Patent Application
20200094129
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
The present invention relates generally to board games, and especially to multiplayer board games based on a graphical representation or map of a public transportation system.
Board games are well known, and offer varying levels of skill, elements of chance and theme. Some board games require the players to utilize skills or strategy to win, while others are games of chance.
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,851,881, filed Dec. 3, 1974, Smith disclosed a subway board game apparatus based on New York City subway system.
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,951,410, filed Apr. 20, 1976, McNeil discloses a board game apparatus which depicts a map of a geographic area divided into a multiplicity of adjoining individual areas.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,087,094, filed Feb. 28, 1977, Bakay discloses a game apparatus comprising a game board having a plurality of intersecting one way and two way simulated roads. Destination cards and hazard cards are randomly selected during the course of game play for selecting destinations along the roads and hazards which hinder the advancement of a game piece.
In U.S. patent application Ser. No. 4290607, filed May 17, 1979, McDonald discloses a travel game device is comprising a game board and a plurality of card sets, each card set having individual cards therein with instructions thereon for the advance of game play. In U.S. patent application Ser. No. 4784394, filed Apr. 6, 1987, Sumin discloses a board game apparatus designed to guide and educate the players about the tourist attractions and accommodations available in an existing area.
There is a need a new and improved game based on a public transportation system that offers new features which are not found in the prior art which is interesting to play and that provide a mix of skill, chance and theme.
A principle object of the present invention is to provide a novel game which has all the thrill and excitement of the movement of subway trains in a transit system. Another object is to provide a subway game which is instructive in getting a player acquainted with a local subway system. A further object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved stimulating subway game which is simple in design, inexpensive to manufacture, rugged in construction, easy to use and efficient in operation for multiple players to enjoy.
According to its major aspects and broadly stated, the present invention is a an improvement over the subway board game apparatus which was granted to inventor Smith in U.S. Pat. No. 3,851,881. The present invention includes new features and details which makes the game more interesting and fun to play.
The present invention provides a subway game board comprising a map of a subway system. Disc playing pieces 20 are included to represent trains. Six fares 22 are included and provided to each player at the start of a game. The game also includes a deck of instruction cards 23, a deck of places of interest cards 27, a deck of question cards 31, a game rule booklet 26, a pair of dice 16, a timer 28, a set of tacks 24, fare pieces 22, turn pieces 32, up pieces 30, and down pieces 29. The game can accommodate up to thirty players. The game is based on the New York City subway system but can be modified to adapt to other transportation systems.
Another version of the game provides a player-board 300 to each player. The player-board 300 eliminates the need for the larger gameboard 11. The player-board 300 is played in the same manner as the gameboard 11. The player-board 300 is advantageous while playing the game in close quarters or while traveling in a vehicle.
Also, another version of the game provides the game on an actual roll out map 400. The above and other objects, features and advantages of the invention are described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Referring now to the drawings in which like reference numbers represent corresponding parts throughout:
The present invention will now be described more fully hereinafter, in which preferred embodiments of the invention are shown. This invention may, however, be embodied in different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art. In the drawings, like numbers refer to like elements throughout. Thicknesses and dimensions of some components may be exaggerated for clarity.
Referring now to the drawings in detail, the reference numeral 10 represents a subway game according to the present invention wherein there is a game board 11 having a playing field 12 on one side that is a graphical representation map of an actual subway system of a municipality, such as New York or another city. The map indicates the courses of various different lines and indicates all local and express stations along each line, at least some of the lines having starting and ending stations different from every other line. Each line may be in a different color to be readily distinguish from one another.
The game also includes a plurality of playing pieces 20, shown in
Instruction cards 23 include the cards in
Instruction cards 23 include the cards in
Instruction cards 23 include the cards in
The instruction cards 23 may require the player to draw a place of interest card 27.
A special type of a place of interest card 27 is the question card 31. After receiving a place of interest card 27 the player will pick a question card 31 from a separate deck. The question card 31 gives the player the opportunity to advance spaces.
The game includes a plurality of turn pieces 32. A turn piece 32 may be collected depending on the instructions in the instruction cards 23. The turn pieces 32 aid in reminding the player of the number of turns he must miss. For example, if the player draws an instruction card 23 telling him to lose three turns, he picks up three turn pieces 32. He missed his next turn and returns one turn piece 32. The player misses a second turn and returns another turn piece 32. After he misses his third turn, he returns the final turn piece 32 and is ready to throw the dice 16 on his next turn.
The game includes a plurality of up pieces 30 and a plurality of down pieces 29. Every train route has one north end and one south end. Up is defined as moving from south to north, and down is defined as moving from north to south. The up pieces 30 and down pieces 29 are placed on the board to remind the player reminded of the direction he is heading along the board.
