AU628898B2

AU628898B2 - A board game

Info

Publication number: AU628898B2
Application number: AU46925/89A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Jeremias Desousa
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1988-12-22
Filing date: 1989-12-15
Publication date: 1992-09-24
Anticipated expiration: 2009-12-15
Also published as: AU4692589A

Description

GRIFFITH HACK CO., G.P.O. BOX 4164, SYDNEY, 2001

AUSTRALIA

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-waffio i 628898 COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA PATENTS ACT 1952 Form COMPLETE SPECIFICATION

(ORIGINAL)

FOR OFFICE USE Short Title: Int. CI; Application Number: Lodged: PJ2082 22nd December, 1988 Complete Specification-Lodged: Accepted: Lapsed: Published: Priority: Related Art: I I- TO BE COMPLETED BY APPLICANT Name of Applicant: Address of Applicant: Actual Inventor: Address for Service: JEREMIAS DESOUSA c/o Westbridge Migrant Centre, Miowera Road, Villawood N.S.W. 2163, Australia Jeremias Desousa GRIFFITH HACK CO.

71 YORK STREET SYDNEY NSW 2000

AUSTRAL,

Complete Specification for the invention entitled: SA BOARD GAME The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me/us:- REPRINT OF RECEIPT S 12031 1 5 1:2/ 89 5408A:JM -rs sirs~a nix~~ i r-r-us~ -2- A BOARD GAME The present invention relates to a new type of board game.

Thpre are many types of board games, some require an element of skill while others require an element of luck or a combination of both. Games of skill are normally more difficult to play and are therefore less attractive to many children. On the other hand, games which require purely luck are often too simple and cannot hold the interest of older persons playing the game.

The present invention provides a board game which requires an element of skill but can still be played by young children and may at the same time be useful in teaching mathematics.

According to the present invention there is provided a board game comprising a board having at least two areas thereon defined by indicators which enable boundaries of the areas to be varied and a plurality of tokens, each area having an equal number of marks, all the marks on the board being arranged to define a continuous path, wherein a token is to be placed on each mark and the number of tokens on one selected mark determines the number of marks that a player is entitled to move, wherein all the tokens on the selected mark are to be moved by placing one of those tokens on each successive mark until all tokens from the selected mark have been placed on marks, the final mark on which a token is placed becomes the new selected mark &nd all the tokens on the new selected mark are to be moved by placing one of those tokens on each successive mark untill all tokens from the new selected mark have been placed on marks, whenever the last token from a selected mark during a move is placed on a mark having a predetermined number of tokens placed on it, the resultant total number of tokens are deemed "captured" and are taken by the player who is making that move, a move ends when the last token from a selected mark is placed on vacant maik and the first Sphase of the game ends when all tokens have been

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RA 4 T 0 411/S:1993P '9 2Acaptured, wherein the number of tokens captured determines each players newly defined area.

According to a second embodiment of the present invention the playing board is set up with 14 territories, 7 on each side of the boundary line and each numbered 1 to 7, and 56 playing cards.

The playing cards replace the tokens referred to in the first embodiment and 4 playing cards are placed in each territory. The rules of playing the game are the same as disclosed in connection with the first embodiment. However, the board instead of having recesses to receive tokens, instead has rectangular markings on which the playing cards are arranged to be placed.

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411/S:1993OD/16.7.92 Preferably a move ends when the last token from a selected mark is placed on a vacant mark.

The final mark on which a token is placed preferably becomes the new selected mark and all the tokens on the new selected mark are arranged to be moved by placing one of those tokens on each successive mark until all tokens from the new selected mark have been placed on marks.

Preferably whenever the last token from a selected mark during a move is placed on a mark having three tokens already placed on it, the resultant four tokens are deemed "captured" and are taken by the player who was making that move.

The object of the board game preferably is to capture as many tokens as possible.

When all tokens have been captured, it is preferred that the first stage of the board game comes to an end.

Preferably when the first phase of the board game ends, the number of tokens captured are totalled and divided by four to determine marks which have been captured and lost.

The board game may be provided with indicators which enable areas on the board to be changed according to marks captured or lost.

The second phase of play preferably begins by a player selecting a mark and making a move by placing one of the tokens of the selected mark on each successive mark until all tokens have been placed on marks, the game then is arranged to be played as played during the first phase.

Preferably the marks comprise recesses in the board.

Preferably the recesses are arranged to receive the tokens so that the game may be played on an unEvcn or unstable surface.

Preferably the tokens are spherical.

The board may incorporate zones which are arranged to keep tokens which have been captured.

The zones preferably comprise elongate recesses.

Preferably the elongate recesses are arranged to prevent the tokens from moving across the board when the board is placed on an uneven or unstable surface.

6743S:JM 3 W~ "O~ Preferably the recesses have a curved bottom surface.

The tokens preferably are coloured according to the area in which they are to be placed on the marks.

Preferably each mark is arranged with a display means which indicates the number of tokens on it.

The marks may be arranged in the shape of an annulus.

The board preferably comprises two areas divided by a boundary line.

Preferably four tokens are arranged to be placed on each mark.

Preferably the tokens are arranged to be attachable to each other.

Preferably the display means comprises cards which are arranged to be placed next to each mark.

