Abstract:
A board game  10  comprising a plurality of game pieces  12  in which each group of four game pieces  14  is uniquely color coded and used by one particular player during the game. A board  16  is provided having separate sections  18  with identical layouts for each player, each including starting positions  20 , a continuous path of twenty-five numbered field positions  22 , and home positions  24 . The roll of a die  30  determines how each player moves. On each turn a player may advance one of their own game pieces  12  through their respective quadrant  18  or alternatively knock back one of their opponents&#39; game pieces  12 . Also, during play each player has opportunities to position their own game pieces to protect them from being knocked back. Ultimately each player tries to be the first player to successfully move all four of their game pieces  14  from their starting positions  20  to their home positions  24  to win the game.

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The disclosed subject matter relates generally to board games and more specifically it relates to a board game played by a plurality of players and having substantial tactical component. The descriptions included herein are more generally applicable to situations of four players, but can also be applied to the game being played by two or three players. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Board games heretofore devised and utilized are known to consist basically of familiar, expected and obvious structural configurations, notwithstanding the myriad of designs encompassed by known board games, which have been developed for the fulfillment of countless objectives and requirements. 
     While known games fulfill their respective particular objectives and requirements, they do not disclose the present board game as described and claimed. The presently disclosed device includes a game board  16  comprising a plurality of game pieces  12  in which each group of four game pieces  14  are color coded and used by one particular player during the game. A game board  16  is provided having four separate quadrants  18  with identical layouts, each including four unnumbered starting positions  20 , one continuous path of twenty-five numbered field positions  22 , numbered sequentially in four groups of six except for one position numbered thirteen, and four unnumbered home positions  24 . Each player is uniquely assigned one of the four quadrants. The board also includes a spinner  26  used for each player&#39;s turn. Each space  28  on the spinner  26  corresponds to the colors of each player&#39;s game pieces  12 . The spinner  26  and the roll of a six-sided die  30  determine how each player moves on their respective turn. On each turn, after a spin of the spinner  26  and a roll of the die  30 , a player may advance one of their own game pieces  12  through their respective quadrant  18  or alternatively, should the opportunity present itself, knock back one of their opponents&#39; game pieces  12 . During play each player, on their respective turns, may have opportunities to position their own game pieces  12  to protect them from being knocked back by the opponents, thereby preserving their own progress. 
     Ultimately each player tries to be the first player to successfully move all four of their game pieces  14  from their starting positions  20  to their home positions  24  to win the game. 
     In these respects, the presently disclosed board game substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the known board games, and in so doing provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of providing users with an entertaining and educational game that is fun and challenging for all ages. 
     SUMMARY 
     In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known board games, the present disclosed subject matter provides a new board game construction wherein the same can be utilized for providing users with an entertaining and educational game that is fun and challenging for all ages. 
     The general purpose of the present disclosed subject matter, which will be described subsequently in greater detail, is to provide a new board game apparatus and method which has many of the advantages of the board games mentioned heretofore and many novel features that result in a new board game which is not anticipated, rendered obvious, suggested, or even implied by any known board games, either alone or in any combination thereof. 
     To attain this, the present disclosed subject matter generally comprises a game board  16  comprising a plurality of game pieces  12  in which a group of four of the game pieces  14  are color coded and used by one particular player during the game. A board is provided having four separate quadrants  18  with identical layouts, each including four unnumbered starting positions  20 , one continuous path of twenty-five numbered field positions  22 , numbered sequentially in four groups of six except for one position numbered thirteen, and four unnumbered home positions  24 . Each player is uniquely assigned one of the four quadrants  18 . The board also includes a spinner  26  used for each player&#39;s turn. The spaces  28  on the spinner  26  each correspond to the colors of each player&#39;s game pieces  12 . The spinner  26  and the roll of a six-sided die  30  determine how each player moves on their respective turn. On each turn, after a spin of the spinner  26  and a roll of the die  30 , a player may advance one of their own game pieces  12  through their respective quadrant  18  or alternatively, should the opportunity present itself, knock back one of their opponents&#39; game pieces  12 . During play each player, on their respective turns, may have opportunities to position their own game pieces  12  to protect them from being knocked back by the opponents, thereby preserving their own progress. Ultimately each player tries to be the first player to successfully move all four of their game pieces  12  from their starting positions  20  to their home positions  24  to win the game. 
     There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the disclosed subject matter in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the disclosed subject matter that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto. 
     In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of the disclosed subject matter in detail, it is to be understood that the disclosed subject matter is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The disclosed subject matter is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. 
     As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception, upon which this disclosure is based, may readily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present disclosed subject matter. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present disclosed subject matter. 
     It is therefore an object of the present disclosed subject matter to provide a new board game apparatus and method which has many of the advantages of the board games mentioned heretofore and many novel features that result in a new board game which is not anticipated, rendered obvious, suggested, or even implied by any of the prior art board games, either alone or in any combination thereof. 
     Another object is to provide a board game that combines chance, strategy, risk taking and rivalry that can be played by both young and old players. 
     Another object is to provide a board game that while being relatively simple in its design is also extremely engaging for players of all ages. 
     Another object is to provide a game that is extremely fun and will keep its players busy and amused for long periods of time. 
     Another object is to provide younger players a board game that includes practice in counting numbers on a die as well as numbers on the board. 
     Another object is to provide younger players a board game that includes decision making opportunities. 
     Another object is to provide players a board game that includes strategy development. 
     Another object is to provide a board game that is economical in cost to manufacture. 
     Another object is to provide a new board game which is of a durable and reliable construction. 
     Further objects of the present disclosed subject matter will appear as the description proceeds. 
     To the accomplishment of the above and related objects, this invention may be embodied in the form illustrated in the accompanying drawings, attention being called to the fact, however, that the drawings are illustrative only, and that changes may be made in the specific construction illustrated and described within the scope of the appended claims. 
     Further, the purpose of the foregoing summary is to enable the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and the public generally, and especially the scientists, engineers and practitioners in the art who are not familiar with patent or legal terms or phraseology, to determine quickly from a cursory inspection the nature and essence of the technical disclosure of the application. The summary is neither intended to define the invention of the application, which is measured by the claims, nor is it intended to be limiting as to the scope of the disclosed subject matter in any way. 
    
