Abstract:
A board game can be played by persons of all ages, with minimal training. The board includes a set of coded spaces, and a set of home bases, each home base having indicia which correspond to the various coded spaces. Each home base is associated with a different player or team. The players or teams accumulate or lose game pieces, based on instructions received according to operation of a spinner. The first player or team to place game pieces on all of the spaces, belonging to that player or team, wins the game. The game allows players to develop intricate strategies for allocating and positioning game pieces. Also, players or teams may agree to become allies, enabling the game strategy to become as complex as desired.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    The present invention is a board game that provides entertainment and challenge for a plurality of players, or for teams of players.  
           [0002]    Various games have been developed which involve movement of game pieces along a board. Some such games, for example the game of checkers, involve undifferentiated pieces that are moved according to specific rules. The game of chess is a board game in which there are a number of different kinds of pieces, and in which game strategies can become very complex. Other board games involve a central theme, for example, the buying and selling of real estate in the game of “Monopoly”.  
           [0003]    The present invention provides a board game which can be played and enjoyed by both adults and children. The game of the present invention can be made more complex by playing it in teams, and by developing specific strategies for winning. The game of the present invention can be played in a regular or an advanced version, the advanced version including differentiated game pieces and more complex strategy. The regular version is sufficiently simple that it can be quickly learned by very young children.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0004]    The game of the present invention is played on a board which has a plurality of coded spaces. The coded spaces may have color codes, letters, numbers, distinctive patterns, or other indicia that differentiate the spaces from each other. There are preferably four distinct codes, corresponding to the preferred number of players (or teams). The board also includes a plurality of home bases, each of the home bases having a code corresponding to one of the codes used on the spaces on the board.  
           [0005]    In a regular version, the game apparatus also includes a plurality of substantially identical game pieces. In an advanced version, the game pieces bear indicia corresponding to the codes associated with the home bases and coded spaces.  
           [0006]    In playing the regular version of the game, each player (or team) is assigned to a home base, and is therefore also associated with the corresponding set of coded spaces on the board. The object of the game is to be the first player to place a game piece on all of one&#39;s coded spaces on the board.  
           [0007]    The game is played with a spinner, or an equivalent device that generates random outcomes. The spinner can point to any one of five possible outcomes, each outcome being associated with a different instruction. A first instruction comprises requiring a player to take a game piece from the player&#39;s home base, and to place the game piece on a coded space belonging to that player. A second instruction comprises requiring a player to remove a game piece from one of that player&#39;s coded spaces, and to place the game piece in that player&#39;s home base. A third instruction comprises requiring a player to take a game piece from a coded space belonging to another player, or from a home base of another player, and to place the game piece on a coded space belonging to the first player. A fourth instruction comprises requiring a player to remove a game piece from a coded space belonging to the player, or from that player&#39;s home base, and to give the game piece to another player by placing the game piece on a coded space belonging to the other player. A fifth instruction comprises requiring a player to choose from any of the instructions listed above, and to follow that instruction.  
           [0008]    In the advanced version, the game is played in a generally similar manner, except that some of the instructions are changed. Among the major differences between the advanced and regular versions is that in the advanced version, a player may, when he or she obtains the necessary instruction, place one of his or her game pieces on the coded space of another player, so as to block the other player from using that coded space. Also, in the advanced version, to win the game, it is necessary for the player to fill his or her own coded spaces only with his or her own game pieces.  
           [0009]    By following the instructions set forth in either version of the game, the players can accumulate game pieces, and place them on their spaces on the board, applying strategies to maximize the chance of winning.  
           [0010]    In one variation of both the regular and advanced versions of the game, the winner is the first player to place game pieces on all of his or her spaces on the board. In a shortened version, the winner is the player having the most pieces on the board at the end of a predetermined time.  
           [0011]    The game of the present invention can easily be played by individual players, or by teams of players. By prearrangement, some players or teams may agree to cooperate with other players or teams, thereby enhancing the complexity of the strategy used in the game.  
           [0012]    The present invention therefore has the object of providing a board game.  
           [0013]    The invention has the further object of providing a game involving the placement of differentiated or undifferentiated game pieces on a board having a plurality of coded spaces.  
