GB2207609A - Board game or hobby packs - Google Patents

Abstract

In a series of board game or hobby packs each type of pack in the series comprises packaging and (a) major component(s) common throughout the series and (a) minor component(s) which (has) have special connotation individual to the pack type, the special connotation being applied to the pack or otherwise visible in the packed form. Connotation may for example be geographical but the board game specifically illustrated is based on football with a team or club as the connotation and with minor components in the form of playing pieces such as cards bearing the name of team or club and the names of players. Figure 1 illustrates a board - the objective is to for players acting as managers to put together a full squad and win fourteen football matches. Dice, team sheets, counters, cheques, match cards and directors cards are utilized in the game as detailed. The invention may be applied to model car racing kits with different decals to individual racing drivers. <IMAGE>

Description

BOARD OR LIKE GAME, HOBBY OR LIKE PACKS This invention relates to board or like game, hobby or like packs.

Board games such as wMonopoly", "Cluedo", "Trivial Pursuits" and many others are widely known and enjoyed by many people. Whilst all such games have their differences, there is nevertheless an element of sameness about them that makes it difficult to devise a really new board game.

Games like chess and certain playing card games such as bridge, whist and poker have stood the test of time. Most recently developed board games, however, which involve the throw of dice to import an element of chance as well as some greater or lesser degree of acumen or special or general knowledge, have not attained the status of those older games, to which newspaper columns are devoted and about which much literature has been written on theory and practice.

It must be supposed, therefore, that in the main, the more modern and proliferating board games lack something that affects their staying power, and this may explain why there is considerable interest in devising and promoting new games. As mentioned above, however, the new games mostly have a sameness about them and it must be accepted that, if this is not inevitable, it is certainly a difficult problem to overcome.

The present invention does not provide a solution to that problem, but it does provide a solution to the problem of how to market board games that suffer from the problem.

The invention comprises a series of board or like game, hobby or like packs, of which each type of pack in the series comprises packaging and a major component or major components which are common throughout the series, and a minor component or minor components which have special connotation which is individual to said pack type of the series and is of use in, but has no substantial significance to, the game or hobby, the special connotation being applied to the pack or otherwise visible in the packed form.

The special connotation, therefore, is an element which can be used to market a game or hobby which is otherwise not substantially different from existing games or hobbies. It may for example, be a geographical connotation.

A board game featuring a sport, such as football, may then have a team or club as a special connotation, the minor component or components comprising playing pieces identifiable with a team or club. Sch playing pieces may for example comprise cards bearing the name of the team or clb and the names of players in the shad.

The major components may comprise a board having squares in which pieces move, pieces to move on the squares, and rules prescribing piece moves.

One board game series according to the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a depiction of a board for a football-based game; Figure 2 is a view of a selection of moving pieces with which the game is played; Figure 3 is a depiction of a card used in the game; and Figure 4 is a view of a box in which the game is packed for sale.

The game is played on the board shown in Figure 1 and the cards 12 of Figure 3. The throw of dice determines the moves of the players as in a typical board game. Each player starts at the START square 13 and moves his counter 14 the number of squares shown on the dice in a given, eg., clockwise, direction.

A typical set of rules would read as follows: Objectives Everyone playing acts as the manager of the club, bt each begins with only six key players signed.

The winner will be the first person to achieve the two objectives of winning fourteen football matches against the others playing the board game while putting together his full team.

Throughout these instructions, those playing the board game are described as 'managers'; the word 'players' is used to refer to the footballers being managed.

Playing Pieces The pieces for the game are: BOARD, DICE, WOODEN COUNTERS, NUMBERED COUNTERS, TEAM SHEETS, CHEQUES, MATCH CARDS and DIRECTORS CARDS.

Two of these need a particular mention: 1. TEAM SHEETS. There is one team sheet each for up to four managers which show the club's players in the general roles we have given them: GOALKEEPER - DEFENCE - MIDFIELD - ATTACK The sheets are in two parts, they show the players' names towards the top - these are the FIRST TEAM LINES; they also have two lines at the bottom showing only the same players' numbers - these are the SQUAD LINES. You will put your players into either your squad or first team using this sheet.

2. NUMBERED COUNTERS. The players are always represented by numbered counters which show what is happening to the players - for instance the counters change hands if players are bought and are placed on the appropriate line on his team sheet to show whether they are in a manager's first team or only in his 'squad'.

