TILE MATCHING GAME

Abstract

A tile-matching game in which each tile has four quadrants displaying values. Tiles can be played on a game board by matching the values of adjacent quadrants. A plurality of alternate scoring methods can be used to determine the number of points scored for each new tile placement. In some embodiments the scoring method for each new move can be randomly determined after the move is made.

Description

BACKGROUND

1. Field of the Invention

The present disclosure relates to the field of games, particularly a tile matching game that can be played using a plurality of tiles each having four quadrants with marked indicia.

2. Background

Dominos and other tile-matching games have been popular for centuries. Such games can be played casually with family or friends, or in tournaments or other competitions. Generally, one or more areas on each game piece are matched against other similar areas of other game pieces, and the game pieces are laid out on a game board or other playing surface. However, despite the popularity of such games, players often enjoy trying new games with different rules and/or different game pieces.

What is needed is a tile-matching game that uses game pieces each having four quadrants that indicate a value, such that matching adjacent game pieces can be based on the values associated with the quadrants within those tiles.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 depicts a top view of a tile.

FIG. 2 depicts a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of a tile.

FIG. 3 depicts an exemplary embodiment of a tile set having thirty tiles.

FIG. 4 depicts an exemplary embodiment of a tile set having forty five tiles.

FIG. 5 depicts an example of active edges of a quadrant on a tile.

FIG. 6 depicts an example of tiles placed according to legal moves during a game.

FIG. 7 depicts an example of tiles placed according to a non-legal move during a game.

FIG. 8 depicts an example of awarding points based on an “Around the World” scoring method.

FIG. 9 depicts an example of awarding points based on a “Matching Only” scoring method.

FIG. 10 depicts an example of awarding points based on a “Full Matrix” scoring method.

FIG. 11 depicts an example of awarding points based on a “Skip” scoring method.

FIG. 12 depicts an example of awarding points with a “Two-Divisible” scoring restriction in place with an “Around the World” scoring method.

FIG. 13 depicts an example of awarding points with a “Three-Divisible” scoring restriction in place with an “Around the World” scoring method.

FIG. 14 depicts an example of awarding points with a “Five-Divisible” scoring restriction in place with an “Around the World” scoring method.

FIGS. 15A-15C depict embodiments of a scoring method selector.

FIG. 16 depicts a flowchart for playing one embodiment of a game with two or more players using a tile set of unique tiles and a scoring method selector.

FIG. 17 depicts a block diagram of the functional components of an exemplary embodiment of a computer system.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 depicts a top view of a tile 100, and FIG. 2 depicts a perspective view of one non-limiting exemplary embodiment of a tile 100. A tile 100 can be a substantially planar body having a substantially square shape. A tile 100 can comprise wood, plastic, metal, metal alloy, acrylic, porcelain, ceramics, glass, and/or any other desired material.

A tile 100 can be divided into four substantially square quadrants 102, with one quadrant 102 on each of the tile's four corners. In some embodiments, dividers 104 on the tile 100 can mark the separation between the quadrants 102. In various embodiments, dividers 104 can be lines printed, painted, or otherwise marked on the surface of the tile 100, be grooves carved or indented into the surface of the tile 100, be embossed lines raised from the surface of the tile 100, be separate components affixed to the surface of the quadrant 102, and/or any other type of divider or mark. In alternate embodiments, dividers 104 between quadrants 102 can be absent.

Each quadrant 102 can be marked with indicia 106 that represents a particular value. In some embodiments, the absence of indicia 106 can also represent a particular value. In some embodiments, the indicia 106 can be dots, with the number of dots present in a quadrant 102 representing that quadrant's value. In other embodiments, the indicia can be letters, numbers, logos, Roman numerals, Greek numerals, colors, pictures, braille symbols, and/or any other character, icon, or symbol. In various embodiments, indicia 106 can be printed, painted, or otherwise marked on the quadrant 102, be carved or indented into the surface of the quadrant 102, be raised from the surface of the quadrant 102, be separate components affixed to the surface of the quadrant 102, and/or any other type of indicia or marking. By way of a non-limiting example, the indicia 106 can be dots painted or printed on the surface of a tile 100. By way of another non-limiting example, the indicia 106 can be glass or diamond inserts coupled with the surface of a tile.

As will be described below, a tile set 300 comprising a plurality of tiles 100 can be used together to play a game. Each tile 100 in a tile set 300 can have a unique combination of the indicia 106 on its four quadrants 102, such that each one of the tiles 100 in the tile set 300 is distinct.

As shown in FIG. 1, quadrant 102a (referred to herein as “Quadrant A”) can have indicia 106 that expresses a value within a first range. Quadrant 102d (referred to herein as “Quadrant D”) can be on the opposite corner on the tile 100 from Quadrant A, and Quadrant D can have indicia 106 that expresses the same value as the indicia 106 on Quadrant A. Quadrant 102b (referred to herein as “Quadrant B”) can be on a corner of the tile 100 that is adjacent to Quadrant A, and Quadrant B can have indicia 106 that expresses a value within a second range. Quadrant 102c (referred to herein as “Quadrant C”) can be on the opposite corner on the tile 100 from Quadrant B, and Quadrant C can have indicia 106 that expresses a value within a third range.

