Board Game Apparatus

Abstract

A game which utilizes a game board having a course of playing spaces about the periphery thereof. Stations comprised of a plurality of playing spaces are provided on the sides of the game board and the playing spaces in each of the stations have a distinctive background color. A color block having the color of any of the stations is associated with each of the playing spaces. A tray having a storage area and an assembly area is disposed adjacent each station of the game board. In the storage area of each tray, picture parts having a background color corresponding to the background color of the station are initially stored. Dice are provided to advance a player about the course. When a player lands in a playing space he acquires the picture part identified by its associated color block. During the course of the game, each player elects to assemble in the assembly area of his tray picture parts having a common background color and the first player to complete a picture is declared the winner of the game.

Description

This invention relates to a parlor game and more particularly to such a game which combines the use of a game board with the acquiring of picture parts and the assembling of related groups thereof to form any of a plurality of different pictures.

Inasmuch as people are in constant search for recreational activity relating to chance, parlor games based upon chance are very popular. The present game combines the features of providing for players to advance along a course on a game board in accordance with the result of chance number selecting means, with the acquiring of picture parts of any of a number of different pictures depending upon where the players land on the course. From the picture parts so acquired, each of the players elects to assemble a certain group of the picture parts to form a desired one of the pictures. The first player to complete the assembly of a picture is declared the winner of the game. Such a game is highly entertaining since it necessarily produces a large amount of inter-communication among the several players and enables each of the players to participate in the activity with an equal amount of enjoyment.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide an entertaining means for persons to occupy their spare time.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a game of the character described that is colorful, inexpensive to make, and easy to play.

Another object of the invention is to provide a game which utilizes the entertaining features of the chance movement along a game board and the assembling of picture parts acquired thereby to complete a picture puzzle.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists of the construction, arrangement and combination of the various parts of the device, whereby the objects contemplated are obtained as herein set forth, pointed out in the appended claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a layout view of the game board and associated equipment for the game of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of one of the trays used with the game board;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the tray of FIG. 2 as taken along line 3--3 thereof;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged layout view of a portion of a modified game board and the trays associated with one side of the game board;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a typical playing piece used with the game board;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of one of the picture parts; and

FIG. 7 shows a pair of dice used as the means to measure the chance movement of a playing piece about the course on the game board.

Referring to the drawings, a flat, square game board 10 made in accordance with the present invention is illustrated in FIG. 1. The game board 10 which is preferably constructed of cardboard or a similar suitable material has a course 13 of playing spaces printed around its outer periphery. The course 13 is provided with a series of ten rectangular playing spaces, such as playing space 14, along each of the sides of the game board 10, and with two triangular playing spaces, such as playing spaces 15 and 16, at each of the corners of the game board 10. For purposes of the present embodiment of the game, the series of ten rectangular playing spaces on each side of the game board 10 is divided to form two sections, such as the left hand section 17 and the right hand section 18 on the lower side of the game board 10, as illustrated in FIG. 1. Each section thus comprises a series of five of the rectangular playing spaces, and eight such sections 17 to 24, inclusive, are provided along the course 13 of the game board 10. As indicated in FIG. 1, each of the sections 17 - 24 is symbolically indicated as having a unique background color.

Disposed adjacent the inner edge of the course 13 opposite each of the rectangular playing spaces is a color block, such as the color block bearing the reference designation (19b) disposed opposite the rectangular playing space bearing reference numeral 26. Each of the color blocks bears a color designation corresponding to a color which may be similar to or different from the background color of the rectangular playing space with which it is associated. As will be more clearly described hereinafter, each of the color blocks, depending on its color and its relative location in each of the sections 17 - 24, identifies one of forty different picture parts, such as a color block designated (19b) in section 17 which identifies the picture part 19b. A group of five of the picture parts having the same background color when properly arranged form one of eight pictures of different animals, for example. Each player elects to properly assemble five picture parts having the same background color to complete a particular animal picture during the course of a game. Note that each of the eight triangular playing spaces, such as the playing spaces 15 and 16, at the corners of the game board 10 has a different one of the eight background colors therein, and each of these spaces bears indicia indicating that a player landing thereon has the right to take one picture part having that background color from any player of the game.

