instructions. Further cards are provided of attributes or virtues. The method includes the step of rolling the die by each of the players in turn. The token is then moved to a space corresponding to the number on the die. The value cards are traded for attribute cards. An important feature of the game of the method is for the player to question another player as to the relevancy of an attribute which is shown to that player. The game is continued until at least one player arrives at the ending destination space where that player presents the required attributes and deduces the attributes of the other players.
The object of the game is to enter the Promised Land represented by destination space 112 after having acquired the attributes or virtues of relationship and love plus one other attribute or virtue that is the key attribute. In addition, the player must deduce the key attribute of each player. Prior to starting the game, each player must decide which is their key attribute. Each player should choose from list of the attitudes: boldness, discipline, faith, obedience, strength and wisdom without letting any other player know this attribute. Each player writes his key attribute on a piece of paper and puts it in a common location unavailable to the other players such as a container or bag.
Each player rolls the die and the person with the highest number plays first. If more than one player has the highest number then those players roll the die again and the player with the highest number plays first. The play then continues by following the path and pathways on the game board in a counterclockwise direction.
In order to acquire an attribute, each player must obtain the required amount of values which can then be traded for an attribute. For example, seven value cards having the word Love thereon may be traded in for a card in deck 150 having the word Love thereon. The word attribute is synonymous with the word virtue and thus, to acquire a virtue each player must obtain the required amount of values which can then be traded for a virtue. The value cards traded must be returned to the deck of cards 151. Different values are required for each virtue as follows:
A total of 51 spaces make up the journey; 40 inside the kaleidoscope and 11 outside the kaleidoscope. In other words there are 40 areas within the concentric circles and 11 footprints within each path.
Before starting the game, each play is given four value cards from deck 151. After each roll of the die, the player rolling the die receives one value card from deck 151 whenever he or she lands on a space or footprint outside of the concentric circles or kaleidoscope. On the other hand, if the player is inside the kaleidoscope or concentric circles, the player receives two value cards from deck 151 or double the amount of value cards, that is four cards, if the player lands on the colored area corresponding to the same color as their token. In other words, if the player possesses the green token corresponding to the green footprints 116, then the player would receive four value cards if the player lands on green area 135 of the outer circle. Notably, when selecting their virtue at the beginning of the game, the player must choose one of the six virtues, boldness, discipline, faith, obedience, strength and wisdom but cannot choose the virtues of relationship or love.
Some of the footprints and the areas within the kaleidoscope or concentric circles 122-124 include lighted torches or flashlights and torches or flashlights which are unit, If the player's token lands on a footprint or an area on the concentric circles having a lighted flashlight, then the player takes a card from deck 152 and follows the instructions thereon. Likewise, if the player lands on a footprint or an area on the concentric circle that has an unlit flashlight, then the player takes a card from the deck of command cards 153. The instructions are positive from deck 152 in that the instructions help advance the token toward area 112. The commands from the cards in deck 153 are negative in that the commands impede advancement to area 112 and must be carried out as a first or immediate action. After using the card the player returns it immediately to the bottom of the pack. Each player receives one minute to complete his or her play which is measured by a conventional hour glass sand timer 160 (
Once the player has rolled the die and has made any transactions, such as trading in value cards and following instructions on the instruction/command cards from decks 152 and 153, a player can show another player (one player per roll of the die), a value card and ask the player the question “is this relevant to you?”. If the value card contains the virtue which is the player's key virtue then he or she must answer “relevant”. If the value card does not contain the virtue which is the player's key virtue then he/she must answer “irrelevant”. By simply utilizing the value cards, a player is able to deduce the key virtues of any other player after a series of questions to any one player.
Players after journeying the 11 spaces or footprints outside the kaleidoscope and the 40 spaces or areas in the kaleidoscope may present the required three virtues (relationship, love and the players key virtue) as well as deducing the key virtue of each player before going to the Promised Land. If the player is not satisfied that he/she knows the virtues for all other players or he/she has not obtained the virtues required (that is, love, relationship and the key virtue), he/she can wait on the last square 131 and take their turn as usual during game play. This player, however, is not allowed to throw the die but simply take four value cards from the pack at their turn and is also allowed to deduce the virtues for other players or secure the necessary required virtue at this time. If a player upon completing the kaleidoscope decides to state the key virtue of all players and does so incorrectly then the player loses and has to exit the game. Where there is a dispute on the key virtue of any player, the folded paper and the game bag is to be revealed. The player who has then incorrectly stated the key virtue for that player, loses and has to exit the game. Note even if it is the player who has chosen the key virtue but has somehow forgotten his or her key virtue then that player loses and has to exit the game. The player can only go to the last space 131 in the kaleidoscope by obtaining a number on the roll of die which takes him exactly to this area.
The first player who (a) completes the 40 spaces in the kaleidoscope and (b) has acquired the three virtues of love, relationship and the key virtue and (c) can correctly state the key virtue of each player journeys to the promised land 112 and is declared the winner.
While the invention has been illustrated and described in detail in the drawings and foregoing description, the same is to be considered as illustrative and not restrictive in character, it being understood that only the preferred embodiment has been shown and described and that all changes and modifications that come within the spirit of the invention are desired to be protected.