           [0014]    The invention has the further object of providing a game which includes an element of chance, as well as requiring a degree of skill.  
           [0015]    The invention has the further object of providing an entertaining game which can be quickly learned and enjoyed by persons of virtually all ages.  
           [0016]    The reader skilled in the art will recognize other objects and advantages of the present invention, from the following brief description of the drawings, the detailed description of the invention, and the appended claims. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0017]    [0017]FIG. 1 provides a plan view of the board used to play the game of the present invention.  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 2 provides a view similar to that of FIG. 1, but showing the arrangement of game pieces at the start of the game.  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 3 provides a view similar to that of FIG. 2, but showing a situation in which the game has advanced beyond the point shown in FIG. 2, wherein some game pieces are placed on coded spaces on the board.  
         [0020]    [0020]FIG. 4 provides a view similar to that of the previous figures, but showing a theoretical arrangement of game pieces in which one player has won the game.  
         [0021]    [0021]FIG. 5 provides a view of the game board, together with the game pieces, and showing the game pieces having codes which correspond to those of each player.  
         [0022]    [0022]FIG. 6 provides a plan view of a spinner used in playing the game of the present invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0023]    The game of the present invention is preferably played on game board  1  shown in the plan view of FIG. 1. In the preferred embodiment, the game board has a square shape, and includes four home bases  2 ,  3 ,  4 ,  5  located at the four corners of the board. Each home base has a unique code, which may be a pattern, a color, a letter, a number, any combination of the foregoing, or any other indicia for distinguishing one home base from another. In the embodiment shown, the four home bases have different patterns. Each code is associated with a player (or team of players). For example, if the codes comprise colors, the players may identify themselves using the colors of their home bases (i.e. “red” player, “blue” player, etc.). But the invention is not limited by the type of code used.  
         [0024]    Between pairs of home bases, the board includes a plurality of spaces bearing codes which correspond to those of the home bases. More particularly, in the embodiment shown, between each pair of home bases, there are sixteen spaces, four spaces associated with each code. The coded spaces are themselves associated with players (or teams) having the particular code. The board as a whole thus comprises, in the embodiment shown, a total of 64 spaces, 16 spaces associated with each player or team.  
         [0025]    Although the preferred embodiment comprises a board having 64 pieces, for 64 game pieces, the game can be played with other numbers of game pieces and/or coded spaces. The explanation below will be made in terms of the preferred embodiment, but it should be understood that the invention is not limited to a specific number of game pieces or coded spaces.  
         [0026]    The center area of the board comprises a square which can be used to store the spinner described below.  
         [0027]    The invention is not limited by the specific arrangement of the board as described above. As will be apparent from the following description, the home bases, and the coded spaces, can be arranged in many other ways, as long as each player can distinguish his or her spaces and home base from those of another player. The board is not limited to a square shape, but could be a circle, a hexagon, or any other shape. The central region also need not be a square. The spinner, to be described below, could be placed elsewhere, at a location removed from the board.  
         [0028]    In the preferred embodiment, there are four home bases because the game is preferably played by four players, or four teams of players. In general, there should be at least two players, or teams of players, and not more than four players, or four teams of players.  
         [0029]    The game apparatus also includes spinner  20  shown in FIG. 6. The spinner includes rotatable arrow  22  which can point to any of a plurality of elements disposed around an annulus. These elements comprise distinct indicia, as illustrated by elements  23 ,  24 ,  25 , and  26 . The latter elements are repeated various times around the annulus. The indicia may be patterns, colors, letters, numbers, combinations of the above, or any other codes.  
         [0030]    Elements  27  are black, and are designated as “wild” spaces. The significance of each element can be explained on a card (not shown) that may be displayed near the spinner. The details of the instructions associated with each of the indicia are explained below.  
         [0031]    It is possible to use, on the spinner, the same indicia used as codes for the spaces on the game board, as shown in FIGS.  1 - 5 , so as to use fewer total colors or patterns. But in the latter case, great care must be taken to distinguish the purpose of the indicia on the board from the indicia on the spinner. In general, the indicia on the board will identify a player (or team), and distinguish that player (or team) from the others. The indicia on the spinner will identify a particular instruction which a player receives upon operating the spinner. Thus, the indicia on the board have an entirely different function from the indicia on the spinner.  