In some embodiments, the values of the indicia 106 for each quadrant 102 of each tile 100 in a tile set 300 can be determined based on the total number of tiles 100 in the tile set 300. According to one value assignment scheme, the tiles 100 can be arranged in a grid with rows and columns, and the number of rows and columns can determine the value of the indicia 106 on each tile's quadrants 102 according to the tile's position in the grid. As a non-limiting example, FIG. 3 depicts an exemplary embodiment of a tile set 300 having thirty unique tiles 100 arranged in a grid with six rows and five columns.

The first range of values, used for the indicia in Quadrants A and D of each tile 100, can include numeric values between one and the total number of rows. As such, Quadrants A and D on each tile 100 can express a value equal to its row number. By way of a non-limiting example, FIG. 3 shows an embodiment with tiles 100 arranged in a grid with six rows, such that the first range of values used for Quadrants A and D includes numeric values from one up to six expressed as dots. As shown in FIG. 3, Quadrants A and D of each tile 100 in the first row at the top of the grid have one dot, Quadrants A and D of each tile in the second row have two dots, Quadrants A and D of each tile in the third row have three dots, Quadrants A and D of each tile in the fourth row have four dots, Quadrants A and D of each tile in the fifth row have five dots, and Quadrants A and D of each tile in the sixth and final row have six dots.

The second range of values, used for the indicia in Quadrant B of each tile 100, can include numeric values between the total number of columns and one less than twice the number of columns, beginning with the highest value in this range for tiles 100 in the first column and decreasing the value for tiles 100 in each subsequent column. By way of a non-limiting example, FIG. 3 shows an embodiment with tiles 100 arranged in a grid with five columns, such that the second range of values used for Quadrant B includes numeric values from nine down to five expressed as dots. As shown in FIG. 3, Quadrant B of each tile in the first column on the left side of the grid has nine dots, Quadrant B of each tile in the second column has eight dots, Quadrant B of each tile in the third column has seven dots, Quadrant B of each tile in the fourth column has six dots, and Quadrant B of each tile in the fifth and final column on the right of the grid has five dots.

The third range of values, used for the indicia in Quadrant C of each tile 100, can include numeric values between the zero and one less than the total number of columns, beginning with zero for tiles 100 in the first column and increasing the value for tiles 100 in each subsequent column. By way of a non-limiting example, FIG. 3 shows an embodiment with tiles 100 arranged in a grid with five columns, such that the third range of values used for Quadrant C includes numeric values from zero up to four expressed as dots. As shown in FIG. 3, Quadrant C of each tile in the first column on the left side of the grid has zero dots, Quadrant C of each tile in the second column has one dot, Quadrant C of each tile in the third column has two dots, Quadrant C of each tile in the fourth column has three dots, and Quadrant C of each tile in the fifth and final column on the right of the grid has four dots.

FIG. 3 thus depicts one exemplary embodiment of a tile set 300 having thirty tiles 100, each tile 100 in the tile set 300 having a unique combination of indicia 106 on its four quadrants 102 as determined through the above-described value assignment scheme. Similarly, FIG. 4 depicts another exemplary embodiment of a tile set 300 having forty five tiles 100, each tile 100 in the tile set 300 having a unique combination of indicia 106 on its four quadrants 102 as determined through the above-described value assignment scheme. In some embodiments or situations, the extra fifteen tiles 100 shown in the bottom three rows of FIG. 4 can be sold or provided as an expansion set that can be added to the tile set 300 shown in FIG. 3 for additional gameplay options, while in other embodiments the complete tile set 100 shown in FIG. 4 can be sold or provided together.

In alternate embodiments, a tile set 300 can have more or fewer tiles 100 than shown in FIG. 3 or FIG. 4, with indicia 106 assigned through the above-described value assignment scheme or any other value assignment scheme. By way of a non-limiting example, an alternate embodiment of a tile set 300 could have sixty four tiles 100 with values for their indicia 106 assigned based on a grid arrangement with eight columns and eight rows, with Quadrants A and D of the tiles 100 having values between one and eight, Quadrants B of the tiles 100 having values between fifteen and eight, and Quadrants C of the tiles 100 having values between zero and seven.

FIG. 5 depicts an example of active edges 502 of a quadrant 102 on a tile 100. As mentioned above, a tile set 300 of unique tiles 100 can be used to play a game. During gameplay, each quadrant 102 of a tile 100 can be considered to have two active edges 502, positioned on the peripheral edges of the tile 100 within that quadrant 102. By way of a non-limiting example, the upper tile 100 shown in FIG. 5 has a quadrant 102 with eight dots, and that quadrant 102 has an active edge 502 along the tile's bottom edge and another active edge 502 along the tile's right edge.

During play, tiles 100 can be placed on a playing surface, such as a game board or table. After the first tile 100 has been placed on the playing surface, subsequent tiles 100 can be placed on the playing surface. For each new tile 100, the values of the new tile's quadrants 102 can be compared against the values of the quadrants 102 in the tiles 100 already on the playing surface, as indicated by the indicia 106. The new tile 100 can be played if, without moving previously played tiles 100, at least one matching quadrant 102 of the new tile 100 can be placed directly against at least one matching quadrant 102 in the collection of previously played tiles 100, without placing any non-matching quadrants 102 directly against each other. The new tile 100 can be rotated to be placed in any legal position on the playing surface.

