Patent Application
20130140771
The present disclosure relates to a board game in which players create words by connecting letters, and in particular, the present disclosure relates to board games in which multiple boards are capable of being arranged in various combinations and configurations to generate one of many different possible game boards, each of the boards is imprinted with an array of different letters to individualize each board, and the players or teams must create words by connecting the letters on the game board.
The present disclosure relates to boards, each containing multiple letters, to be combined in numerous combinations and configurations in order to generate and play different board games on different game boards in which the object is for a player or team to place that team's chips or tokens on letters and adjacent letters to create words, and thereby creating a line or path of chips. By using this line of chips and adding new words at each turn which will immediately or eventually form a longer line, the team can meet certain objectives, such as connecting various locations or ends on the game board, either from side to side, top to bottom or connecting all four sides (in one connected) line, or racing from one end of the game board to the other, and other objectives as necessary to play each game.
The present disclosure further relates to boards and integral or separate pieces that are located or can be placed on the boards, such that the boards which each contain an array of squares containing multiple letters to be combined in numerous combinations and configurations, now contain certain impediments or blocks to stop the progression of the line or path. The pieces can be the size of one or multiple squares and can be printed or otherwise made permanent on each board in random locations, or can be separate pieces to be placed on the board before or during the game play.
The present disclosure further relates to boards, each containing multiple numbers, to be combined in numerous combinations and configurations, usually in a mathematical formula (such as 3+4=7) in order to generate and play different board games on different game boards in which the object is for a player or team to place that team's chips or tokens on numbers and adjacent numbers to create mathematical equations, and thereby creating a line or path of chips. By using this line of chips and adding new mathematical equations at each turn which will immediately or eventually form a longer line, the team can meet certain objectives, such as connecting various locations or ends on the game board, either from side to side, top to bottom or connecting all four sides (in one connected) line, or racing from one end of the game board to the other, and other objectives as necessary to play each game.
The present disclosure further relates to a board or computer game in which an array of letters is revealed on a display, such as a game board, computer, mobile phone or computer tablet, along with a clue or clues (including possibly the direction of the resulting word), and a player is required to find the answer word or words in the array. The words may be located from one end of the array to the other, such as side to side or top to bottom; or may be located anywhere in the array. The game may be played in a timed play or untimed play. Further, the game play may be similar to the game play described herein for board games in which a player attempts to join top to bottom and side to side in the least number of connected words. Points are established based on the size of the words with a higher score for using fewer words when joining the sides.
The present disclosure further relates to a board or computer game or a printed puzzle in which an array of letters is revealed on paper or on a display, such as a game board, computer, mobile phone or computer tablet. On the same paper or display, a representation of a phrase, sentence, song lyric or other set of words shall be shown to the player. This representation shall reveal the length of each word and the number of words in the entire phrase. But the representation will not reveal all of the actual letters used in the words of the phrase. A typical phrase representation will show several letters from the phrase in correct positions with the remaining letters being shown as underlines or empty boxes (blanks). The goal of the game is to identify and fill in the entire correct phrase. The letter array contains the entire correct phrase so that each successive letter in the entire phrase, excluding spaces and punctuation, touches the previous letter in the entire phrase, as described herein. Players will use the letter array to find the beginning, end and key letters within the phrase and then build the complete phrase by identifying the remaining array letters which fill in the blanks in the phrase.
The present disclosure further relates to a television or Internet game show in which any of the game play described herein is provided for the players. The show may have multiple segments, in which the players play the same or different formats of connecting words on an array or guessing the word on the array based on clues provided. There can be a bonus round for the player with the highest score at the end of the segments. Further, players watching the show can also play along for prizes.
A board game is a game in which pieces are placed, moved or removed from a pre-marked surface or board according to a set of rules. From ancient burial sites, it is believed that the first known board game Senet was played in Egypt as early as 3500 to 3000 BC. Since then, board games have been a part of most cultures and societies throughout history. Board games are based on strategy and usually the game ends when one player or team of players defeats the other player or team based on the set of rules.
