Memory Card Game

Abstract

The invention is a method of playing a memory card game that requires providing a deck of cards that comprise pairs of matching cards. The pairs of matching cards may include a privilege and/or handicap that have special effects. The game can include shuffling the cards and arranging them face side down in an arrangement. A player's turn involves selecting two cards from the arrangement to search for a pair of matching cards. If selected cards form a pair of matching cards, the player removes the pair, adds them to their card collection and gets another turn. If the two cards selected do not form a pair of matching cards, the player returns the cards to the arrangement and their turn concludes. The turns continue until all the cards have been removed. After all the cards are gone, the player with the most cards wins.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

I. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates generally to card games.

II. General Background

Card and memory games have provided entertainment, stimulation, and sources of learning and growth for children and adults alike for generations. Card games are particularly appealing, as they are low cost and self-sufficient sources of fun. Card games and particularly memory card games may serve an educational purpose such as to improve memory, may serve an entertainment purpose, or may serve a social purpose when played in pairs or groups of children and/or adults. However, over time, players of games can become bored and tired of playing the same games repeatedly. As such, a new invention is provided herein to entertain players.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

In accordance with embodiments of the invention is a method of playing a memory card game. The method first requires providing a physical or electronic or virtual deck of cards that comprise a plurality of pairs of matching cards, each card of the plurality of matching cards having a face side and a back side. The pairs of matching cards further include at least one privilege and/or handicap contained on a pair of cards of the plurality of pairs of matching cards. The next step of the method can include physically or electronically shuffling and arranging the cards face side down to form an arrangement. Next the method involves a turn by a player in which the player selects two cards from the arrangement to search for a pair of matching cards. If two cards selected in the player's turn form a pair of matching cards, the player removes the pair of matching cards from the arrangement and adds them to their own card collection and gets another turn. If the two cards selected in a player's turn do not form a pair of matching cards, the player returns the cards to the arrangement and their turn concludes. Then, the next player begins their turn. The turns continue until all the cards have been removed from the arrangement. At that point all the players add up the cards in their collections and the player with the most cards wins.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The foregoing and other objects, features, and advantages of the invention are apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which like parts are given like reference numerals and, wherein:

FIG. 1 depicts a top view of an arrangement of a deck of cards face down in accordance with embodiments of the invention.

FIG. 2 depicts view of a plurality of pairs of matching cards face up in accordance with embodiments of the invention.

FIG. 3 depicts view of a pair of matching cards face up with a privilege in accordance with embodiments of the invention.

FIG. 4 depicts view of a pair of matching cards face up with a privilege in accordance with embodiments of the invention.

FIG. 5 depicts view of a pair of matching cards face up with a privilege in accordance with embodiments of the invention.

FIG. 6 depicts view of a pair of matching cards face up with a handicap in accordance with embodiments of the invention.

FIG. 7 depicts view of a pair of matching cards face up with a handicap in accordance with embodiments of the invention.

FIG. 8 depicts a top view of an arrangement of a deck of cards face down with a pair of matching cards selected and face up in accordance with embodiments of the invention.

FIG. 9 depicts a top view of an arrangement of a deck of cards face down with a pair of nonmatching cards selected and face up in accordance with embodiments of the invention.

FIG. 10 depicts a top view of an arrangement of a deck of cards face down with a pair of matching cards removed from the arrangement in accordance with embodiments of the invention.

FIG. 11 depicts a top view of an arrangement of a deck of cards face down with multiple pairs of matching cards removed from the arrangement in accordance with embodiments of the invention.

The images in the drawings are simplified for illustrative purposes and are not depicted to scale. Within the descriptions of the figures, similar elements are provided similar names and reference numerals as those of the previous figure(s). The specific numerals assigned to the elements are provided solely to aid in the description and are not meant to imply any limitations (structural or functional) on the invention.

The appended drawings illustrate exemplary configurations of the invention and, as such, should not be considered as limiting the scope of the invention that may admit to other equally effective configurations. It is contemplated that features of one configuration may be beneficially incorporated in other configurations without further recitation.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The embodiments of the disclosure will be best understood by reference to the drawings, wherein like parts are designated by like numerals throughout. It will be readily understood that the components, as generally described and illustrated in the Figures herein, could be arranged and designed in a wide variety of different configurations or be entirely separate. Thus, the following more detailed description of the embodiments of the system and method of the disclosure, as represented in the Figures is not intended to limit the scope of the disclosure, as claimed, but is merely representative of possible embodiments of the disclosure.