The numbered counters run from 1-16 and correspond with the numbers of the 16 players on the team sheets; counter number 1 is a goalkeeper and so on. The counters are printed in different colours only to make it easier to omit some if less than four managers are taking part; the colours are not significant in playing the game.

There are three sets of these counters - if four managers are playing a game all three sets are used; if fewer than four play then: For two managers use the black set and the blue set (24 counters) For three managers use the black set and the green set (32 counters).

When fewer than four managers are playing the sets of counters which will not be needed must be left in the box; it is important that only the correct sets of counters for the number of managers playing are taken from the box.

Preparation (a) Each manager takes a team sheet.

(b) The sets of numbered counters needed for a game are selected and put out face down on the table, each manager takes six at random and places them on top of those players' NAMES in the four first team lines of his team sheet. Those no-one has picked up from the table are then pt on top of the shirts which have the counters' numbers at the corners of the playing board.

Counters numbered one go on shirt number one etc; some shirts will have more than one counter - some may have none.

If a manager picks from the table two or more counters with the same number he puts one of them on the player's name but puts repeats on top of that player's number on the SQUAD LINES at the bottom of the sheet. A manager may buy repeats of any numbered counter as the game progresses but, again, wherever a counter is already in the FIRST TEAM LINE its duplicate mst be put into the SQUAD LINE.

(c) Each manager takes four blue directors cards and for buff match cards - the rest are put in the spaces provided on the board. Managers will need to look at their cards.

(d) Each manager takes two wooden counters of the same colour; one he moves round the outside of the board and the other round the forteen stars in the centre of the board keeping a tally of the football matches won.

(e) Each manager takes fourteen cheques valued at 100,000 and fourteen at 20,000; cheques are used to make or receive all payments referred to in the game.

Star Strikers Star strikers are highlighted on a manager's team sheet and when bought by that manager count for extra goals for him when matches are played. The star strikers on the team sheets are slightly different as follows: Manager 1: 9,10,11,16 Manager 2: 9,12,15,16 Manager 3: 10,13,14,15 Manager 4: 11,12,13,14 If only two players play they must use the team sheets for Managers 1 and 2 above.

How to Play On his turn, each manager must make any one of four possible moves: 1. HE MAY THROW THE DICE TO MOVE ROUND THE BOARD Managers throw a dice to move round the board and follow the instructions of the square on which they land. Or 2. HE MAY PLAY A FOOTBALL MATCH A manager may take his turn by challenging another to a football match as he tries to achieve fourteen victories. Matches are played no matter how few players counters are on a managers' team sheets though a manager's chances of winning are greater the more players he has signed! When a manager decides to play a match he challenges any other manager he wishes challenges cannot be refused.

The result of the match is settled by the number of goals each manager's team can score. The challenger scores his goals first by selecting any one of his match cards and counting one goal for each of the players' counters he has in his FIRST TEAM LINE for the role shown at the top of the match card. That is to say if your match card is headed "ATTACK" and you have, for example, two players counters on that row of your team sheet you score two goals - and so on according to the number of counters in the line; players' counters in the sqad line do not count for goals.

To this score is added one extra goal for each of that manager's "star strikers" regardless of the role shown on the match card he is using but provided their counters are in the first team line on his team sheet.

Only those star strikers whose numbers are highlighted on a manager's team sheet count as his star strikers he may of course by someone else's star strikers but not to count towards his EXTRA goals.

Once the challenger has declared his goals the other manager chooses any one of his own match cards and takes the same steps as above; the one with most goals is the winner (bust see SUBSTITUTES).

Substitutes Some of the match cards allow a substitution to be made which will add more goals to those calculated above. A manager who chooses to play his sub does so by first dropping any one of his first team counters into its squad line and then adding the extra goals allowed for the substitution to those already calculated.

Managers choose whether or not to play their sub as part of calculating their goals for the match.

HOWEVER, ANY PLAYER WHOSE COUNTER IS IN A SQUAD LINE FOR ANY REASON IS AUTOMATICALLY ON THE TRANSFER LIST AND MUST BE SOLD IF ANY MANAGER BIDS TO BUY THAT PLAYER.

When the result of the match is decided each manager must then act on any additional instruction on the match card he has used; the challenger first.

As they are used, the match cards are pt to the bottom of the pile on the board; when he has run ot of cards a manager draws another four from the top of the pile.

Match Winner The winner of a match puts one of his wooden counters at '1 WIN' on the 'matches won' record in the centre of the board; managers move their counter on to record each successive win and collect 40,000 gate money from the bank for each victory.