    
     
       DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       a.  FIG. 1  shows an exemplary embodiment of the presently disclosed board game; 
       b.  FIG. 2  shows a view of one of four quadrants of a board of the board game shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
       c.  FIG. 3  shows a view of a spinner of the board game shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
       d.  FIG. 4  shows a game piece of the board game shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
       e.  FIG. 5  shows a standard six-sided die of the board game shown in  FIG. 1 . 
       
         
           
                 
               
                 
                 
               
             
                 
                     
                 
                 
                   LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS IN THE DRAWINGS 
                 
                 
                     
                 
               
               
                 
                     
                 
               
            
             
                 
                   10 
                   Board game 
                 
                 
                   12 
                   Game piece 
                 
                 
                   14 
                   Four game pieces in a group 
                 
                 
                   16 
                   Game board 
                 
                 
                   18 
                   Close up view of one of the four identical quadrants 
                 
                 
                   19 
                   One of the twenty-five field positions in a row 
                 
                 
                   20 
                   Four starting positions 
                 
                 
                   21 
                   Thirteenth field position 
                 
                 
                   22 
                   Continuous path of twenty-five field positions in a row 
                 
                 
                   23 
                   Protected area 
                 
                 
                   24 
                   Four home positions 
                 
                 
                   25 
                   Unprotected area 
                 
                 
                   26 
                   Spinner 
                 
                 
                   27 
                   Field position number 
                 
                 
                   28 
                   Spinner colored space 
                 
                 
                   29 
                   Directional arrow 
                 
                 
                   30 
                   Standard six-sided die 
                 
                 
                   31 
                   First set of six field positions within one quadrant 
                 
                 
                   32 
                   Line separating the first and second set of six field positions 
                 
                 
                   33 
                   Second set of six field positions within one quadrant 
                 
                 
                   34 
                   Third set of six field positions within one quadrant 
                 
                 
                   35 
                   Line separating the third and fourth set of six field positions 
                 
                 
                   36 
                   Fourth set of six field positions within on quadrant 
                 
                 
                     
                 
               
            
           
         
       
