MATCHING CARD GAME
Cross-Reference to Related Application
[0001] This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. 119(e) to U.S.
Provisional Patent Application No. 60/472,315 entitled "Magical Creatures Card
Game," filed May 20, 2003, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by
reference.
Background
[0002] The present disclosure relates generally to melding type card games, and
more specifically, to card games including cards that alter how the game is played.
Card games that incorporate nontraditional "suits" can increase the interest of children
and provide easier methods of play by enabling children to associate cards based on
words and graphics in addition to numerical values. These games are also able to
simulate real life events and assist in teaching monetary transactions or methods of
business. Various bidding procedures are often used in collecting sets of a particular
suit that may or may not involve the use of tokens. Examples of such card games are
disclosed in U.S. Patent Nos. 746,492, 775,072, 927,183, 1,263,860, 1,460,485,
1,516,798, 1,553,736, 1,678,576, 1,779,584, 1,994,053, 4,378,942, 4,437,670,
5,816,573, 6,322,077 and 6,454,265, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein
by reference.
Summary
[0003] The present invention provides a game including cards and rules for
playing a matching type card game for a plurality of players. Specifically, the
invention provides multiple sets of cards, among which are collection cards and point
cards. Collection cards are used to collect matching sets while point cards are used to
keep track of players' scores. In some embodiments, action-altering cards and wild
cards are also included. In a preferred embodiment, the action-altering card is a
prevention card that prevents the player holding the card from claiming a matching
set, and thereby obtaining a point card. Wild cards may be used in place of any
collection cards in order to complete a set.
Brief Description of the Drawings
[0004] Fig. 1 shows an exemplary card carrying case and exemplary cards,
including collection cards, point cards, and action-altering cards, according to the
present description.
[0005] Fig. 2 depicts the initial set-up of an exemplary game using the cards of
Fig. 1.
[0006] Fig. 3 depicts an example of bidding and trading of cards between players
having matching bids.
[0007] Fig. 4 depicts an exemplary acquisition of a point card for a corresponding
complete set of collection cards.
[0008] Fig. 5 depicts presence of an action-altering card preventing a player from
acquiring a point card while another player acquires a point card from an opponent's
point cards.
Detailed Description
[0009] Referring to Fig. 1, one embodiment of the game includes a card case 10
and multiple sets of cards, such as cards 12. Cards 12 may be any desired shape
including, for example, round. Case 10 is provided with an internal chamber sized for
storing and carrying cards 12 and may match the shape of cards 12. For example, if
cards 12 are round, then case 10 may be round. As shown, case 10 may include a
hinge 14 so that portions of case 10 remain connected to each other when opened. In
some embodiments, case 10 may have a chain 16 and a clasp 18 attached to the case
for ease in carrying cards 12. Thus, case 10 provides a way for children to transport
cards 12 without losing them. Case 10 may be produced with variations in color and
decoration, and thereby assist children in readily identifying which set is theirs.
[0010] Fig. 1 further illustrates examples of cards 12 used to play the disclosed
game. Cards 12 may include multiple sets of collection cards 20, multiple point cards
22, and at least one action-altering card 24. Collection cards 20 and point cards 22 are
divided into suits with the number of suits used in a game being variable to adjust the
complexity of the game or the number of players involved. Collection cards 20
include several cards of the same suit that form a set. Referring to Fig. 1, the game
may therefore include several Hedwig, Norbert, and Fluffy cards. In general, action-
altering cards 24 change what moves a player may make. For example, action-
altering cards 24 may include a prevention card 26 that precludes a player from
making an otherwise allowed play as long as the action-altering card is possessed by
that player. In some embodiments, a player holding a prevention card 26 must first
trade it away before calling a completed set of collection cards 20, and can therefore
not earn points, as will subsequently be discussed. Action-altering cards 24 may
include wild cards 28 that may be incorporated into a set of collection cards 20.
