U.S. patent application number 10/837271 was filed with the patent office on 2005-11-03 for board game, apparatus, and method of play.
Invention is credited to Vanlier, Kenneth E..
Application Number | 20050242501 10/837271 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 35186259 |
Filed Date | 2005-11-03 |
United States Patent
Application |
20050242501 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Vanlier, Kenneth E. |
November 3, 2005 |
Board game, apparatus, and method of play
Abstract
A board game preferably for two players involving the movement
of a single game piece along a plurality of three types of lanes
differentiated on the basis of color, with the lanes having
arrowheads showing allowable directions of movement to a plurality
of sites including a start site for each player and a score site
for each player. Players alternately toss a pair of cubic dice with
each die having three sides of one color and three sides of another
color corresponding to the colors of the lanes. The single game
piece is moved from one site to an adjacent site along one of the
lanes corresponding to the uppermost faces shown by the dice.
Players win one point when the game piece moves into their score
site; and when a player reaches a predetermined winning score, that
player wins the game. The game can be played by a single player
against an imaginary opponent.
Inventors: |
Vanlier, Kenneth E.;
(Tuscaloosa, AL) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Mr. Kenneth E Vanlier
606 Steeplechase Road
Tuscaloosa
AL
35406
US
|
Family ID: |
35186259 |
Appl. No.: |
10/837271 |
Filed: |
May 3, 2004 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
273/242 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A63F 3/00006 20130101;
A63F 2003/00009 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
273/242 |
International
Class: |
A63F 003/00 |
Claims
1. (canceled)
2. A game preferably for two persons comprising a game board that
has: two types of lanes wherein one type of lane that has an
arrowhead on both ends, which denotes that the single game piece
can be moved from one site to another in either direction along
this type of lane and a second type of lane that has an arrowhead
at one end denoting that the game piece can be moved only in one
direction between sites along this type of lane.
3. A game according to claim 2 wherein the movement of the game
piece is determined by the tossing of a pair of dice wherein the
players alternately toss the dice and move the game piece
accordingly, and wherein; the dice are matching cubes that have
three sides of one color and three sides of another color
corresponding to the type of lane on the game board that allows
movement in either direction; three combinations of colors can
result from the toss of the dice: two uppermost faces of one color,
two uppermost faces of the other color, and one uppermost face of
one color and one uppermost face of the other color; the
probability that the dice will show one of the single colors is one
in four; the probability that the dice will show two colors is one
in two; the toss of the dice by a player thus designates which type
of lane along which the game piece is moved to an adjacent site;
and the toss of the dice by one player may result in the single
game piece being moved to the other player's score site.
4. (canceled)
5. (canceled)
6. (canceled)
7. (canceled)
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to a game apparatus for a
board type game and a method of play.
[0002] There are a number of board games wherein players advance
from starting positions to ending positions along paths containing
discreet steps pursuant to the rules of play of the game. An object
of this invention is to provide a game apparatus and a method of
play wherein the players' moves are determined by the toss of dice
and involve the movement of a single game piece on a board with
sites for positioning of the game piece. The game piece is moved
along arrowed, colored lanes in response to the colored faces
revealed by the toss of the dice. Scoring happens when the game
piece traverses through a plurality of lanes and sites from a
player's start site to a player's score site.
[0003] The game can be played by persons of all ages, but is best
suited to children between the ages of 5 through 10. The game
provides entertainment and also has some educational value for
children of that age group.
[0004] The game can also be played by one person with movement
determined according to the same rules used for two players as
outlined above except that the solitary player consecutively tosses
the dice and moves the game piece. The solitary player plays
against an imaginary opponent who scores points when the game piece
moves into his score site.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0005] In accordance with the present invention, a game for two
persons (herein called player A and player B) comprises a game
board having sixteen separate lanes extending between the ten sites
for the positioning of the single game piece used in the game.