By way of a first non-limiting example, in FIG. 5 legal moves include placing active edges 502a and 502d side by side, or placing active edges 502c and 502d side by side, as both moves would place the quadrants 102 displaying eight dots together, without placing non-matching quadrants 102 together.

FIG. 6 depicts a non-limiting example of tiles 100 placed according to legal moves during a game. In FIG. 6, a first tile 100a has been placed against a second tile 100b along the active edges 502 of quadrants 102 with a value of six, and a third tile 100c has been placed against the second tile 100 along active edges of matching quadrants 102 each having a value of one. As only active edges 502 of matching quadrants 102 are directly touching, the moves made to create this arrangement of tiles 100 would be legal and allowed during a game.

FIG. 7 depicts a non-limiting example of tiles 100 placed according to a non-legal move during a game. As with FIG. 6, in FIG. 7 quadrants 102 of the second tile 100b and the third tile 100c each having a value of one were matched and placed against one another along their active edges 502. However, unlike the arrangement shown in FIG. 6, in FIG. 7 the third tile 100c was also placed against the first tile 100a such that active edges 502 of non-matching quadrants 102 in the first tile 100a and the third tile 100c are directly adjacent to one another. As such, this move would be disallowed during a game.

In some embodiments, points can be awarded after each new tile 100 is placed on the playing surface according to a legal move. Points can be awarded according to a scoring method, such that a different number of points can be scored for the same move depending on the scoring method chosen. Scoring methods can include an “Around the World” scoring method, a “Matching Only” scoring method, a “Full Matrix” scoring method, and/a “Skip” scoring method. The points for a player's new move can be added to a player's running point total for the game.

FIG. 8 depicts a non-limiting example of awarding points based on an “Around the World” scoring method. When the “Around the World” scoring method is used, after a new tile 100 is placed by a player, the player can receive points based on the total value of all quadrants 102 in the tiles 100 on the playing surface, minus the value of all quadrants 102 with matched active edges 502. Players can calculate the point total by adding together the value of non-matched quadrants 102 on the playing surface, totaling the value of all quadrants 102 on the playing and then subtracting the value of matched quadrants 102, or by totaling the points scored using any other desired counting method. In the example of FIG. 8, a player who adds tile 100c to the collection of tiles 100 on the playing surface would receive thirty seven points for the move, calculated by summing the values of the non-matched quadrants 102. Specifically, the thirty seven points for the move shown in FIG. 8 would be calculated by adding values of six, six, and three from the non-matched quadrants 102 of tile 100a, adding values of one and three from the non-matched quadrants 102 of tile 100b, and adding values of five, eight, and five from the non-matched quadrants 102 of tile 100c, while excluding from the point total the values of the matching quadrants 102 having directly adjacent active edges 502.

FIG. 9 depicts a non-limiting example of awarding points based on a “Matching Only” scoring method. When the “Matching Only” scoring method is used, after a new tile 100 is placed by a player, the player can receive points based on the total value of the newly matched quadrants 102, plus all other quadrants 102 in the collection of played tiles 100 that also have the same value as the matched quadrants 102. Players can calculate the point total by multiplying the value of the matched quadrants 102 by the number of times that value appears on a quadrant 102 on the playing surface, totaling the value of all quadrants 102 on the playing and then subtracting the values of quadrants 102 that do not share the value of the matched quadrants 102, or by totaling the points scored using any other desired counting method. In the example of FIG. 9, a player who adds tile 100a to the collection of tiles 100 on the playing surface by matching quadrants 102 with a value of six would receive twenty four points for the move. Specifically, the twenty four points for the move shown in FIG. 9 would be calculated by adding both values of six shown in the newly matched quadrants 102, then adding all other values of six shown in other quadrants 102 in both the new tile 100 and previously played tiles 100. In FIG. 9, the new tile 100 has two other non-matched quadrants 102 with a value of six. Therefore, two values of six from the non-matched quadrants 102 would be added to the two values of six from the matched quadrants 102, leading to a total score of twenty four for the move.

FIG. 10 depicts a non-limiting example of awarding points based on a “Full Matrix” scoring method. When the “Full Matrix” scoring method is used, after a new tile 100 is placed by a player, the player can receive points based on the total value of all quadrants 102 in the full collection of tiles 100 on the playing surface. In the example of FIG. 10, a player who adds a new tile 100 to the collection of tiles 100 on the playing surface would receive fifty one points for the move, calculated by totaling the values of all quadrants 102 within the three tiles 100 played so far.

FIG. 11 depicts a non-limiting example of awarding points based on a “Skip” scoring method. When the “Skip” scoring method is used, zero points can be awarded to a player despite the player's success in placing a new tile 100 by matching one or more quadrants 102.

In some embodiments, points can be totaled using one of the scoring methods described above, but be awarded to a player contingent on a scoring restriction. In some embodiments an “X-Divisible” scoring restriction can be used, in which points are awarded only if a move's point total is evenly divisible by a particular number x. By way of a non-limiting example, the score for a new move can be calculated according to the “Around the World” scoring method, and that calculated score can be checked to determine if it is evenly divisible by a particular number x. In some embodiments, the number x used in an “X-Divisible” scoring restriction can be predetermined or chosen prior to beginning a game. In other embodiments, the number x used for an “X-Divisible” scoring restriction can be randomly determined through the use of a spinner, dice, a card drawn from a deck, a random number generator on a computer of mobile application, or through any other selection process.