In accordance with embodiments of the invention, as illustrated in FIGS. 1-12, a method 100 of playing a memory card game is provided. The method 100 includes a step 102 of providing a deck of cards 104. The deck of cards 104 comprises a plurality of pairs of matching cards 106. The deck of may include twenty-four cards 106, for example. Some embodiments may vary from as few as six to as many as twenty to thirty or more, depending on different applications. In some embodiments, such as that depicted in the Figures herein, the deck of cards 104 may be a physical deck of cards, but in some embodiments, the deck of cards may be a virtual deck of cards or may be a deck of cards in electronic format or a deck of cards in virtual format or a deck of cards in audio format, such as what may arise from a computer application or a software application or a mobile application or visual recording or video recording or audio recording. Each card 106 has a face side 108 and a back side 111. The face sides 108 may contain a graphic 110, as illustrated in the figures. At least one privilege 112 may be contained on a pair of cards 106. A privilege 112 entitles players to one or more special options, benefits, rights, turns, advantages or favors, for example. At least one handicap 114 may be contained on a pair of cards 106. A handicap may be a consequence, disadvantage, restriction, misfortune, or loss, for example. The method 100 includes a step 116 of shuffling the cards 106 and arranging the cards 106 face side 108 down to form an arrangement 118.

In some embodiments, there is at least one privilege and at least one handicap, but in some embodiments, there are no handicaps and only privilege cards, and in some embodiments, there are no privilege cards and only handicap cards. In the embodiment illustrated in the Figures, the arrangement is six cards by four cards. In other embodiments, there may be more or less rows and more or less columns of cards. The minimum number of cards in the game is six cards. There is no maximum number of cards in the game. The method 100 includes a step 120 of selecting, by a first player, two cards 106 from the arrangement 118 to search for a pair of matching cards 106 during a turn. A pair of matching cards 106 is when the face sides 108 of each card match, such as having the same graphics as illustrated. If the two cards selected in step 120 form a pair of matching cards 106 (shown in FIG. 8), the first player engages in step 122 of method 100 by removing the pair of matching cards 106 from arrangement 118. The players keep the pair in their collection in order to keep score and to enable some of the privilege 112 or handicap 114 actions in the game. The first player then repeats step 120 to continue their turn (FIG. 10). If the two cards selected in step 120 do not form a pair of matching cards, the first player returns the two cards 106 to the arrangement 118 in step 124 of the method 100 and the turn concludes. In step 126 of the method 100 steps 120 through 124 are repeated for a turn for a second player and/or any number of additional players. Steps 120 through 124 are repeated for each successive player until the last player has gone, at which point the first player goes next and the cycle of turns repeats. The cycle of turns wherein players repeat Steps 120 through 124 proceeds until all the cards 104 have been removed from said arrangement 118.

Embodiments of the method 100 allows for any number of players (1 or more) to play the game. Embodiments of the method 100 allow for human players playing against other human player(s), virtual human player(s), online human player(s), human players in different locations, human players in the same location, robotic player(s), virtual robotic player(s), and/or artificial intelligence player(s). In some embodiments, a human player, whether playing solitary or not, may be playing against time or may be playing against number of turns or playing with a finite or specified number of turns, for example. In some embodiments, the game can be played in teams. In victory step 128 of the method 100, after all the pairs of cards 106 are overturned and all the pairs of cards 106 are matched, the player with the highest number of pairs of cards 106 is declared winner.

In some embodiments, there are any number of privileges 112 and/or handicaps 114. In some embodiments, there are no privileges 112 and only handicaps 114, and in some embodiments, there are no handicaps 114 and only privileges 112. In some embodiments, the privileges 112 are different than the privileges in the embodiment illustrated in the Figures. In some embodiments, the privileges 112 are any privilege that entitles a player to special options, benefits, rights, turns, advantages or favors. In some embodiments, the handicaps 114 are different than the handicaps in the current embodiment. In some embodiments, the handicaps are any handicap that disadvantages a player with a consequence, disadvantage, restriction, misfortune, or loss.

