AU621319B2 - Apparatus and method of playing game - Google Patents

Description

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621319 COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA Patents Act 1952 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION (Original) FOR OFFICE USE Application Number: Lodged: Class Int. Class Complete Specification Lodged: Accepted: Published: Priority: Related Art:

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r- cc r r t r TO BE COMPLETED BY APPLICANT Name of Applicant: NEVILLE JEFFERY, a New Zealand Citizen Address of Applicant: 4 Alamein Place, Pukekohe, New Zealand Actual Inventor: Neville Jeffery Fl Address for Service:- Wray Associates Primary Industry House 239 Adelaide Terrace Perth Western Australia 6000.

Complete Specification for the invention entitled: "APPARATUS AND METHOD OF PLAYING GAME" The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me:- 1 la THIS INVENTION relates to games and has particular relevance to games involving the capture or dominance of territory.

To date, many games have been provided where players are rewarded for the capture or dominance of territory in the playing area. However, it is a disadvantage of many such games that they are relatively complex. For instance, many territorial games involve the use of relatively many different pieces or tokens which are movable within the playing area according to their particular designation, for instance pieces in war games, chess and like games.

Typically such games may also involve complex rules governing how pieces or tokens may be moved about the playing area and this element of relative complexity is also regarded as a disadvantage.

It is an object of this invention to come some way in overcoming the abovementioned problems or at least to provide with a useful choice.

Other objects of this invention will become apparent from d I"L the following description.

The present invention provides an apparatus for playing a game including selection means, a plurality oftokens moved in accordance with directions as herein disclosed and a playing area divided into aplurality of sub-divisions each displaying one of a predetermined number of indicia, the selection means being operable to display a sequence of indicia corresponding to at least one sequence of adjacent subdivisions.

The present invention also provides a method of playing a game, utilising the apparatus of the invention as described above, the method including the steps of assigning values Sto each of said tokens, operating the selection means to 2 select a sequence of adjacent subdivisions for play, designating certain subdivisions as being in play and positioning a token in relation to a sequence of subdivisions in play which correspond to the selected sequence, so to accrue the value of that token to a player.

The present invention further provides an apparatus for playing a game including a selection means provided with a plurality of compartments in which indicia are displayable, said selection means being operable to display a sequence of said indicia.

Other aspects of this invention will become apparent from the following description of a preferred example of a method of playing a game and apparatus for playing a game according to this invention. This example is intended as an aid to understanding the invention but is not intended to be definitive of its scope. The description is made in relation to the drawings in which: Figure 1 is a schematic plan view of a preferred example of a subdivided playing area according to this invention; Figure 2 is a detail of the playing area in Figure 1; Figure 3 is a schematic perspective view of a selector according to this invention; Figure 4 is a schematic perspective of another selector according to this invention; Figure 5 is a schematic plan view of preferred tokens according to this invention, and, Figures 6 to 9 are illustrative of play.

-3- V Turning firstly to Figure 1, board I can be seen defining three playing areas, namely a first playing areabounded by border 2, a second playing area bounded by border 3 and a third playing area bounded by border 4. Each playing area includes a number of subdivisions. In this example the first playing area includes six hundred and seventy-six subdivisions, the second playing area five hundred and seventy-six subdivisions and the third playing area four hundred and eighty-four subdivisions.

Each subdivision in this example is defined as a square though other shapes of subdivisions may be used in other embodiments. As can be seen from the drawing, the squares are arranged in ranks and rows so that at border 2 there are twenty-six squares per rank and row, at border 3 there are 1 twenty-four squares per rank and row and at border 4 there are twenty-two squares per rank and row.

In the interest of clarity of explanation of the exemplary embodiment of this Vinvention, the description hereunder will be made in relation to the first playing area mentioned above, namely that bounded by border 2. It is envisaged that four players will play on the area bounded by border 2, according to the preferred example of this invention.

In Figure 2 a detailof board I can be seen. According to the orientation in the drawings, the top left hand side of board 1 is shown in this detail.

As will be seen, in this example each square displays indicia. In Figure 2 the indicia are an X, an O and a "blank", although in at least one other form of the invention colours are used. For instance, in one alternative form the cc t indicia are: blue instead of X; yellow instead of 0; and, white instead of a blank.

In this example the indicia displayed by separate subdivisions are the same as the indicia selected by the preferred selection Jlr 1-9 .I,

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-4means of this invention, which is shown in Figure 3.

The preferred selector includes dice 5, 6 and 7, in this example substantially irremoveably positioned to be viewable within the separate compartments of housing 8. The six faces of the dice display the indicia X, 0 and a blank face.

It should be appreciated that in other forms of the invention the indicia displayed on the subdivisions and selection mens merely correspond, for instance certain numbers on the dice being representative of or corresponding to certain indicia, such as colours or stages in the playing area.

