Abstract:
A game comprises a system wherein points are awarded for each matching identification of a work from a body of works associated with a personality, preferably a movie in which a particular actor appeared. Players move along a pathway according to the roll of a die. Each position on the pathway provides an instruction for drawing a card on which the picture of an actor or their name appears. The player identifies as many of the actor&#39;s works as possible within an allowed time. Optionally, an instruction will cause a player to miss a turn or to draw a card enabling the opportunity to earn bonus points. Alternate embodiments of the game may include any genre in which a body of works can be credited to a personality. Further, the game may be played on alternate game interfaces, such as a computer.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    The present invention relates to amusement devices and in particular to games and methods of testing a player&#39;s knowledge of a personality&#39;s body of works.  
         BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    Games are well known in which players or teams of players must travel about an endless pathway as determined by a chance device and wherein each player is challenged to display their knowledge about a subject as a result of a consequence indicator on the pathway.  
           [0003]    Once such game, Trivial Pursuit™, utilizes a game board having an endless pathway of contiguous spaces or positions in the shape of a spoked wheel. Each of the positions displays an insignia signifying one of six categories from which questions are presented to the player(s). A card set is utilized to provide the challenge questions. The players move game pieces about the board according to the roll of a die. When a player successfully answers a question, they are rewarded with a marker which is fit into the game piece. Once a player has collected a marker for each of the categories, the player moves the game piece up the spokes of the wheel toward the center of the board and once there, must answer a question from a category of the other players choosing, in order to win the game.  
           [0004]    U.S. Pat. No. 6,245,839 to Katsion et al. teaches a game based on knowledge of movies and actors. The game paraphernalia includes a score pad, timer and a plurality of playing cards having a pictorial representation and a name of an actor on one side and a list of movies in which they have appeared on the other. Players take turns within each round attempting to correctly guess a single one of the movies on the bottom face of a card that is selected at the beginning of the round. An incorrect answer renders a player out of the current round while a correct guess affords a player a point. The round is played until each of the players is rendered out or all of the listed movies have been identified. If two players tie at the end of the round, a tie-breaker card is selected by each and the player to identify the greatest number of movies listed on the back face of the other players card during a timed interval is awarded a point. The overall winner of the game is the player having the greatest number of points within a predetermined number of rounds.  
           [0005]    Other movie-related games such as U.S. Pat. No. 5,121,928 to Salerno-Sonneberg are also known. Players advance about a game board using a pair of dice and are challenged to identify a title of a movie matching the movie category of the position on which the player&#39;s game piece has landed, aided by being read a quote from the movie which is printed on a card selected. Throughout the course of the game, players accumulate markers corresponding to the movie categories after successfully identifying movie titles in each category. Play is terminated when one player receives a marker for each of the movie categories.  
           [0006]    Each of the known prior art games appeal to different age and interest groups and are intended to both entertain and challenge the knowledge of players.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0007]    The game of the present invention provides entertainment while challenging the knowledge of the players, or teams of players, under a time deadline, about bodies of works that are credited to personalities.  
           [0008]    In one embodiment of the invention, players are tested on their knowledge of movies and actors. Each player is challenged to recognize an actor&#39;s face or their name as displayed on a card and, within a predetermined elapsed term of their turn, the current player is challenged to list as many movies as they can in which the actor appeared. The answers are verified by checking against a comprehensive list of credits provided with the game. Points are awarded for each correct answer. The movies are divided into categories called “Match Play”, each category being assigned a number and representing a decade in which the movies were made. Thus, the current player is not only tested on his ability to recognize a personality and match the personality to their work, but is also tested on the player&#39;s knowledge of movies over a large span of time.  
           [0009]    Preferably, the game comprises a game interface, a plurality of game pieces, a plurality of card sets as tokens including a “Match Play” card set for each category, a set of “Steal Play” cards, a chance device, a timer, a comprehensive book of bodies of works and a set of rules of play.  