There are three types of lanes differentiated by their color or
colors: one type with one color, one type of another color and the
third type a combination of the two above-said colors. Four of the
lanes are of color X; four of the lanes are of color Y; and eight
of the lanes are bi-colored, X and Y, or X/Y. The eight single
colored lanes have an arrowhead at each end denoting that the
single game piece can move in either direction along these lanes.
The bi-colored lanes have arrowheads at one end of the lane
denoting that the game piece can be moved only in one direction
along these lanes.
[0006] Of the ten sites included on the board for the positioning
of the single game piece used in the game, two are start sites, one
for player A and one for player B; and two are score sites, one for
A and one for B. All sites except the score sites are connected by
three different lanes that allow for movement of the single game
piece from these sites along one of the three lanes in response to
the colors shown by the dice. The score sites are connected to
adjacent sites by a bi-colored lane that provides for movement only
into the site. During play (after starting the game but before
scoring) the start sites are used like any other site for the
movement and placement of the single game piece.
[0007] A pair of matching cubic dice; each die colored to
correspond to the solid colors of the lanes on the game board,
i.e.-three X-colored sides and three Y-colored sides; is the
preferred decision-making device used to designate the lane along
which the game piece is to be moved. A player tosses the dice and
if the two uppermost faces of the dice show a solid color (X or Y),
the game piece is moved along the lane of that color to the
adjacent site. If the uppermost faces of the dice show two colors
(X/Y) then the game piece is moved along the bi-colored lane in the
direction of the arrowhead to the adjacent site.
[0008] Players alternately toss the dice and move the game piece
according to said rules above. When the game piece reaches a score
site, the player of that score site wins one point and the game
piece is moved to that player's start site and the game continues
with alternative tossing of the dice and movement of the game
piece. The movement of the game piece to a score site can result
from the tossing of the dice by either player. Thus, tossing of the
dice by one player can result in a score for the other player.
[0009] The winning score is predetermined at the start of the game
and scores are generally recorded on paper, but other methods may
be used (cribbage board or domino counter, for example).
[0010] The game can also be played by a single player using the
same rules as the game for two persons except that the single
player consecutively tosses the dice and moves the single game
piece and plays against an imaginary opponent who scores points
when the game piece is moved into the imaginary player's score
site.
[0011] These and other features of the present invention are
described in detail below and shown in the appended drawing.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
[0012] FIG. 1 is a top plan view of the game board with the single
game piece shown in perspective.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0013] Referring now to the drawing, the game of the present
invention is most easily described in connection with the game
board layout shown in FIG. 1. The game comprises a base 10 on which
a playing field is positioned. This field is printed on the game
board. The game is played by two players designated herein as
player A (or A) and player B (or B).
[0014] The game has a single game piece 11 that is moved from site
to site during play.
[0015] The playing field provides ten sites 12-16 for the
positioning of the single game piece by player A or player B during
play. Sites 12 and 13 are score sites: 12 is the score site for
player A and 13 is the score site for player B. Sites 14 and 15 are
start sites: 14 is the start site for player A and 15 is the start
site for player B. The start sites are used at the beginning of
play and after a player scores a point. Each site on the game
board, except for the score sites, allows for the movement of the
single game piece from one site to an adjacent site via one of
three types of lanes. The playing field has sixteen lanes 17-19
that connect the ten sites. Lanes 17 are of color X, lanes 18 are
of color Y, and lanes 19 are bi-colored and bilaterally symmetrical
having half of each lane of color X and half of each lane of color
Y. The single colored lanes 17 and 18 have an arrowhead on both
ends, which denotes that the single game piece can be moved in
either direction along those lanes, and the bi-colored lanes 19
have an arrowhead at one end denoting that the game piece can be
moved only in one direction along those lanes. Each score site is
connected to an adjacent site by a single bi-colored lane.