In some embodiments, when an “X-Divisible” scoring restriction is used in a game, a move's “Around the World” score can be awarded to the player who made the move only if the move's “Around the World” score is evenly divisible by the number x, while the player would receive zero points for his or her move if the move's “Around the World” score was not evenly divisible by the number x. In other embodiments, when an “X-Divisible” scoring restriction is used in a game, a potential move can be disallowed if its “Around the World” score would not be evenly divisible by the number x, such that legal moves are only those moves that would be scored as a multiple of the number x using the “Around the World” scoring method.

FIG. 12 depicts a non-limiting example of a move scored according to the “Around the World” scoring method, with a “Two-Divisible” scoring restriction in place. In this example, a player can have placed a new tile 100 such that a quadrant 102 with a value of three is adjacent to a quadrant 102 of a previously-played tile 100 that also has a value of three. The total value of the non-matching quadrants 102 of all tiles 100 on the playing surface after the move equals a point total of twenty, as scored with the “Around the World” scoring method. Because twenty is evenly divisible by two, the player who made the move would receive twenty points for the move. In some embodiments, if the move's score as calculated with the “Around the World” scoring method was not evenly divisible by two, the move would either be disallowed such that the player would need to attempt a different move. In alternate embodiments, if the move's score as calculated with the “Around the World” scoring method was not evenly divisible by two, the move would be allowed but the player would receive zero points.

FIG. 13 depicts a non-limiting example of a move scored according to the “Around the World” scoring method, with a “Three-Divisible” scoring restriction in place. In this example, a player can have placed a new tile 100 such that a quadrant 102 with a value of eight is adjacent to a quadrant 102 of a previously-played tile 100 that also has a value of eight. The total value of the non-matching quadrants 102 of all tiles 100 on the playing surface after the move equals a point total of twenty seven, as scored with the “Around the World” scoring method. Because twenty seven is evenly divisible by three, the player who made the move would receive twenty seven points for the move. In some embodiments, if the move's score as calculated with the “Around the World” scoring method was not evenly divisible by three, the move would either be disallowed such that the player would need to attempt a different move. In alternate embodiments, if the move's score as calculated with the “Around the World” scoring method was not evenly divisible by three, the move would be allowed but the player would receive zero points.

FIG. 14 depicts a non-limiting example of a move scored according to the “Around the World” scoring method, with a “Five-Divisible” scoring restriction in place. In this example, a player can have placed a new tile 100 such that a quadrant 102 with a value of five is adjacent to a quadrant 102 of a previously-played tile 100 that also has a value of five. The total value of the non-matching quadrants 102 of all tiles 100 on the playing surface after the move equals a point total of twenty five, as scored with the “Around the World” scoring method. Because twenty five is evenly divisible by five, the player who made the move would receive twenty five points for the move. In some embodiments, if the move's score as calculated with the “Around the World” scoring method was not evenly divisible by five, the move would either be disallowed such that the player would need to attempt a different move. In alternate embodiments, if the move's score as calculated with the “Around the World” scoring method was not evenly divisible by five, the move would be allowed but the player would receive zero points.

In some embodiments, the scoring method can change throughout a game, such that each new move can potentially be scored according to a different scoring method compared to how the previous move was scored. In some of these embodiments, the scoring method can change multiple times throughout a single game according to the results of a scoring method selector 1500.

In some embodiments, a scoring method selector 1500 can be a spinner with a pointer 1502 and a plurality of fields 1504. The fields 1504 can display possible scoring methods, and the pointer 1502 can be spun to randomly point to one of the fields 1504. As such, the pointer 1502 can be spun, and the scoring method displayed on the field 1504 pointed to by the pointer 1502 can be used to score the previous move. In some embodiments a spinner can have one field 1504 for each possible scoring method. By way of a non-limiting example, FIG. 15A shows an embodiment where one of four scoring methods can be randomly selected to score each move during a game. In other embodiments, each scoring method option can be displayed in one or more fields 1504, in a regular or irregular arrangement. By way of non-limiting examples, FIGS. 15B and 15C depict embodiments of spinners having varying arrangements of scoring methods displayed in their fields 1504.

In other embodiments, scoring method selectors 1500 can be one or more dice, random number generators, a deck of cards from which cards displaying a scoring method option can be selected, a computer program or mobile application that randomly selects the scoring method to use, or any other device or mechanism for randomly selecting a scoring method.

In alternate embodiments, the same scoring method can be used throughout a game, such that a scoring method selector 1500 is not used. By way of a non-limiting example, in some embodiments or situations new moves can always be scored according to a particular scoring method, such as always scoring moves with the “Around the World” scoring method with an “X-Divisible” scoring restriction in place using a particular value of x.

FIG. 16 depicts a flowchart for playing one embodiment of a game with two or more players using a tile set 300 of unique tiles 100 and a scoring method selector 1500. Each player can begin each game with a running point total of zero points, which can be incremented as play goes on.

