GB2150445A - Game apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

The apparatus comprises a set of one hundred counters 3 and a board 1 divided into one hundred zones, each counter and zone being identified by a bidigit numeric indicium. With one digit of each indicium nearer to one counter or zone edge and the other in each case nearer to an opposed edge. The board may be formed with a matrix of projections 2 which engage in comprising blind recesses of the counters. The opening player plays a counter from a number he has selected from the set onto the zone marked "00". Further counters are played in turn by laying edge-to-edge with adjacent edges associated with like digits of the counter indicium. Scoring is achieved on each paying of a counter and a bonus or penalty may also be achieved, eg by laying of counters on penalty zones (P) or on bonus zones bearing bonus indicia in their top left hand corners. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Game The invention relates to a game of skill and chance played by one or by two or more players using a set of indicia-bearing counters. The set of counters is capable of forming a plurality of rows or columns on a playing surface by disposing the counters on the surface according to their indicia and game rules.The set of counters is initially distributed randomnly between the players and the counters transferred to the playing surface in turns taken by the players, the objective usually being to dispossess counters to the surface and to achieve competitive success thereby, for example either by aquiring a score with some or all counters laid (either by virtue of a score associated witht he counter or one associated with a position on the playing surface or with the relationship with another counter) or by a player exhausting the counters which have been distributed to him.

Games of this broad type are well-known. "Patience", for example, is played with conventional playing cards with the object of the single player dealing the cards from a random order pack onto a playing surface until the pack has been consumed.

The cards are dealt to the playing surface according to rules which result in an initial array of cards determined by card order in the pack, to which array further cards can be added according to the rules of the game. Chance determines the initial array whilst chance and a degree of skill determine the subsequent course of the game and whether the whole pack can be dealt out.

"Scrabble" involves the use of alphanumeric counters by two or more players, the counters being dealt to a playing surface by the players in turns so that in each turn the alphabetical indicia of the counters are of such number and sequence to represent on the surface a linguistic meaning.

Scoring is determined primarily by the numeric indicia associated with each counter and secondarily by score indicia carried on the playing surface zones on which laid counters are disposed.

According to the invention, a game of skill and chance comprises a set comprised of a plurality of counters each bearing indicia which distinguish one counter edge from an opposed edge of the same counter and each being so formed and indicated that a matrix of said counters on a playing surface can be formed, with the matrix comprising a plurality of rows or columns of counters each containing counters disposed in edge-to-edge relationship with an adjacent counter of the row or column and with an edge of each counter and the next adjacent counter in sequence in the matrix being associated with identical edge-distinguishing indicia or indicia deemed to be identical according to game rules. The counter's indications may all differ from each other.

In addition to the plurality of counters defined above, the set of counters with which the game is played may include other counters. For example, counters may be present whose indicia differ to those of all the other counters and which can be disposed at any position in the matrix irrespective of adjacent counters. Alternatively, such a counter may possibly only be laid in the matrix at limited positions, possibly a position determined by indications on the underlying playing surface.

Counters serving as penalties may also or alternatively be included, for example, one or more counters of negative score which must be retained by the player initially receiving it.

The playing surface may conveniently be a board (this term referring to any member useful as a portable playing surface, whether made of board material such as cardboard or of plastics or timber, or of any other material). Accordingly, in one embodiment of the invention, the game comprises a set of counters and a board in combination. In general, the board will bear indications which have a game significance. For example, specific zones in which certain counters can exclusively be disposed or zones in which certain counters can be disposed to the exclusion of disposing them in any other zone can be indicated on the board.More particularly, the board may have zones bearing similar indicia to the edge-distinguishing indicia of the counters so that the matrix of counters in the rows or columns referred to may be constituted not only by counters but also by a combination of counters and such board zones.

Accordingly, in one particular embodiment of the invention, a game of skill and chance comprises a set of a plurality of counters each bearing indicia distinguishing one counter edge from an opposed edge of the same counter, and a member defining a playing surface having one or more zones bearing similar indicia, the counters and the playing surface being so formed and indicated that the counters can be disposed on the playing surface in the following way, namely the counters are disposable in sequence on said playing surface to form or to form with said zones a plurality of sequential rows and columns which form a matrix, the counters and any zones in each row or column of said matrix being disposed in edge-to-edge relationship with an adjacent counter or zone in said row or column, with the edge of each counter or zone and next adjacent edge in sequence in the matrix bearing identical edge-distinguishing indicia or bearing indicia deemed to be identical according to game rules. The playing surface may be divided into a plurality of zones (eg a zone for each counter or for each of a bulk of the set), each conveniently being indicated so as to correspond to a counter.