           [0010]    In a movie embodiment of the invention, the game interface comprises a star-shaped board having an endless pathway comprised of positions marked with indicia providing instructions regarding options for the selection of cards from the plurality of card sets or alternatively instructions to vary the course of play, such as missing a turn. Each player traverses the pathway, as a result of numbers generated by the chance device, and responds to the various instructions provided, collecting points as awarded for correctly identifying movies in which actors have appeared, until such time as one player has achieved a predetermined number of points or a predetermined time interval is complete. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0011]    [0011]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the game interface according to the present invention, including the components of the game;  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 2 is a plan view of the game board of the preferred embodiment of the invention;  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 3 is a plan view of a top face of a Match Play card;  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 4 is a plan view of a back face of a Match Play card; and  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 5 is a plan view of a top face of a Steal Play card.  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0016]    Having reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, a game  10  comprises a game board  11  which enables a player to test their knowledge of personalities who are associated with a body of works. While this specification is described using movie trivia references, the game is equally applicable to the literary, artistic and musical personalities for example. Further, personalities include recognizable characters having bodies of works including entities whether dead, alive, real, corporate, fictional, animated or artificial.  
         [0017]    In one embodiment, the game  10  deals with movie trivia and the game board  11  has the appearance of a 5-pointed star having an endless peripheral playing pathway  12 . The pathway  12  is formed of contiguous positions (in a physical embodiment) or positions in a generalized sense. Each position is designated by indicia identifying one of a plurality of categories or consequences. Conveniently, one of the positions  13 , marked with consequence indicia, is further divided to also define a “Start” position  14 . A plurality of personality tokens  15 , such as card sets  15   a ,  15   b ,  15   c ,  15   d , are provided; one set for each of a plurality of categories of movies and a set of option tokens  16 , such as “Steal Play” cards  16   a . A chance device  17 , such as a die, determines the rate of the player&#39;s advancement, position by position, about the pathway  12 . A plurality of distinguishably different player identifier&#39;s or identification game pieces  18  are provided. A timer  19  determines an allowed or an elapsed time. Further, a reference  20  is provided, such as a book, which containing a comprehensive list of a body of works, such as movie credits, for each of the personalities represented in the game  10 .  
         [0018]    Categories of movies are marked on the game board  11 , such as “Match Play” and are assigned a number, each category number representing movies divided into predetermined ranges of dates of the body of works which, in this one embodiment, are differentiated into decades. For example, Match Play #2 position  21  represents movies made from 1970 to 1979, Match Play #3 position  22  represents movies made from 1980 to 1989, Match Play #4 position  23  represents movies made from 1990 to 1999 and Match Play #5 position  24  represents movies made from 2000 to present.  
         [0019]    The consequence indicia marked on the game board positions provide additional instruction to any player who lands on them during the course of play in order to vary the play routine or to score additional points. For example, the consequence indicia can include, “Got a bad review, Miss your turn”  25 , “Pick up a Steal Card and roll again”  26 , “Win an award, collect 5 bonus points”  27 , “Choice Play”  28  and “Challenge Play”  29 .  
         [0020]    Having reference to FIGS. 3 and 4, each set of personality tokens  15  (such as a plurality of card sets  15   a - 15   d  shown in FIG. 1), are marked with viewable indicia on a top side  30  of individual cards  31  with at least one category and preferably a plurality of a categories such as, “Match Play #2”  15   a , Match Play #3”  15   b  and so on (FIG. 3). The category is normally viewable during play so that the current player is aware from which card set to draw their personality token  15 . Each individual card  31  is also marked on a normally concealed bottom side  32  with a personality identifier  33  such as an image (such as a sketch, caricature, picture or photograph) and a name of the personality or actor (FIG. 4). The personality is normally concealed during play so that the current player is unaware of the personality until a later step in the turn.  
         [0021]    Referring to FIG. 5, option tokens  16 , such as Steal play cards  16   a , are marked with viewable indicia such as “Steal Play” on a top side  34 .  
         [0022]    Best seen in FIG. 2, to begin the game  10 , the game board  1  is set out and the card sets  15   a ,  15   b ,  15   c ,  15   d ,  16   a  are positioned on designated areas within a central portion  35  of the game board  11 . The card sets  15   a ,  15   b ,  15   c ,  15   d ,  16  are positioned so that only the top sides  30 , 34  of the cards are viewable. Game pieces  18  are placed on the “Start” position  14 . Players, who may be individuals or teams of individuals, roll a die  17  to determine who begins the game  10 . The highest number rolled determines who begins. Each player advances on the pathway  12 , position  13  by position  13 , as determined by the number generated by the die  17 .  
