Game Apparatus And Method

Abstract

A game comprising a board having a plurality of differing indicia thereon; and indicating cards or other chance device bearing the same indicia as appear on the board for randomly indicating the indicia on the board, and a plurality of striking members comprising planar members at the end of a handle, with suction cups on one face which can be held by each player, and utilized to strike an indicia on the board when same is indicated, the striking members being capable of being stuck to the board and to each other when rapidly applied in successive layers on top of an indicia on the board.

Description

Most board games involve the movement of playing pieces about the surface of the board to achieve a desired objective. Though these games are generally interesting and fun for children, and adults as well, they lack the excitement of rapid movement and fast response by the players. There are additional games that do involve coordination on behalf of the players, such as in building items or achieving delicate balance, and the like. These games, however, often are not suitable for younger children who lack coordination abilities. Further, such games are generally not board type games but rather usually involve varying structures utilized individually and not readily susceptible to group participation. In order to make a game particularly interesting for a child, it would be desirable to combine features of a board game with physical participation by the players which would rely on the responses of the players through active participation in utilizing the game board surface.

Briefly, a preferred form of the herein invention comprises a game board having a generally smooth top surface having differing indicia imprinted thereon. Each player of the game is dealt a number of playing cards from a set of cards. The cards have a different indicia thereon corresponding to each of the different indicia on the playing surface of the board. There are two identical cards in the deck for each indicia. Further, each player of the game is provided with a playing element which generally comprises an arm member terminating in a means which is capable of adhering to the surface of the board when struck upon the surface of the board. In playing the game, each player places the stack of dealt cards in front of him and turns over one card at a time. When any two cards turned over correspond to each other or show the same indicia the players utilize their playing element and attempt to strike the corresponding indicia on the surface of the board. The fact that the playing element will detachably adhere to the surface of the board enables the players to readily determine the order in which each player struck the given indicia since the elements will pile up one on top of another, sticking to each other in the order which the players reacted. Thus, the results of the game are dependent upon the reaction time of the players. It does not require such coordination that it cannot be readily played by smaller children, as well as being fascinating to adults.

It is believed that the invention will be further understood from the following detailed description and drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the game which is a preferred form of the invention, including the playing board.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged plan view of the top of the surface of one playing element of the game, with a portion of the arm of the playing element broken away.

FIG. 3 is a plan view of a portion of the bottom surface of a playing element of the game.

FIG. 4 is a further enlarged cross sectional view taken generally along line 4--4 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged cross sectioned view taken generally along line 5--5 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 6 is an alternate form of game.

Turning now to FIG. 1, there is seen the overall game 10 which is a presently preferred form or embodiment of the invention. Game 10 comprises a playing board 11, which can for example, be rectangularly shaped as shown, to aid in the positioning of the players about its periphery. Further, it has been found that four players are the preferred maximum number for playing the herein game and the rectangularly shaped board assures their proper positioning thereabout. The board 11 has an upper surface 13 which is divided into a plurality of separate playing areas 15 which can be squares or other geometric areas. Each separate playing area 15 on the board surface has a different indicia 17 imprinted thereon. The indicia 17 can be differing comic faces to aid in the overall fun of playing the game, as will be further explained. It is preferred that the board have a relatively shiny, smooth upper surface which can be accomplished by the utilization of vinyl coating or the like.

Each player of the game is provided with his own stack 21 of cards 19 which are dealt from a provided deck. The front side of the cards have indicia 23 thereon corresponding to the indicia 17 on the playing surface. There are two cards in the deck for each indicia 23 thereon. Thus, the deck has twice as many cards as the number of playing areas 15. For example, such a deck would be comprised of 32 cards having 16 pairs of different pairs of characters or indicia 23 thereon corresponding to the 16 differing indicia 17 on the playing board. The cards would be shuffled and eight dealt to each player placed face down in front of him.

