FR2502968A1 - Indoor game played on board - has pieces marked with signs to form route across board - Google Patents

Abstract

The indoor game is similar to dominoes and uses pieces with two parallel polygonal opposite faces. One of these is blank and the other is marked with a straight line, corner of cross road. They are placed on a board (100) that is marked with squares (101) that are the same shape as the pieces. The game starts from the centre square and a route is made by matching the sign on an adjacent piece. It ends at the bottom or top of the board, the number of the finishing square determining the score.

Description

 The present invention relates to a board game, the principle of which, derived from that of the classic domino game, calls for chance and reflection.

 It has already been proposed to bring to the game of dominoes many variants intended to increase the interest of the players by increasing in particular the number of combinations of the pawns between them. One of these variants, described in French patent no. 1,582,023, relates to a game in which the pawns, of triangular shape, are combined together by matching the signs represented in the angular sectors adjacent to the common side of two in pairs. pawns arranged side by side. This game of greater complexity requires only players a greater effort of abstraction and is therefore addressed to experienced players.

 Another variant of the game of dominoes, described in French Patent No. 1,429,433, relates, for its part, to a game in which the juxtaposition of the pawns is effected by fragments of course having, at each end of the pawns, conventional signs of twinning. The number of possibilities offered by this game is very limited, thus considerably limiting the thinking effort required of players. In addition, this game is, by its lack of playful activity, more particularly used as a psychological test to develop the spirit of geometry of the participants.

The board game, object of the present invention, is remarkable in that it includes
- on the one hand, the pawns having a body with two faces pa opposite polygonal parallels, one of which is blank and the other is provided with a figurative sign of a route,
- and on the other hand of a support grid formed of polygonal boxes on which the players place the blank faces of said pawns so that the sign represented on their opposite face changes the route from that traced by the sign of or adjacent preceding pawns, the polygon of said boxes being identical to that of said faces.

This game, whose pawns have on one of their faces a drawing illustrating a fragment of course, is original in that
said pawns are chosen and associated one beside the other,
not by a combination of conventional signs, but to define a preferential route to a specific destination. To this end, the positioning of the pins is guided by the boxes of a support grid, of which those arranged peripherally materialize finish lines.

 The rule of this game is similar to that of the domino game, and consists of distributing an equal number of pawns to each player who places them on their edge, the blank side facing the opponent (s). Each player then places, in turn and one by one, his pawns on the support grid so as to reach by the shortest path one of the boxes of the finish line assigned to him. For each pawn placed on the support grid, the players draw a new one from a reserve of undistributed pawns, more commonly called "draw pile".

 According to a particularly advantageous characteristic of the invention, the peripheral boxes of the support grid, which materialize finish lines, each carry numbers representing the mark of the points obtained when one of the players manages to trace, by means of his pawns, a path to one of them. So, when a game is over, you just have to count the points on each finish line to determine the winner of that game.

 According to another particularly advantageous characteristic of the invention, the face of the counter bearing the above figurative sign comprises a directional symbol, for example an arrow. This symbol gives meaning to the figurative sign and thus imposes on the player a particular arrangement of the counter bearing this sign, in the boxes of the support grid.

This game offers many advantages, because it allows
- the visualization of its progress at the end and at any time of a game;
- the right balance between the fun function (chance of the picks) and the educational function (reflection for the choice and the positioning of the pawns), thus intended for children as well as adults, beginners and experienced players ,
- and to enhance its presentation according to the form which will be given to the figurative signs (fragments of course) and that which will be given to the polygons.

Other characteristics and other advantages of the invention will emerge on reading the following description of an example of concrete embodiment, chosen to illustrate the fundamental concepts of the invention, but in no way limiting its numerous variants. of execution. This description is annexed to drawings on which
Figures la, lb, 1c ... lj are top views of the different pieces of such a game.

 Figure 2 is a top view of the support grid for this game, during the game.

 The pawns shown in all of figures la, lb ...

 lj, each have a body with two opposite rectangular parallel faces, one of which, hidden in the drawings, is blank, and the other, shown in the drawings, is provided with a symbol.

For the first seven pawns illustrated in Figures 1a to 1g, and called progression pawns, this symbol is a figurative sign of a route and characterizes for
- the pawn a, a linear longitudinal progression,
- the pawn b, a linear transverse progression,
- the pawn c, a change of direction on the right1
- the pawn of a change of direction on the left,
- the pawn e, a longitudinal linear progression and a transverse linear progression arranged in a cross,
- the pawn f, a linear longitudinal progression and a change of direction to the left,
- the pawn g, a linear transverse progression and a change of direction on the right.