[0016] The game includes a pair of cubic dice, each die having
three sides of color X and three sides of color Y which correspond
to the single-colored lanes on the game board. These dice when
tossed produce three possible combinations: two uppermost faces of
color X, two uppermost faces of color Y, or one uppermost face of
color X and one uppermost face of color Y. The probability of the
dice showing two faces of the same color (X or Y) is one in four.
The probability of the dice showing different colors (X/Y) is one
in two. Thus the probability of movement of the single game piece
along a bi-colored lane is twice that of movement along one of the
single colored lanes.
[0017] The combination of said dice and three types of lanes of the
present invention increases the probability of the game piece
moving to a greater number of the sites on the game board and
increases the probability of the game piece moving into a score
site. For example, in a similar board game wherein three
single-colored lanes are used and a single die with two sides
corresponding with each of the three colors of the lanes is used,
then the chances of the game piece being moved along any one of the
lanes is one in three. In comparison with the present invention the
chances of movement of the single game piece along a single colored
lane are one in four and the chances of moving the game piece along
a bi-colored lane is one in two. The present invention, thus,
favors movement along a bi-colored lane, that allows movement of
the game piece in only one direction. As there are twice as many
bi-colored lanes as of each single colored lane the probability of
movement of the game piece along a bi-colored lane is also greatly
increased. In playing the game of the present invention there is
one chance in four of the game piece being returned to the site
that the game piece occupied in the previous move. In a similar
game with three single-colored lanes, as in said example above,
there is one chance in three that the game piece will be returned
to the site of the previous move. The present invention thus
greatly increases the number of sites on which the game piece will
be positioned on the game board during play and also increases the
chances of scoring.
[0018] The object of the game for each player is to move the game
piece from its start site along a plurality of lanes to a score
site through a series of moves. Each time the game piece reaches
player A's score site 12 player A wins one point. The game piece is
then moved to player A's start site 14. Each time the game piece
reaches player B's score site 13, player B wins one point. The game
piece is then moved to player B's start site 11. The player with
the most points wins at the end of the game.
[0019] The manner in which the game progresses is as follows: To
start the game one of the players tosses one die. If the die shows
color X then A starts the game and if the die shows color Y then B
starts the game. The player starting the game tosses the dice, if
both dice show color X, the game piece is moved along the lane of
color X to the adjacent site; if both dice show color Y the game
piece is moved along the lane of color Y to the adjacent site, and
if one die shows color X and one die shows color Y, then the single
game piece is moved along the lane of color X/Y. The opposing
player then tosses the dice and moves the single game piece
according to above said rules. Thus, through alternative tossing of
the dice and moving of the game piece by the players the game piece
moves along a plurality of lanes to a plurality of sites, and
eventually to a score site. During play, after starting the game
but before scoring, the start sites are used the same as the other
sites 16 for the movement and placement of the single game piece.
If the game piece reaches player A's score site 12, then player A
wins a point; if the game piece reaches player B's score site 13,
then player B wins a point. A player wins a point when the game
piece moves into his score site regardless of which player tosses
the dice and causes the game piece to be moved to that score site.
After a score the game piece is moved to the start site of the
player who scored. Thus, when player A wins a point the game piece
is moved to player A's start site 14; and when player B wins a
point the game piece is moved to player B's start site 13. The
alternative tossing of the dice by the players is not interrupted
when one player scores.
[0020] The score needed to win the game is predetermined by the
players at the start of the game. Scores are generally recorded on
paper, but other methods may be used (cribbage board or domino
counter, for example).
[0021] The game can also be played by a single player using the
same rules as the game for two persons except that the single
player consecutively tosses the dice and moves the single game
piece and plays against an imaginary opponent who also scores
points when the game piece is moved into the imaginary player's
score site.
[0022] It should be understood that the foregoing is merely
exemplary of the preferred practice of the present invention and
that various changes in the arrangements and details of
construction of the embodiments disclosed herein may be made
without departing from the spirit and scope of the present
invention.
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