In addition to the playing cards, each player in the game is furnished with a playing element 25. The details of the playing element are particularly seen in FIGS. 2-5. The playing element 25 comprises an elongated arm 27 having an end 29 (FIG. 2) with which the player can hold the arm. The arm 27 can be formed of a rigid plastic or similar material so as to be relatively inflexible. Arm 27 may be in the nature of a foot long. Attached to an end 31 opposite end 29 is a flexible element 33 which can stick to the surface of the playing board. As shown in the illustrated embodiment of this invention, the element 33 affixed to end 31 of the arm 27 can be shaped like a hand. The element 33 may be made of a flexible material, such as vinyl, rubber or the like. The flexible element 33, as seen in FIG. 5, can be comprised of a slab or layer 35 of the flexible material, having a flat upper surface 37, and a plurality of suction cups 39 integrally formed on the opposite lower surface 41. The entire element 33 can thus be cast in a mold, with the suction cups 39 being integrally formed therewith. This is possible since the suction cups are formed of the flexible material and have relatively thin walls 43 which enable the suction cups to be easily withdrawn from forming molds. The upper surface 37 of the hand-shaped element 33 can have lines 45 painted thereon so as to delineate individual fingers 47, although in fact the unit is integrally formed and there are no separate fingers, as can be seen from the bottom view of FIG. 3. Further, to make the flexible hand element 33 more realistic, fingernails 49 may be provided at the end of each finger 47 in the form of a raised portion integrally formed on the top surface 37 as particularly seen in FIG. 5.

The hand element 33 is affixed to the arm 27 at a flexible wrist portion 51 thereof. The end portion 31 of the arm 27 simulates the appearance of the cuff of a shirt having a decorative cuff link appearing element 53 formed on a portion thereof. A rear end portion 55 of the hand element 33 adjacent the wrist portion 51 is inserted within the cuff or end portion 31 of the arm 27. The cuff or end portion 31 has a recess 57 therein in which is seated the portion 55 of the hand element 33. The portion 55 has a cylindrical aperture 59 therethrough in which is seated a plug portion 61 of the cuff or end portion 31. In other words, the plug portion 61 engages the aperture 59 and serves to retain the hand element 33 relative to the arm. Further, a separate plate 63 is disposed adjacent the recess 57, sandwiching the portion 55 between it and the end portion 31. A rivet 65 secures the plate 63 to the arm 27, the rivet passing through through an aperture 66 through the plate 63 and through the center of the plug portion 61. The aforegoing arrangement thus serves to adequately and fixedly secure the hand element 33 relative to the arm 27. Thus, as can be appreciated, the hand element 33 is rigidly held at the end portion 31 and can pivot or bend at wrist portion 51 adjacent thereto.

In playing the game, the playing element 25 is held in one hand by a player with the suction cups 39 facing downwardly, the hand portion 33 pointing toward the board as shown in FIG. 1. The playing cards 19 in each pile 21 are turned over one card at a time, simultaneously by the players. The cards that are turned over are placed with the face or indicia 23 upward in a second pile 67, next to the first pile 21. If two of the indicia 23 on the top of the piles match, the players all bring down their playing elements 25 on top of the corresponding indicia 17 on the playing board. Thus, the suction cups 39 of the first hand to reach an indicia on the board will adhere thereto. As indicated, the first hand 33 down on the board will stick to the given indicia and the remaining of the hands will stick to each other since the top surface 37 of each hand is generally flat and smooth, so as to allow the suction cups of the adjacent hand immediately on top to stick thereto. The player whose hand is first down on top of the indicia on the board will be the winner of the round. He may then collect the two matching cards 69 and place them on his side of the table (FIG. 1) or he may get a certain number of points. This will count toward his score. Points may also be given for second place, etc. The first player that slaps a specified number of indicia first with his hand or slap stick and wins cards, or accumulates a required number of points wins the game. If after a turn-over of cards no cards match, it should be apparent that the players will do nothing. They will continue to turn over cards until there is a match. If for any reason a player makes a mistake by, for example, bringing the playing hand 33 down on the wrong character, or slaps a character when the cards do not match, he may be penalized. For example, he may have to give up one pair of character cards, if he has won any.