To operate this preferred selection means, housing 8 is agitated, in turn to agitate dice 5, 6 and 7 within compartments 9, 10 and 11 of the housing.

The housing is then placed or thrown onto a surface and pre-designated dice .i •faces, for instance those facing "up" when the housing and dice are at rest, a S display indicia. In the preferred form of the invention, it is by such display I that a predetermined number of subdivisons are selected for play.

Figure 4 shows an alternative form of selection means. Here, only one ¢i dice 12 is contained within housing 13. Nevertheless, this selector operates on much the same j :inciple as that shown in Figure 3.

Turning now to Figure 5, a selection of preferred tokens can be seen.

As will be apparent, the tokens are configured so that in plan they are j sub-divisible into portions of substantially the same area as the subdivisions |j in the playing area. Thus, token 14 will cover one square, token 15 will covers 2 squares, token 16 and 17 will cover 3 squares, tokens 18 and 19 will J C cover four squares, and token 20 will cover 5 squares.

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jl Nl~ T i v h <rW~~v~7 r B ii The relationship between the configuration of tokens and the substantially square shape of the subdivisions of this preferred example of the i invention is further clarified by the dotted lines in Figure 5, though in the i preferred form of the invention these lines do not appear. Indeed, the tokens Sare preferably provided as a substantially integral piece of substantially constant colour.

In other forms of the invention, where the tokens are not positioned to cover subdivisions during play but are merely positioned relative to the B subdivisions, the shape and configuration of the tokens is not necessarily the 10 substantial match apparent in this example.

t:i -d In the preferred form, the colour of the tokens preferably contrasts with the colour of the subdivision indicia. For example, if the subdivisions are white, blue and yellow, tokens may be red or black.

In the preferred form each player is provided with 14 tokens 14, tokens 15, 4 tokens 16, 54 tokens 17, 3 tokens 18, 1 token 19, and I token Preferably the tokens are given a points value, and in the preferred I. form tokens 14 are worth five points, tokens 15 are worth ten points, tokens 16 are worth fifteen points, tokens 17 are worth five points, tokens 18 are worth twenty points, tokens 19 are worth twenty-five points and tokens are worth thirty points.

sOf course, it will be appreciated that these numbers of tokens and points ascribed to them may be altered in alternative forms of the invention and, indeed, in alternative forms of the invention values may be &scribed to the subdivisions better than the tokens. It will also be appreciated that the S figures for numbers of tokens, numbers of points per token, and numbers of subdivisions per playing area given in this preferred example of the invention are -6to be regarded as in no way limiting but merely illustrative of one method of a apparatus for playing the game according to this invention.

As was mentioned above, according to one aspect of this invention there is provided a method of playing a game including the steps of operating a selection means preferably such as that showni in Figure 3, to select a predetermined number of subdivisions of a playing area such as those subdivisions of a playing area shown in Figures I and 2 and positioning at least one token, such as the preferred tokens shown in Figure 5, in that playing area to accrue to the benefit of a player at least a part of the value assigned to the token and/or the selected subdivision.

Further aspects of this method will become apparent from the following description of the preferred method of playing the game according to this invention.

4 4 In the preferred form of the invention players score points for removing 44 squares from play.

.t Preferably these subdivisions are removed from play for the duration of C the game, but this is not necessarily so in every embodiment.

The squares are removed by placing tokens thereon.

Preferably, points are scored according to the points value of the i 20 tokens positioned in the playing area.

The particular squares which may be removed in each player's turn are C selected preferably by operation of the selection means. Also, in the S preferred form bonus points are available whereby a player may place tokens on squares other than those chosen using the selector.

Having decided which player will begin, for instance by a throw of the dice or like method and also having decided in which h I_ 7 -7order play will continue, a first player has its turn.

To begin its turn in the exemplary embodiment, a player throws the dice compartment and thus, preferably three indicia are displayed which correspond to indicia displayed in separate subdivisions. In this example thefirst player has operated the dice compartment to display what is regarded in this preferred embodiment as a sequence of indicia, as set out in Figure 3. That is, a blank in compartment 9, an X in compartment 10, and a blank in compartment II. This gives the sequence "blank X blank".

According to the preferred method, the display of the sequence "blank X blank" means a player can cover with a token 17 any three squares which display indicia corresponding to (in this example, the same as) the sequence "blank X blank" so to remove from play adjacent squares arranged in that sequence. Thus, according to the preferred method, because the second or 9^ middle square of the sequence "blank x blank" is between two "blank" squares, any token played must be placed to cover subdivisions positioned consequence 0 .9 on the board.

9* ft 'Furthermore, in the preferred embodiment in any one turn a player can place up to three tokens 17 in the playing area. The other tokens, 14, 15, 16, 18, 19 and 20, are preferably available only for bonus point scoring in the S" 20 preferred embodiment.