Board games are based on strategy and luck and can be divided generally into a number of different categories, such as word games, puzzles, theme games, role-playing and other categories, although usually, board games overlap these categories. However, the objective of almost all board games is based on defeating the other player or team by accumulating more points or the other team's tokens, or obtaining a winning position.
Of the more famous board games, Monopoly was first released in its current version in the 1930s and Scrabble was first distributed in the late 1940s and early 1950s. Another famous game, Trivial Pursuit was first distributed in 1982. Each of these games included a game board and pieces that could be placed on the board or moved around the board during the play of the game.
In particular, the Scrabble game board contained an array of boxes and letter tiles that allowed each player to accumulate points by “laying down” the letter tiles to create words. The number of points accumulated was dependant on the particular letter tiles used to create the word and the location of the word on the board.
Although many types of board games exist, it would be advantageous to have a board game in which the game board shape and size was made up of a configuration of a number of smaller boards, each of the smaller boards having a different array of letters such that numerous different game boards could be created using the same smaller boards. Further, it would be advantageous to have a board game in which the game board can be changed even for the same configuration each time the game was played. The present disclosure solves these and other disadvantages of current board games.
The present invention is a board game containing a game board made up of multiple different boards, each of the boards individualized to contain an array of different letters, such that when the individual boards are placed next to each other in a configuration and then shuffled and placed next to each other in the same configuration, different game boards are generated.
For example, the game board may be made up of an array of 16 four by four individual boards, with each of the individual boards having a four by four array of 16 letters printed thereon, and none of the individual boards having the same array of letters. When the individual boards of the four by four array are picked up, shuffled and placed into another four by four array configuration, the resulting game board will be different than the previous game board.
Once the game board is generated, depending on the board game being played, various board games can be played according to the rules set up for that board game. Most of the games include the placement of chips on the letters of the boards to create words. In the preferred embodiment, the chips are a different translucent color so that each player or team uses one color translucent chips to create their words. By using translucent chips, each player or team can see the letters that have been covered and continue to use those letters to create additional words and extend the path of those chips.
In most of the games, the player can use any adjacent letters to create a word so that a particular letter can be combined with up to eight adjacent letters and that adjacent letter can be combined with the seven remaining adjacent letters to continue creating the word. In the preferred embodiment, the word cannot use the same letter more than once, but the word can snake around and back to create the word.
An objective of the present disclosure is to generate a game board using 16 individual boards in a four by four array. The objective is for each player or team taking turns to create a path using their color translucent chips placed on the letters to create a word, and to extend that path to create a line from one end of the game board to the other before any other team creates a line from one edge of the game board to the opposite edge with their color chips.
An objective of the present disclosure is to generate a game board using 12 individual boards in a four by four array in which the four corner boards are removed. The objective is for each player or team taking turns to create a path using their color translucent chips placed on the letters to create a word, and to extend that path to create a line from each of the four edges of the game board to all of the other edges before any other team creates a line from each of the four edges of the game board to the other edges with their color chips.
Another objective of the present disclosure is to generate a game board using 16 individual boards in a two by eight array. The objective is for each player or team taking turns to create a path using their color translucent chips placed on the letters to create a word, and to extend that path to create a line from the top of the game board to the bottom before any other team creates a similar line from top to bottom.
Another objective of the present disclosure is to generate a game board using 15 individual boards in a three by five array. The objective is for each player or team taking turns to create a path using their color translucent chips placed on the letters to create a word, and to extend that path to create a line from the top of the game board to the bottom before any other team creates a similar line from top to bottom.
Another objective of the present disclosure is to generate a game board using 16 individual boards in a four by four array. At the beginning of the game, each player has a fixed number of chips (i.e. 40). The objective is for each player or team taking turns to review the game board for a period of time and determine the longest word it can make from the letters on the game board. Once determined, each player states the number of letters in the longest word at the same time as the other players. The players with the longest word are allowed to place their chips on those letters. To the extent there are no chips placed on certain boards, the uncovered boards are then lifted, shuffled and replaced on the four by four array to generate a new board. The objective is to put down a certain number of chips on the ever changing game board, for example, 40 chips, before any other player has placed all 40 of their chips.
