GB2035101A - A board game - Google Patents

Abstract

A board game for one or more players comprises two sets of playing pieces (6), each set having a contrasting colour, a board (2) having a number of main playing areas (8) arranged around a central point (10), each playing area being identified by differing colours, and being composed of a plurality of recessed sub-areas (12), one inner sub-area of each playing area lying adjacent the central point and, together with the other inner sub- areas adjacent the central point, comprising a further, central, playing area, said sub-areas included in the central playing area having a distinguishing characteristic of colour (G) denoting that they are common to more than one playing area, and a random selecting device (14) having sides Y, B, T, R, G, blank. Letters, numerals or shapes may be used instead of contrasting colours. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Board Game The invention relates to a board game for one or more players, designed to exercise their skills of strategy while also challenging their ability to cope with the caprices of chance.

The invention comprises a board game for one or more players comprising at least two sets of playing pieces, each set having a contrasting identifying characteristic, a board having a number of main playing areas being identified by a differing identification feature, and being composed of a plurality of subareas, one inner sub-area of each playing area lying adjacent the central point and, together with the other inner sub-areas adjacent the central point, comprising a further, central, playing area, said sub-areas included in the central playing area having a distinguishing characteristics denoting that they are common to more than one playing area, and a random feature selecting device.

Conveniently, the identifying characteristics, identification features and distinguishing characteristics may be those of colour in each case, but this is by no means essential nor is it to be taken as limitative of the invention.

For example, letters, numerals, or shapes may be used if preferred.

Advantageously, the number of main playing areas may be four, each comprised of four equal-sized sub-areas and the playing pieces are of a size and shape to be congruent with a sub-area. Preferably the random feature selecting device is a dice, having six faces, one of which is blank, each of the others bearing one of the identification features of the main playing areas.

It may be found desirable to include on the board scoring means in the form of a series of numbered apertures into which small marker pegs are inserted as play progresses. The aim of the game is to score the highest number of points gained by the positioning of playing pieces in pre-determined patterns on or across the playing areas and/or to gain control of the central playing area. It may also be desirable to provide a recessed storage area on the board for the playing pieces.

Examples of board games according to the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. The description, which is given by way of example only and not by way of limitation, relates to games for one or two players.

In the drawings: Figure 1 shows an example of a board for use in the game according to the invention; Figure 2 shows one playing piece; Figure 3 shows a random feature selecting device; Figure 4 shows two possible scoring positions for playing pieces; and Figure 5 shows an alternative board layout.

A board 2 is provided with a recessed playing surface 4, the recessing being intended to assist in the positioning of playing pieces (Fig. 2), of which there are two sets of sixteen, one set being brown and the other white. The playing surface comprises four main playing areas 8, inner corners of which meet at a central point 1 0. Each playing area 8 is divided into four sub-areas 1 2 which surround an identification feature (in the present example a coloured patch) which differs from each of its three neighbouring areas.

These are identified by the reference letters R (red), B (blue), Y (yellow) and T (tangerine or orange) in Fig. 1. The colour of the playing areas adjacent to the perimeter of the recessed surface 4 is neutral, in the present example black. However, the colour of the inner sub-areas 1 2 which touch the central point 10 is green (G) to denote that these sub-areas form a further, central, playing area having sub-areas which are common to two playing areas.

The random feature selection device is a dice 1 4 having its side surfaces marked with coloured patches, one red, one blue, one yellow, one orange, one green and the sixth left blank.

Two scoring panels 1 6 are provided which may be used with scoring pegs (not shown).

In an alternative layout, a board 2' has two recesses 1 8 provided as storage areas for the playing pieces 6. Apart from a slight variation in the appearance of the scoring panels 16', the board is otherwise identical with the board 2. Either of the two boards may be used in the playing of various games according to the following rules.

Game i-two players The first player throws the dice 1 4 and places one of his set of playing pieces 6 (brown, in this example) on a black sub-area 1 2 of the playing area 8 having the identification feature (colour) which he has thrown. The second player then throws the dice and places one of his pieces 6 (white) on a black sub-area 1 2 of the correct identification feature. A player throwing the dice to show the blank surface forefeits that turn.

If the dice is thrown to show green, that player may place his playing piece on a green sub-area of his choice in the central playing area. A playing piece may also be placed in the central playing area when, for example, red is thrown and all three black sub-areas 1 2 on the "red" playing area 8 care occupied by the playing pieces of that player. As will be fully explained below, if all four sub-areas are occupied by playing pieces of one player, that player scores four points.