         [0032]    The spinner can be replaced by any other device that generates random outcomes. For example, the spinner could be replaced by dice, cards, or any other device from which a plurality of random outcomes can be obtained. All such alternatives are within the scope of the present invention.  
         [0033]    The game apparatus also comprises a plurality of game pieces. Game pieces are shown in FIGS.  2 - 5 , and may comprise any token, or other object, which can fit within one of the coded spaces on the board. More details of the game pieces will be described below.  
         [0034]    There are two principal versions of the present game, a regular version and an advanced version. In the regular version, the game pieces are all undifferentiated. As shown in FIG. 2, for example, all of the game pieces  10  are identical. In the advanced version, the game pieces are coded to correspond with the identification of a player. FIG. 5 shows a game board with game pieces that bear the codes of the various players. For example, note that, in FIG. 5, game piece  30  has a different pattern from game piece  31 .  
         [0035]    The game apparatus may be supplied with two complete sets of game pieces, one set being undifferentiated, and the other set being coded according to the various players. In the preferred embodiment, however, the game apparatus includes only 64 game pieces, the game pieces comprising generally flat chips that are coded to correspond to the home bases and coded spaces on the board. The apparatus, in this preferred embodiment, also includes 64 identical stickers which can each be placed on one side of the chips. In a preferred embodiment, the stickers could be white, but any other color could be used. In playing the regular version, one handles each chip such that the side with the sticker is always facing up, thereby effectively creating 64 undifferentiated game pieces. In playing the advanced version, the chips are arranged with the side having the sticker facing down, so that the patterns on the game pieces are visible, and so that each game piece is readily identified with only one player or team.  
         [0036]    It is preferred that the game pieces be flat chips, so that they may be stacked, to reduce the amount of space they occupy. But the game pieces may take other forms, and need not be stackable. For example, the game could be played with pawns similar to those used in the games of Parcheesi or chess.  
         [0037]    The regular version of the game is played as follows.  
         [0038]    For purposes of the following explanation, assume that each player comprises one person, i.e. the number of members of each team is one.  
         [0039]    The object of the regular version of the game is to be the first player to place game pieces on all of the player&#39;s spaces on the board. Note that, since the game pieces are undifferentiated, the player may place any game pieces on his or her spaces.  
         [0040]    First, each player selects the indicia (whether color, pattern, number, or other identifying symbol) to be associated with that player. The players then assume their positions around the board, each player sitting near the home base associated with that player.  
         [0041]    Each player is then given 16 game pieces. As noted above, all of the game pieces, in the regular version of the game, are substantially identical. The players place their pieces on their respective home bases, and the board then appears as shown in FIG. 2.  
         [0042]    The players then proceed to operate the spinner, shown in FIG. 6, to determine who will start. By prior agreement, the players associate themselves with different patterns indicated by the spinner, and it can be agreed that the person who receives a certain pattern, by operating the spinner, will be the first to play. The play may proceed clockwise, or counterclockwise, following the player selected to play first, or it may proceed according to an order determined by further spins of the spinner. Other means of determining the order in which the players take their turns can be used, within the scope of the invention.  
         [0043]    The size of the spinner can be varied, so the number of elements disposed around the arrow  22  can also be varied.  
         [0044]    On each turn, a player operates the spinner, and follows the instructions associated with the element to which the arrow points when it comes to rest. In the preferred embodiment of the regular version of the game, these instructions are as follows:  
         [0045]    1. If the spinner points to an element having the pattern  23 , the player must take a game piece from his or her home base, and place that game piece on any one of that player&#39;s spaces on the board. If the player has no game pieces on his or her home base, the player forfeits the turn.  
         [0046]    2. If the spinner points to an element having the pattern  24 , the player must take a game piece from one of that player&#39;s spaces on the board, and return it to his or her home base. If the player has no game pieces on his or her spaces on the board, the player forfeits the turn.  
         [0047]    3. If the spinner points to an element having the pattern  25 , the player must take a game piece from another player&#39;s space on the board, or from another player&#39;s home base, and put the piece on any of his or her own spaces on the board.  