Another object of the present disclosure is to provide each of the novel games described herein in a virtual or simulated game in which the boards are displayed on a monitor of a computer screen, a handheld electronic game, a tablet, cellular telephone or any other visual display. By providing the game board of the present disclosure on a computer-based medium, the games can be played by players in the same location or players located remotely from each other by using a global communication network such as the Internet. Further, the game play described herein can be used in conjunction with various social networks, such as Facebook and/or game websites, which allow players or subscribers to play games. The game play of the present disclosure can also be provided to players as an application and provided to players, for example, as an iPhone application or a Google application.
Another object of the present disclosure is to provide each of the novel games described herein in a game show format, such as one shown on television or the Internet. In the game show, participants play against each other by viewing a virtual or simulated game in which the boards are displayed on a monitor or other visual display. The participants obtain points for correct answers or for connecting a path from one end of the array to the other before the other player connects their line. Any of the games described herein can be incorporated into one or more segments for the players to score points. At the end of the segments, the participant with the highest score can enter a bonus round, wherein he or she plays a game against the clock for money or prizes.
The preferred embodiments of the invention will be described in conjunction with the appended drawings provided to illustrate and not to the limit the invention, where like designations denote like elements, and in which:
Once a game board 10 has been created by placing the individual boards 12 in a pattern as required by the rules of a particular game, the game can be played. Further, most of the games played using the individual boards 12 and the game board 10 (regardless of how the game board 10 is configured), incorporate chips (see
To begin a particular game, the boards 12 are shuffled and arranged in a pattern designed for the particular board game 10 to be played. In the preferred embodiment, the board game 10 consists of 16 boards 12 arranged in a four by four array. Each player or team selects a set of colored chips. In the board game 10 of the preferred embodiment, two to four players play individually or four to eight players play in teams of two. The game begins by the roll of a die (or any other determination) to decide will start the game. After the first player or team finishes its turn, play can continue to the left.
Each player or team takes a turn attempting to spell a single word on the game board 10 by placing their colored chips on the squares containing the printed letters 14. Each player can announce the word being spelled as the chips are placed.
In the preferred embodiment, words may be spelled in any direction, from left to right, right to left, up or down, diagonally, or any combination of these, as long as the square of each letter 14 in the word is adjacent to or touching the square of the word's very next letter 14. In the preferred embodiment, a player may not use the same letter 14 more than once in the same word, however, alternative embodiments may allow such usage.
As stated above, a player may re-use letters 14 which were covered previously by that player's colored chips 16, in order to spell a new word. The player does not have to lay another chip 16 on top of any chip 16 placed on the game board 10. Instead, the previous letter 14 is included as part of the word. However, a player may not use another player's chip 16 to spell a word.
In team play, there can be two players per team. Play passes back and forth between the teams with partners taking turns to make the next word. Partners on a team share the same set of colored chips 16. In the preferred embodiment, team members are not allowed to help by pointing out words or direct play.
In the preferred game play, the boards 12 are shuffled and arranged into the four by four configuration or pattern shown in
The winning player is the first player to create a continuous, unbroken winding line of chips 16 stretching from one edge of the game board 10 to the other edge, either side to side or from top to bottom. As described above, a path or line is continuous as long as the player's chips 16 are touching adjacent chips 16 laterally, vertically, or diagonally.
Each player's next three plays are shown in
Other games, similar and different to the game described above can be played using these boards 12 and the game board 10. Various modifications can be made to the rules of the preferred embodiment set forth above and still be covered by the scope of the present disclosure. Further, a player can be handicapped by the game play so that players of different ages or abilities can play against each other with a level playing field. For example, in one embodiment, an adult may be prohibited from using three letter words to make their path while the child does not have that same prohibition. In another embodiment, a ratio of turns can be established such that, for example, the younger player may be allowed two turns for each of the adult's turn, or the younger player is allowed three turns for each of the adult's two turns.
