Patent Application
20120146287
The invention relates to board games. More particularly, it relates to a simple, easy to play board game which may be adapted to any number of players, up to the number of sides on the game board.
There are many examples of board games which provide devices with multiple sides, available for multiple players. See, e.g., U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,597,326; 6,062,562; 5,121,928; 4,244,579; and PCT/US2008/077722 for exemplars of rectangular sided game board devices. Generally, such games are “single track” games, in that multiple players follow one track or route around the game board in the course of play. Exemplars of circular or elliptical board game devices include U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,834,856; 4,341,388; 4,309,036; and published U.S. Application No. 2005/0167915. Such game board devices may be “single track” type games, as discussed supra (e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 6,834,856), or provide for multiple tracks, where each player proceeds from start to finish, usually from the exterior to the interior of the game board using a different pathway which is nonetheless identical to the other pathways.
Polygonal game boards are represented by, e.g., U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,204,693; 5,071,133; 4,930,788; 4,477,080; 4,030,762; and D301,493. As with the other varieties of game boards described herein, these, too, may employ a single track, such as the games provided by U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,204,693 and 5,071,133, or multiple tracks, such as U.S. Pat. No. 4,030,762. The “multiple track” type of game board is of more relevance to the subject invention.
Many of the game board devices of the prior art are complex games of skill and knowledge. The game board device of U.S. Pat. No. 5,121,928, e.g., requires players to answer questions of varying difficulty in different subject areas. The game board device of U.S. Pat. No. 4,244,579 involves a complex system of scoring a predetermined number of points. Where the games involve the use of instruction cards, the instructions, such as those in U.S. Pat. No. 6,834,856, are complex. Other games, such as U.S. Pat. No. 5,071,13, involve the inculcation of principles which may be objectionable to players.
Often, these games are difficult, if not impossible, and certainly frustrating, for young children to play, especially if unsupervised by adults. Hence, there is an ongoing need for board games, which can be played by players of all ages, which can be completed quickly, and can be played by a large number of players. It is the object of the invention described herein to provide such a game board device.
a and 3b show two types of cards which may be used in the invention.
Referring now to the drawings, the invention is a board game as embodied by reference number 20. In the depicted embodiment the game board is octagonally shaped, but any polygon of 4 or more sides may serve as the shape for the board. Preferably game board 20 will have from 4 to 12, more preferably from 6 to 10, and most preferably, 6-8 equilateral sides. The invention also includes playing pieces, and a means for determining the value of a turn, as will be explained herein. The playing pieces are equal to each other in size and shape, and total 3, 4, or 5 times the number of sides in the game board. For example, an octagonal game board will include up to 40 game pieces, or as few as 24. In the course of playing the game, players may decide to use fewer than the total number of playing pieces, although each player will use the same number of pieces. Hence, again with reference to an octagonally shaped game board which contains 40 pieces, the players may decide to use only 24, or 32 if all 8 sides are utilized. Should only six players, e.g., be involved, the number of pieces engaged will decrease accordingly.
The value generating means may be anything which operates by chance to produce a value from 2 to 12. Exemplary are a pair of conventional, identical, six sided die, or a spinning wheel structure with numbers from 2 to 12 and a spinning means, such as an arrow.
The game board 20, as will be seen, includes a center portion 21, with a marked area 22, for the placement of cards as well as a plurality of four tiered areas 23.
The tiered areas 23 contain a “START” zone 24, as well as three tiers indicated by 25, 26, and 27. Each of these tiers has three numerical values placed therein. It will be noted that the second and third tiers also contain two lines, 28 and 29, positioned next to each of two of the numbers.
Each of the sides of the polygonal game board is a different color, and within the tiers, the numbers are the same. Hence, by reference to
The order of play is determined by each player using the value generating means, e.g., by rolling the pair of dice, or by spinning the arrow on the numerical wheel. The player with the highest value starts the game. Should there be two or more players with the same highest value, these continue to use the value generating means until a single player has the highest value. That players begins the game, with play proceeding in a direction which is determined by the players.
Each player lines up his or her playing pieces in the “START” area. If dice are used, e.g., a player rolls them, and if the value of the dice is one of the three values in first tier 25, the player places a piece on that number. If a player successfully moves to the first tier by, e.g., rolling an “8”, “9”, or “10”, that player continues to play until unable to make a move.
Once a player moves a piece from “START” to the first tier 25, that player has access to a stack of cards placed at 22 as depicted by example in
The parallel lines depicted by 28 and 29 control the movement of pieces. Using the example given, a piece placed on “10” may only move forward via a roll of a 6 with the dice or spinner, or by instructions from a card. Similarly, a piece placed on “8” may only move forward with a roll of 5 or by instructions from a card. It will be seen that, in the embodiment depicted, “9” and “7” are the most favored values, as any of “5”, “6” , “7” will allow a player to move from the first tier at “9” and any of “4”, “11”, or “12” may be rolled by a player with a piece at “7,” to advance to the third tier. Once at the third tier, the player must secure a value of 2 or 3, in order to proceed to the goal, which is the center of the game board. Card instructions may also allow a player to move a piece to the center.
In play, if a player secures a value for a piece and can move to that position in that player's tier, that player has the option of forcing another player who has a piece in the same number in that second player's side back to start. For example, if a player using a section colored blue has a piece on 7, a player with the red section who has a piece in the first tier 25, who rolls a 7, may force the second player to move that piece back to start. The red sided player also moves a piece to his or her own position 7.
Pieces which have advanced to the center cannot be moved back.
The game continues until all of one player's pieces are advanced to the center. If, during the course of play the card selection is exhausted, the cards are shuffled and reused.
Only one piece may occupy a given number on any side. A player who has pieces on, e.g., “10”, “7”, and “11,” may not move another piece into play with a value of 10, 7, or 11. Rater, that player must secure a “2” or “3” (to move the piece at “11”, to the center), a “4” or “12” (to move the piece at “7” to the third tier), or a “6” (to move from “10”).
Other features of the invention will be clear to the skilled artisan and need not be set forth herein.
The terms and expression which have been employed are used as terms of description and not of limitation, and there is no intention in the use of such terms and expression of excluding any equivalents of the features shown and described or portions thereof, it being recognized that various modifications are possible within the scope of the invention.