All the instruction cards 23 are shuffled together and turned upside down. As shown in
An alternate embodiment of the game provides a player-board 300 to each player, and is sufficiently compact and portable to be played while resting on a player's lap. The player-board 300 includes a top surface 305, and layout 215. As shown in
As shown in
Preferably, the player-board top surface 305 may comprises a means for preventing the playing pieces 20, fares 22, Up pieces 30, down pieces 29, layout 215, and pass cards 104 from falling off the board 300 and any unwanted movement. The player-board top surface 305 may be of a more rigid, magnetic non-porous material that is impenetrable by the pointed tacks 24, so pawns 313 are provided in lieu of the tacks 24. The pawns are labeled the same indices as the tacks 24. The pawns may be of magnetic material or have an adhesive base. The layout 215 is made of a material through which the magnetic force can penetrate, such as paper, film, or other magnetically penetrable material. Likewise, the playing pieces 20, fares 22, up pieces 30, down pieces 29, layout 215, and pass cards 104 are made of a magnetic or metallic material.
Alternatively, the player-board top surface 305 may comprise adhesives, pegs, holes, and the like, to which the playing pieces 20, fares 22, tacks 24, pawns 313, up pieces 30, down pieces 29, layout 215 and pass cards 104 may be temporarily and removably placed on the player-board 300.
As shown in
The following is a suggested text for a Subway Game for a city subway system:
The player with the first train that returns to the starting point on the first train's route wins the game. The game ends when the player with the last train returns to starting point on the last train's route.
The game centers on the train line a player is on, and the number of stations a player passes to get to the end of the line and back to the starting point. A player starts out with six fare pieces or fares with each piece representing a train fare. The player will encounter good and bad luck traveling from one station to another. The game may be played on a limited number of lines or the entire system. Two to thirty players may play at a time.
Either one or both die may be used but the decision must be agreed upon by all the players before starting the game. Each player throws the dice, and the highest number goes first, after that everyone else goes counterclockwise. The playing pieces are shuffled and placed faced down. Each player then picks up one playing piece. That piece will show the train number or route to ride on. The player then selects the tack with the same corresponding train number and places that tack at the beginning of the train line. Each player initially receives six fare pieces, one of which will immediately be returned to start the game. Fares can be gained or lost in accordance with the instructions on the cards. A player will be eliminated from the game after losing all fares. However, the player can continue in the game if another player gives the fare deficient player more fares. There is a maximum of three fares a player can receive from another player. Also, the player can continue the game upon luckily drawing a pass card from the deck of instruction cards. The pass cards mitigate lost fares.
The first player places a tack at the train's starting point, then throws the dice to determine the number of spaces to move. The player moves his tack along the train route as indicated by the numbers on the dice. Each space corresponds to a station stop on that train line. Only one throw per turn is permitted. The player draws an instruction card after each move. To familiarize players with the system, the player calls out the station's name when landed on. However, if that train station is occupied with another train on it, the player must move forward to the next station.
The up and down pieces keep the player reminded of the direction heading along the board. Every train route has one north end and one south end. Up is defined as moving from south to north, and down is defined as moving from north to south. A turn piece may be collected depending on the instructions in the instructions cards. The turn pieces are placed on the board. The turn pieces aid in reminding the player of the number of turns required to miss. When players receive an instruction card that indicates losing a turn, they must follow the instructions outlined on the card. The player must miss the number of turns indicated on the card before resuming the game.
For example, if the player draws an instruction card which states lose three turns, the player picks up three turn pieces. The player misses the next turn and returns one turn piece. The player misses a second turn and returns another turn piece. After the player misses the third turn, the final turn piece is returned, and the player is ready to throw the dice on the next turn.
Aside from throwing the dice, the number of spaces a player moves depends on the card instructions. The instruction cards are shuffled and placed face down. After each player has read a card, then the card is placed face up so that it will not be confused with the stack already in use. These cards may be used over and over in this manner.
In addition to the regular playing cards, there are cards for places of interest. The places of interest cards are shuffled and placed face down. The instruction cards may require the player to draw a place of interest card. These place of interest cards are very informative to anyone who has any interest in the landmarks or attractions. These cards may contain images and other information. The places of interest cards are for information only and do not require the player to take any action other than read the card and pick a place of interest question card.
There are thirty different train lines that start at different places, which begin and return to the designated places marked on the board. The rules of the game will follow the regulations of the actual city subway system.
Another embodiment of the invention is converting the physical game into a video game played on a computer, smartphone or other electronic device. Still another embodiment of the invention is converting the physical game into an online game played over the internet or other media. A further embodiment of the invention is manufacturing the game board or player-board to a accommodate pegs instead of tacks. While various changes may be made in the detail construction, it is understood that such changes will be within the spirit and scope of the present invention as is defined by the appended claims.