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The present invention discloses a board game  10  in which two to four players compete to move their respective four game pieces  14  from starting positions  20 , along a path of twenty-five pre-designated field positions  22 , to home positions  24 . The winner is the player who first successfully advances all four of their game pieces  14  from their starting positions  20  to their home positions  24 . The descriptions included herein are more generally applicable to situations of four players, but can also be applied to the game being played by two or three players. 
     Turning to  FIG. 1 , a first embodiment of the game includes a game board  16 , shown as a crisscross-shaped surface having markings thereon to demark game piece  12  positions. Of course, other shapes of the game board  16  can be utilized, such as rectangular or square configurations suitable for use by two to four players. 
     The field positions  22  in the board surface preferably are shaped to receive correspondingly shaped game pieces  12 . In this embodiment the field positions  19  are round holes and the game pieces  12  are round pegs that fit securely into the holes. In alternate embodiments, the field positions  19  could be circular depressions in the board and the game pieces  12  correspondingly-sized round objects such as marbles. In yet another embodiment the field positions  19  could be flat spaces and the game pieces  12  correspondingly-sized objects that rest firmly on the filed positions  19 . There are a number of alternatives for the field positions  19  and the game pieces  12 , all having the object of preserving positional retention of the game pieces and allowing the game board  16  to weather minor jostling without the need to begin the game anew, and thereby creating a stable environment on which the game can be played. 
     In this embodiment the game pieces  12  are round pegs that fit snugly into the round holes of the game board  16 , of a size easy for the players to handle as they move the game pieces  12  around the board. The game pieces  12  are colored for easy identification. There are sixteen game pieces  12  in total, including four sets of four game pieces  14 , each set of four game pieces  14  uniquely colored from the other four sets of four game pieces  14  such that all players can readily differentiate the colors of the game pieces  12 . For example, the could be four red game pieces  14 , four blue game pieces  14 , four green game pieces  14  and four yellow game pieces  14 . 
     The board  10  is divided up into four quadrants  18  plus a center area for the spinner  26 . 
     As best shown in  FIG. 2 , each quadrant  18  contains the starting positions  20 , numbered  27  field positions  19  and home positions  24  used by that quadrant&#39;s  18  respective player. Each quadrant  18  is identical from the perspective of each player. 
     In each quadrant  18 , the respective player has a set of four starting positions  20 , twenty-five numbered  27  field positions  22 , and four home positions  24 . Each quadrant&#39;s  18  four starting positions  20  are clustered and are not numbered. Each quadrant&#39;s  18  four home positions  24  are clustered and are not numbered. Each quadrant&#39;s  18  twenty-five numbered field positions  22  are in a row first moving away from the player, then pivoting half way, then moving back toward the player. Referring to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , each quadrant&#39;s  18  twenty-five field positions  22  are numbered  27  as follows:
         The first six field positions (the “first set”)  31  are numbered  27  sequentially from one to six.   The next six field positions (the “second set”)  33  are numbered  27  sequentially from one to six.   The next one field position is numbered  27  thirteen (the “thirteenth field position”)  21 .   The next six field positions (the “third set”)  34  are numbered  27  sequentially from one to six.   The next six field positions (the “fourth set”)  36  are numbered  27  sequentially from one to six.       