In an alternative game play using the boards 12 and game board 10 of the present disclosure, the boards 12 are shuffled and arranged in either a two by eight 62 or three by five 64 array as shown in
As stated above, the object of the game is to create a continuous winding line of the player's colored chips 16 starting at the top edge 66 and extending continuously from the game board's top edge 66 to its bottom edge 68. Each player's first word must include at least one letter which is in the very top edge 66 row of letters 14. After this first word, each subsequent word must touch at least one letter 14 from one of the player's previous words.
This game allows for players to block the other player's line. The winning player or team is the first player or team to create a continuous, unbroken winding line of chips 16 starting at the very top edge 66 and extending all the way to include a letter 14 from the very bottom edge 68 of letters 14.
In order to make the games more playable, the boards 12 contain the same frequency of letters as most words in the English language, however, the boards have been configured for letters such that there is an increase of frequency of “ING”, “ED” and “ER endings.
In the unlikely event of a tie, the tie breaker rule is that the winner is whichever player or team has the most chips 16 on the board at the end of the game.
The game play described above can be incorporated with a clock that requires players or teams to create a word within a limited amount of time and helps move the game along.
In yet another embodiment of the present disclosure, a game board using 16 individual boards in a four by four array is set up. Any number of boards can be used for this game, however, the preferred embodiment utilizes a four by four array of boards. At the beginning of the game, the boards are set out and each player or team reviews the game board for a period of time (i.e., one minute) to determine the longest word the player or team can make from the letters on the game board. Each player or team has a fixed number of chips (i.e. 40), and the objective is for each player or team to place all of the chips on the board.
When time expires, each player or team states the number corresponding with the number of letters in the longest word that they have determined from the game board. The player or team states the number at the same time as the others. The players with the highest number are allowed to place their chips on those letters. Next, and to the extent there are no chips placed on a particular board (of the 16 in this example), the uncovered boards are then lifted, shuffled and replaced to again generate a four by four array. The game continues in the same manner with the objective to place all of the chips on the ever changing game board, before any other player or team has placed all of their chips.
In yet another embodiment of the present disclosure, a game board is created using 16 individual boards shuffled and placed in a four by four array for a game of solitaire. Any number of boards can be used for this game, however, the preferred embodiment utilizes a four by four array of boards. At the beginning of the game, the boards are set out and the object is for one player to create a continuous line of chips that touches at least one letter on each of the 16 boards that make up the game board. The goal is to complete the line using the least number of words possible. Accordingly, the player may place a chip on the side of the game board for each word used thereby keeping track of the number of words needed to complete the line.
In yet another similar embodiment of the present disclosure, a game board is created using 16 individual boards shuffled and placed in a four by four array. Any number of boards can be used for this game, however, the preferred embodiment utilizes a four by four array of boards. Similar to the game of solitaire above, at the beginning of the game, the boards are set out and the object is for one player to create a continuous line of chips, however the line must travel first from one side of the game board to the other, and then, from the top of the game board to the bottom. The second line must “break through” the first line without using any letters from the first line, thus the break through. Again, the goal is to complete the lines using the least number of words possible. Accordingly, the player may place a chip on the side of the game board for each word used thereby keeping track of the number of words needed to complete the lines.
In another embodiment, the individual boards 12 can be printed with designs taking up one or more of the letters 14 on the array. These designs overlap or replace the letters 14 and serve to force the player to “go around” the space to make the line or path. These designs can be mountains, ponds, devils, etc. or just black squares indicating that the square is not available to use for the line or path. The designs can also be separate physical pieces that can be placed or located on the boards 12 or on the game board 10. Once placed or located (or if previously printed on the board 12) the game board 10 now contains certain impediments or blocks to stop the progression of a players line or path. The pieces can be the size of one or more squares thereby taking up the space of one or more letters and can be placed on the game board 10 before or during the game play.