         [0048]    4. If the spinner points to an element having the pattern  26 , the player must take a game piece from one of his or her own spaces on the board, or from the player&#39;s home base, and must place it on an empty coded space on the board belonging to any other player.  
         [0049]    5. If the spinner points to a black element  27 , the player may choose to perform any of the four actions described above.  
         [0050]    The game apparatus may include a card (not shown), which summarizes the above instructions, to be used for reference by each player. Such cards may also be provided adjacent to the board. Alternatively, the instructions on the card may be reproduced directly on the board. Any or all of the above techniques can be used to remind the players of the meaning of each symbol shown on the spinner.  
         [0051]    In all of the above cases, the player may not take the action indicated unless such action is otherwise permissible. For example, if a player is directed to remove a game piece from the board and place it on his or her home base, the player may not do so unless he or she has at least one game piece on the board. If a player is directed to perform any action that is impossible, the player forfeits the turn.  
         [0052]    The game therefore comprises the repeated placement, removal, and/or re-positioning of game pieces, according to the directions obtained by players by operating the spinner.  
         [0053]    A player who is entitled to place a game piece on the board may do so only on one of his or her own spaces. A player may not have any game pieces on spaces belonging to another player. Exceptions to the foregoing occur in advanced play, described later, or in team play (in which case the spaces belonging to a player really belong to a team).  
         [0054]    It is not permissible to have more than one game piece on the same space. When a player must place a piece on the board, he or she must do so on an empty space. Thus, there will be, at most, one game piece on any one space.  
         [0055]    As indicated above, a player may move only one piece per turn. When the player&#39;s hand is no longer touching the game piece being moved, that player&#39;s turn is deemed completed.  
         [0056]    [0056]FIG. 3 shows a hypothetical game position wherein some of the game pieces have been moved from the home bases, and placed on coded spaces on the board. FIG. 4 shows a hypothetical game position in which one player has won the game by placing game pieces on all of his or her coded spaces.  
         [0057]    The above-described game can be won by developing various strategies. Although the instructions received by each player are determined by chance, i.e. by operating the spinner, the rules allow a considerable amount of choice to the player. For example, a player who obtains an instruction to take a game piece from another player must decide from whom to take, and a player who is directed to give a game piece to another must decide to whom to give. The player who obtains black element  27  may of course decide to follow any of the possible instructions, and that player&#39;s decision is a strategic decision that may determine the outcome of the game.  
         [0058]    The game as described above can be made subject to a time limit. In one embodiment, the time limit could be 20 minutes, which is normally long enough to allow a player to win. In a shorter version, the time limit can be 10 minutes, and the winner is the player who puts down the most game pieces on as many of his or her spaces as possible, within this time limit. The players may elect to have shorter or longer time limits, if desired.  
         [0059]    In still another embodiment, one controls the length of the game not by setting a definite time limit, but rather by using a different number of game pieces. For example, instead of 16 game pieces per player (or team), there could be a smaller number, such as six or twelve. In the case of six pieces, for example, the winner would be the first player (or team) to place all six pieces on spaces on the board. Of course, the smaller the number of game pieces, the less time required to place the pieces on the board.  
         [0060]    In the preferred embodiment, the game is played as a tournament comprising three or more games. The winner of the tournament can be the one who wins the largest number of games, or the winner can be the one who wins a predetermined plurality (such as two-thirds or three-quarters) of the games.  
         [0061]    The advanced version of the game is played as follows.  
         [0062]    As noted above, the advanced version uses game pieces that are coded to correspond to the players. Thus, each player has a set of game pieces that are clearly associated with that player. The object of the game is to be the first player to place and keep all of his or her game pieces on all of his or her own coded spaces on the board.  
         [0063]    Except as stated otherwise, below, the advanced version is played in the same manner as the regular version.  
         [0064]    The directions dictated by the spinner, in the advanced version, are not all the same as those of the regular version. The directions for the advanced version are as follows:  
         [0065]    1. If the spinner points to an element having the pattern  23 , the player must take a game piece from his or her home base, and place that game piece on any one of that player&#39;s spaces on the board. If the player has no game pieces on his or her home base, the player forfeits the turn. The above is similar to the regular version. But sometimes, during advanced play, game pieces belonging to other players are present on a player&#39;s home base. It this happens, and the player has no game pieces of his or her own, on his or her own home base, the player still forfeits a turn. A player may not move game pieces belonging to others, using this instruction.  