At step 1602, a player order can be determined. In some embodiments, the scoring method selector 1500 can be used to determine the first player. By way of a non-limiting example, the players can spin a spinner, and the first player that spins the pointer 1502 to a field 1504 displaying the “Full Matrix” scoring method can be chosen as the first player. In some embodiments the remaining player order can go clockwise or counterclockwise from the first player. In alternate embodiments, the first player can be selected by having the oldest or youngest player go first, letting players draw tiles 100 and having the player with the highest or lowest total value shown in their tile's quadrants 102 go first, having players volunteer to go first, or selecting the first player through any other desired method.

At step 1604, a hand of tiles 100 can be provided to each player. Each player can receive a hand having a number of tiles equal to the total number of tiles 100 in the tile set 300, divided by the number of players. By way of a non-limiting example, when the tile set 300 contains thirty tiles 100 as shown in FIG. 3, two players can each receive fifteen tiles 100, three players can each receive ten tiles 100, or five players can each receive six tiles 100. In some embodiments, one player can deal tiles 100 to the other players. In other embodiments the tiles 100 can be placed face down on the playing surface and players can individually select tiles 100 for themselves, or tiles 100 can be provided to players through any other desired method. In alternate embodiments, steps 1402 and 1404 can be reversed.

At step 1606, the first player can make the first move of the game. The first player can select one tile 100 from his or her hand and place it on the playing surface. As no other tiles 100 are yet on the playing surface, the first player can play any tile 100 from his or her hand without matching one of its quadrants 102 to an already-played tile 100.

At step 1608, the first player can receive points for the first move, and add it to his or her starting score of zero. In some embodiments the first move can be scored based on the “Full Matrix” scoring method for the first move, as some other scoring methods require at least two tiles 100 with adjoining active edges 402 to be present on the playing surface for points to be awarded. In other embodiments the first move can be scored using another scoring method, or the first move can score zero points.

At step 1610, after the first move has been played and scored, the next player in the player order can become the new current player. In some embodiments, the next player can be the player to the first player's left or right, such that the player order progresses in clockwise or counterclockwise order. In other embodiments, the player order can continue in order of the player's ages, alphabetically according to player's names, or in any other desired order.

At step 1612, the new current player can select a tile 100 from his or her hand and can make a legal move, as described above, based on the values of quadrants 102 of other tiles 100 already present on the playing surface.

At step 1614, the next player in the player order, such as the player to the right or left of the current player, can use the scoring method selector 1500 to determine how the move made by the current player in step 1612 will be scored. By way of a non-limiting example, Player A can make a legal move by placing a new tile 100 on the playing surface, with one of the new tile's quadrants 102 adjacent to a matching quadrant 102 of an already-played tile 100. Player B, to the left of Player A, can then spin a spinner to determine how Player A's move will be scored, such as scoring the move according to an “Around the World,” “Matching Only,” or “Full Matrix” scoring method, or scoring zero points if the spinner's pointer 1502 lands on a “Skip” field 1504.

As shown in FIG. 16, in some embodiments the scoring method for each move can be randomly selected by chance after the move has been made, such that the current player does not know how the move will be scored prior to selecting a tile 100 from his or her hand and placing it on the playing surface. In alternate embodiments, steps 1612 and 1614 can be switched, such that the scoring method to be used can be randomly determined prior to the current player's move, allowing the current player to make a move with the knowledge of how it will be scored.

At step 1616, the current player can add the points scored during his or her turn, if any, to the current player's running point total. In some embodiments, if the current player has no tiles 100 that can be played with a legal move during step 1612, the current player can skip his or her turn and receive zero points, and the game can proceed to step 1618.

At step 1618, the amount of tiles 100 still remaining in players' hands can be determined. If all the tiles 100 in the tile set 300 have not yet been played, and if additional legal moves can still be made with those tiles 100, the next player in the player order can become the new current player at step 1620. The game can then return to step 1612, where the new current player can attempt to make a legal move. However, if during step 1618 it is determined that all tiles 100 in the tile set 300 have been played, or that no positions exist on the playing surface relative to previously played tiles 100 where the remaining tiles 100 could be legally played, the game can end.

When the game ends, the running point total for each player can be compared, and the player with the highest running point total can be declared the winner of the game. In some embodiments, if the players decide to play the game again, the winning player of the last game can be chosen as the first player during step 1602 of the next game.

In some embodiments each player can make his or her own moves, and each player's score can be tracked individually throughout a game. In other embodiments two or more players can play as a team, with the moves of each team member contributing to their team's overall score. In still other embodiments, a player can play a similar version of the game solo, by randomly drawing or uncovering tiles 100 and attempting to match quadrants 102 of each new tile 100 against previously played tiles 100.

In some embodiments and situations, the game can be played casually or recreationally by friends and/or family members. In other embodiments and situations, the game can be played competitively in tournaments, in organized amateur matches, in organized professional matches, in casinos or gaming establishments, or in any other venue.