Each of the sections 17 - 24 along the course 13 on the game board 10 represents a station for one of the players of the game. Thus there are stations on the game board for as many as eight players although anywhere from two to eight players can play the game at any given time. Each of the players starts the game from a "start" box 27 located at his station. The game board 10 is thus shown as having eight "start" boxes 27, one being located opposite the innermost rectangular playing space for each of the sections, such as the "start" box 27 opposite the rectangular playing space 14 for the section 17. Each "start" box 27 has an arrow 29 printed thereon to designate the direction in which the player at that station advances his playing piece 30 about the game board during his turn of play. It should be noted that the two players on each side of the game board 10 move in opposite directions along the course 13.

Disposed on the game board 10 opposite each of the sections 17 - 24 is a tray 38 which is preferably molded of plastic, although it may be made of wood or cardboard. There are thus two trays 38 disposed side-by-side adjacent each of the four sides of the game board 10. As shown in FIG. 2, each tray 38 is divided into a storage area 39 and an assembly area 40. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the assembly area 40 is recessed and has an overall shape that corresponds to the overall shape of any one of the sections, such as section 17. Furthermore, the assembly area 40 is delineated to define rectangular spaces 41 for receiving five of the picture parts, such as the picture part 19e shown in FIG. 6. At the beginning of the game, the tray 38 associated with each section of the game board, such as section 17, for example, has stored in its storage area 39 (see FIG. 2) five of the picture parts, such as picture parts 17a - 17e. These picture parts 17a - 17e have a background color which corresponds to the background color of the rectangular playing spaces at station 17 and if properly assembled would represent the animal picture initially in possession of the player at that station. Similarly, each of the other trays 38 has stored in its storage area 39 at the beginning of the game the five picture parts of the picture of the animal initially in possession of the player at that station. Likewise, the five picture parts at each station have a background color corresponding to the background color of that station.

As shown by an enlarged view of the game board 10 in FIG. 4 each of the players' stations 17 - 24 may have printed over the five rectangular playing spaces thereof the picture of the animal which the player at that station initially possesses all the picture parts for. This assists in letting the players in the game know where the picture parts for a particular animal are initially located and what the different animal pictures are that each player can try to gain possession of during the course of play.

The assembly area 40 of the tray 38 at each station is used during the course of the game to receive in its five delineated rectangular spaces 41 the picture parts which are acquired by the player at that station and which correspond to the body parts of the particular animal which that player elects to complete the assembly of during the course of the game. Each of the picture parts, as shown in FIG. 6, is preferably made of cardboard, wood, or plastic and is sufficiently thick so that it will extend above the level of the bottom of the tray when positioned in the recessed area thereof. This facilitates the lifting of the individual picture parts out of the recessed area 40 during the course of play.

Associated with each of the stations 17 - 24 of the game board 10 is the playing piece 30 used by the player at that station to identify his respective position on the course 13 of the game board 10. The playing piece 30 may be fashioned of wood, plastic or any other suitable material and is of a size and shape to conveniently fit within a playing space on the course 13 of the game. In keeping with the motif of the present embodiment of the game, the playing pieces are in the form of a drum. Each playing piece 30 is colored to correspond to the background color of the five rectangular playing spaces of the course 13 representing one of the players' stations, i.e., one of the sections 17 - 24.

In order to advance playing pieces 30 around the course 13 of the game board 10 for the purpose of determining which picture parts the players can gain possession of, a random selection device in the form of a pair of dice 25 is included with the game. It should be understood, however, that the number selection device may be a spinning arrow mounted on a numeral board or any other suitable chance device by which a player can select a number to represent the number of playing spaces he is to advance during his turn in the course of the game.

At the start of the game, each player is assigned one of the stations or sections 17 - 24 and places in random fashion in the storage area 39 of his tray 38 the five picture parts having the background color corresponding to the background color of the rectangular playing spaces of his section of the course. FIG. 2 shows the tray 38 associated with the section 17 of the game board 10 at the beginning of the game. This tray has the five picture parts 17a - 17e stored in the storage area 39 thereof. The background color of picture parts 17a - 17e corresponds to the background color of the rectangular playing spaces comprising section 17. As noted in FIG. 4, the section 17 may have printed thereon the picture of the animal formed by assembling the picture parts 17a - 17e. Each player then places his playing piece 30 which has a color in accordance with the background color for his section at the "start" box 27 for his section. When a player has his turn he proceeds around the course 13 of the game board 10 by measured moves obtained by rolling the pair of dice 25 and in the direction designated by the arrow 29 at his station.