         [0023]    Each time a player ends their move on a position  13 , being the current position, the player is either instructed to select a token or card from the card set  15   a ,  15   b ,  15   c ,  15   d , or  16  that matches the category marked on the position  13  or in the case of a consequence indicator  25 , 26 , 27 , 28 , 29  to follow the instructions thereon.  
         [0024]    When a player lands on “Match Play” positions  21 ,  22 ,  23 ,  24  the player selects a personality token or card from the “Match Play” card set  15   a ,  15   b ,  15   c ,  15   d  that matches the category on the corresponding marked position  21 ,  22 ,  23 ,  24 . The timer  19  is started and the player turns over the card  31  and views the bottom side  32  displaying the actor&#39;s picture and name  33 . The timer  19  sets a predetermined allowed or elapsed time and the player must identify as many movies as possible in which the particular actor appeared during the decade corresponding to the particular “Match Play” category  15   a ,  15   b ,  15   c ,  15   d . At the end of the time interval, the movies are checked for a match against those listed in the reference book  20  for the particular actor within the particular decade. One point is awarded for each match or correct answer.  
         [0025]    When a player lands on a “Select Play” position  40 , the player can preferentially choose a personality token or card  31  from any of the “Match Play” card sets  15   a ,  15   b ,  15   c ,  15   d.    
         [0026]    When a player lands on a “Challenge Play” position  41 , all of the players or teams of players play simultaneously. The player who landed on the “Challenge Play” position  41  determines the “Match Play” personality token or card set  15   a ,  15   b ,  15   c ,  15   d  to be used by rolling the die  17 . A number one or a number six indicates that the player may freely choose amongst any of the “Match Play” card sets  15   a ,  15   b ,  15   c ,  15   d . A number two indicates that the “Match Play #2” card set  15   a  is to be used, a three indicates that the “Match Play #3” card set  15   b  is to be used, and so on. The winner, between the players, is the one with the most correct answers. In the event of a tie, the winner is determined by re-playing the turn between the tied players with a newly selected match play card; a “play-off” in other words. The player who originally landed on “Challenge Play” re-rolls the die and selects the match play card to be used as described above.  
         [0027]    When a player lands on a “Select a Steal Play card and Roll Again”  26  consequence indicator, the player selects an option token or “Steal Play” card  16   a  and retains it, deferring its use until such time as the player chooses to use the card  16   a . When an opposing player lands on a “Match Play” position  21 , 22 ,  23 ,  24  the player holding the “Steal Play” card  16   a  may indicate that the player chooses to exercise the “Steal Play” card  16   a  and thereby gains an opportunity to be awarded additional points. The timer  19  is started and both the opposing player and the player using the “Steal Card”  16   a  attempt to identify and write down as many movies as possible during the timed interval. If the opposing player has no correct answers, the player using the “Steal Play” card  16   a  is awarded one point for every matching answer. If the opposing player has at least one correct answer, the player using the “Steal Play” card  16   a  is awarded no points. At some point during the turn, the player returns the card  16   a  to the “Steal Play” card set  16 .  
         [0028]    Play is terminated when one player collects a predetermined accumulated or total number of points, or a winner is determined as the player having the greatest number of points within a predetermined and overall time interval.  
         [0029]    Optionally, bonus points may be awarded if the identification of the personality displayed on the “Match Play” card represents an image or identification  33  of the actor in a decade other than the one being tested; for example, if an image of the actor is only available from their younger years and the movie is in a decade category when they are in their latter years.  
         [0030]    Further, bonus points may be awarded if an image of the actor is not available and the “Match Play” card  31  displays only a name as identification  33 .  
         [0031]    In alternate embodiments of the invention, the objective of the game can be altered to identify virtually any type of works from a body of works that can be attributed to personalities known to the public. Some common examples are the works of writers, television shows, television performers, musicians. Examples of categories for literary bodies of works could include non-fiction, fiction, and science fiction. Examples of artistic works used as game categories can include modern, landscape, Renaissance and abstract.  
         [0032]    In yet another embodiment of the invention, regardless of the genre from which the body of works are selected, the game interface can be a video and input interface. The game board, lists and cards can be electronic representations which are likewise selected, viewed and identified. The interfaces can be computer, or television.  
         [0033]    Further, the electronic format further enables the game to be presented in a televised format wherein the viewers can play along or interact using personal interface terminals and compatible interface equipment.