GB2161084A

GB2161084A - Board game apparatus

Info

Publication number: GB2161084A
Application number: GB08516069A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Veli Toukomies
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1984-06-29
Filing date: 1985-06-25
Publication date: 1986-01-08
Also published as: DE3523049A1; SE8503146L; FR2566673A1; FI842629A0; FI77787C; SE8503146D0; FI842629A; FI77787B; GB8516069D0

Abstract

The apparatus comprises a board 1 having an array of square recesses therein and cuboid playing pieces 2 which seat in the recesses. Each cube has at least three different symbols thereon, a first pair of opposite faces having an identical first symbol and a second pair of opposite faces having an identical second symbol. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION A board game The invention relates to a board game, which includes a playing board and playing pieces.

Many board games are known wherein the playing board is divided into squares or the like by lines. The squares or the like are associated with the progress of the game, and the player moves the playing pieces along the playing surface in a way defined by the rules of the game. Such games are usually played by either one person alone, which games are of the solitaire type, or by two or more players only. In the games for two or more players the moves or progress of the game depends either on the skill or luck of the player, or usually on a combination of both of these.

Board games that can be played by one or more persons are very few. Also such board games, by which the playing instruments of the game can be used for playing games based upon either skill or luck or upon the combination of these, are very few.

Board games as discussed in the preceding paragraph require that the playing pieces move along the surface of the board as they are shifted during the changing playing situation. The playing pieces are usually alike and of the same value, but in some games playing pieces, which differ from each other and which each have a single value, are used. The best known of such games is probably chess.

The playing pieces of some board games have two values, so that during the game the value of the playing piece changes or can be changed to another, as for example in checkers by turning the playing piece.

Even with this change of value, the changing values of the playing board, i.e. the playing surface controls aspects of the game, and pieces are required to move on the playing board in order to change the playing situation.

The object of the invention is to provide a board game where the playing situation changes without the playing pieces changing their position on the board.

According to the invention a board game comprises a playing board divided into a plurality of rectangular areas each designed to receive a playing piece therein; and playing pieces each of which is a cuboid, each face of which bears a symbol so that each cuboid has at least three different symbols thereon and that the opposite faces of each cuboid form at least two pairs of corresponding faces, each pair having symbols that are identical and that differ from the symbols on the other faces; the number of playing pieces being equal to the number of rectangular areas, and each area having a playing piece associated therewith.

The invention thus utilises a playing piece that has not been used before in board games, namely a three dimensional cuboid of which all three dimensions are utilised. Thus, the same playing piece has at least three values. The symbols have been placed on the faces of the playing piece so that the value of each piece changes as the piece is rotated about an appropriate axis. Such moves change the playing situation even though the playing piece remains in the same area of the board. Various colours, letters, numbers, figures or other devices may be used as symbols.

It is preferred that each rectangular area is a square and that each playing piece is a cube; it is also preferred that each rectangular area is in the form of a recess within the playing board, each recess being of a size such that one playing piece may be seated therein.

The invention is explained in detail in the following description of a specific embodiment thereof, given by way of example only, and by reference to the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view from above of a playing board in accordance with the invention; Figure 2 shows a playing piece used with the board of Fig. 1; Figure 3 is a perspective view from above of playing pieces on the playing board in one initial playing position; and Figure 4 shows some sybols.

The playing board represented in Fig. 1 is square and is provided with sixteen substantially identical square recesses 5. The playing pieces are cubes as represented in Fig. 2, and are placed upon the playing board, with one cube seated in each recess 5. The board shown in Fig. 1 also has a dividing line for separating the board into two equal playing stations. A symbol 4, in this case a colour, is marked on each of two corners of the playing stations, one symbol associated with each playing station.

Each playing piece shown in Fig. 2 is a cube. Each face of the cube is equipped with a symbol and the opposite faces form pairs of corresponding faces, each pair having identical symbols which differ from the symbols of the other faces. The upper and lower faces of the cube presented in Fig. 2 are red, the front and back faces are white, and the left and right faces are black.

