GB2189401A - Educational board game - Google Patents

Abstract

An educational board game is played on a game board with 122 squares and 2 rectangles linking together forming a closed mobility pattern with portions of which being disposed in a square-wave configuration. Representations of 124 selected nations are designated to each of the squares and rectangles. Identifying means maybe used for the identification of the various status of the nations, namely 102 aligned nations, 2 neutralist nations and 2 leading nations each having 9 alliances. Players advance his game pieces in accordance with the throw of a die. Pieces landing on the opponent's or his allies' territory are to be captured whereas any pieces landing on neutral's territory are safe from capture. When a piece lands on any unaligned nation's territory occupied by an opponent's piece, the latter is captured. The player who first captures all the opponent's game pieces wins the game. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Eslucationat board game This invention relates to an educational board game.

Figure lisa plan view ofthe game board of a preferred embodiment according to the present in vention.

The game is played on a game board 1 with 122 squares and 2 rectangles offour different colors. Each square distinctly marks out the territory of a nation and has the name of the nation imprinted thereon. The squares are linked togetherforming a closed mobility pattern 2 in which game pieces move. Arrows 3 are imprinted on the game board 1 along the sides thereof indicating the direction to which game pieces head.

Portions ofthe mobility pattern 2 are disposed in a square-wave configuration.

The status of each nation is distinguishable by colors. In accordance with the present embodiment, red is the color designated for a first leading nation 4 and its alliances (diagonally shaded regions), green is the color designated for a second leading nation 5 and its alliances (dotted regions), yellow is the color for unaligned nations 6 (unshaded regions) and brown is for neutralist nations 7 (horizontally shaded regions).

The first leading nation 4, in the present case is the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and is in alliance with Cuba, Ethiopia, Finland, Hungary, Iraq, Libya, Poland, Romania and Vietnam. The second leading nation 5 is the United States of America and is in alliance with Canada, Egypt, France, Hondurus, Israel, Lebanon, Panama, Spain and Venezuela. Each leading nation has 9 allies.

Therearetwo neutralist nations, namelySwitzerland and Vatican. The rest ofthe nations are unaligned nations 6.

According to the present embodiment, square 10 designates Argentina, 11 Austria, 12 Australia, 13 Bahamas, 14 Barbados, 15 Belize, 16 Bahrain, 17 Belgium, 18 Bulgaria, 19 Benin, 20 Bangladesh, 21 Cuba, 22 Columbia, 23 Cambodia, 24 Cyprus, 25 China, 26 Dominica, 27 Egypt, 28 Finland, 29 Greece, 30 Grenada, 31 Guatemala, 32 Guyana, 33 Hondurus, 34 India, 35 Indonesia, 36, Iran, 37 Iraq, 38 Japan, 39 Switzerland, 40 Kenya, 41 Liberia, 42 Lebanon, 43 Malta,44 Monaco, 45 Mali, 46 Mauritius, 47 Mozambique, 48 Niger, 49 Nigeria, 50 Norway, 51 Peru, 52 Poland, 53 Portugal, 54 Pakistan, 55 Rwanda, 56 Spain, 57 Sweden, 58 Surinam, 59 Seychelles, 60 Somalia, 61 Salvador, 62 Tunisia, 63Tonga, 64Tuvalu, 65 Uruguay, 66 Uganda, 67 Venezuela, 68 Zambia, 69 Zimbabwe, 70 Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, 71 Angola, 72 Albania, 73Andorra, 74 Burma, 75 Bolivia, 76 Brazil, 77 Bhutan, 78 Brunei, 79 Botswana, 80 Burundi,81 Congo, 82 Canada, 83 Chile, 84 Chad, 85 Cameroon, 86 Denmark, 87 Ecuador, 88 Ethiopia, 89 France, 90 Fiji, 91. Gambia,. 9 Gliana, 93 Gabon, 94 Hungary* 95 ireland, 96 Iceland, 97 Italy, 98 israel, 99 Jamaica, 100 Vatican, 101 Luxemburg, 102 Lesotho, 103 Libya, 104 Laos, 105 Malaysia, 106 Mongolla, 107 Morocco, 108 Mexico, 109 Nepal, 110 Nauru, 111 Nicaragua, 112 Oman, 113 Panama, 114 Paraguay, 115 Philippines, 116 Qatar, 117 Romania, 118 Singapore, 119 Sriianka, 120 Syria, 121 Senegal, 122 Sudan, 123 Tanzania, l24Togo,1 25 Thailand, 126 Turkey, 127 United Kingdom, 128 Vietnam, 129 Yugoslavia, 130 Zaire and 131 United States of America.

The size of the squares provided forthe two leading nations is much greaterthanthatoftheothernations.

Thisistogiveamplespacefortheseating of game pieces at the commencement of the game. They are the two squares designating the 'home bases' or 'home countries' of the players and are disposed in the middle ofthe opposite long sides ofthe game boardl.

The square 8 adjacent to the home base ofthe first leading nation 4 is the sta rting square for one player and is the square designating Algeria. The sqaure 9 adjacent to the home base ofthe second leading nationS is the starting squareforthe otherplayerand is designating Afghanistan. The nations are arranged in alphabetical order as shown in Figure 1.

