GB1567639A - Labyrint board game - Google Patents

Description

(54) LABYRINTH BOARD GAME (71) I, PETER JOHN MCSWEENEY, a British subject of 9, Adela Avenue, Motspur Park, New Malden, Surrey, formerly of 94 Washington Road, Worcester Park, Surrey, KT4 8JH, do hereby declare the invention for which I pray that a patent may be granted to me, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement: - This invention relates to apparatus for playing a game.

In accordance with the present invention, there is provided apparatus for playing a game comprising playing pieces, at least one die, a playing surface which is marked out to represent a maze or labyrinth consisting of-a plurality of paths each divided into a series of divisions and leading from at least one starting point to a centre point at the middle of the maze or labyrinth and at least one path from the centre point to an exit point, and a set of cards each locatable at or adjacent a respective junction of two of said paths on a predetermined division in an operative or inoperative stance, each card being such that when a playing piece is moved onto it as a consequence of the die being thrown, the card permits or prevents further -movement of the playing piece at least towards the centre point along the path of which the division, upon which the card is located, forms a part.

The playing surface will usually be on a playing board and the playing board can be manufactured to be foldable if desired.

The apparatus of the invention as sold will usually have two dice.

There may be a plurality of paths each divided into a series of divisions and leading from the centre point to the exit point.

Alternatively there may be only one path leading from the centre point to the exit point, the path being a numbered path.

The apparatus of the invention may also include a further set of cards (herein referred to as Route Priority Cards), each giving the route which a player must try and take to the centre point.

Embodiments of the invention will now be described solely by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a representation of a first board marked out according to the invention; and Figure 2 is a representation of a second board marked out according to the invention.

The game can be played with the board shown in Figure 1 or the board shown in Figure 2. In either case, the playing pieces to be used may be in the form of miniature figures or circular discs. However, any suitable or preferred shape may be used.

When using the board shown in Figure 1, the game may be played by one to six players and the task set for each player is to move his respective playing piece from a starting point to the centre point on the board and then from the centre point to the exit point along a series of said plurality of paths. The set of cards used in the game comprises six red cards of which five are no entry (stop) cards and one is a green arrow (go) card, four blue cards of which three are no entry (stop) cards and one is a green arrow (go) card and two brown cards of which one is a no entry (stop) card and the other is a green arrow (go) card.

Preparation for the game is as follows: the red cards are shuffled and each placed face down on a respective red square marked R. Similarly, the blue cards are shuffled and each placed face down on a respective blue square marked BL and the brown cards are shuffled and each placed face down on a respective brown square marked BR. Each player then chooses his playing piece which is placed on either of the two double arrow spaces located at diagonally opposite bottom left and top right hand corners of the board.

The game is then played as follows, the player initialy throwing the highest number being the first to start.

1. The players throw one die or two dice depending upon which square their playing piece is positioned.

2. Both dice are thrown when a playing piece is only either on a starting point, namely one of the double arrow spaces, or one of the white squares. On coloured squares, starred white squares and the middle of the maze only one die is thrown, a coloured card being considered as a coloured square.

3. Each player may proceed in any direction around the board from his respective starting point.

4. More than one playing piece can be positioned on any one square of the board but they are not allowed to pass through the boundaries separating adjacent paths.

5. The double arrow spaces are not used after the players' initial moves and the single arrow space at the top left hand corner of the board can only be used after a playing piece has reached the middle of the maze.

6. When a playing piece lands on an unturned coloured card, the player must then turn over that card which is then left in its upturned position. If the card is a go card then the playing piece is allowed to proceed and if the card is a no entry card, then the player is not allowed to proceed any further but must go back and attempt another path. This rule applies even in the middle of a move.

7. Once a no entry card has been established, the playing pieces cannot proceed further along that particular path.

8. When a playing piece is moved along the correct path to the centre of the maze or from the centre of the maze to the exit point, that is, via go cards only, the other playing pieces must also be moved over the same go cards, and consequently substantially in the same path, in order to reach the centre of the maze or the exit point.

9. In order to reach the centre of the maze, a number must be thrown which places the playing pieces beyond the last go card which is located on one of the two brown squares marked BR. The playing piece must then remain in the centre of the maze until its player has his next turn as a playing piece is not allowed to enter and exit from the centre of the maze in one go.

