Patent Abstract:
The present invention provides a board game wherein players compete to uncover tiles and board sections in an order that matches a drawn card. The game includes a game board, player pieces, tiles, and sequence cards. The object of the game is to advance through several levels of play by matching uncovered indicia to that of the sequence cards while avoiding penalty indicia.

Full Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119(e) to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/350,139 entitled “Sequence Tile Board Game,” filed Nov. 2, 2001, the disclosure of which is herein incorporated by reference. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates generally to games played by multiple players. More specifically, the present invention relates to methods and apparatus for playing a sequence based guessing game for multiple players. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The object of the game is for players to move a game piece from a starting position to an ending position, with forward and backward moves controlled by the results of turning over one card out of a first group of cards, and several cards out of a second group of cards. The game is turn based and each player begins the game with a game piece at a fixed number of moves away from the winning end position. Players take turns until one player has reached the winning end position. 
     The advantages of the present invention will be understood more readily after a consideration of the drawings and the Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiment. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 depicts components of a game, including player pieces, a game board, tiles, and sequence cards. 
     FIG. 2 shows the layout of game components at the beginning of play. 
     FIG. 3 depicts the method of matching graphic indicia to a sequence card. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     The present invention is a board game played by at least two players. The game requires that players take turns flipping sequence cards and trying to uncover the sequence indicated on the sequence card that might be found in cards laid face down on a game board. In one embodiment, the game may be based on a well-known popular culture phenomenon, such as a comic book or cartoon. For example, the embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. 1 is based on the popular children&#39;s comic book YU-GI-OH, by Kazuki Takahashi. 
     Turning to FIG. 1, a set forming a game  10  is shown, according to one embodiment of the present invention. Game  10  includes player pieces  12 , game board  14 , tiles  16 , and sequence cards  18 . 
     Game board  14  is divided into level indicators  20  and grid spaces  22 . Level indicators  20  are subdivided into a starting level  20   a , intermediate levels,  20   b ,  20   c , and  20   d , and a winning level  20   e . The object of the game is to advance to the highest level  20 . Level indicators  20  are used in conjunction with player pieces  12  to track the progress of each player. The remainder of game board  14  is divided into multiple grid spaces  22  that are the same size as tiles  16  so that tiles  16  may be placed over, and completely cover, grid spaces  22 . 
     Tiles  16  include a back side  16   a  and a front side  16   b . The appearance of back sides  16   a  of tiles  16  are typically common to all other tiles  16  so that they appear identical. Front sides  16   b  of tiles  16  and grid spaces  22  each have one of a variety of graphic indicia  24  printed thereon. Graphic indicia  24  may also include penalty indicia  26 . 
     Sequence cards  18  have a back side  18   a , which is typically blank, and a front side  18   b . The front sides  18   b  are imprinted with a sequence  28  of different graphic indicia  24  that match the various graphic indicia  24  imprinted on tiles  16  and grid spaces  22 . Although sequence  28  of FIG. 1 includes four graphic indicia  24 , the number of graphic indicia  24  may be changed to alter game  10  complexity. Graphic indicia  24  may be depicted by a picture  30 , a color  32 , or a combination of picture and color  34 . 
     Each player starts the game with his or her player piece  12  positioned on his or her respective starting level indicator  20   a , shown in FIG. 2 by a circle. During play, tiles  16  are typically randomized and placed front side  16   b  down on game board  14 , as shown in FIG. 2. A player turns one of the sequence cards  18  front side  18   b  up to reveal the sequence  28  that that player will try to uncover on game board  14 . 
     A player moves to the next higher level by successfully uncovering the graphic indicia  24  in the sequence  28  called for by the over turned sequencing card  18 . The player has two chances with each tile turned over to uncover the correct graphic indicia  24 , because both the graphic indicia  24  printed on the front side of tile  16  or the graphic indicia  24  printed on grid space  22  that was uncovered may be correct. For example, if the over turned sequencing card  18  has a dark colored dragon, a light colored dragon, a character&#39;s profile, and a warrior graphic, as shown in FIG. 3, then the player must flip four of tiles  16  to reveal first a dark colored dragon, a light colored dragon, a character&#39;s profile, and finally a warrior graphic on either the flipped tile  16  or the uncovered grid space  22 . If a player successfully matches sequence  28 , then that player is awarded by moving his or her player piece  12  up a level  20 . 
     A player may go down a level  20  if the player uncovers a specially designated graphic indicia  24  determined to be a penalty indicia  26 . For example, if an “X” graphic indicia  24  is designated by a set of rules as the penalty indicia  26  and a player flips a tile  16  or uncovers a grid space  22  with an “X” indicia that player is assessed a penalty, which is typically to move his or her player piece  12  back one level  20 . Exceptions to this penalty rule may apply, such as if the player flips over a tile  16  with the correct indicia  24 , although penalty indicia  26  may be exposed on uncovered grid space  22 , that player is not penalized since the sequence  28  was completed. 
     Once a sequence  28  has been correctly matched, tiles  16  are typically randomized and replaced on game board  14  in a new configuration before the next player draws another sequence card  18 . If a sequence  28  was not correctly matched, that sequence card  18  is passed to the next player until the sequence  28  is correctly matched. 
     It is believed that the disclosure set forth above encompasses multiple distinct inventions with independent utility. While each of these inventions has been disclosed in its preferred form, the specific embodiments thereof as disclosed and illustrated herein are not to be considered in a limiting sense as numerous variations are possible. The subject matter of the inventions includes all novel and non-obvious combinations and subcombinations of the various elements, features, functions and/or properties disclosed herein. Similarly, where any claim recites “a” or “a first” element or the equivalent thereof, such claim should be understood to include incorporation of one or more such elements, neither requiring nor excluding two or more such elements. 
     Inventions embodied in various combinations and subcombinations of features, functions, elements, and/or properties may be claimed through presentation of new claims in a related application. Such new claims, whether they are directed to a different invention or directed to the same invention, whether different, broader, narrower or equal in scope to the original claims, are also regarded as included within the subject matter of the inventions of the present disclosure.

Technology Classification (CPC): 0