The object of the game isto capture all the opponents game pieces or troops. Once this is achieved, the game is over.

At the beginning ofthe game, each player has a set often game pieces to start the game with, each set having a different color. The ten game pieces are initially positioned on the square denoting the 'home base' or 'home country' ofthe player. Each game place represents a troop.

Each playerthrows a die to determine who makes the first move. The player with a higherthrow gives the advantage of first move. Each playerthen takes turn to roll the die to determine the number of squares the player moves. Since only one die is thrown, game pieces can only be advanced six squares at the most at a time. The movement ofthe game pieces is confined in one direction as indicated by arrows 3 appearing on the game board 1. The game pieces are not allowed to move backwards. Each playercanmoveanyoneofhis pieces the number of squares indicated by the spot on the die.

If a game piece lands on the opponents's or any of his allies' territory, it is considered to be captured. If a game piece lands on an unaligned nation's territory which is occupied byanopponent'spiece(s),thelatter is captured. Of course a player may only capture opponent's pieces, not his own.

The two neutralist nations / are positioned in the middle ofthe opposite short sides of the game board 1. they are designated by rectangles of brown color.

Any number of game pieces of any player may congregate on the rectangles designating the nuetrals atanyonetime, and all are safe from capture in any circumstances. The size ofthe rectangle is double the size of the squares ofthe unaligned nations 6. This is to facilitate the seating ofthe game pieces of the two opposing parties therein separately.

Once the game piece lands on the sqaure 87 denoting Ecuador, it can either move ahead along the closed mobility pattern 2 orjump to square 113 denoting Panama (as indicated by the phantom line) and continue the moves therefrom, whichever is the sound move. Similarly, if a game piece lands on the square 26 denoting Dominica, it can either move ahead along the mobility pattern 2 orjump to the square 52 denoting Poland (as indicated by the phantom line) and continue the moves therefrom, whichever is appropriate.

All captured game pieces are removed from the game board 1. The playerwho captures all the opponent's game pieces won the game.

Many variations ofthe game may be developed.

For example, the status of each nation can be identified and distiguishable by markers of different colors. Four sets of markers are therefore needed to denote the four different groups of nations, namely the unaligned nations,the neutralist nations, and the nation and its allies of each ofthetwo players.

Beginners are stronglyadvised to placethese markers on the game board during the play. Advanced players may playthe game without the markers if or when they are familiarwith the status of all the nations on the board.Thiswould makethegame notmerelya game of chance but a game of knowledge and strategy.

Extra sets of markers of different colors may be provided so that more than two players may piay the game atthe same time. In this case, arbitrary leading nations and their allied nations will have to be selected. If more than two players are involved in the game, the number of allies of each leading nation shouid be reduced in orderto maintain a predeter mined ratio ofthe numberof unaligned nations on the game board.

While various changes and modification ofthe game may also be made without departing from the scope of the present invention and it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying.drawing shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Claims (10)

1. An educational board game comprising a game board with a plurality of defined regions each representing the territory of a nation and each being joined one to anotherforming a closed mobility pattern in which game pieces move; representations of nations denoting different chosen nations, each being designated to a corresponding region on said game board; identifying meansforthe identification of at leasttwo opposing leading nations each having a number ofalliances, the unaligned nations and the neutralist nations; at least two sets of game pieces, each set being distinguishable from the others; means for generating random numbers to determine the number of regions a game piece moves by a player; and a set of rules.

2. An educational board game according to claim 1,wherein said representations of nations are in the form of names of different chosen nations being imprinted on said game board and being arranged in alphabetical order.

3. An educational board game according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein said identifying means aretaking the form of coloured regions imprinted on said games board.

4. An educational board game according to claim 1 or claim 2,wherein said identifying means are sets of markers, each set being identifiable.

5. An educational board game according to any of the preceding claims, wherein each of said regions is in the form of a square.

6. And educational board game according to any ofthe preceding claims, wherein said closed mobility pattern has portions which are arranged in a squarewave configuration.

7. An educational board game according to any of the preceding claims, wherein said two leading nations are positioned at the middle of and adjacentto the opposite long sides of said game board whereas said two neutralist nations are positioned at the middle of and adjacent to the opposite short sides of said game board intermediate said two leading nations.

8. An educational board game according to any of the preceding claims, wherein each of said at least two leading nations has an equal number of alliances at the beginning ofthe game.

9. An educational board game according to any of the preceding claims, wherein said games board has a total of 124 nations designated thereon made up by 102 unaligned nations, 2 neutralist nations and 2 leading nations each having 9 alliances at the start of the game; and wherein the rules state that any number of game pieces of any player may congregate on the territories ofthe neutralist nations and all are safefrom capture, andthatanygame piece landing on the opponent's or his allies' territories is to be captured and removed from the game board whereas, if any game piece lands on any unaligned nation's territory occupied by the opponent's piece(s), then the latter is (are) captured and removed from the game board.

10. An educational board game substantially as described with reference to the accompanying drawing.