10. On reaching the centre of the maze, the player's next objective is to move his playing piece out of the maze by the shortest route but passing only over go cards.

11. To exit from the maze, a number must be thrown which places a playing pieces on the single arrow exit space at the top left hand corner of the board.

12. The first player to move his playing piece from a starting point to the centre of the maze and then out of the exit point is the winner of the game.

There is a certain amount of skill involved in the playing of the inventive game because each player has to select the shortest route to the centre of the maze and then to the exit point proceeding across go cards only. Initially, with the coloured cards face down on their respective squares, there are forty eight possible routes to the centre of the maze but, after three green arrow (go) cards are turned face up during play, there is only one possible route from each of the two starting points to the centre of the maze and from the centre of the maze to the exit point.

When playing the game with a board as illustrated in Figure 1, a player will usually exit from the maze by the same route that he entered the maze, and usually the first person to get to the centre of the maze is the first person to exit from the maze. In order to give those players who were not first to reach the centre of the maze a sporting chance of overtaking on the exit route the player who was first to reach the centre of the maze, the game can be played with the board shown in Figure 2.

When using the board shown in Figure 2, the game can be played with the same number of persons and the same type of playing pieces as the game described above with reference to Figure 1. However, the task set for each player is to move his respective playing piece from a starting point to the centre point on the board and then from the centre point to the exit point along a predetermined numbered path. With the board shown in Figure 2, there is still only one correct route to the centre of the maze from each of the two starting points out of a possible forty eight routes.

When the game is played with the board shown in Figure 2, twelve Route Priority cards are employed in addition to the red, blue and brown cards. Each player reaches the centre of the maze using the above rules 1-9 but modified as follows.

(A) During the preparation for the game, the Route Priority Cards are shuffled and one such card is distributed to each player. This card should be placed face upwards during the game.

(B) Only one die can be thrown when a player is on the numbered spaces on the exit route, see Rule 2 above.

(C) When a player lands on a space which is already occupied, the player occupying the space should miss a turn.

However, each player can only miss a maximum of one turn on any one space.

This rule is the opposite of the first part of Rule 4 above. This rule does not apply to the centre of the maze or spaces used thereafter.

(D) Each player proceeds to the next stage of the maze using the various numbered coloured square entrances on the board in the order shown on the player's Route Priority Card. When a coloured square entrance is found to contain a no entry card, all players must disregard that particular coloured square entrance number from their Route Priority Card. When playing the game using the board shown in Figure 1, there is no set order for trying the various entrances on the board, see Rule 6 above.

(E) Rule 8 above is modified so that players who are catching up a preceding player must use both dice on all spaces up to and including the green arrow go card space. This is the only time that players can throw more than one die on the starred white squares and the coloured squares.

In order to exit from the maze and as indicated above, the player moves from the centre point to the exit point along the predetermined numbered path, this path being a green path having numbered spaces from 1 to 20. The numbered spaces from 1 to 20 can be regarded as stepping stones.

When a player lands on a numbered space which is already occupied, the player occupying that space should return to the centre of the maze and then try again to exit from the maze.

To exit from the maze, a number must be thrown which places the playing piece exactly on the green single arrow 20 space on the board. When a player throws a higher number than is required to exit from the maze, the player should retrace on the board the remainder of the number thrown.

It is to be appreciated that the embodiments of the invention described above have been given by way of example only and that modifications may be effected.

Thus, for example, the above described Rules can be modified as may be desired by the players. Also, a typical Route Priority Card may give the route numbers 2, 1, 5, 6, 3, 4 for a red card, 3, 4, 1, 2 for a blue card and 1, 2 for a brown card; but these numbers can clearly be varied. Further, whilst the no entry (stop) sign on the red, blue and brown cards is preferably shown as the standard no entry road traffic sign (i.e. a red circle with a white bar across it), the words "no entry" or " stop " can be used if desired.