In a similar embodiment, instead of a block, the boards 12 can be printed with wild symbols, so that a player can use that particular wild symbol as any letter when creating the path or line. Again, the wild symbols can be included on the board 12, by printing, or incorporated as a separate piece placed prior to or during game play.
Another embodiment provides for any of the game play described herein, but using numbers instead of letters. In order to create a path or line, the player must generate a mathematical formula using the numbers in the array next to each other. For example, if a 3 is adjacent to a 4 and a seven, the path may include the 3, 4 and 7 in a equation (such as 3+4=7). Using equations, the player or team places that team's chips or tokens on numbers and adjacent numbers to create mathematical equations, and thereby creating a line or path of chips. By using this line of chips and adding new mathematical equations at each turn, the player or team can form a line and connect various locations or ends on the game board, as described herein, or race from one end of the game board to the other, etc.
In yet another embodiment, a board or computer game is provided in which an array of letters is revealed on a display to a player or players. Such a display can be associated with a game board, computer, mobile phone or computer tablet. The various games described herein or variations on those games can be played and displayed.
In one non-limiting example, the display shows a six by six array of letters and a clue is provided for the player for each word to be found on the array along with an arrow indicating the direction that the resulting word(s) must travel. For example, the clue might be “SISTINE” with an arrow to the right with a result containing six letters. If the player finds the word “CHAPEL” by depressing or selecting the correct letters starting on the left side and moving across and ending on the right side, an indication will show that the answer is correct. There may be four (or more or less) hints or clues and resulting answers before the player completes this round.
In an alternative embodiment, one clue is provided for all the answers. For example, the clue might be for eight letter words that are mammals and the arrows are pointing down. The player must find four mammals with the word starting at the top and ending at the bottom. Again, the timer starts and keeps track of how long it takes for the player to find all four mammals. The score is greater for shorter times to complete the array. Bonuses can be given to the player depending on the time; for example, every minute a multiplication bonus is reduced. Further, for touch screen displays, the player can enter the results by touching the letter on the array and the game will indicate the selection by changing colors, etc.
In yet another embodiment for a similar device, the player is provided a four by four array and one clue. The object is to find a single word that answers the clue and also touches all four corners of the array in the shortest amount of time.
In yet another embodiment for a similar device, the player is provided a five by ten array and a representation of a phrase or sentence with a few letters filled in but all of the remaining letters shown as underlines or boxes (blanks). The object is identify all of the unknown letters in the phrase (blanks) by touching the letters on the array, thereby forming a continuous connected line of letters which is all of the letters in the phrase, excluding punctuation and spaces, in correct beginning-to-end order.
These four exemplary games can be played on a device or as a board game, in segments or levels such that the player has to succeed at one level to be allowed to try the next level. Further, each of these games, either combined or separately, can be played against other players by sharing the device or remotely. Points can also be accumulated at each level and the final score can be compared to other players during a specific time period (one day, etc.) or at the same time.
In yet another embodiment, a game play similar to the game play described above for board games can be played in which a player attempts to join the top to bottom and the left and right side in the least number of connected words. Points can be established based on the size of the words used to make the connection and/or a greater score for using fewer words to connect the ends.
In yet another embodiment, a game play is provided in which, for example, a six by six array of letters is provided and the player must find a certain number of words have the required number of letters. For example, the player is timed to find five words containing three letters, four words containing four letters, three words containing five letters, and two words containing six letters. The player score is based on time to locate all the words, with the objective to complete the game in the shortest amount of time. Bonuses, or deductions of time, can be obtained for seven or more letter words (for example, subtract 30 seconds for each seven letter word), using all the words in the grid (for example, subtract 1 minute) and finding double words, a word in both directions (for example, subtract 20 seconds), among others. Deductions, or additions of time, can be incorporated for using hints (for example, add 20 seconds). Of course, numerous scoring methods can be used to achieve similar results.
