GB2143140A - Apparatus for playing a game - Google Patents

Abstract

The apparatus comprises a board marked to represent a travel map with alternative destinations each linked to alternative starting points by respective step-divided routes which cross one another, a first bank of cards each identifying a destination and/or a starting point on the board, a second bank of cards each directing a player to perform a written or oral language- improving exercise, and a third bank of cards each directing the player to give specified answers in response to an interrogation by one or more other players, together with dice and playing pieces. The cards of the second and third banks may be lettered or numbered to provide the specific directions and those of the second bank may alternatively or additionally carry an instruction. Fourth and fifth sets of cards may also be used, the former having directions or instructions and the latter requiring a player to perform certain exercises before he can enter a particular suite. The map may show a rail or underground network, airline routes or a road system. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Apparatus for Playing a Game The invention relates to apparatus for playing a dice-based board game.

Such games are well known as a general class, but the invention differs in that it is directed towards apparatus for playing a game which encourages the player to improve their skills in a selected language.

According to the invention, apparatus for playing a dice-based language-learning game comprises a board marked to represent a travel map with alternative destinations each linked to alternative starting points by respective stepdivided routes which cross one another such that a player can travel directly or indirectly to his destination; a first bank of cards or the like, each of which identifies a destination and/or a starting point on the board in a manner which enables a player taking any such card to conceal its information from the or each other player; a second bank of cards (or the like), each of which directs a player taking such a card to perform a written or oral language-improving exercise, whenever that player fulfils certain conditions laid down by the rules of the game (for example, whenever he moves through a point where one route crosses another); and a third bank of cards (or the like), each of which directs a player taking such a card to give, in response to a written and/or oral interrogation by one or more other players, a specified one from amongst several sets of predetermined answers, whenever the or each interrogating player manages to move to within a predetermined number (laid down by the rules) of route-steps from the first-mentioned player; one of those sets of answers to the interrogation enabling the or each interrogating player to classify the interrogated player as " to be removed from play" or "not to be removed from play", but leaving that decision to the or each interrogating player; and the apparatus being intended for use with game rules which specify that such removal of an interrogated player ends the game irrespective of whether any player has or has not reached his destination.

Each card in the second bank may identify a specific one from amongst several languageimproving exercises.

Each card in the second and/or third banks may, like the cards in the first bank, display its information in a manner which enables a player taking any such card to conceal the information from the or each other player.

The board may advantageously be so marked that any player can travel from any starting point directly or indirectly to any destination, subject of course to the rules of game-play.

To increase the complexity, enjoyment, and adaptability of the game to different degrees of skill, the rules may provide for any player who reaches his destination, either without being interrogated or having successfully survived one or more interrogations, to be automatically removed from the board with his third card; and without that third card's information being made known to the or each remaining player.

The rules may similarly provide that any player who has successfully survived an interrogation, either because he has been classified as "not to be removed from the board", or because his interrogator or interrogators have so misjudged the results of the interrogation as to put him wrongly in the "not to be removed" category, shall automatically be removed from play.

The board lends itself to being marked to represent a rail network, for example an interlinked network of "inter-city" main line rail routes; or alternatively one of the well known underground networks such as the London Underground or the Paris Metro. Alternatively it could be laid out as a series of linked airline routes between major cities nationally or internationally, with "stop-over" airports providing the designated player-moving steps between two larger main international city terminals.

Alternatively again, the board could be marked as a travel map of linked roadways, for example the national United Kingdom trunk road and motorway system, with roadside or motorway service stations and eating points representing the player-moving individual steps between towns, cities and/or motorway intersections where a player can cross from one route to another.

In all these instances, which are only examples of forms which the apparatus might take, the geography-learning and game-playing aspects combine to capture the player's interest and to heighten their awareness of the language-either their own, or a foreign language-which use of the apparatus is intended to improve.

One apparatus embodying the invention is intended to improve skills in speaking and reading French for non-French players, and involves a board marked to represent the Paris Metro underground rail network. It is only one example of forms which the invention might take within its broadest aspect, but is currently the best way known to the applicant of putting the invention into practice. The apparatus, and the rules of the game associated with it, will now be described.

The game is known as Metropolice, and the board layout is shown in the accompanying drawing and is largely self-explanatory. The game is dice-based, with each player throwing in turn, and the individual routes cross one another at successive main stations and are step-divided so that each player moves the number of steps dictated by the number resulting from his dice thrown.

The players, of whom there are six in this particular game, divide themselves voluntarily into "detectives" and "suspects". They initially read and absorb a crime story, in French, which may be given to them in written and/or audible form. In essence, the story sets the scene for a criminal chase through the Paris Metro, in which there are a number of possible suspects each trying to reach his own destination and a single criminal who is also trying to reach an initially unknown destination and whose identity is similarly unknown initially to each other player.