In the embodiment of method 100 illustrated in FIG. 3-6, the privileges 112 are an extra turn privilege 113, a sneak peek privilege 115, or a free gift set privilege 117 included on a card 106. A player gets the privilege if the player matches two cards containing a privilege. In some embodiments, each privilege earned by matching a card set may be used only once per game. In some embodiments, the player who received a privilege 112, may elect not to use the privilege 112. In some embodiments, a player may use multiple privileges 112 in the same turn. In some embodiments, a player may use only one privilege 112 per turn. In some embodiments, a player may use multiple privileges 112 at a time. In some embodiments, a player may use only one privilege 112 at a time.

In some embodiments, a player may receive an extra turn privilege 113, shown in FIG. 3. In some embodiments an extra turn may consist of a player repeating method step 120 and then, necessarily, either method step 122 or 124. In some embodiments, a player may use their extra turn privilege 113 at any point during the game, including during another player's turns. In some embodiments, a player may use their extra turn privilege 113 during their own turn, immediately after their turn or between the turns of two other players, but not during the turn of another player. In some embodiments, a player may use their extra turn privilege 113 only during their own turn or immediately after their own turn before the next player begins their turn. In some embodiments, a player must use their extra turn privilege 113 on the same turn that they receive the extra turn privilege 113.

In some embodiments, a player may receive a sneak peek privilege 115, shown in FIG. 4. For a sneak peek privilege 115, a player gets to look at the face of one card 106 that is face down in the arrangement 118. After the player looks at a card 106, the player returns the card 106, face down, to its original position in the arrangement 118. In some embodiments, a player may use their sneak peek privilege 115 at any point during the game, including during another player's turn. In some embodiments, a player may use their sneak peek privilege 115 during their own turn, immediately after their turn or between the turns of two other players, but not during the turn of another player. In some embodiments, a player may use their sneak peek privilege 115 only during their own turn or immediately after their own turn before the next player begins their turn. In some embodiments, a player must use the sneak peek privilege 115 on the same turn that they receive the sneak peek privilege 115.

In some embodiments, a player may receive a free gift set privilege 117, shown in FIG. 5. The gift set privilege 117 allows a player to take a pair of matching cards from another player, the target player, and add the pair of matching cards to their own collection. In some embodiments, if the selected pair of matching cards taken by the taking player contains a privilege 112 or a handicap 114, the taking player cannot use said privilege 112 or handicap 114 of the taken card set, even if the privilege 112 or handicap 114 has not been used previously. In some embodiments, if the selected pair of matching cards taken by the taking player contains a privilege 112 or a handicap 114, the taking player can use the privilege 112 or handicap 114 only if the privilege 112 or handicap 114 has not been previously used by a player. In some embodiments, if the selected pair of matching cards taken by the taking player contains a privilege 112 or a handicap 114, the taking player can use the privilege 112 or handicap 114 even if the privilege 112 or handicap 114 has previously been used by a player. In some embodiments, if a player has a privilege 112 taken away, that player cannot use the privilege 112 if it has been saved for use at a later point in the game. In some embodiments of, if a player has a privilege 112 taken away, that player can use the privilege 112 before giving it to the taking player if it the privilege 112 has not been previously used.

Referring to FIGS. 6-7, one type of handicap 114 is the lose a turn handicap 119. The lose a turn handicap 119 forces the receiving player to skip their next turn and all the method steps included in a turn and then the next player in the cycle begins their turn instead. After the receiving player skips one turn, they may return to the established game method cycle on their next turn.

In some embodiments, if a player is playing against a computer or in a solitary manner in which a player attempts to match all the sets of cards before a predetermined time expires, the handicaps 114 may decrease the time to make completion of the game more difficult. In some embodiments, if a player is playing against a computer or in a solitary manner in a timed or turn limited format, the handicap 114 may decrease the number of turns available to finish the game. In some embodiments, if a player is playing against a computer or in a solitary manner, the game format may include both time and turn limits and the handicaps 114 may decrease either the amount of time, the number of turns or both.

The method of playing a memory card game 100 provides entertainment, challenge, education, and/or stimulation to users, particularly children, as it challenges and stimulates memory and intellectual growth, and improves memory, and serves a social purpose when played in pairs or groups of children and/or adults. Players of the game 100 attempt to remember where particular cards 106 of the deck 104 are located in the arrangement 118 to match the cards with a matching card 106 of the pair included in the deck 104. The memory challenge is to look and remember where the cards 106 are in the arrangement 118. In some embodiments, a player may look for a card 106 that has not been seen yet and try to remember for a future turn.