In Fig. 3 the playing pieces are shown on the playing board in one initial playing posi tion For playing games of skill, all the cubes are similar and each playing piece has three symbols only, each symbol being carried on a respective pair of opposite faces. One or more of the cubes shown in Fig. 3 could, alternatively, be equipped with four different symbols, for example by painting the face opposite to the white face in a fourth colour, for example, blue. Thus, an element of chance is included in the progress of the game.

The initial playing positon shown in Fig. 3 is used in a game for two persons; the colours of the respective players being shown on the top surfaces of four of the cubes in his playing station. One player has black and the other red surfaces, the white surfaces being neutral. The aim is for a player by turning the cubes through 90 to get four in the opponent's playing station with the top surface showing the player's own colour, or to get four cubes with the white surface uppermost in a lateral or vertical row. The cubes can be turned according to the following rules: 1. It is permitted to turn a face of one's own colour freely to white or to the opponent's colour.

2. It is permitted to turn a white face to one's own colour.

3. It is permitted to turn a face of the opponent's colour to white. If, during the progress of the game, one turns a face of the opponent's colour to white a second, third and so on time, the opponent may be permitted during his next turn to make two consecutive turnings of a cube, which he has to use.

Alternatively, it may be permissible to turn a face of the opponent's colour to white only one.

4. The white face can be turned freely to the opponent's colour, after which the opponent is not permitted during his next move to touch any cube with the white face uppermost.

Other rules that may be used are: 5. The opponent is not permitted to turn the last turned cube 6. The last cube with white face uppermost has to be left in its place. If a game is played, where at least one playing piece has been provided with four symbols, then when the different fourth colour symbol is turned upwards it is not permitted to turn this piece any more.

By utilising the game board and playing pieces according to the invention one can play solitaire games by placing the pieces in an arbitrary order on the playing board and by trying to achieve by as few moves as possible some defined position, for example the initial position. The board game can be used as a board game for three persons by giving each player an equal number of playing pieces, i.e.

the initial position includes five pieces of each symbol turned upwards. If some player gets into a position, where he has only one playing piece in the game, he falls out of the game and the game is continued as a normal game between two players.

The board game may also includes a group of cards or other ancillary equipment which have symbols corresponding to the symbols of the playing pieces. Thus the playing pieces may be turned on the playing board as dictated by the ancillary equipment.

The game board and playing pieces can be used in numerous modifications of the game.

The character of the board game according to the invention includes varying aspects, which is a consequence of the alternatives offered by the three dimensions of the cuboids used as playing pieces. Of course, the form of the playing board can be other than square. in addition, the number of the pieces can vary, so that instead of the 4 X 4 = 1 6 cubes and corresponding playing board, for example 3 x 3, 5 X 5, 4 X 6 or other plausible number of cubes and a corresponding playing board can be used. The game in accordance with the invention can be used in numerous games played by one, two or three persons and in games depending on skill, luck or the combination of these.

Claims

1. A board game comprising a playing board divided into a plurality of rectangular areas each designed to receive a playing piece therein; and playing pieces each of which is a cuboid, each face of which bears a symbol so that each cuboid has at least three different symbols thereon and that opposite faces of each cuboid form at least two pairs of corresponding faces, each pair having symbols that are identical and that differ from the symbols on the other faces; the number of playing pieces being equal to the number of rectangular areas, and each area having a playing piece associated therewith.

2. A board game according to claim 1 in which each rectangular area is a square and each playing piece is a cube.

3. A board game according to claim 1 or claim 2 in which each rectangular area is in the form of a recess within the playing board, each recess being of a size such that one playing piece may be seated therein.

4. A board game according to any one of the precedign claims in which a dividing line is arranged on the playing board to divide the playing board into two equal parts, each part having the same number of rectangular areas and associated playing pieces.

5. A board game according to claim 4, in which the two parts of the playing board are each equipped with a distinguishing mark corresponding to one of the symbols.

6. A board game according to any one of the preceding claims and including a group of cards or other ancillary equipment, that are equipped with symbols corresponding to the symbols on the playing pieces.