A preferred embodiment of the present invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 shows an isometric view of a board ;:sK in the board game, Figure 2 shows a plan view of the board of Figure 1 and Figure 3 shows an end view of the board of Figure i.

As shown in the drawings, the board is effectivel- a rectangular block, comprising fourteen circular recesses 2 and two elongate recesses 3. A boundary line 4 divides the board into two equally sized areas The circular recesses are arranged around the middle of the board and form a continuous path which is annular in shape; seven circular recesses being in both areas The cylindrical recesses are located on opposing sides of the board and are effectively parallel thereto.

As shown in Figure 3, the circular recesses have a curved bottom surface and are sufficiently deep to contain a number of small spherical tokens 6. The cylindrical recesses are approximately of the same depth and have a similar curved bottom surface to that of each circular recess when viewed from an end elevation as shown in Figure 3.

The rules of the game will now be described as follows.

6743S:JM 4 To commence the game, four spherical tokens are placed in each circular recess 2. The players decide which area they are to play with and. accordiI g1y which coloured spherical tokens they are to use.

Once the players have decided who is going to have the first turn, that player selects one of the circular recesses from his area and moves by placing one of the tokens of the selected circular recess on each successive circular recess until all the tokens from the selected i0 circular recess have been placed on marks. The tokens being moved in the direction indicated by the arrows 7.

The final circular recess on which a token is placed becomes -he new selected circular recess and all the tokens in that circular recess are arranged to be moved by placing one of those tokens on each successive circular recess until all tokens from the new selected circular recess have been placed in circular recesses.

The first player's move finally ends when the last token is placed in a vacant circular recess. The tLrn 20 then switches to the opposinT player who moves in the same manner as described with reference to the fir3t '.player.

Whenever the last token, during a move: is placed Ln a circular recess having three tokens already placed in it, the resultant four tokens are deemer "captured" and are taken by the player who was making that move aind placed in his/her rectangular recess. The object of i;he S..game is to capture as many tokens as possible and a degree of skill is required to ensure that a player places a token in a circular recess having three tokens already therein and at the same time to maximise the number of moves during his turn and also reduce the possibilities of the opponent capturing four tokens.

Once all tokens have been removed from the circular recesses, they are totalled and the number of captured circular recesses is calculated by dividing the totalled captured tokens by four, this ends the first phase of the IZ game.

99368/15.6.92 -a -6 The second phase of the game is piayed in exactly the same manner as the first phase of the game except that one player may have gained additional circular recesses and the other player may have lost some circular recesses.

Flags 8 may be used to define the new areas after the first phase of the game has ended. Because one player may have gained circular recesses, that player will have more options when it is that players turn to move.

The game continues through a number of phases until one player has captured all the tokens. In each of these phases a player can only move tokens from a circular recess within that players area. Therefore, if a player has no tokens in his/her area, then that player will need to forfeit a move or as many moves as is required before a token ends up in one of the circular recesses of his/her area.

The board game may be played according to a number 20 of different variations and is not restricted to the 'embodiment described above.

454/S:1 9936D/16.6.92

Claims

1. A board game comprising a board having at least two areas thereon defined by indicators which enable boundaries of the areas to be varied and a plurality of tokens, each area having an equal number of marks, all the marks on the board being arranged to define a continuous path, wherein a token is to be placed on each mark and the number of tokens on one selected mark determines the number of marks that a player is entitled to move, wherein all the tokens on the selected mark are to be moved by placing one of those tokens on each successive mark until all tokens from the selected mark have been placed on marks, the final mark on which a token is place: becomes the new selected mark and all the tckens on the new selected mark are to be moved by placing one of those tokens on each successive mark until all tokens from the new selected mark have been placed on marks, whenever the last token from a selected mark during a move is placed on a mark having a redetermined number of tokens placed on it, the resultant total number of tokens are deemed "captured" and are taken by the player who is making that move, a move ends when the last token from a selected mark is placed on vacant mark and the first phase of the game ends when all tokens have been captured, wherein the number of tokens captured determines each players newly defined area.

2. A board game according to claim 1, wherein the tokens are cards. S..0 3. A board game according to any preceding claim, S 30 wherein when the first phase of the board game ends the number of tokens captured are totalled and divided by four to determine marks which have been captured and lost and the game ends when one player has captured all tokens.

4. A board game according to any preceding claim, wherein the indicators comprise flags which are movable to enable the areas on the board to be changed according Sto marks captured or lost. 454/S:1993OD/15.6.92 8 A board game according to any one of claims 1 to 4 wherein the marks comprise recesses in the board.

6. A board game according to claim 9, wherein the recesses are arranged to receive the tokens so that the game may be played -n an uneven or unstable surface.

7. A board game according to any preceding claim, wherein the board incorporates zones which are to keep tokens which have been captured.

8. A board game according to claim 11, wherein the board is divideu into two areas by a boundary line and the tokens are to be attachable to each other.

9. A board game as claimed in claim 2 wherein the marks are rectangular territories marked on the board. A board game substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Dated this 15th day of June 1992 JEREM-AL DSSOUSA By their Patent Attorneys "GRIFFITH FACK CO0- e i, 454/S:19936D/1 5.6.92