As described above, in some embodiments the game can be played using physical tiles 100 played on a physical playing surface. In some embodiments, the playing surface can be a game board, table, floor, or other planar surface, such that the tiles 100 can rest on the playing surface through gravity. In other embodiments, the playing surface can at least partially retain tiles 100 placed against it. By way of a non-limiting example, in some embodiments the playing surface can be magnetic, such as a refrigerator, metal box, or metal game board, and the tiles 100 can also be magnetic such that they can be stuck in place on the magnetic playing surface. For instance, a travel game version can be provided with a magnetic tile set 300 stored inside a magnetic box, such that the game can be played with the magnetic tiles on the back of the magnetic box. By way of another non-limiting example, the tiles 100 can have hook and loop fasteners such that they can be temporarily affixed to a playing surface that has corresponding hook and loop fasteners, or is made of felt or any another material to which hook and loop fasteners can be affixed.

While physical embodiments are described above, in alternate embodiments the game can be played digitally as an application on a computer, mobile device, casino machine, or any other computer system 1700 as described below with respect to FIG. 17. In these embodiments, digital representations of the tiles 100 and their quadrants 102 can be stored in memory on the computer system 1700. During a game, the computer system 1700 can also assign tiles 100 from the tile set 300 to players' hands, determine the player order and/or first player, display a graphical representation of a playing surface to one or more players on one or more displays, track the position of each tile 100 on either the representation of the playing surface or in a player's hand, track players' point totals, calculate the points scored for each new move, determine whether each attempted move is or not a legal move based on matched quadrants 102 and/or scoring restrictions, randomly determine the scoring method to be used for each new move, and/or perform any other aspect involved in playing a game.

By way of a non-limiting example, a computer system 1700 can be configured to perform some or all of the steps shown in the flowchart of FIG. 16. For instance, a computer system 1700 can be configured to automatically determine the player order and the identity of the first player in step 1602, automatically assign tiles 100 to players' hands in step 1604, allow or disallow moves that players attempt to make during steps 1606 and 1612 based on whether adjacent quadrants 102 of displayed tiles 100 match and/or whether scoring restrictions are in place, randomly select the scoring method to be used to score a new move during step 1614, automatically score new moves and add newly scored points to each player's total score during steps 1608 and 1616, determine if any tiles 100 remain in players' hands and can still be played during step 1618, update the current player's identity to the next player in the player order during steps 1610 and 1620, and/or determine the winning player at the end of a game.

In some embodiments, the game can be played by one or more players on a single computer system 1700. In alternate embodiments, two or more players can play the same game through two or more different networked computer systems 1700. By way of a non-limiting example, two players can play a game against each other through applications on separate mobile phones linked over the internet. In still other embodiments, a computer system 1700 can be configured to manage some aspects of a physical game, such as assigning and keeping track of player order and/or tracking player's scores, while human players play the game with physical tiles and input the points earned by their physical moves into the computer system 1700.

In some embodiments, a computer system 1700 can be configured to take the place of one or more players during a game. By way of a non-limiting example, a single human player can play a game against one or more computer-controlled opponents, with the computer-controlled opponent being controlled locally by software and/or logic running on the user's device, or being controlled remotely by a server or cloud-based application. By way of another non-limiting example, two human players can play with a single computer-controlled opponent such that the game has three players.

FIG. 17 depicts a block diagram of the functional components of an exemplary embodiment of a computer system 1700. As used herein, the term computer system 1700 is broadly used to describe any computing device that can store and independently run one or more programs. By way of non-limiting examples, a computer system 1700 can be a computer, server, mobile phone, mobile device, tablet, gaming console, set-top box, or any other type of computing device.

As discussed above, the execution of sequences of instructions required to practice some of the embodiments described herein can be performed by a computer system 1700. In some embodiments, execution of the sequences of instructions can be performed by a single computer system 1700. In other embodiments, two or more computer systems 1700 coupled by a communication link 1715 can perform the sequence of instructions in coordination with one another. Although a description of one computer system 1700 will be presented below, it should be understood that any number of computer systems 1700 can be employed to practice the embodiments.

A computer system 1700 can include one or more communication interface 1714 coupled with a bus 1706. A communication interface 1714 can provide two-way communication between computer systems 1700. The communication interface 1714 of each respective computer system 1700 can transmit and receive electrical, electromagnetic or optical signals, including data streams representing various types of signal information, such as instructions, messages and data. A communication link 1715 can link one computer system 1700 with another computer system 1700 and/or a network. For example, the communication link 1715 can be a LAN, in which case the communication interface 1714 can be a network card or interface, such as an Ethernet connection or Wi-Fi connection, or the communication link 1715 can be a PSTN, in which case the communication interface 1714 can be an integrated services digital network (ISDN) card or a modem, or the communication link 1715 can be the Internet, in which case the communication interface 1714 can be a dial-up, cable, or wireless modem or connection.

A computer system 1700 can transmit and receive messages, data, and instructions, including programs, such as applications and code, through its communication link 1715 and communication interface 1714. Received program code can be executed by the computer system's processor(s) 1707 as it is received, and/or can be stored in a storage device 1710, or other associated non-volatile media, for later execution.

In some embodiments, a computer system 1700 can operate in conjunction with a data storage system 1731, such as a data storage system 1731 that contains a database 1732 that is readily accessible by the computer system 1700. The computer system 1700 can communicate with the data storage system 1731 through a data interface 1733. A data interface 1733, which can be coupled with the bus 1706, can transmit and receive electrical, electromagnetic or optical signals, including data streams representing various types of signal information, such as instructions, messages and data. In alternate embodiments, the functions of the data interface 1733 can be performed by the communication interface 1714.