A first bank of cards is placed on the board in the box marked "Destinations". Each player takes one of these cards, which identifies one of the stations on the board. These stations need not be at the end of any particular line. Each destination card will identify a station different from that of each other destination card.

The suspects each start from a station which has previously been identified, to all players, as the station into which the criminal has supposedly fled and from whence his journey starts. The individual destination cards give to each suspect name of the station for which they are making.

The cards are marked on one face only, and are blank on the other face, and each suspect uses that fact to conceal his destination from each other player.

Each detection also takes a destination card, but, in this case, the cards give the detectives their starting points, not their destinations; as the aim of the detectives, moves is to pursue individual suspects and interrogate them in the hope of identifying, by the answers to the interrogations, the criminal.

Thus, each detective player puts his playerrepresenting movable playing piece on his "start" station; each suspect starts his playing piece from the known station at which the criminal entered the Metro; and the game begins.

Each player throws the dice in turn, and then moves his playing piece by the appropriate amount. The suspects, in particular, may move all over the board deliberately rather than moving direct to their destinations, and so effectively lay a false trail for the pursuing detectives. A number of general rules govern the movement of players about the board. Although any player can move back and forth along the same section of line, he cannot use up his move by simply oscillating about the same point. The detectives, also, are deemed to have scored an automatic "5" for their very first throw, to spread them more quickly over the board and bring them effectively into the game from the outset.

Every time a suspect lands on or passes through a route-crossing point, irrespective of whether or not he actually switches to a different line in doing so, he is required by the game rules to take a card from a second bank, marked "Cartes Des Suspects" on the board. Each card in this second bank is numbered or lettered, on one face only, and directs the player to perform a written and/or oral language improving exercise which is then assessed and marked by the other players. For example, the exercise could conveniently be in question-and-answer form, with the other players knowing the correct answers, but with the exercise-performing player not knowing them. The points gained, or possibly lost, from each such exercise are noted and are added at the end of the game to given assessment of the player's linguistic skills.

Each card in this second bank may alternatively or additionally contain an instruction such as "go to destination" or "immune from interrogation".

The presence or absence of these instructions will inevitably complicate the game, but it also makes it more enjoyable and more adaptable to players of greater or lesser game-playing and linguistic ability.

Each suspect also takes, at some point in the game, a card from a third bank marked "Fiches D'identite" on the board. This third bank of cards each carries an individual letter or number, again on one side only of the card, which directs a player taking that card to give a specific one from amongst several sets of predetermined answers to an interrogation by one of the detectives. The suspects may take their "Fiches d'ldentite" cards at the beginning of the game, or they may take them whenever a detective comes to interrogate them. In either case, each suspect conceals the identifying information on his card from the other players.

In order to interrogate any suspect, a detective must fulfil two conditions laid down by the rules of the game. First, he must manoeuvre to within four stations on the same line as the suspect.

Second, he must then "challenge", i.e. he must from three successive throws of the dice attain the number which lands him on the suspect's station. Should the detective land naturally on the suspect's station, without first having to challenge, then is automatically entitled to interrogate.

The detective interrogates his suspect, in French, with a set of questions which has previously been worked out and which require "yes/no" answers. The suspect's Fiche d'ldentite card directs that suspect to give specific answers to each such question. The form of the suspect's overall set of answers will be such that there either no lies; or one lie, or two. There is only one Fiche d'ldentite card containing two lies.

The interrogating detective should then be able to assess, from the answers he gets, and from the known facts of the crime which all the group have absorbed from the initial story, whether his suspect is telling the truth. One lie is deemed to be insufficient evidence to make an arrest, and the suspect is free to continue his journey. Two lies should, if the detective has his wits about him, and is sufficiently skilled linguistically, enable the suspect to be identified unhesitatingly as the criminal.

If and when the criminal is identified, then the detective chase has been successful; the criminal playing piece is removed from the board; and the game ends, irrespective of the stage and other suspects have reached in their journeys or the disposition of the remaining playing pieces about the board.

If an interrogation reveals only one lie, the game continues, and the interrogated suspect is free to carry on towards his unknown destination.

If the interrogation is correctly judged to reveal no lies, then that particular interrogated suspect is proven innocent and his playing piece, together with his Fiche d'ldentite card, is removed from play and stored in the box marked "Suspects Prouves Innocents" on the board. The player whose playing piece has been so removed then takes another playing piece, another destination card, and another Fiche d'ldentite card, and so reenters the game.

If a detective so misjudges the results of his interrogation as not to recognise the "two-lie" set of answers which identify the criminal, then the detective has to return to his starting point and may optionally be prevented from further play.