When a playing area 8 is complete, that is, all four sub-areas 1 2 are occupied by whichever colour playing piece, and the colour associated with that playing area is thrown again, that player may replace playing pieces of his opponent's colour with his own, scoring points if appropriate. The pieces on the green sub-areas may not, however, be removed unless either all the green sub-areas are occupied and the thrown dice shows green, or the player who has thrown red has his own playing pieces 6 occupying all three red sub-areas 1 2 adjacent the green sub-area occupied by the playing piece he wishes to replace. A game is complete when all four green subareas of the central playing area are occupied by playing pieces of one player only.

Players score points during play by achieving various combination of their own playing pieces in one of several set patterns, two of which are shown in Fig. 4. Brown playing pieces are shown in a row along one side of the perimeter of the recess 4 to score two points or in a square formation to complete a playing area 8 which gives a score of four points.

Other scoring combinations are: Four pieces diagonally across the board 3 points Eight pieces occupying two adjacent playing areas 8 8 points Twelve pieces occupying three playing areas 8 1 2 points Twelve pieces occupying all sub-areas 1 2 adjacent the perimeter of the recess 4 1 2 points Sixteen pieces occupying all sixteen sub-areas 1 2 20 points Four pieces occupying four green sub-areas of the central playing area 10 points Any eight sub-areas including the four green sub-areas 20 points The player with the highest score in a game is the winner.

If desired, edch of the above scoring conditions may be denoted by a selected word. For example, the main playing areas may each be referred to as a "paddock", and the central playing area as PADOK, from which the board game takes it name.

The above listed scoring combinations may thus be referred to by the following names in sequence:- ditch, trench, paddock, field, meadow, boundary, county, PADOK, and centre field.

Game 2-two players This variation differs from Game 1 only in that the players decide in advance a set number of point to be scored, and the first player to reach that score is the winner. The game is not therefore necessarily completed when the central playing area is fully occupied.

Game 3-two players This variation is similar to Game 1 with the exception that once a player has achieved a "paddock", that is, four of his pieces occupy one main playing area 8, the second player may not remove any of them. This variant does not apply to the situation where four pieces of the same player occupy the central playing area.

Game 4 one player(PADOK Patience I) According to this game, all sixteen playing pieces of one colour are stacked on the central playing area in four columns four pieces high.

The aim of the game is to replace all the playing area with pieces of the contrasting colour arranged over the complete area of the board. To commence play, the dice is thrown to indicate on which main playing area the first playing piece of the contrasting colour must be placed. When a green or a blank is thrown on the dice, one of the pieces on the central playing area is removed.

When all three sub-areas of a main playing area 8 of a given colour are occupied, the next time that colour is thrown, the adjacent playing piece in the central playing area is removed. If a colour is thrown and all four sub-areas are occupied, the game is ended. If a sub-area in the central playing area is vacated, that sub-area may be filled after throwing either a green on the dice or the colour of the playing area adjacent the space. If the blank is thrown and no pieces remain on the central playing area, the game ends. At each throw of the dice a piece must be placed or removed, or the players have failed to complete the game.

Game 5-one player(PADOK Patience II) The entire playing area of the board is covered with the sixteen playing pieces of one colour. The pieces must be replaced one by one by the pieces of contrasting colour by throwing the dice to indicate a main playing area from which a piece may be removed or replaced by a piece of opposite colour. If a blank is thrown, any piece may be placed or removed. When a main playing area is filled and its associated colour is thrown again, then game ends.

Claims (11)

1. A board game comprising at least two sets of playing pieces, each set having a contrasting identifying characteristic, a board having a number of main playing areas arranged around a central point, each playing area being identified by a differing identification feature, and being composed of a plurality of sub-areas, one inner sub-area of each playing area lying adjacent the central point and, together with the other inner sub-areas adjacent the central point, comprising a further, central, playing area, said sub-areas included in the central playing area having a distinguishing characterstic denoting that they are common to more than one playing area, and a random feature selecting device.

2. A board game as claimed in claim 1, wherein the identifying characteristics of the playing pieces are those of colour.

3. A board game as claimed in either one of claims 1 and 2 wherein the identification features of the playing areas are those of colour.

4. A board game as claimed in claim 1 wherein the distinguishing characteristics of the sub-areas included in the central playing area are those of colour.

5. A board game as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the number of main playing areas is four, each comprised of four sub-areas.

6. A board game as claimed in claim 5, wherein the sub-areas are all equal in size and the playing pieces are of a size and shape to be congruent with a sub-area.

7. A board game as claimed in any one of the previous claims, wherein the random feature selecting device is a dice having six faces, one of which is blank, each of the others bearing one of the identification features of the main playing areas.

8. A board game as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the board includes scoring means.

9. A board game as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the board also includes a storage area for playing pieces which are not in play.

10. A board game for two or more players, constructed and arranged substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in Figs. 1 to 4 of the accompanying drawings.

11. A board game for two or more players, constructed and arranged substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in Fig. 5 of the accompanying drawings.