The counter indicia may be numeric, alphabetic, alphanumeric or graphic with no numeric, alphabetic or alphanumeric significance. Numeric indicia are preferred, generally each counter bearing a bidigit numeric indicium with one digit thereof closer to one counter edge and the other digit thereof closer to the opposed edge thereof.

The following is a specific description, by way of example only, of one embodiment of the invention intended for play by up to four players, reference being made to the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a diagrammatic representation of a board forming one component of the game; Figure 2 is a partial plan view of the board showing its construction in more detail; Figure 3 is a cross-section through the board shown in Figures 1 and 2; Figure 4 is a top plan view of a counter; and Figure 5 is a bottom plan view of a counter.

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the game comprises a board shown generally at 1. The board 1 is divided into one hundred rectangular regions, which may conveniently be referred to as "squares", arranged in ten rows each of ten squares. Each of the squares is indicated with a printed bidigit numeric indicium, the indicia appearing on the board in sequence in each row, reading from left to right. The squares also indicated with the printed letter "P" are penalty squares whilst each square having a printed numeric indication in its top left hand corner is a bonus scoring square, with the value of the score for each such square being the value of the respective numeric indication.

Board 1 is made of a plastics material such as nylon or acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene copolymer and is moulded in the form shown in Figures 2 and 3 with a matrix of cylindrical protrusions 2.

The game further comprises a set of plastics moulded counters 3, there being one hundred such counters in the set with each bearing a printed numeric indicium corresponding to a different one of the bidigit indicia of the board squares. Each counter 3 is of rectangular configuration with the indicium printed on one large face 4 and a blind circular cross-sectioned recess 5 formed in the other. In use, recess 5 is received over a protrusion 2 of a selected board square so that the counter 3 is located on the square chosen and retained against inadvertent dislodgement.

In playing the game, the set of counters 3 is placed with the large faces 4 of the counters downturned on a surface, such as a table top, also carrying the board 1. One counter each is drawn from the pool of counters by each player to decide which player will commence play (which could, for example, be the player drawing the counter of highest denomination). Other players follow the opening player in clockwise fashion on the basis of their playing position around the table or other surface. The drawn counters are then returned to the pool and randomly distributed amongst the other counters.

Each player then draws his playing counters from the pool, in the case of two players each player drawing ten counters whilst seven counters are drawn by each player in the case of three or four players. The counters remain downturned during the process of selection from the pool but each of the players then turns his own counters so as to ascertain their identity whilst, of course, concealing them from the other players.

The opening player must play a counter on the board subject to the following rules: 1. He may play any counter from his selection.

2. He must play the counter he chooses onto the board square 00.

Subsequent to play of the first counter, further play is subject to the following rules:3. Counters may only be laid edge-to-edge with a previously laid counter in the same row.

4. A counter laid at the start of a row is deemed to be edge-to-edge with and in the same row as a counter which ends the immediately preceding row.

5. A counter may be laid only if its first digit is identical with the last digit of the immediately preceding counter laid or if its two digits are identical to each other (ie a "joker").

6. Any player may play more than one counter in a single turn.

7. Players must play a minimum of one counter in each turn if they possess one or more counters playable according to Rules 3 to 5.

8. A player is not obliged to play more than one counter in a single turn.

9. After a turn in which he plays counters, a player must draw an equal number of counters from the residual pool or draw all the counters therefrom if the pool contains fewer counters than he has played.

10. Play continues without drawing of further counters once the pool is exhausted.

11. A player who cannot play a counter in his turn may not draw from the pool until a turn in which he plays one or more counters.

12. Scoring is a follows: (i) Each counter other than a joker scores ten points.

(ii) Each joker played scores zero points.

(iii) Each counter played onto a bonus scoring board square scores the bonus score noted on the square.

(iv) A player playing all counters in his possession (from a full complement) in one turn scores fifty bonus points.

(v) A player playing a counter scores a bonus fifty points if the counter and the underlying square have the same bidigit indicium.

(vi) A player playing a counter onto a penalty square loses twenty five pounds (even if the counter is a joker).

13. The game is over when no player can play a further counter.

14. The winner of the game is the player with the highest score, final scores beng those actually scored in play less a penalty score of ten points for each counter which each particular player still has in his possession at game end.