     In each quadrant  18  a line  32  separates the first set  31  from the second set  33 , and a line  35  separates the third set  34  from the fourth set  36 . The lines  32   35  delineate the protected area  23  from the unprotected area  25 . In each quadrant  18  the second set  33  and the third set  34  are in the area of the quadrant  18  designated as the protected area  23 . The first set  31  and fourth set  36  are in the area of the quadrant  18  designated as the unprotected area  25 . 
     Referring again to  FIG. 1  in the disclosed embodiment, in the center of the board is the spinner  26 . As best shown in  FIG. 3 , the spinner  26  is used by each player to randomly determine a color for each of their turns as explained further below. In alternate embodiments, a specially designed deck of playing cards having an equal number of cards representing each of the four colors of the game pieces could be used. There are a number of alternatives that could be used for the random generation of the color to be used for each player&#39;s turn, all having the object of providing an equal chance of selection of one of the four game piece  12  colors, thereby creating a sense of excitement and chance during each player&#39;s turn during play of the game. 
     Playing Methods 
     There are two primary ways to play the board game  10 , each of which is equally challenging and engaging for the players. Directly below is a description of two exemplary playing methods in as far as the two playing methods are different. Following that is further description of the game that is relevant to both playing methods. The two playing methods are very similar with only certain rules being different. In both playing methods the ultimate goal of trying to be the first player to successfully move all four of their game pieces  14  from their starting positions  20  to their home positions  24  to win the game is the same, and the chances, strategies, risks and rivalries encountered are nearly identical. It is primarily the mechanics of the game that differ slightly between the two playing methods. 
     First Exemplary Playing Method 
     The game is for two or more players. The description of this exemplary playing method assumes that there are four players playing. 
     Each player has four game pieces  14  of the same color. Each player is identified by the color of their game pieces  14 . To start the game each player begins with all four game pieces  14  in their respective starting positions  20 . 
     The first player rolls a die  30  and moves one of their game pieces  12  out of its starting position  20  the number of field positions  19  as rolled on the die  30 , moving along in the first set of field positions  31  within their respective quadrant  18  in the direction of the directional arrows  29 . 
     Now it is the second player&#39;s turn. The second player spins the spinner  26  to determine which of the other three players is their target opponent for their current turn. The colored space  28  on which the spinner  26  stops determines which of the other players will be the second player&#39;s target opponent for that turn. For example, if the spinner  26  stops on a blue space  28 , the blue player will be the second player&#39;s target opponent for that turn. If the spinner  26  lands on the second player&#39;s own color, the second player chooses one of the other players to be their target opponent for that current turn. Once the second player&#39;s target opponent is identified for that current turn, the second player rolls the die  30 . The second player has an opportunity to send their target opponent&#39;s game piece  12  back to its starting position  20  if the target opponent has one of their game pieces  12  in a field position  19  numbered  27  the same as the number rolled on the die  30 . If the target opponent does not have one of their game pieces  12  in a field position  19  numbered  27  the same as the number rolled on the die  30 , or if the second player instead desires to advance their own game pieces  12 , the second player moves one of their own game pieces  12  the number of field positions as rolled, moving along in the first set of field positions  31  within their respective quadrant  18  in the direction of the directional arrows  29 . 
     Next the third and then the fourth players repeat the activities of the second player as described in the paragraph above, however moving their own game pieces  12  within their own quadrants  18 , or alternatively sending back to its starting position  20  that player&#39;s target opponent&#39;s game piece  12 . On their respective turns the third and fourth players determine their respective target opponents based on their respective spins of the spinner  26  on their respective turns. 
     (Next: see “Playing Method Continued—Common to First and Second Exemplary Playing Methods”) 
     Second Exemplary Playing Method 
     The game is for two or more players. The description of this exemplary playing method assumes that there are four players playing. 
     Each player has four game pieces  12  each of different color. To start the game each player begins with all four game pieces  14  in their respective starting positions  20 . Each player chooses the order of their game pieces  12  in the starting positions  20 . 
     The first player rolls a die  30  and moves any one of their colored game pieces  12  out of its starting position  20  the number of field positions as rolled on the die  30 , moving along in the first set of field positions  31  in the direction of the directional arrows  29  within their respective quadrant  18 . 
     Now it is the second player&#39;s turn. The second player spins the spinner  26  to determine a target color  28  for that turn, and then rolls the die  30 . The second player has an opportunity to send any of their three opponent&#39;s game pieces  12  back to its starting position  20  if any one of those opponents has one of their game pieces  12  in a field position  19  that&#39;s number  27  both matches the number rolled by the second player and matches the target color that was spun by the second player. For example, if the second player&#39;s spin stops on a blue space  28 , and the second player rolls a six, if any one of the other three players has a blue colored game piece  12  in a field position  19  numbered  27  six, the second player can chose to send that game piece  12  back to the respective player&#39;s starting positions  20 . If none of the three opponents have a game piece  12  in a field position  19  numbered  27  that matches the number rolled and is also the target color, or if the second player instead desires to advance their own game pieces  12 , the second player then moves any one of their own game pieces  12  the number of field positions  19  as rolled, moving along in the first set of field positions  31  within their respective quadrant  18  in the direction of the directional arrows  29 . 
     Next the third and then the fourth players repeat the activities of the second player as just described in the paragraph above, however moving their own game pieces  12  within their own quadrants  18 , or sending back to its starting position  20  an opponent&#39;s game piece  12  if that opportunity arises based on the roll of the die  30  and the target color spun by each respective player on their respective turn. 
     (Next: see “Playing Method Continued—Common to First and Second Exemplary Playing Methods”) 
     Playing Method Continued—Common to First and Second Exemplary Playing Methods 