The first player's actions in placing tokens 17 according to the 1 combination "blank X blank" in this example are illustrated in Figure 6. As can be seen, squares 21, 22 and 23, squares 24, 25 and 26, and squares 27, 28 and 29 have been covered according to the selected combination. Squares covered by the first player are shaded laterally in the drawings.

Having placed the maximum of three tokens 17, preferably the first player's turn ends.

-s- -8 The next player then operates the selector. In this example the second player has selected the combination "0 blank 0".

Referring to Figure 7, where the second player's turn is illustrated by diagonal shading to show where the maximum three tokens 14 have been placed, it can be seen that the second player has positioned its tokens in close proximityto the tokens already on the board. The second player has done this because in the preferred embodimet bonus points are scorable only when the shape of those subdivisions from which bonus points will be scored is defined entirely by the playing area border and/or subdivisions already taken out of play and corresponds to the shape of a single token. In such a case, the single token, that is any of tokens 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19 and 20, may be placed on the subdivisions so defined to take them out of play and score bonus points.

Returning to the second player's turn as shown on Figure 7 a further t oaspect of the preferred method of playing this game is shown.

Because square 23 is already out of play, the method of the exemplary embodiment requires that the second player cannot place a token 17 on the combination of squares 30, 23 and 31, even though they are in the selected combinati-.n "0 blank However, squares 32, 33 and 34, squares 35, 36 and 37 and, squares 38, 39 and 40 are available and these have been covered and removed from play in the second player's turn, in this example.

In the next players turn, the combination "0 blank X" has been selected. Because in this embodiment of the invention subdivisions must be I .removed from play according to the sequence selected, the middle square covered by a token being positioned between the other two subdivisions in t accordance with the sequence, this third player may place the maximum of three tokens 17 over combinations of i

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C C C C subdivisions corresponding to "0 blank X" or "X blank that is any combination of 0, blank and X where the "blank" marked subdivision is between an X and an 0 marked subdivision.

As can be seen from the longitudinally marked squares in Figure 8, the third player has removed squares 31, 41 and 42, squares 43, 44 and 30 and, squares 45, 46 and 47. Thus, the player has created an opportunity to score bonus points. Squares 48, 49 and 50 are bounded by border 2 and a number of squares already out of play (squares 21, 22, 23, 31, 33, 32, 25 and 24) which squares and border define a shape in squares 48, 49 and 50 which corresponds to the shape of a token 16.

By placing a token IC on squares 48, 49 and 50 take them out of play, player three scores fifteen bonus points. Thus, the relative positions of the players at this stage will be as follows; First player 45 points 14 tokens 14 remaining tokens 15 remaining 4 tokens 16 remaining 51 tokens 17 remaining 3 tokens 18 remaining 1 token 19 remaining I token 20 remaining Second player 45 points 14 tokens 14 remaining tokens 15 remaining 4 tokens 16 remaining 51 tokens 17 remaining 3 tokens 18 remaining I'I 1 token 19 remaining 1I token 20 remaining .Jt~ 2< Third player 60 points 14 tokens 14 remaining tokens 15 remaining 4 tokens 16 remaining 51 tokens 17 remaining 3 tokens 18 remaining I token 19 remaining I token 20 remaining o 000940 a a o*o 6 0 o a 0 0 o a o -0 a 0 oI a a* 0 a 0o 0 0 20 0 0*9400 ae 4 t 4 r c c £t( a gg Fourth player No points All tokens remaining (Yet to play) In this preferred version of the game, the player who has the most points is regarded as the player which is winning. Thus, the third player is in a relatively better position than the first and third players. These later players in the same position, relevant to one another, but, of course, in a relatively better position than the fourth player.

However, the fourth player has yet to take its turn.

As will be appreciated, the fourth player is in a good position to score a bonus at its turn in this example of the method: it needs only an "X 0 X"combination in order to score bonus points by taking squares 51, 52, and 53 and 54; or, an "0 X 0" combination in order to score bonus points by taking squares 51 and 52. Of course such squares as are taken out on the bonus will remain out of paly for the duration of the game in this form of the invention.

~1 11 0*980 0 00 e0 o 0 e o *0 6 0 00 e«a 00* 0 o r o It should be noted that in this form of the game should the fourth player select an "0 X blank" ("blank X combination it is only able to score bonus points by taking squares 51, 52, 53 and 54 out of play using one token, namely a token 18. However, in other forms of the game according to this invention, any combination of tokens may be used by a player in order to score bonus points. For instance, to cover squares 51, 52, 53 and 54 the fourth player may, in other forms of the invention, use one token 16 and one token 14, two tokens 15, one token 15 and two tokens 14, or four tokens 14.