In another embodiment, the games described herein can be part of a television or Internet game show. For example, each of the segments or levels detailed above can be a separate segment in which players compete against each other for points. The segments are the same or different formats of connecting words on an array or guessing the word on the array based on clues provided. The players must select the correct word or words to complete the game board. The player with the highest score after the three segments is allowed to play the bonus round, which can be the attempt to connect the top and bottom and side to side in the least amount of words. Further, players watching the show can also play along for prizes.
Each of the novel game boards and game play described herein can be played using the physical game board. Further, each of the games can be played by simulating the boards and game boards on a display, such as a computer screen, a handheld electronic game, a tablet, a cellular telephone, such as a smart phone, or any other visual display that is controlled by a microprocessor-based system.
The rules of the games described herein can be played in a similar manner using a microprocessor-based system and the games can be played by players in the same physical location or by players located remotely from each other. Such game play is understood by those having ordinary skill in the art by using a global communication network such as the Internet or an intranet. The game play can be provided to players using various social networks, such as Facebook, so that players can play against each other without the need for a physical board or being in the same location.
Further, the game play can be provided at or by websites that provide computer games and game play to subscribers of those website. In doing so, game statistics can be generated and recorded for individuals and team play. The game play of the present disclosure can also be provided to players as an application download to a computer tablet or smart phone, for example, as an iPhone application or a Google application.
Thus in some embodiments, the game board 10 may be electronic. With reference to
In the exemplary embodiment shown in
More specifically, at least one indicator 130 may inform a user of requirements for the types of words that must be located. Here, for example, four indicators 130 inform the player to locate one six-letter word extending generally left to right, one six-letter word extending generally top to bottom, one six-letter word extending generally right to left, and one six-letter word extending generally bottom to top. While all of the indicators 130 are shown to require six-letter words here, this is merely exemplary. Depending on the difficulty settings, the skill of the player, the “round,” or some combination thereof, the game board 10 may challenge the player to find words of varying length.
In some embodiments, a clue 132 may be provided near each indicator 130. The exemplary clues 132 shown here correspond, respectively, to the name of a desert, the capital of Ireland, a gaseous planet, and the name of an American actor. Further, a box 134 underneath each indicator 130 may show the correct word after the player has located the word.
A number of points 136 awarded for each correct word located may also be shown. For instance, the player was awarded 2,400 points for locating “Sahara,” 3,000 points for locating “Dublin,” and “2,400 points for locating “Uranus.” The point scheme may be based on the difficulty of locating a particular hidden word or an amount of time elapsed 138 since the game began, for example. In other words, the player may receive more points for locating words quickly. A multiplier 140 corresponding to a “Time Bonus” may inform the player of the benefit of finding words timely. In this example, one minute and eight seconds have elapsed, which corresponds to a multiplier 140 of “3×.” Thus assuming one hundred points per letter per word, the player would only receive 1,800 points based on the amount of time that has elapsed 138 for correctly identifying “Bogart.” As the player taps each letter 14 of a word, the game board 10 may display a sequence 142 of letters that the player has selected. If the sequence 142 is incorrect (e.g., if the player erroneously selected an incorrect letter or one out of order), the player may simply tap a “clear” button 144 to begin identifying the word again. As with many embodiments of the present disclosure, the game board 10 may notify the player once the player has correctly identified a word, when the player has incorrectly identified a word, or when the word does not exist.
The game board 10 may also display a player profile 146. The player profile 146 may be part of a larger player profile (not shown) and may indicate, for example, how many points the player has accumulated in a particular game and a name of the current player. The game board 10 may also provide a hint button 148 for players. The hint button 148 may give players a hint for locating a word. The hint may be substantive, such as providing the first and last letters of a word, for instance. Or the hint may be visual, such as highlighting several letters 14 of a word on the game board 10, for example. Use of the hint button 148 may detrimentally impact the player's score, such as by adding time or reducing points. Moreover, the game board 10 may provide different levels of hints.