As will be appreciated from the Rules set out above, the opening player is subject to Rules 3 et seq following play of this first counter. In this way, it is possible for the opening player to score a high score in his first turn (perhaps even scoring a Rule 12 (iv) bonus) and it is possible for the game to end in the first or second row. On the other hand, the game may reach square 98 without a winner being decided.

When played by a single player, the game resembles conventional patience.

The invention as described earlier without reference to the drawings may include any one or more features of the invention as described with reference to the drawings or as identified in the follow

Claims (20)

ing claims. CLAIMS

1. A game of skill and chance comprising a set of a plurality of counters each bearing indicia distinguishing one counter edge from an opposed edge of the same counter, the counters being so formed and indicated that they are disposable on a playing surface in the following way, namely the counters are disposable in sequence on said playing surface in a plurality of sequential rows or columns which overlay the playing surface to form a matrix of counters, the counters in each row or column of said matrix being disposed in edge-toedge relationship with an adjacent counter in said row or column, with the edge of each counter and the next adjacent counter edge in sequence in the matrix bearing identical edge-distinguishing indicia or bearing indicia deemed to be identical according to game rules.

2. A game as claimed in Claim 1 wherein the counters are each of rectangular or circular configuration.

3. A game as claimed in Claim 2 wherein each counter has a flat face containing the major dimensions thereof for disposition in interfacial relationship with said playing surface.

4. A game as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 3 wherein said indicia are numeric indicia.

5. A game as claimed in Claim 4 wherein each counter bears a bidigit numeric indicium with one digit thereof closer to one counter edge and the other digit thereof closer to the opposed edge thereof.

6. A game as claimed in any preceding claim wherein each counter is formed with a socket or protrusion cooperative with a protrusion or socket of a playing surface-defining member for countersurface engagement purposes.

7. A game as claimed in Claim 6 wherein each counter is formed with a circular cross-sectioned socket therein.

8. A game as claimed in Claim 7 wherein each counter is of rectangular cross-section with the socket formed as a blind recess in a surface thereof containing the major dimension of the counter.

9. A game as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the counters are made of moulded plastics material.

10. A game of skill and chance comprising a set of a plurality of counters each bearing indicia distinguishing one counter edge from an opposed edge of the same counter, and a member defining a playing surface having one or more zones bearing similar indicia, the counters and the playing surface being so formed and indicated that the counters can be disposed on the playing surface in the following way, namely the counters are disposable in sequence on said playing surface to form or to form with said zones a plurality of sequential rows or columns which form a matrix, the counters and any zones in each row or column of said matrix being disposed in edge-to-edge relationship with an adjacent counter or zone in said row or column, with the edge of each counter or zone and next adjacent edge in sequence in the matrix bearing identical edge-distinguishing indicia or bearing indicia deemed to be identical according to game rules.

11. A game of skill and chance which comprises- means defining a playing surface divided into eg one hundred similar zones each of which is distinguished from the others by a different bidigit numeric indicium with each digit of each such indicium denoting one of two opposed zone edges and said zones being arranged in the sequential order of their numeric indicia in a plurality of rows or columns which traverse the playing surface to form a matrix thereon, and a set comprising an equal number of counters of tiles each bearing a different indicium corresponding to a respective one of said playing surface zones and each being preferably provided with means cooperative with means of the playing surface for counter location on the surface so that the counters can each be disposed over any one of said playing surface zones and retained against inadvertent dislodgement.

12. A game as claimed in Claim 10 wherein said indicia are numeric indicia.

13. A game as claimed in Claim 12 wherein each counter and each zone bear a bidigit numeric indicium with one digit thereof closer to one counter or zone edge and the other digit thereof closer to the opposed edge.

14. A game as claimed in any one of Claims 10 to 13 wherein the counters are each of rectangular or circular configuration.

15. A game as claimed in any one of claims 10 to 14 wherein each counter has a flat face containing the major dimensions thereof for disposition in interfacial relationship with said playing surface.

16. A game as claimed in any one of Claims 10 to 15 wherein each counter is formed with a socket or protrusion cooperative with a protrusion or socket of a playing surface-defining member for counter-surface engagement purposes.

17. A game as claimed in Claim 16 wherein each counter is formed with a circular cross-sectioned socket therein.

18. A game as claimed in Claim 17 wherein each counter is of rectangular cross-section with the socket formed as a blind recess in a surface thereof containing the major dimension of the counter.

19. A game as claimed in Claim 18 wherein the counters are made of moulded plastics material.

20. A game substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to, and as illustrated in, the accompanying drawings.