A computer system 1700 can includes a bus 1706 or other communication mechanism for communicating information such as instructions, messages and data, and one or more processors 1707 coupled with the bus 1706 for processing information. A computer system 1700 can also include a main memory 1708, such as a random access memory (RAM) or any other type of dynamic storage device, coupled with the bus 1706 for storing dynamic data and instructions to be executed by the processor(s) 1707. The main memory 1708 also can be used for storing temporary data, such as variables or other intermediate information during execution of instructions by the processor(s) 1707.

A computer system 1700 can further include a read only memory (ROM) 1709 or any other type of static storage device coupled with the bus 1706 for storing static data and instructions for the processor(s) 1707. A storage device 1710, such as a magnetic disk, solid state drive, or optical disk, can also be provided and coupled with the bus 1706 for storing data and instructions for the processor(s) 1707.

A computer system 1700 can be coupled via the bus 1706 to a display device 1711, such as, but not limited to, a liquid-crystal display (LCD) screen, a light-emitting diode (LED) display, an organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display, or a cathode ray tube (CRT) monitor, for displaying information to a user. One or more input device 1712, such as a touchscreen integrated with the display device 1711, a keyboard comprising alphanumeric and/or other keys, a mouse, a touchpad, and/or any other input device, can be coupled with the bus 1706 for communicating information and command selections to the processor(s) 1707.

In some embodiments, an individual computer system 1700 can perform specific operations with its processor(s) 1707 by executing one or more sequences of one or more instructions contained in the main memory 1708. Such instructions can be read into the main memory 1708 from another computer-usable medium, such as the ROM 1709 or the storage device 1710. Execution of the sequences of instructions contained in the main memory 1708 can cause the processor(s) 1707 to perform the processes described herein. In alternate embodiments, hard-wired circuitry can be used in place of, or in combination with, software instructions.

The term “computer-usable medium,” as used herein, refers to any medium that provides information or is usable by the processor(s) 1707. Such a medium can take many forms, including, but not limited to, non-volatile, volatile and transmission media. Non-volatile media, such as media that can retain information in the absence of power, includes the ROM 1709, flash memory, Blu-Ray discs, DVD-ROM, CD-ROM, magnetic tape, and magnetic discs. Volatile media, such as media that does not retain information in the absence of power, includes the main memory 1708. Transmission media includes coaxial cables, copper wire and fiber optics, including the wires that comprise the bus 1706. Transmission media can also take the form of carrier waves, such as electromagnetic waves that can be modulated, as in frequency, amplitude or phase, to transmit information signals. Additionally, transmission media can take the form of acoustic or light waves, such as those generated during radio wave and infrared data communications.

In the foregoing specification, the embodiments have been described with reference to specific elements thereof. It will, however, be evident that various modifications and changes can be made thereto without departing from the broader spirit and scope of the embodiments. For example, the reader is to understand that the specific ordering and combination of process actions shown in the process flow diagrams described herein is merely illustrative, and that using different or additional process actions, or a different combination or ordering of process actions can be used to enact the embodiments. The specification and drawings are, accordingly, to be regarded in an illustrative rather than restrictive sense.

It should also be noted that the present invention can be implemented in a variety of computer systems. The various techniques described herein can be implemented in hardware or software, or a combination of both. The techniques can be implemented in computer programs executing on programmable computers that each include a processor, a storage medium readable by the processor (including volatile and non-volatile memory and/or storage elements), at least one input device, and at least one output device. Program code can be applied to data entered using the input device to perform the functions described above and to generate output information. The output information can be applied to one or more output devices. In some embodiments each program can be implemented in a high level procedural or object oriented programming language to communicate with a computer system. In other embodiments the programs can be implemented in assembly or machine language, if desired. In any case, the language can be a compiled or interpreted language. Each such computer program can be stored on a storage medium or device (such as a ROM or magnetic disk) that is readable by a computer system for configuring and operating the computer system when the storage medium or device is read by the computers system to perform the procedures described above. The system can also be considered to be implemented as a computer-readable storage medium, configured with a computer program, where the storage medium so configured causes a computer system to operate in a specific and predefined manner. Further, the storage elements of the exemplary computing applications can be relational or sequential (flat file) type computing databases that are capable of storing data in various combinations and configurations.

Although exemplary embodiments of the invention have been described in detail above, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that many additional modifications are possible in the exemplary embodiments without materially departing from the novel teachings and advantages of the invention. Accordingly, these and all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of this invention construed in breadth and scope in accordance with the appended claims.

Claims

1. A game set comprising: a plurality of tiles, each tile in said plurality of tiles being a substantially square planar member having a first quadrant, a second quadrant, a third quadrant on a corner opposite to said second quadrant, and a fourth quadrant on a corner opposite to said first quadrant, wherein each of said first quadrant, said second quadrant, said third quadrant, and said fourth quadrant displays an indicia indicating a value,wherein the value displayed by the indicia in each tile's first quadrant and fourth quadrant is the same value selected from within a first range of values, the value displayed by the indicia in each tile's second quadrant is selected from within a second range of values, and the value displayed by the indicia in each tile's third quadrant is selected from within a third range of values.

