GB2208066A - Competitive game - Google Patents

Abstract

The game utilizes a plurality of polygonal playing pieces e.g. in the form of blocks or cards or three dimensional and rules governing the placing of the pieces in a side by side relationship or in a one on top of the other relationship. The playing of pieces may represent the establishment of relationships between players or may represent players gambling on the fortunes of players who have already played pieces to represent relationships. The pieces are designed so that markings on the underneath surface thereof are invisible to players of the game when the pieces have been placed on a playing surface. The rules provide for scores to be allocated to players, dependent on the placing of pieces and the subsequent revealing of the markings on the underneath of some or all of the pieces - the markings or absence of markings underneath are termed 'positive', 'negative' or neutral edges. The game may involve deals between players but a player may decide secretly not to cooperate in a deal. Pieces may be triangular, square, hexagonal, pyramids, cubes and game may involve different forms - playing pieces of different players may be indentified by colour and/or shape. <IMAGE>

Description

GAMES The invention relates to games.

The invention provides a game comprising a plurality of playing pieces, and a set of rules governing the placing of the pieces, on a flat playing surface, in the horizontal direction, i.e. in a side by side relationship, or both in the horizontal direction, i.e.

in a side by side relationship and in the vertical direction, i.e. in a one on top of the other relationship.

There may be several forms of playing piece.

Preferably there is at least one form of playing piece.

Preferably all the forms of playing piece are polygonal on plan, with a flat surface underneath.

There may be forms of playing piece triangular on plan.

There may be forms of playing piece square on plan.

There may be forms of playing piece hexagonal on plan.

There may be forms of playing piece sexagonal on plan.

Each of the forms of playing piece may be cards or shallow blocks, or distinctly three-dimensional shapes such as pyramids or cubes or other shapes contained within the plan of each form of playing piece when viewed from above.

A game according to the rules may involve the use of any number of one form of playing piece, or any number of any combination of different forms of playing piece.

The playing pieces of different players may be identified by colour and/or shape.

The playing pieces may be marked on the flat surface underneath to indicate "positive" and "negative" edges of the underneath of the playing pieces, each such playing piece having at least one "positive" and at least one "negative" edge of the underneath.

Some edge or edges or all of the edges of the underneath of the playing pieces may be neutral, i.e. neither "positive" nor "negative", indicated either by the absence of a mark or markings underneath, or by a mark or markings on the upper surface or surfaces, or by the shapes of the playing pieces, or any combination thereof.

The "positive" or "negative" edges of the underneath of the playing pieces may be indicated by the absence of a mark or markings on those edges of the underneath, provided that either the "positive" or "negative" edge or edges of the underneath is/are indicated by a mark or markings, and provided that the position of any neutral edge or edges underneath is/are indicated on the upper surface or surfaces thereof.

Preferably the rules governing the playing of playing pieces by players require that in order to establish a relationship the players in the relationship must abut their respective pieces in such a manner that the abutting edges of the underneath of the pieces of the players in the relationship are either "positive" or "negative" as indicated by the mark or markings on the underneath of such pieces.

Preferably the playing pieces are designed so that any markings underneath indicating either "positive" or "negative" edges of the underneath are invisible to players of the game when the playing pieces have been placed on the playing surface.

The playing surface may comprise any flat surface such as a board or table or floor, which may or may not be marked out in areas to correspond with the plan form or forms of the playing pieces.

The rules may provide for scores to be allocated to players, dependent on the placing of pieces and the subsequent revealing of the markings on the underneath of some or all of the playing pieces.

Preferably the rules provide for the playing of pieces to represent the establishment of relationships between players.

Relationships between players may be established simultaneously by all the players involved therein, or a player or players may become involved or further involved in a relationship previously established between at least two players.

The rules may provide for the playing of pieces to represent players gambling on the fortunes of others who have already played playing pieces in relationships.

Preferably the initial placing together or abutment on the playing surface of playing pieces of different players represents the establishment of a relationship or relationships between those players, in which there is a potential for each of those players to achieve a positive, nil, or negative score.

Preferably the placing of a further playing piece or further playing pieces by a player or players in a relationship on top of his/her or their own playing piece or playing pieces already played in the relationship represents further investment therein, thereby increasing his/her or their potential positive, nil, or negative score or scores.

Alternatively or additionally, such further investment may be achieved by the placing of a further playing piece or further playing pieces by a player or players on the playing surface next to his/her or their initial piece or pieces in the relationship, or piece or pieces of other players in the relationship.

Any player not in a relationship may gamble on the fortunes of a player or players in a relationship by placing a playing piece or playing pieces next to the playing piece or playing pieces of any player in a relationship. Any player gambling in this manner remains outside the relationship insofar as decisions are or may be made by the players in the relationship affecting the outcome of the relationship.

Preferably the potential for players in a relationship to achieve positive or negative scores from such a relationship is dependent on the revealing, after all investment in the relationship has taken place, of the relative positions of the markings, underneath the pieces, which indicate "positive" or "negative" edges of the underneath of one or more playing piece of each player in the relationship.