In the preferred form play continues until no player is able to place a token 17 at its turn, the winner being the player which has accrued the most points. In at least one alternative form play will continue until a certain number of points are reached, until certain numbers of tokens are down or like endings.

It should be appreciated that the abovementioned description of the method and apparatus of this invention has been given by way of a preferred example only and that alternative forms of the method and apparatus of game according to this invention are envisaged.

For instance, alternative selection means other than dice are used, for instance, tables, micro-processor units and the like.

20 Similarly, tokens are not always of the one colour but in alternative forms may be translucent or transparent or of differing colours according to the player to whom they are distributed.

In other forms the number of tokens will of course differ, as will the numbers of tokens and the type of tokens which may be placed in a turn to indicate that the subdivisions have been taken out of play, the way in which a player's turn ends, the manner in which benefit points accrue to a player and the manner in which bonuses are selected.

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V Vt it C 'Cf 11a la By way of example, a further embodiment of the invention is referred to. In this embodiment, a player is provided with i tokens in the shape of token 17 and token 14.

After selection of the subdivisions for play, up to three tokens 17 may be placed in the playing area in relation to the selected sequences of subdivisions so as to accrue the value of the tokens to the player. Where a player during its turn causes a group of subdivisions in play to be surrounded or enclosed by subdivisions out of play, that player may score bonus points by removing all the enclosed or surrounded subdivisions from play through placing toker i 14 in the playing area in relation to each of the surrounded subdivisions. Preferably each of the tokens 17 and 14 substantially covers the subdivisions in relation to which they are placed.

i S -12- Thus it will be appreciated that by this invention there is provided an improved method and apparatus for playing a game of territorial dominance, which game is relatively simple to play and includes relatively simple apparatus.

It should also be appreciated that modifications and improvements are envisaged and that the numbers stated above in relation to tokens, subdivisions, and indicia, scoring and the like are to be regarded as in no way limiting. These and other modifications and improvements may be 4 incorporated without departing from the scope of the invention as claimed herein.

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Claims (11)

1. An apparatus for playing a game including selection means, a plurality of tokens moved in accordance with directions as herein disclosed and a playing area divided into a plurality of sub-divisions each displaying one of a predetermined number of indicia, the selection means being operable to display a sequence of indicia corresponding to at least one sequence of adjacent subdivisions.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein each token is of a size and shape such that it can be arranged on the playing area to substantially cover a whole number of subdivisions.

3. An apparatus as claimed in claim 2 wherein each token is part of a group of tokens of predetermined size and S* shape suitable to substantially cover a predetermined numbers of subdivisions. 500459 S4. An apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein said indicia are provided as colours. or~

5. An apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the predetermined number of indicia is three.

6. An apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the tokens are formed to be substantially planar in shape.

7. An apparatus for playing a game as described in relation to each of the accompanying drawings.

8. A method of playing a game, the apparatus of which is substantially as defined in any one of the preceding claims, the method including the steps of assigning values 14 to each of said tokens, operating the selection means to select a sequence of adjacent subdivisions for play, designating certain subdivisions as being in play and positioning a token in relation to a sequence of subdivisions in play which correspond to the selected sequence, so to accrue the value of that token to a player. I 9. A method of playing a game as claimed in claim 8 when dependent on claim 2, the method including the step of designating subdivisions not substantially covered by a token as being "in play" and substantially covering with a token a sequence of subdivisions in play corresponding to the selected sequence, so to accrue the value of that token to a player. S 10. A method of playing a game as claimed in claim 8 or C claim 9 when dependent on claim 3, the method including the step of assigning a value to a token according to the number of subdivisions that may be substantially covered by that token when it is placed in the playing area.

11. A method of playing a game as claimed in claim 10, the method including the step of assigning a value to a token so that the greater the number of subdivisions which may be 4 covered by the token when it is placed in the playing area, the greater the value assigned to it.

12. A method of playing a game as claimed in claim 8 when dependent on claim 2 including the steps of providing each player with a standard turn at play, each player during that player's standard turn having the opportunity to use up to a predetermined number of tokens to substantially cover sequences of subdivisions, a bonus turn being provided to a player who within that player's standard turn causes a group of subdivisions in play to be enclosed by subdivisions substantially covered by tokens, the bonus turn providing the player with an opportunity to Pr- 15 substantially cover the enclosed subdivisions to accrue to itself the value of the token or tokens used.

13. A method of playing a game as claimed in claim 12 including the step of substantially covering the enclosed subdivisions with a predetermined number or up to a predetermined number of tokens.

14. A method of playing a game selected from the methods substantially as hereinbefore described in relation to each of the accompanying drawings. cr= L: CC c Ce DATED this SIXTEENTH day of DECEMBER 1991 NEVILLE JEFFERY Applicant. Wray Associates Perth, Western Australia Patent Attorneys for the Applicant 9Zi