The manner of playing the game will next be described by reference to FIG. 4. One of the players will be selected to start the play of the game. Assuming the first player is the player at station 17, he will roll the pair of dice 25 and move his playing piece 30 the number of course playing spaces indicated. To start off from his "start" box 27, the player must obtain a number on the pair of dice 25 which is more than the number 5 in order to advance past his own section or station. If he rolls less than the number 5 he loses his turn. Thus, assuming that the number 9 comes up on the pair of dice 25, and moving in the direction indicated by the arrow 29 on his "start" box at station 17, the first player would count nine playing spaces along the course starting from the first rectangular playing space of his station bearing reference numeral 14, and thus move his playing piece 30 to the rectangular playing space bearing reference numeral 28. The relative position of the rectangular playing space 28 in section 24, together with the associated color block bearing the reference designation (18d) identifies picture part 18d which is initially in the storage area 39 of tray 38 of the player at station 18. Thus the first player at station 17 obtains the picture part 18d and places it in either the storage area 39 or assembly area 40 of his tray depending on whether he has decided on collecting that picture. A player after having made the indicated number of moves along the course from his station in the direction indicated by his arrow 29 permits his playing piece 30 to rest on the playing space in which he landed and on his next move continues on in the same direction from this playing space.

It should be noted that if a player advances his playing piece 30 to one of the two corner triangular playing spaces, at any corner of the game board 10, such as space 15 or 16, he is entitled to obtain any picture part having the background color designated in the triangular playing space from any player in the game regardless of whether the picture part is in the possession of the initial holder or is in the possession of a subsequent holder. Thus, if the first player had landed in triangular playing space 16 he would have been able to acquire any one of the five picture parts 21a - 21e initially located in the storage area of the tray 38 associated with station 21.

The second player at the adjacent section 18 of the game board 10 will next have his turn to roll the pair of dice 25 and assuming that he rolls the number 12 he will advance his playing piece 30 along the course 13 from the first rectangular playing space of his section 18 bearing reference numeral 36 and in the direction indicated by arrow 29 of his "start" box 27, which direction is opposite to the direction moved by the first player. The second player will thus land on the rectangular playing space bearing reference numeral 31 and will then acquire the picture part 19a identified by the relative position of that rectangular playing space 31 in section 19 and the color of the color block bearing reference designation (19a) associated with rectangular playing space 31. This picture part 19a is acquired by the player at station 18 from the storage area 39 of the tray 38 of the player at station 19 and may be placed in either the storage area 39 or the assembly area 40 of the tray 38 at station 18.

In like manner, the third player at station 19, the fourth player at station 20, etc., each proceed, in turn, to roll the pair of dice 25 and move in accordance with the roll about the course 13 of the game board 10 from their respective "start" boxes 27 and in the direction indicated by the arrow 29 thereat. Thus, if the player lands in a rectangular playing space along the course 13 he obtains possession from the initial owner of the picture part identified by the location of the rectangular playing space in that section and the color of the color block associated therewith; and, if the player lands in one of the triangular playing spaces in the corner of the game board 10, he obtains possession of any one of the five picture parts having the corresponding background color.

It should now be clear that the advantage of having the two players on each side of the game board 10 start their advance in opposite directions along the course 13 is that it gives each of the players in the game the same opportunity to obtain desired picture parts by landing in rectangular playing spaces which identify picture parts which have not yet been given up by the initial owner thereof.

Note that as the game progresses and the players advance during each of their turns, each player will have acquired one or more of the picture parts, such as the picture part shown in FIG. 6, which he may then place either into the storage area 39 or the assembly area 40 of his tray. However, after all the players have had an arbitary number of turns, for example, three turns, each must declare which one of the animal pictures he is interested in assembling the picture parts of and all of the picture parts for that animal which he may have already acquired must be placed in the assembly area 40 of his tray 38.

It should be noted that more than one player may be interested in acquiring picture parts of the same animal and of course this adds to the excitement and rivalry of the game.

As the game proceeds the players begin to land on rectangular playing spaces along the course for which picture parts are no longer in the possession of the initial owners. In this event, the player landing on such a rectangular playing space is considered an intruder and the player who has previously gained possession of the picture part may, at his discretion, elect to either keep the picture part or trade it for any picture part of his choice in the possession of the intruding player.