The game board 10 may further provide a help button 150, a dictionary button 152, a pause/menu button 154, and an exit button 156 in some embodiments. The help button 150 may provide players with further information on the game, such as directions on how to play, for example. The dictionary button 152 may allow players to verify words in a dictionary, which depending on the electronic device may be stored locally or may be stored remotely. The pause/menu button 154 may pause the current game while displaying a menu for the player. In one embodiment, the letters 14 of the game board 10 may be masked when the pause/menu button 154 is selected so that a player may not stop the elapsed time 138 while continuing to locate words. Moreover, the exit button 156 may allow players to exit out of the game board 10 and return to an interface displayed by the electronic device.
Where the game board 10 is played on electronic devices having a screen, it should be understood that the game board 10 may operate similarly to that described above. For example, whereas a player may place a colored chip 16 on a letter 14 on a physical game board 10, the screen of an electronic device may display a virtual colored chip 16 on the letters 14 of a word that the player has correctly identified.
As the player interacts with the game board 10, visual aids may be displayed on the screen to assist the player. By way of example, circles 158 may be displayed around letters 14 as the player selects the letters 14 for a particular word. In
Although every feature of the game board 10 has not been fully enumerated, it should be understood that certain features of the game board 10 may vary from one embodiment to the next. To illustrate, in some games players may “reuse” letters 14, while in other games players may be prohibited from “reusing” letters 14. In some games the last letter of a word must terminate at an edge, while in other games the word must simply extend across the length or width of the array of letters 14. Hence the described features and embodiments are truly exemplary, and many variations of the game board 10 remain within the scope of the present disclosure.
In one embodiment, once the player locates the words the game board 10 may present the player with another game. For example, the game board 10 may challenge the player to locate a number of words that all relate to a particular theme or a single clue. Hints may again be available to assist the player with moving the game forward. Likewise, the player may be competing against a clock, and thus possible points may decrease as time elapses. The game board 10 may in some embodiments present the player with a still further game. For example, the game board 10 may challenge the player to find a 10- or 11-letter word winding through a four by four array of letters. In one variation, the game board 10 may provide a clue to the player, and the word corresponding to the clue must touch all four corners of the array.
Turning now to
Because some shorter-length words may form a portion of longer-length words, a button 166, for example “ENTER”, may be provided. The player may then tap that button 166 when he or she desires to register a located word. The game board 10 need not assume whether the player was trying for a shorter word or a longer word.
This game along with other games may accord the player more or less points depending on the type of words located. For instance, a “double word” that has a second meaning when its letters are reversed (e.g., “tops” and “spot”) may be worth more points or may reduce the elapsed time 136, depending on how the game is scored. As a further example, players that can utilize every letter 14 on an array may be awarded a bonus in the form of added points or reduced elapsed time 136. A status 168 on the game board 10 may inform the player of the percentage of letters 14 on the array that have been utilized thus far. Bonuses may also be awarded to players that locate words having seven or more letters, for example. Still further, a player may be docked points or time where the player locates words that are derivatives of one another (e.g., “gap” and “gaps”).
In another embodiment, the game board 10 may challenge a player to locate a string of words within a sixteen by sixteen array of letters 14. The game may first require the player to locate a string of words that connect the left and right sides of the array. The game may then require the player to locate a string of words that connect the top and bottom of the array. The words located in the left-right string may remain highlighted with virtual colored chips as the player locates a string of words from the top to bottom. In some variations, the player must cross over the left-right string so as not to “use” a letter 14 forming one of the words in the left-right string. In other words, the player must create a diagonal connection to cross the left-right string. In other variations, though, the game board 10 may allow the player to use letters from the left-right string of words to create the top-bottom string of words.
In this embodiment, the game may not necessarily track elapsed time. Rather, points may be based on the number of words required to create the left-right and top-bottom strings. Thus players that use longer words may be rewarded accordingly. Further, because of the size of the array in this embodiment, the game board 10 may include features that assist players. For example, once the player selects a letter 14, the screen may zoom in on the selected letter 14 and letters 14 nearby. Another example involves the use of a rotate button. The rotate button may allow the player to rotate the array 180 degrees while maintaining the letters 14 in an upright, readable format. Such rotation allows players sitting across from one another to play the game on a device positioned between them without having to move the device between turns.