OR 3. HE MAY PLAY A DIRECTORS CARD The directors cards are about matters which directors and managers would usually discuss with each other. A manager choosing to play a directors card displays it, acts on its instruction and puts it to the bottom of the pile on the board. Another four cards are drawn when all the previous four have been used.

OR 4. HE MAY ENTER THE TRANSFER MARKET The methods of buying/selling players are: Bidding for Squad Players Players' counters in any squad line are automatically on the transfer list and must be sold to the highest bidder.

Bidding is begun if a manager, when it is his turn to go and starting at 200,000 offers to buy a player whose counter is in another's SQUAD LINE. All the managers can then bid higher in turn including the manager whose player is being chased. Bids go round the board in the sal order of play until the highest one is reached. If the winner is the manager already in possession he pays the bank and can move the player's counter up into his first team - providing, of course, the first team spot is empty.

If the bidding is won by one of the other managers he takes the player he has bought, pays the manager from whom he was signed, and puts the counter on his team sheet.

Bids may also be started by a manager wishing to SELL a player to raise cash - he may do so as a way of taking his turn, but MUST do so if he is forced during a turn to pay cash bt has not enough funds to do so; a player being SOLD by his manager may be in the squad OR first team lines. The selling manager invites any bids starting with the manager to his left; the manager of the player involved may join in - to boost the bidding - but if he casts the highest bid he pays the bank.

If a manager is selling to raise cash to pay bonuses he omits the player sold from the bonus calculation.

Other Transfers SELLING DIRECT TO THE BANK FOR 100,000.

Instead of seeking bids - or if the highest bid is unacceptable to him - a manager may sell any of his players to the bank for 100,000. The player's counter is returned to its shirt at the corner of the board.

BUYING FROM THE BOARD FOR 300,000.

If a manager's counter going round the board lands on one of the shirts in the corners while a NUMBERED PLAYER'S COUNTER is still there he may buy that player by paying the bank.

WHENEVER ANY PLAYER IS BEING BOUGHT THE MANAGER WHO BUYS HIM TAKES THE COUNTER FROM WHERE IT WAS BEING SOLD AND PUTS IT ON HIS TEAM SHEET.

Additional Advice BRINGING PLAYERS INTO THE FIRST TEAM. Any player whose counter is in a squad line can be transferred into his place in the first team line ether when the manager is the highest bidder for that player or immediately a manager's counter lands on the appropriate square on the board or if the move is allowed by a card's instruction.

No more than eleven players may ever be shown as FIRST TEAMERS on the team sheet - if a manager finds he has more than eleven he must put the extra ones into his squad lines.

MATCH CARDS. If a match card is headed 'match won' this supersedes the goal scoring procedure for the manager who is playing the card and determines the match result; the 'loser' must still play a match card. If both managers' cards show 'match won', the match is drawn; whenever any match is drawn neither manager records a victory or collects 40,000. Managers must always use a match card when playing a match - even if they have no player in the role shown at the top of that card.

The instructions on a match card must be followed exactly and in full by the manager; if an instruction is impossible - eg., a manager has no goalkeeper's counter to drop to the squad line etc - and there is no alternative choice on the card which could be carried out, the manager must pay 60,000 to the bank.

DIRECTORS CARDS. The instruction on any directors card being played must be followed in full or it cannot be played.

TEAM SHEETS. If a manager has eleven players' counters in his first team any more players he signs must be put into the squad lines; a manager with eleven first teamers will also ignore instructions to move players into the first team from the squad lines.

A star striker who is also in the role shown at the top of a match card being used counts for two goals.

PLAYING MATCHES. If a manager continues to win matches beyond fourteen he should move the wooden counter on to '1 WIN' again in order to keep recording all his victories while he tries to win the board game.

MOVING ROUND THE BOARD. 'TAKE UP TO THREE FREE TURNS' gives the chance to move round the board quicker while trying to pick the most.favourable square to land. Managers only obey the square on which they choose to land on the 1st, 2nd or 3rd throw.

Squad players are included if bonuses have to be calculated.

FINANCIAL SOUNDNESS. A manager who lacks the cash to make any payment must raise money immediately by selling players. If he has not enough players to sell to raise the cash he must leave the game.

WINNING THE BOARD GAME. The sequence involved in determining the winner is that once the fourteen matches - or such other number as the managers agree beforehand - are won by a manager any directors cards he still holds must be played in the usual way until all are used. The winner will have won his matches, used all his directors cards and have eleven players - WHICH MUST INCLUDE A GOALKEEPER and also COUNTING ANY SQUAD PLAYERS - still on his team sheet.