The other players will know that the criminal has been discovered, and no doubt the fact will be pointedly drawn to the attention of the happless detective. The criminal then tries to make his getaway, i.e. to reach his destination, and the remaining detectives try to close sufficiently to challenge him, i.e. to get to within four stations of him. If any of them manages this before the criminal has reached his destination, he has been caught and the game ends.

The rules governing game-play can be expanded beyond the board outline given here.

For example, suspects may not be allowed either to occupy the same station as a fellow suspect, or to overtake a fellow suspect ahead of them on the same line. If any suspect finds that his way is blocked, he will have to choose a different route, back-tracking if necessary to use up his move. If all his routes are blocked, he will have to forfeit his move. Each suspect may have to pass through an "interchange" station, i.e. a circled one, before he can switch routes, even though there are cross-over points between the interchange stations.

Entry to the "RER" lines may depend upon successfully answering one or more questions as part of the attempt to improve language skills, which is the main object of the game. The RER lines enable players travel much quicker than by using the normal network, and so entry to them should depend upon a higher-than-average level of linguistic skill.

Any suspect who reaches his own destination without having been interrogated, or having successfully survived an interrogation not wholly innocently but with only one lie and thus been allowed to continue on his way, has his playing piece and his Fiche d'ldentite card removed from the board and stored in the box marked "Toujours Suspects". The chase, with interrogations, then continues, because the remaining players have no option but to assume that the removed suspect was innocent; even though he may in fact be the criminal if he has reached his destination without any interrogation.

There is a box on the board marked "Cartes Des Detectives". This can be used to store a fourth bank of cards, which direct each detective to carry out certain rules of the game every time he passes through a circled interchange station.

For example, they could direct him to perform a language-improving exercise; or they could give him a positive game-playing instruction such as "Go to Concorde".

Finally there is a box marked "RER" which again could be used to store a fifth bank of cards, each directing any player who wants to enter the RER line to successfully perform certain exercises before be can do so.

All the stations on the real-life board are identified by wording adjacent each station, but for clarity this is deliberately not true of the board illustrated.

Claims (10)

1. Apparatus for playing a dice-based language-learning game and comprising a board marked to represent a travel map with alternative destinations each linked to alternative starting points by respective step-divided routes which cross one another such that a player can travel directly or indirctly to his destination; a first bank of cards or the like, each of which identifies a destination and/or a starting point on the board in a manner which enables a player taking any such card to conceal its information from the or each other player; a second bank of cards (or the like), each of which directs a player taking such a card to perform a written or oral language-improving exercise, whenever that player fulfils certain conditions laid down by the rules of the game (for example, whenever he moves through a point where one route crosses another); and a third bank of cards (or the like), each of which directs a player taking such a card to give, in response to a written and/or oral interrogation by one or more other players, a specified one from amongst several sets of predetermined answers, whenever the or each interrogating player manages to move to within a predetermined number (laid down by the rules) of route-steps from the first-mentioned player; one of those sets of answers to the interrogation enabling the or each interrogating player to classify the interrogated player as "to be removed from play" or "not to be removed from play", but leaving that decision to the or each interrogating player; and the apparatus being intended for use with game rules which specify that such removal of an interrogated player ends the game irrespective of whether any player has or has not reached his destination.

2. Apparatus according to Claim 1 and with each card in the second bank identifying a specific one from amongst several language-improving exercises.

3. Apparatus according to Claim 1 or Claim 2 and with each card in the second and/or third banks displaying its information in a manner which enables a player taking any such card to conceal the information from the or each other player.

4. Apparatus according to any of the preceding Claims and with the board so marked that any player can travel from any starting point directly or indirectly to any destination, subject to the rules of game-play.

5. Apparatus according to any of the preceding Claims and intended for use with rules which provide for any player who reaches his destination, either without being interrogated or having successfully survived one or more interrogations, to be automatically removed from the board with his third card; and without that third card's information being made known to the or each remaining player.

6. Apparatus according to any of the preceding Claims and intended for use with rules which provide that any player who has successfully survived an interrogation, either because he has been classified as "not to be removed from the board", or because his interrogator or interrogators have so misjudged the results of the interrogation as to put him wrongly in the "not to be removed" category, shall automatically be removed from play.

7. Apparatus according to any preceding Claim and with the board marked to represent a rail network.

8. Apparatus according to any of Claims 1 to 6 with the board laid out as a series of linked airline routes between major cities nationally or internationally, with "stop-over" airports providing the designated player-moving steps between two larger main international city terminals.

9. Apparatus according to any of Claims 1 to 6 with the board marked as a travel map of linked roadways, for example the national United Kingdom trunk road and motorway system, with roadside or motorway service stations and eating points representing the player-moving individual steps between towns, cities and/or motorway intersections where a player can cross from one route to another.

10. Apparatus substantially as described herein with reference to and as illustrated in the accqmpanying drawings.