Still another game is shown in
The game board 10 shown in
In some embodiments, each player may be allotted a certain amount of total time, the idea being that once a player has run out of time, that player loses. During a player's turn, that player's allotment of total time may count down towards zero, and continue counting down with each successive turn. Once a player identifies a word on the array, though, the next player's total time starts counting down.
While the description thus far has focused largely on the game board 10 and its multitude of embodiments, also important is the hardware and infrastructure that support the game board 10.
The computer system 200 may include one or more memories, such as first memory 230 and second memory 240. It is contemplated that the first memory 230, secondary memory 240, or a combination thereof function as a computer usable storage medium to store and/or access computer code. The first memory 230 and second memory 240 may be, for example, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), a mass storage device, or any combination thereof.
As shown in
A mass storage device 243 may include, for example, a Compact Disc Read-Only Memory (“CDROM”), ZIP storage device, tape storage device, magnetic storage device, optical storage device, Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (“MEMS”), nanotechnological storage device, floppy storage device, hard disk device. Mass storage device 243 also includes program cartridges and cartridge interfaces (such as that found in video game devices), removable memory chips (such as an EPROM, or PROM) and associated sockets.
The computer system 200 may further or alternatively include other means for computer code to be loaded into or removed from the computer system 200, for example, input/output (“I/O”) interface 250 and/or communications interface 260. Both the I/O interface 250 and the communications interlace 260 allow computer code to be transferred between the computer system 200 and external devices including other computer systems. This transfer may be bi-directional or omni-direction to or from the computer system 200.
Computer code transferred by the I/O interlace 250 and the communications interface 260 are typically in the form of signals, which may be electronic, electromagnetic, optical, or other signals capable of being sent and/or received by the interfaces. These signals may be transmitted via a variety of modes including, but not limited to, wire or cable, fiber optics, a phone line, a cellular phone link, infrared (“IR”), and radio frequency (“RF”) link.
The I/O interface 250 may be any connection, wired or wireless, that allows the transfer of computer code. An I/O interface 250 includes, for example, an analog or digital audio connection, digital video interface (“DVI”), video graphics adapter (“VGA”), musical instrument digital interface (“MIDI”), parallel connection, PS/2 connection, serial connection, universal serial bus connection (“USB”), IEEE1394 connection, PCMCIA slot and card. In certain embodiments the I/O interface connects to an I/O unit 255 such as a user interface, monitor, speaker, printer, touch screen display, to name a few.
The communications interface 260 is also any connection that allows the transfer of computer code. Communication interfaces include, but are not limited to, a modem, network interface (such as an Ethernet card), wired or wireless systems (such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, IR), local area networks, wide area networks, intranets, etc.
One aspect of the present disclosures is also directed to computer products, otherwise referred to as computer program products, to provide software that includes computer code to the computer system 200. Processor 220 executes the computer code in order to implement the methods of the present invention. As an example, the methods according to the present invention may be implemented using software that includes the computer code, wherein the software is loaded into the computer system 200 using a memory 230, 240 such as the mass storage drive 243, or through an I/O interface 250, communications interface 260, or any other interface with the computer system 200. The computer code in conjunction with the computer system 200 described herein may perform any one of, or any combination of, the steps of any of the methods presented herein. It is also contemplated that the methods according to the present invention may be performed automatically, or may be invoked by some form of manual intervention.
The computer system 200, or network architecture, of
The described embodiments are to be considered in all respects only as illustrative and not restrictive, and the scope of the invention is, therefore, indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description. Those of skill in the art will recognize changes, substitutions and other modifications that will nonetheless come within the scope of the invention and range of the claims.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/561,086, filed Nov. 17, 2011.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 61561086 | Nov 2011 | US |