As discussed above, if a player lands in one of the triangular playing spaces defined in any of the corners of the game board 10 he may select a picture part of the designated color from any other player. The advantage of landing in such a bonus space is that it permits the player to select a picture part that he is interested in either because he is assembling the picture parts of that background color or because he senses that he can, at some later time, use a picture part of the background color to induce another participant who is assembling those picture parts to give up another picture part. It should be noted that if, at any time during the course of the game, a player lands on a playing space in his own section or station and while he is still in possession of the picture part identified by that playing space, he loses his turn.

The respective trays 38 shown associated with stations 17 and 18 in FIG. 4 illustrate how the picture parts may be typically distributed after the game has proceeded for a while. Thus, the player at station 17 has elected to assemble the animal represented by the parts 19a - 19e and has already acquired the picture parts 19a, 19d, and 19e which he has placed in the appropriate spaces of the assembly area 40 of his tray 38. Furthermore, the player at station 17 still has the initial picture parts 17a and 17b in the storage area 39 of his tray and has also acquired the picture part 18d which he has placed in his storage area 39. On the other hand, the player at station 18 has elected to assemble the animal represented by the parts 24a - 24e and has already acquired the picture parts 24a and 24c which he has placed in the appropriate delineated spaces 41 of the recessed assembly area 40 of his tray 38. In addition the player at station 18 has the initial picture part 18a and the newly acquired picture parts 19b and 20d in the storage area 39 of his tray 38. The players at the other stations 19 - 24, inclusive, in a similar manner have acquired picture parts during the course of the play, have given up some of their initial picture parts, and have elected and started to assemble one of the animal pictures.

The game is terminated when one of the players succeeds in completing the assembly of an animal picture by acquiring all five of the picture parts therefor. That player is then declared the winner.

It should be noted that the present embodiment of the game utilizes picture parts of animals that one might find in a zoo, for example, thus providing a game which could be primarily of interest to children. However, it should be evident that the picture parts when assembled could form any or a variety of pictures, such as pictures of famous people, or great paintings, and thus provide a game which could be of interest to persons in other age groups.

While a preferred embodiment of the present invention has been illustrated and described herein it is to be understood that other forms and embodiments might be adopted and still be within the spirit and scope of the disclosed invention. Therefore, it will be understood that the embodiment shown in the drawings and described herein is merely for illustration purposes and is not intended to limit the spirit and scope of the invention.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A parlor game comprising:

a square, flat, game board having a continuous course along the periphery thereof divided into playing spaces;

said course including a plurality of sections, each said section including the same number of rectangular playing spaces and each of said sections having an unique color background;

a tray associated with each section of the game board, each of said trays having a storage area and an assembly area;

a group of picture parts initially disposed in the storage area of the tray associated with each section, the number of picture parts associated with each section equal to the number of rectangular spaces in the section and having the same background color as the section;

a color block associated with each playing space of a section, each of said color blocks having the background color of any one of the sections and corresponding to one of the picture parts therefor in accordance with the relative location in the section of the rectangular playing space with which the color block is associated;

a manually maneuverable playing piece for indicating the position of each of the players along the course; and

means to determine the number of playing spaces a player's playing piece should be advanced along said course.

2. The invention in accordance with claim 1 wherein the rectangular playing spaces on each side of said game board are divided to form two of said sections.

3. The invention in accordance with claim 2 wherein each of the corners of said game board is divided into two triangular spaces, each of said triangular spaces having a background color corresponding to the background color of a different one of said sections.

4. The invention in accordance with claim 2 wherein a "start" box is associated with the innermost rectangular playing space of each of the two sections on each side of the game board, and

wherein said "start" boxes on each side have arrows pointing away from each other in opposite directions about the course on the game board.

5. The invention in accordance with claim 1 wherein the assembly area of each of said trays is recessed to receive the picture parts.

6. The invention in accordance with claim 5 wherein each of said picture parts is thick enough so that when it is positioned in the recessed area of said tray it extends up above the level of the surrounding area of the tray.

7. The invention in accordance with claim 1 wherein said color blocks associated with said rectangular playing spaces are aligned along the inner edge of said course.