         [0066]    2. If the spinner points to an element having the pattern  24 , the player must take a game piece from one of that player&#39;s spaces on the board, and return it to his or her home base. If the player has no game pieces on his or her spaces on the board, the player forfeits the turn.  
         [0067]    3. If the spinner points to an element having the pattern  25 , the player must take a game piece from a another player&#39;s coded space, or from another player&#39;s home base, if the other player has no game pieces on spaces on the board, and put the piece on the first player&#39;s home base. There are two additional rules associated with this instruction:  
         [0068]    a. If the player has a game piece that is on a home base or a coded space belonging to another player, then the first player may take that game piece back, and place it either on the first player&#39;s coded space or on the first player&#39;s home base.  
         [0069]    b. A player may not take a game piece from a coded space of another, and use it to block still another player by placing it on the coded space of the latter player. This action may be taken only with a wild spin, described below.  
         [0070]    4. If the spinner points to an element having the pattern  26 , the player must take a game piece from one of his or her own spaces on the board, or from the player&#39;s home base, and must place it on the home base belonging to any other player. If a player has game pieces on his or her home base, which pieces belong to other players, the first player may give one of these game pieces back to the player who owns the game piece, by placing the piece on a coded space or the home base of the other player.  
         [0071]    5. If the spinner points to a black element  27 , the player may choose to perform any of the four actions described above. The player who obtains this instruction also has the following special options:  
         [0072]    a. The player may take a game piece from anywhere on the board, whether from any coded space or any home base, belonging to any player, and may place it anywhere else, i.e. on any coded space or any home base of any player.  
         [0073]    b. The player may take a game piece from the player&#39;s own coded space or home base, and may place it on any other coded space, belonging to another player, so as to block the other player. Blocking the other player means that the other player may not place a game piece on that space, because it is occupied.  
         [0074]    c. The player may move a game piece from any other player&#39;s coded space, and place it on yet another player&#39;s coded space, to block the latter player.  
         [0075]    There are various alternatives to the games described above. As noted above, one alternative is to replace individual players with teams of players. Each single player could be replaced with a team having as many as four players. Team play may be used in either the regular game or the advanced game.  
         [0076]    Another alternative is to allow cooperation between pairs of players or teams. For example, team play can be allowed between opposite or adjacent partners, if agreed upon before the game starts, and the teams can then compete against other teams. The teams may even form alliances with other teams, to enhance the competitiveness of the game. As is true for the number of single players, the minimum number of teams is two, and the preferred maximum number of teams is four. Preferably, the maximum number of players on a team is four.  
         [0077]    In team play, one member can be responsible for moving the game pieces, and another player can be responsible for planning strategies for the team, and another can be responsible for observing the strategy of the other teams.  
         [0078]    In the embodiment with alliances between teams or players, the game can be played in the same way, except that the optimal strategies will be different, because a first player or team may take action that helps another player or team that is allied with the first. Conversely, any members of the alliance may take action to block a non-member of the alliance. The first player or team to fill all of his or her or its coded spaces is still the winner, but if players or teams are allied, all members of the alliance are deemed winners when one member has won.  
         [0079]    Once the players select teams, they may not switch partners in the middle of a game.  
         [0080]    The invention can also be practiced with a smaller peg board version, for use by persons who are traveling. This version is the same as the larger board game, but would use colored pegs, and one or more dice, or modified dice (instead of a spinner) on a small, multi-colored peg board.  
         [0081]    In the embodiment shown in the figures, there are four sets of sixteen coded spaces on the board. Other arrangements could be devised, with different numbers of spaces, within the scope of the invention.  
         [0082]    The game of the present invention can be modified in many further ways. As noted earlier, the coded spaces may be coded in many different ways. The invention is not limited by the shape of the game pieces; any pieces that will fit on the coded spaces will be satisfactory for use in this game. The rules associated with each result of a spin can be changed somewhat, within the scope of the invention. These and other similar modifications should be considered within the spirit and scope of the following claims.