In view of the manner in which the game is played, the significance of the hand shape 33 and comic faces in the form of indicia on the playing surface can be better appreciated, since the players are in effect slapping the comic faces with the playing hand 33. Without the ability for the hands to stick, one on top of another, or to the actual playing surface, it should be appreciated that players could struggle or move their playing elements to try to force their hand onto the surface of the playing board or to move another players hand off of a surface. The use of the sticking hand prohibits such an action and avoids any question as to the winner or winners of a round. It also indicates who was second, who was third, etc. Not only can suction cups be utilized, but any suitable means provided which will allow the end of a playing element to stick to a surface. For example, the playing element can have a vinyl coating thereon of material, which is commonly known as a vinyl hold-down material, which will releasibly stick to the surface of the playing board merely upon slapping the hand on it. An even further possibility relates to the surfaces of the board and of associated playing elements having a "Velcro" material thereon. In this instance, the board surface would have the faces provided onto the "Velcro" material. Once again, the objective of the invention could still be readily achieved wherein the portion of the playing element will stick to a surface when it strikes the board or another element.

Though the play of the game is illustrated with cards for randomly selecting indicia, it should be appreciated that other means for indicating the indicia on the playing board can be utilized. For example, individual spinner units may be provided with the players spinning points of the unit simultaneously such that if two pointers simultaneously end up pointing to the same indicia, an attempt would be made to strike the corresponding portion of the board surface. Individual dice could be used in the same way. As can be appreciated, the cards, on the other hand, provide for a virtual simultaneous revealing of corresponding indicia during the game and would promote a faster response then most other forms of indicating the indicia. A single random selection indicator could also be used, such as a single deck of cards or a single spinner or die. Multiple, individual indicator are preferred however since they permit all players to participate further and since they increase the amount of eye and hand coordination required. On the other hand, for very young children, a more simplified version of the game may be preferred.

The board may be provided by a sheet or layer of material such as plastic or paper, it may be flexible, it may be of any desired shape or configuration, and it may be comprised of a plurality of separate sections. A single indicia such as one comic face or a bulls eye may also be used, especially for younger children where they would have difficulty selecting from a variety of targets. FIG. 6 illustrates a thin sheet of plastic 11a having a bulls-eye 17a on its upper surface. The playing element 25a is comprised of a flexible sheet portion of plastic formed in the shape of an airplane and adapted to adhere to the surface of the sheet 11a when it strikes that surface.

As indicated, the playing board can be comprised of a plurality of separate sections. In such an instance, a plurality of small boards are used each having a differing indicia thereon. The small boards can be randomly distributed so as to increase the difficulty of racing to strike a particular indicia. In other words, the game can be played where the single board shown and described herein is divided into individual pieces corresponding to each playing area thereon.

Claims

I claim:

1. A game comprising:

playing board means comprised of a plurality of differing playing areas,

at least two playing elements each having a first portion capable of being held by a player and a second portion adjacent said first portion capable of removably adhering to said board means when a player strikes said board means with said second portion of said element, said second portion of said element having a configuration such that, when said second portion of one of said playing elements adheres to said board means, a second portion of another of said playing elements is capable of removably adhering to said second portion of said one playing element,

and separate means for randomly indicating the playing areas of said board means.

2. The game of claim 1 wherein each playing area of said board has a different indicia thereon from the other playing areas,

and said separate indicating means have indicia thereon corresponding to the indicia of said board, with each indicia of said board corresponding to two different indicia of said indicating means.

3. A game comprising:

playing board means,

and at least one playing element having a first portion capable of being held by a player and a second portion adjacent said first portion and having at least one suction cup thereon capable of removably adhering to said board means when a player strikes said board means with said second portion of said element, said second portion of said element having a configuration such that, when said second portion of said playing element adheres to said board means, a second portion of another playing element is capable of removably adhering to said second portion of said at least one playing element.

4. The game of claim 3 wherein there are at least two playing elements and said board means is comprised of a plurality of differing playing areas.

5. The game of claim 4 further comprising:

separate means for randomly indicating the playing areas of said board means.

6. The game of claim 3 wherein said playing element has a plurality of suction cups thereon.

7. The game of claim 3 wherein the second portion of said playing element is flexible relative to said first portion thereof.

8. The game of claim 3 wherein:

the second portion of said playing element is in the shape of a hand.

9. The game of claim 3 wherein there are at least two elements and said second portions of said playing elements have a generally smooth upper surface.