If a manager is instructed to dedct victories, taking his total of wins back below fourteen, he must continue in the usual way until he is able to win the board game.

These rules should finish a game in about two hours. The game can be made more difficult by taking fewer than six free players at the start and/or by requiring more than fourteen matches to be won.

Similarly, a shorter game may be played by starting with more than six players or by reducing the number of matches to be won.

DIRECTORS CARDS (2 x) PASS ONE OF YOUR DIRECTORS CARDS TO ANY OTHER MANAGER (2 x) GO TO SPONSOR SQUARE AND THROW DICE FOR SPONSOR MONEY 2 x) CONTRACT NEGOTIATIONS; PAY BANK 200,000 OR SEEK BIDS FOR A PLAYER - HIGHEST BIDDER TO CHOOSE WHICH PLAYER. SELL TO BANK FOR 100,000 IF BIDS DO NOT REACH THIS FIGURE (2 x) PITCH IMPROVEMENTS; PAY 300,000 TO BANK AND RECORD 3 MATCH WINS - DO NOT TAKE WINNER'S CASH (4 x) SCOUTING TRAVELS BRING A TRANSFER REQUEST IN YOUR FAVOUR; DROP ANY OTHER MANAGER'S PLAYER TO HIS SQUAD LINE (4 x) SUCCESSFUL GAME IN THE RESERVES - MOVE ONE OF YOUR SQUAD PLAYERS TO THE FIRST TEAM (1) TEAM SELECTION DIFFICULTIES; DROP ONE OF YOUR ATTACKERS TO SQUAD LINE OR DEDUCT TWO MATCH WINS (1) TEAM SELECTION DIFFICULTIES; DROP ONE OF YOUR MIDFIELD PLAYERS TO SQUAD LINE OR DEDUCT TWO MATCH WINS (1) TEAM SELECTION DIFFICULTIES;DROP YOUR GOALKEEPER TO SQUAD LINE OR DEDUCT TWO MATCH WINS (1) TEAM SELECTION DIFFICULTIES; DROP ONE OF YOUR DEFENDERS TO SQUAD.LINE OR DEDUCT TWO MATCH WINS (2 x) DIRECTORS AGREE TRANSFER, YOU MUST SIGN ANY PLAYER FROM ANY OTHER MANAGER FOR 200,000 (2 x) SUCCESSFUL YOUTH POLICY; TAKE ANY PLAYER FROM THE BOARD AT NO COST (2 x) TRANSFER INSTALMENT; COLLECT 100,000 FROM THE BANK (2 x) DIRECTORS PROVIDE CASH; TAKE 100,000 FROM THE BANK MATCH CARDS ATTACK SCORE 1 EXTRA GOAL IF YOU DECIDE TO PLAY A (2 x) SUBSTITUTE BY DROPPING ONE OF YOUR FIRST TEAM PLAYERS TO THE SQUAD LINE ON YOUR TEAM SHEET.

SCORE 2 EXTRA GOALS IF YOU DECIDE TO PLAY A SUBSTITUTE BY DROPPING ONE OF YOUR FIRST TEAM PLAYERS TO THE SQUAD LINE ON YOUR TEAM SHEET.

SCORE 3 EXTRA GOALS IF YOU DECIDE TO PLAY A SUBSTITUTE BY DROPPING ONE OF YOUR FIRST TEAM PLAYERS TO THE SQUAD LINE ON YOUR TEAM SHEET.

(REPEATED AS ABOVE FOR DEFENCE, MIDFIELD AND GOALKEEPER) ATTACK TAKE A DIRECTORS CARD, PLAY 1 IMMEDIATELY IF 4 (1) ALREADY HELD.

(REPEATED AS ABOVE FOR DEFENCE, MIDFIELD AND GOALKEEPER) ATTACK YOUR HIGHEST NUMBER FIRST TEAM ATTACKER - NOT A (1) STAR STRIKER - IS SENT OFF. DROP HIM TO SQUAD LINE.

MIDFLD YOUR HIGHEST NUMBER FIRST TEAM MIDFIELD PLAYER NOT A STAR STRIKER - IS SENT OFF. DROP HIM TO SQUAD LINE.

MATCH GOALKEEPER SEEKS TRANSFER. DROP HIM INTO WON SQUAD LINE.