WHAT I CLAIM IS: - 1. Apparatus for playing a game comprising playing pieces, at least one die, a playing surface which is marked out to represent a maze or labyrinth consisting of a plurality of paths each divided into a series of divisions and leading from at least one starting point to a centre point at the middle of the maze or labyrinth and at least one path from the centre point to an exit point, and a set of cards each locatable at or adjacent a respective junction of two of said paths on a predetermined division in an operative or inoperative stance, each card being such that when a playing piece is moved onto it as a consequence of the die being thrown, the card permits or prevents further movement of the playing piece at least towards the centre point along the path of which the division, upon which the cards is located, forms a part.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 in which the playing surface is on a playing board.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2 in which the playing board is foldable.

4. Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims in which there are two dice.

5. Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims in which there are a plurality of paths each divided into a series of divisions and leading from the centre point to the exit point.

6. Apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4 in which there is only one path leading from the centre point to the exit point, the path being a numbered path.

7. Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims including a further set of cards, each giving the route which a player must try and take to the centre point.

8. Apparatus for playing a game, substantially as herein described with reference to Figure 1 or Figure 2 of the accompanying drawings.

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims (8)

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. (B) Only one die can be thrown when a player is on the numbered spaces on the exit route, see Rule 2 above. (C) When a player lands on a space which is already occupied, the player occupying the space should miss a turn. However, each player can only miss a maximum of one turn on any one space. This rule is the opposite of the first part of Rule 4 above. This rule does not apply to the centre of the maze or spaces used thereafter. (D) Each player proceeds to the next stage of the maze using the various numbered coloured square entrances on the board in the order shown on the player's Route Priority Card. When a coloured square entrance is found to contain a no entry card, all players must disregard that particular coloured square entrance number from their Route Priority Card. When playing the game using the board shown in Figure 1, there is no set order for trying the various entrances on the board, see Rule 6 above. (E) Rule 8 above is modified so that players who are catching up a preceding player must use both dice on all spaces up to and including the green arrow go card space. This is the only time that players can throw more than one die on the starred white squares and the coloured squares. In order to exit from the maze and as indicated above, the player moves from the centre point to the exit point along the predetermined numbered path, this path being a green path having numbered spaces from 1 to 20. The numbered spaces from

1 to 20 can be regarded as stepping stones.

When a player lands on a numbered space which is already occupied, the player occupying that space should return to the centre of the maze and then try again to exit from the maze.

To exit from the maze, a number must be thrown which places the playing piece exactly on the green single arrow 20 space on the board. When a player throws a higher number than is required to exit from the maze, the player should retrace on the board the remainder of the number thrown.

It is to be appreciated that the embodiments of the invention described above have been given by way of example only and that modifications may be effected.

Thus, for example, the above described Rules can be modified as may be desired by the players. Also, a typical Route Priority Card may give the route numbers 2, 1, 5, 6, 3, 4 for a red card, 3, 4, 1, 2 for a blue card and 1, 2 for a brown card; but these numbers can clearly be varied. Further, whilst the no entry (stop) sign on the red, blue and brown cards is preferably shown as the standard no entry road traffic sign (i.e. a red circle with a white bar across it), the words "no entry" or " stop " can be used if desired.

WHAT I CLAIM IS: - 1. Apparatus for playing a game comprising playing pieces, at least one die, a playing surface which is marked out to represent a maze or labyrinth consisting of a plurality of paths each divided into a series of divisions and leading from at least one starting point to a centre point at the middle of the maze or labyrinth and at least one path from the centre point to an exit point, and a set of cards each locatable at or adjacent a respective junction of two of said paths on a predetermined division in an operative or inoperative stance, each card being such that when a playing piece is moved onto it as a consequence of the die being thrown, the card permits or prevents further movement of the playing piece at least towards the centre point along the path of which the division, upon which the cards is located, forms a part.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 in which the playing surface is on a playing board.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2 in which the playing board is foldable.

4. Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims in which there are two dice.

5. Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims in which there are a plurality of paths each divided into a series of divisions and leading from the centre point to the exit point.

6. Apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4 in which there is only one path leading from the centre point to the exit point, the path being a numbered path.

7. Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims including a further set of cards, each giving the route which a player must try and take to the centre point.

8. Apparatus for playing a game, substantially as herein described with reference to Figure 1 or Figure 2 of the accompanying drawings.