     The play continues with players one through four taking their respective turns. Starting with each player&#39;s second turn and with all subsequent turns, each player has the opportunity to move their game pieces  12  sequentially along in the first set of six field positions  31 , then along in the second set of six field positions  33 , then along in the thirteenth field position  21 , then along in the third set of six field positions  34 , then along in the fourth set of six field positions  36 , then along into one of the four home positions  24 , all directions being indicated by the directional arrows  29  on the board  16 . Thereby, incrementally turn by turn, each player is trying to move all of their own four game pieces  14  from their starting positions  20 , through all of their respective quadrant&#39;s  18  twenty-five field positions  22 , to their quadrant&#39;s  18  home positions  24 . 
     Each player can move their game pieces  12  in whatever manner of sequence desired to match the strategy employed by the player. Each player can have up to all four of their game pieces  12  in their respective quadrant&#39;s  18  field positions  19  during the game. 
     A player may not skip a turn unless it is not possible to move a game piece  12  or send an opponents game piece  12  back. In each turn a player must take some action either involving one of their own game pieces  12  or one of their opponent&#39;s game pieces  12 , the former action being moving their game piece  12  forward through the field positions  22  the number rolled on the die  30 , and the latter action being sending their opponent&#39;s game piece  12  back to its starting position  20 . 
     Therefore in each of their turns a player must decide whether to move one of their game pieces  12  along the field positions  22  toward or into a home position  24 , or to send back an opposing player&#39;s game piece  12  to its starting position  20  if the combination of the spin of the spinner  26  and the roll of the die  30  presents such an opportunity as described above. Thus each player may likely develop and employ a strategy of moving their own game pieces  12  aggressively toward the home positions  24  or sending back the opposing player&#39;s game pieces  12 , depending on the respective positions of all the player&#39;s game pieces  12  relative to the ultimate goal of being the first player to have all four of their game pieces  14  safely in the four home positions  24 . 
     As previously described, each quadrant  18  has twenty-five field positions  22 . The thirteenth field position  21  of each quadrant  18  has great significance. The first great significance of the thirteenth field position  21  is that, because it is numbered  27  thirteen, a game piece  12  in this field position  21  cannot be sent back to a starting position  20  by an opposing player. Thirteen will never match the roll of the six-sided die  30 . The second great significance of the thirteenth field position  21  is that, when it is occupied by a player&#39;s game piece  12 , it serves to protect all of that player&#39;s other game pieces  12  that are in the protected area  23 . In aggregate that is the special designation given to the thirteenth field position  21 . It is both protected from an opposing player&#39;s role of the die  30 , and is the protector of the player&#39;s other game pieces  12  within the protected area  23 . The protected area  23  is the quadrant&#39;s  18  second set of six field positions  33  and third set of six field positions  34 . On the game board  16  the protected area  23  is separated from the unprotected area  25  by two lines  32 ,  35 , one line  32  being between the first set  31  and second set  33  of field positions and the other line  35  being between the third set  34  and fourth set  36  of field positions. 
     Given the thirteenth field position&#39;s  21  special designation as described above, a player may employ a strategy of placing priority on getting one of their game pieces  12  into the thirteenth field position  21 . Having a game piece  12  in the thirteenth field position  21  can create an advantage for the player over their opponents given the protections that arise in this situation as described above. Further, given the advantages gained by having a game piece  12  in the thirteenth field position  21 , a player may choose to leave their game piece  12  in the thirteenth field position  21  during the game as long as the protections are of value. The protections would be of value during the periods of the game when the player has a game piece  12  or multiple game pieces  12  moving toward or within the protected area  23 . Secondly, the protections may also be of value when the player is trying to avoid having the game piece  12  that is occupying the thirteenth field position  21  be sent back to its starting position  20  by an opposing player. However, this second protection may not be of value if the player has advanced all of their other three game pieces  12  to the home positions  24 , and therefore is trying to advance their fourth game piece  12  to the home positions  24  to win the game. 
     During the game players advance their game pieces  12  along through their respective quadrant&#39;s  18  twenty-five field positions  22  and finally into the home positions  24  as described above. When advancing a game piece  12  from the quadrant&#39;s fourth set of field positions  36  into a home position  24 , the player is required to roll the die  30  the exact number matching the number of field positions that the game piece must advance to reach the home positions  24 . If the number rolled is less than the number of field positions  19  between the current field position  19  of the game piece  12  and the home positions  24  the player can advance the game piece  12  toward the home positions  24 . However, if the number rolled is greater than one more than the number of field positions  19  between the current field position  19  of the game piece  12  and the home positions  24  the player cannot advance the game piece  12 . In other words, the player must roll the exact number to move the game piece into the home position  24 . The game ends when a player is the first to successfully advance all four of their game pieces  14  to their home positions  24 , thus winning the game. 
     Alternatively, when advancing into a home position  24  the player is not required to roll the exact number matching the number of field positions  19  that the game piece  12  must advance to reach the home positions  24 . Rather, the player is required only to roll at least the number matching the number of field positions  19  that the game piece  12  must advance to reach the home positions  24 . This alternative rule normally provides for a more rapid conclusion of the game because it normally allows the players to safely advance their game pieces  12  into the home positions  24  more expeditiously with less chance of being sent back to the home position by an opponent. 
     Having described and illustrated the principles of the disclosed subject matter in a preferred embodiment thereof, it should be apparent that the disclosed subject matter can be modified in arrangement and detail without departing from such principles. I claim all modifications and variation coming within the spirit and scope of the following claims, including those that would be an electronic version of this game played using a computer or computers or some other electronic device or devices.