(2 x) GOAL SCORE 3 MORE GOALS IF YOUR GOALKEEPER IS IN KEEPER THE FIRST TEAM LINE.

(1) ATTACK OWN GOALS'. ADD 2 GOALS TO OPPONENTS SCORE.

(1) (REPEATED AS ABOVE FOR DEFENCE, MIDFIELD AND GOALKEEPER) MATCH STAR STRIKER INJURED - PUT ONE INTO YOUR SQUAD WON (1) LINE.

DEFENCE YOUR HIGHEST NUMBER FIRST TEAM DEFENCER IS (1) INJURED. DROP HIM INTO SQUAD LINE.

GOAL YOUR FIRST TEAM GOALKEEPER IS INJURED. DROP HIM KEEPER INTO SQUAD LINE.

(1) BOARD START GO TO SPONSOR SQUARE SWITCH ONE OF YOUR MATCH CARDS WITH TOP ONE FROM THE BOARD 2 3 4 BONUSES. PAY 20,000 TO BANK FOR EACH OF YOUR GOALKEEPERS PUT ONE PLAYER FROM YOUR SQUAD LINE INTO FIRST TEAM LINE TEAM SHEET TAXES DUE PAY 100,000 TO BANK GATES INCREASE - COLLECT 300,000 FROM BANK IF YOU NOW HAVE ALL 5 PLAYERS IN ANY ONE FIRST TEAM LINE TAKE UP TO 3 FREE THROWS NOW 5 6 7 8 BONUSES PAY 20,000 TO BANK FOR EACH OF YOUR ATTACKERS TAXES DUE PAY 100,000 TO BANK SPONSOR COLLECT FROM BANK 60,000 TIMES THE THROW OF THE DICE CONTRACT NEGOTIATION. IF ANY OF YOUR STAR STRIKERS IS SIGNED PAY 200,000 TO BANK OR RETURN HIM TO THE BOARD COLLECT 100,000 FROM BANK 9 10 11 12 BONUSES. PAY 20,000 TO BANK FOR EACH MIDFIELD PLAYER PUT ONE PLAYER FROM YOUR SQUAD LINE INTO FIRST TEAM LINE ON YOUR TEAM SHEET PUT ONE PLAYER FROM YOUR SQUAD LINE INTO FIRST TEAM LINE ONE YOUR TEAM SHEET TAKE UP TO THREE FREE GOES NOW PUT ONE PLAYER FROM YOUR SQUAD LINE INTO FIRST TEAM LINE ON YOUR TEAM SHEET 13 14 15 16 COLLECT 100,000 FROM BANK BONUSES. PAY 20,000 TO BANK FOR EACH DEFENDER The card 12 of Figure 3, it will be noticed is specific, in this otherwise generally football-orientated game, to the well-known First Division Club Everton, and the names of the players are the names of real Everton players.

A game may have all its cards 12 the same, so that the "teams" playing against each other are national Everton teams of perhaps different composition, with players playing on both sides at once.

More realistically, different teams will be represented on the cards 12 of a playing set.

The game is played in exactly the s?me way, of course, regardless of which team or club is represented on the cards 12.

The name or names of the team or teams on the cards 12 are also shown on the outside of the box in which the game is packaged.

Whilst the invention has been particularly described in connection with a board game, the same principles apply equally well to other games and to hobby kits such, for example, as model racing car kits which can be supplied with different decals specific to individual racing drivers.

Claims (8)

1. A series of board or like game, hobby or like packs, of which each type of pack in the series comprises packaging and a major component or major components which are common throughout the series, and a minor component or minor components which have special connotation which is individual to said pack type of the series, and is of use in but has no substantial significance to the game or hobby, the special connotation being applied to the pack or otherwise visible in the packed form.

2. A series according to claim 1, in which the said special connotation is a geographical connotation.

3. A series according to claim 1 or claim 2, comprising a board game featuring a sport.

4. A series according to claim 3, in which the special connotation is a team or club.

5. A series according to claim 4, in which the sport is football and the minor component or components comprise playing pieces specific to a team.

6. A series according to claim 5, in which the said playing pieces specific to a team comprise cards bearing the name of the team and the names of players in the team squad.

7. A series according to any one of claims 1 to 6, in which the said major component or major components comprise a board having squares on which pieces move, pieces to move on the squares and rules prescribing piece moves.

8. A series of board or like game, hobby or like packs substantially as hereinafter described with reference to the accompanying drawings.