2. The game set of claim 1, wherein said first range of values, said second range of values, and said third range of values can follow a value assignment scheme determined by arranging said plurality of tiles into a grid of rows and columns, such that: said first range of values spans from one to the total number of rows in said grid, with the value displayed by the indicia in each tile's first quadrant and fourth quadrant corresponding to number of its row within said grid,said second range of values spans from one less than twice the total number of columns in said grid down to the total number of columns in said grid, with the value displayed by the indicia in each tile's second quadrant decreasing for each column in said grid going left to right, andsaid third range of values spans from zero to one less than the total number of columns in said grid, with the value displayed by the indicia in each tile's third quadrant increasing for each column in said grid going left to right.

3. The game set of claim 2, wherein said plurality of tiles consists of thirty tiles that can be arranged in a grid of six rows and five columns in said value assignment scheme, such that said first range of values spans from one to six, said second range of values spans from nine to five, and said third range of values spans from zero to four.

4. The game set of claim 2, wherein said plurality of tiles consists of forty five tiles that can be arranged in a grid of nine rows and five columns in said value assignment scheme, such that said first range of values spans from one to nine, said second range of values spans from nine to five, and said third range of values spans from zero to four.

5. The game set of claim 1, further comprising a game board.

6. The game set of claim 5, wherein said plurality of tiles and said game board are magnetic.

7. A method of playing a game, comprising: providing each of a plurality of players with a hand of tiles by dividing a tile set comprising a plurality of tiles among said plurality of players, wherein each tile in said plurality of tiles is a substantially square planar member having a first quadrant displaying indicia indicating a first value, a second quadrant displaying indicia indicating a second value, a third quadrant on a corner opposite to said second quadrant displaying indicia indicating a third value, and a fourth quadrant on a corner opposite to said first quadrant displaying indicia indicating said first value;making a first move by taking a first tile from a first player's hand and placing the first tile on a playing surface;playing one or more subsequent moves by taking new tiles from the hands of each of said plurality of players and placing a quadrant of each new tile directly against a quadrant of a previously-played tile that has the same value, wherein each subsequent move is made by a player according to a rotating player order;calculating a score for each move according to a scoring method;adding said score for each move to a point total for the player that made the move; anddeclaring a winning player when all tiles have been played or no more moves can be made.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein said first range of values, said second range of values, and said third range of values can follow a value assignment scheme determined by arranging said plurality of tiles into a grid of rows and columns, such that: said first range of values spans from one to the total number of rows in said grid, with the value displayed by the indicia in each tile's first quadrant and fourth quadrant corresponding to number of its row within said grid,said second range of values spans from one less than twice the total number of columns in said grid down to the total number of columns in said grid, with the value displayed by the indicia in each tile's second quadrant decreasing for each column in said grid going left to right, andsaid third range of values spans from zero to one less than the total number of columns in said grid, with the value displayed by the indicia in each tile's third quadrant increasing for each column in said grid going left to right.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein said plurality of tiles consists of thirty tiles that can be arranged in a grid of six rows and five columns in said value assignment scheme, such that said first range of values spans from one to six, said second range of values spans from nine to five, and said third range of values spans from zero to four.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein said plurality of tiles consists of forty five tiles that can be arranged in a grid of nine rows and five columns in said value assignment scheme, such that said first range of values spans from one to nine, said second range of values spans from nine to five, and said third range of values spans from zero to four.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein said scoring method is an around the world scoring method wherein said score is calculated by totaling the values of all quadrants of all tiles on said playing surface, minus the values of all quadrants that have been matched to a quadrant on adjacent tile.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein said scoring method is a matching only scoring method, wherein said score is calculated by totaling the values of newly matched quadrants, plus all other quadrants on said playing surface that have the same value as the newly matched quadrants.

13. The method of claim 7, wherein said scoring method is a full matrix scoring method, wherein said score is calculated by totaling the values of all quadrants on said playing surface.

14. The method of claim 7, wherein said scoring method is a skip scoring method, wherein said score is calculated as zero points.

15. The method of claim 7, wherein said scoring method for each new move is randomly determined by a scoring method selector from scoring method options comprising: an around the world scoring method wherein said score is calculated by totaling the values of all quadrants of all tiles on said playing surface, minus the values of all quadrants that have been matched to a quadrant on adjacent tile;a matching only scoring method, wherein said score is calculated by totaling the values of newly matched quadrants, plus all other quadrants on said playing surface that have the same value as the newly matched quadrants;a full matrix scoring method, wherein said score is calculated by totaling the values of all quadrants on said playing surface; anda skip scoring method, wherein said score is calculated as zero points.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein said scoring method selector is a spinner comprising a pointer and a plurality of fields that each display one of said scoring method options.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the scoring method for each new move is randomly determined by a scoring method selector after each new move has been made.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the scoring method selector is operated by a player later in said player order than the player who made the new move.

19. The method of claim 7, wherein: said scoring method is an around the world scoring method wherein said score is calculated by totaling the values of all quadrants of all tiles on said playing surface, minus the values of all quadrants that have been matched to a quadrant on adjacent tile; andwherein said score is added to said point total for the player that made the move only if said score is a multiple of a predetermined number.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the predetermined number is five.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the predetermined number is three.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein the predetermined number is two.