For the purposes of promoting an understanding of the principles of the invention, reference has been made to the preferred embodiments illustrated in the drawings, and specific language has been used to describe these embodiments. However, this specific language intends no limitation of the scope of the invention, and the invention should be construed to encompass all embodiments that would normally occur to one of ordinary skill in the art. The particular implementations shown and described herein are illustrative examples of the invention and are not intended to otherwise limit the scope of the invention in any way. For the sake of brevity, conventional aspects of the system (and components of the individual operating components of the system) may not be described in detail. Furthermore, the connecting lines, or connectors shown in the various figures presented are intended to represent exemplary functional relationships and/or physical or logical couplings between the various elements. It should be noted that many alternative or additional functional relationships, physical connections or logical connections may be present in a practical device. Moreover, no item or component is essential to the practice of the invention unless the element is specifically described as “essential” or “critical”. Numerous modifications and adaptations will be readily apparent to those skilled in this art without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A method of playing a memory card game, comprising: (a) providing a physical or electronic or virtual deck of cards comprising: a plurality of pairs of matching cards, each card of said plurality of matching cards having a face side and a back side; andat least one privilege or handicap, or both, contained on a pair of cards of said plurality of pairs of matching cards;(b) physically or electronically shuffling and arranging said cards face side down to form an arrangement;(c) selecting, by a first player, two cards from said arrangement to search for a pair of matching cards during a turn;(d) if said two cards selected in step (c) form a pair of matching cards, said first player removes said pair of matching cards from said arrangement and adds said pair of matching cards to their own card collection and repeats step (c) to continue said turn; and(e) if said two cards selected in step (c) do not form a pair of matching cards, said first player returns said two cards to said arrangement and said turn concludes.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising: (f) repeating steps (c) through (e) for a turn for a second player and having said first player and said second player successively repeat steps (c) through (e) in sequential turns until all said cards have been removed from said arrangement; and(g) declaring a winner, wherein said winner is a player with the highest number of pairs of cards.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein cards may be a physical deck of cards, a virtual deck of cards or a deck of cards in electronic format, a virtual format or an audio format, such as what may arise from a computer application, a software application, a mobile application or visual recording, video recording or audio recording.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein there are no handicaps and only privileges or wherein there are no privileges and only handicaps.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the minimum number of cards in the game is six cards.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the method of playing a memory card game provides any combination of entertainment, challenge, education, or stimulation to users, particularly children, as it challenges and stimulates memory and intellectual growth, and improves memory, and serves a social purpose when played in pairs or groups of children, adults or both.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said handicap is any handicap that disadvantages a player with a consequence, disadvantage, restriction, misfortune, or loss.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said privilege is any privilege that entitles a player to special options, benefits, rights, turns, advantages or favors, such as an extra turn, a sneak peek, or a free gift set.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein if said two cards selected in step (d) form a pair of matching cards containing a privilege, said first player receives the privilege that entitles a player to special options, benefits, rights, turns, or favors such as an extra turn, a sneak peek, or a free gift set.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein if a player receives a gift set, said player selects and takes a pair of matching cards from a target player, and if said selected pair of matching cards contains a privilege or a handicap, said player cannot use said privilege or handicap.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein if a player receives a gift set, said player selects and takes a pair of matching cards from a target player, and if said selected pair of matching cards contains a privilege or a handicap, said player can use said privilege or handicap.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein if a player has an extra turn card taken away, that player cannot use the extra turn if it has been saved for use at a later point in the game.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein if a player has a privilege taken away, that player cannot use the privilege if it has been saved for use at a later point in the game.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one player plays the game.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein a player may comprise a team of individuals.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein human players may play against any combination of other human player(s), virtual human player(s), online human player(s), human players in different locations, human players in the same location, robotic player(s), virtual robotic player(s), or artificial intelligence player(s).

17. The method of claim 1, wherein a human player, whether playing solitarily or not, may be playing against time or may be playing against number of turns or playing with a finite or specified number of turns.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein said handicap is lose a turn.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one player is nonhuman.

20. A memory card game comprising: Cards having a privilege or a handicap.