[0011] Cards 12 have a front 30 and a back 32. Front 30 of collection cards 20
may bear collection indicia 34 to facilitate matching of collection cards 20. Collection
indicia 34 are therefore adapted to provide easy recognition and collection of each set
of the collection cards. Collection indicia 34 may be a picture 36, a color 38, a name
40, or a combination of these elements. Any of collection indicia 34 may also
reference fictional characters, such as those shown which are based on the popular
children's book Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, by J.K. Rowling.
[0012] Point cards 22 also bear indicia 42 and correspond to matching sets of
collection cards 20. Point card indicia 42 may therefore be similar to collection
indicia 34. In the embodiment shown in Fig. 1, some of indicia 42 are used as
reference indicia 44 and are therefore adapted to reference collection cards 20. Some
of indicia 42 are used as point- value indicia 46 to designate different point values for
each point card 22, although it should be appreciated that point cards 22 may all have
the same value. For example, point values may be represented by multiple indicia that
are counted to determine the point value of the card. In some embodiments, point-
value indicia 46 are reduced-scale versions of collection indicia 34 and/or reference
indicia 44. As shown in Fig. 1, point card 22 that is labeled as "FLUFFY" is worth
five points since there are five images below the name. Point card indicia 42 may
include a picture 48, a color 50, and a name 52 that match a set of collection cards 20.
Point cards 22 may include care instructions 54 that add to the amusement of children.
For example, in the embodiment shown in Fig. 1 , which takes the form of a care of
magical creatures game, the care instructions 54 for Fluffy might read "Feed
delinquent students once a semester." In some embodiments, wild cards 28 may be
incorporated into any set of collection cards 20.
[0013] The play of the game is now described according to one embodiment, as
shown in Figs. 2-5. Play begins, as shown in Fig. 2 by placing point cards 22 face up
in the center of a play area 100, typically in numerical order based on their point
values. Collection cards 20 are then shuffled and dealt to a plurality of players 102
until all collection cards 20 have been dealt. In some embodiments all of the cards are
distributed regardless of discrepancies in the number of cards each player 102 may
possess. The illustrated example includes four players, namely, player A 104, player
B 106, player C 108, and player D 110, although it should be appreciated that the
game may be adapted for any number of players.
[0014] Each player then looks at his or her cards and decides which set of
collection cards 20 he or she will collect. When all of the players are ready, play
begins with the players simultaneously calling out the number of collections cards 20
that each player would like to trade in an attempt to complete a set. If any two players
have called out matching numbers then those players trade the agreed upon number of
collection cards 20 by passing them to the other player. The cards may be passed
front side down so that players not involved in the trade are not able to see which suits
are being traded. For example, in Fig. 3 player B 106 and player C 108 both called
out two cards so they trade two cards with each other. Once a player completes a set
of collection cards 20, that player identifies the set by collection indicia 34 (such as by
calling out name 40), lays down the set to show the other players, and takes the
corresponding point card 22, as shown in Fig. 4.
[0015] Collection cards 20 are then reshuffled and distributed to the players as
previously described. As noted above, action-altering cards 24 may be included to
prevent a player from making an otherwise allowed play. Referring to Fig. 5, player B
106 has completed a set of collection cards "NORBERT" 20, but may not claim the
corresponding point card 22 while holding action-altering card 24.
[0016] As play progresses, players 102 may collect any sets of collection cards
20 having indicia 34 at any time in the game. If another player has a point card 22
having indicia corresponding to the indicia of a collected set of cards, the player may
claim a corresponding point card 22 held by another player, also shown in Fig. 5. As
shown, player C 108 may claim the "HEDWIG" point card, corresponding to player
C's set of collection cards 20, from player B 106.
[0017] In some embodiments, a single point card 22 may correspond to a set of
collection cards 20; however, it should be appreciated that multiple point cards may
correspond to each set of collection cards 20. In such an embodiment, the point cards
for each set of collection cards may vary by point value.
[0018] The game ends when all of point cards 22 have been claimed from the
center of play area 100. The winner is whichever of the players has the most points,
as tallied from all point cards 22 in each player's possession.
[0019] 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.
[0020] 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.