For the following two pawns illustrated in FIGS. 1h and li, and called positioning pawns, this symbol is also a sign and characterizes, for
- the pawn h, blocking a route,
- pawn i, the arrival of a route.

 For the last pawn referenced j (cf. figure lj), this symbol is an absence of sign and characterizes for this pawn a versatility of the signs of pawns a to i, determined by the player.

 The drawing in FIG. 2 represents a support grid 100, formed by 21 rows of 21 rectangular boxes 101, on which the players have placed the pawns a to j.

 The 11th box (from left to right) of the 11th row (from top to bottom), marked with a white cross and located in the center of grid 100, determines the starting point of the different routes.

 The first and last rows of boxes constitute two finish lines and include, in each box, figures determining the mark of the points obtained when a player places, at the end of a route, an i-pawn in one of the boxes from his finish line.

It goes without saying that the rectangular shape of boxes 101 and aai pieces can be replaced by any other polygon with 3, 5, 6, 7 ... sides. It follows from there particular drawings of the figurative signs and a shape of the support grid 100 adapted to that of the polygon of said boxes. For example, taking pawns in the shape of a regular hexagon
- the pawn e will include a figurative sign representing three linear progressions arranged in a star,
- the support grid 100 will take the form of a hexagon and the game, comprising six finish lines, may be intended for 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6 players.

 Obviously, many variations can be made to the invention based on the above teachings and according to pre-established game rules, such as the following which is based on that of the game of dominoes.

 1. Each player, once his finish line has been assigned, draws five pawns which he places on their edge, the blank side facing the opponent.

 2. Draw to determine the person who opens the game.

 3. For each pawn placed on the support grid, the players replace this pawn by drawing a new one from the draw pile.

 4. All the tactics are good (walk in the opponent's side, use an opponent's pawn, counter the opponent with his pawns, and more particularly block his route with an h pawn).

 5. A player can replace his five pawns by skipping his turn.

 6. A game is over when one of the players is blocked or the draw pile is used up.

 7. The winner of a game is the one who scores, at the end of the game, the most points in his finish line.

Claims (10)

 1. Dominoes type board game, CHARACTERIZED BY THE FACT That he understands  - on the one hand, pawns having a body with two opposite polygonal parallel faces, one of which is blank and the other is provided with a figurative sign of a route,  - and on the other hand, a support grid formed of polygonal boxes on which the players place the blank faces of said pawns so that the sign represented on their opposite face changes the route from that traced by the sign or adjacent preceding pawns, the polygon of said boxes being identical to that of said faces.  2. Board game according to claim 1, CHARACTERIZED BY THE FACT THAT the rows of peripheral boxes of the aforesaid support grid materialize finish lines.  3. Board game according to claim 1, CHARACTERIZED BY THE FACT THAT the above figurative sign represents at least a linear progression and / or at least a change of direction of a route.  4. Board game according to claim 1, CHARACTERIZED BY THE FACT THAT the face of the counter bearing the above figurative sign has a directional symbol.  5. Board game according to claim 1, CHARACTERIZED BY THE FACT THAT the polygon of the body of the above pawns and that of the boxes of the above grid-support are rectangles.  6. Board game according to claims 1 and 2, CHARACTER ADDRESSED BY THE FACT THAT the peripheral boxes of the aforementioned finish lines bear numbers representing the mark of the points obtained.  7. Board game according to any one of the claims  1 to 6, CHARACTERIZED BY THE FACT THAT it comprises multipurpose pawns having a body with two opposite polygonal parallel faces and blank.  8. Board game according to any one of claims  1 to 7 CHARACTERIZED BY THE FACT THAT it comprises positioning pins having a body with two opposite polygonal parallel faces, one of which is blank and the other is provided with a  sign symbolizing the blocking of a route.  9. A board game according to any one of claims 1 to 8, CHARACTERIZED BY THE FACT THAT it comprises positioning pins having a body with two opposite polygonal parallel faces, one of which is blank and the other is provided with a sign symbolizing the arrival of a route.  10. Board game according to any one of claims 1 to 9 taken together, CHARACTERIZED BY THE FACT THAT the aforesaid support grid comprises a starting box located in the center of said grid.