The rules may provide for more than one relationship between players to exist at any one time in the game.

By way of example, specific embodiments of the invention will now be described, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 shows a plan view of the upper surface of a playing piece of the first embodiment of game according to the invention; Figure 2 shows a plan view of the underneath of a playing piece of the first embodiment; Figure 3 shows a plan view of two playing pieces of the first embodiment arranged on the playing surface to establish a relationship between two players; Figure 4 shows a plan view of a relationship in the first embodiment, between two players, with the playing piece of a player gambling on the performance of one of the players in the relationship;; Figure 5 shows a plan view of a relationship in the first embodiment, between two players, with the playing piece of a player gambling on the performance of one of the players in the relationship, and the playing piece of a player gambling on the performance of the other player in the relationship; Figure 6 shows the underneath of two playing pieces of the first embodiment, in a relationship between two players in which the players jointly abutted "positive" edges of the underneath of their playing pieces; Figure 7 shows the underneath of two playing pieces of the first embodiment, in a relationship between two players in which the players jointly abutted "negative" edges of the underneath of their playing pieces; ; Figure 8 shows the underneath of two playing pieces of the first embodiment, in a relationship between two players in which one player abutted a "negative" edge of the underneath of a playing piece to a "positive" edge of the underneath of a playing piece of the other player.

The first embodiment of the game according to the invention is concerned with the use of a single form of playing piece to play a game in which three or more players up to six players establish relationships, in this case deals, and the further development of the deals, in order to score by winning the pieces. The players agree to co-operate in the deals, but each player in a deal may secretly decide to cooperate, or not to co-operate, with the other. Scoring is arranged such that if two players in a deal genuinely co-operate they may both win pieces. If one secretly dissents by not co-operating then that player may win pieces and the other will not.

If two players agree to co-operate but both dissent then neither will win pieces.

Any player may gamble on the performance of any player or players in a deal by "riding" a deal, provided there is a vacancy or there are vacancies to do this as permitted by the rules.

The playing pieces comprise a series of shallow blocks or cards, which are illustrated in Figure 1 showing one side marked with symbols 11 and in Figure 2 showing the other side marked with symbols 10.

All the playing pieces are identical except that the pieces of different players are identified by different colours applied'to the identical symbols 10 and 11, each piece having all symbols 10 and 11 of only one colour. There are six different colours, providing a game for up to six players. There are twelve pieces of each colour.

The playing pieces are played on any flat surface such as a board or table or floor.

To start a game, each player takes an equal number of playing pieces, for example up to twelve pieces each, a different colour of the symbols for each player.

The object of the game is to play the pieces and win back as many pieces as possible. The winner is the player who has won the most pieces during the game.

The players decide which player is to start, for example by drawing lots or by negotiation, and the starting player may then negotiate a deal with any other player.

The starting player may, for example, ask which players are prepared to co-operate, and then select a deal partner from those who answer in the affirmative. A deal between the two players is then established on the playing surface, as illustrated in Figure 3.

The two players in the deal have agreed to work together to score by winning back pieces played in the deal. Genuine co-operation by each player is signified, secretly by each player, by placing his/her respective piece so that the symbols 10 representing the "positive" side of the underneath of the piece are positioned towards the "co-dealer's" piece, as illustrated in Figure 6.

Despite the fact that both players in the deal are ostensibly co-operating, either or both may secretly dissent by appropriate positioning of the symbols 10 underneath their respective pieces. Figure 7 illustrates the underneath of the pieces when both players dissented by jointly abutting the "negative" sides of their respective playing pieces, and Figure 8 illustrates the underneath of the pieces when one player cooperated and the other player dissented.

After the first player has been given the opportunity to establish a deal with another player, whether or not the opportunity was taken, play passes to the next player.

The second player may, in the same manner, negotiate a new deal with any player, the new deal being established on the playing surface, again as illustrated in Figure 3, separate deals being kept apart on the playing surface, i.e. they may not touch each other.

The second player may instead, if he/she is a party to the first deal, negotiate with the first player joint further investment of playing pieces in the first deal. If both players agree to such further investment they each, on the second player's turn, place one of their own playing pieces on top of their respective playing pieces already in the deal. The plan view of the deal, i.e. when viewed from above, is the same as the plan view of the deal before the further pieces are added.However, the players in placing their respective second pieces may each secretly locate the symbols 10 underneath the pieces either towards or away from their partner in the deal; they need not be consistent with the positions of the symbols 10 underneath the first pieces in the deal, i.e. they each may secretly decide either to co-operate or dissent irrespective of whether each co-operated or dissented when the deal was initially established.

Instead of negotiating a new deal or further investment in the first deal the second player may gamble on the performance of either player in the first deal, by playing a "rider" piece as illustrated in Figure 4. "Rider" pieces are the same pieces as the "deal" pieces except that "rider" pieces are placed upside down next to deal pieces, i.e. exposing uppermost what would be the underneath of a piece if the "riding" player were a "dealing" player. The symbols 10 on one edge of the rider piece are placed to connect to the symbols 11 on the exposed edge of the appropriate "dealer's" piece.

Instead of negotiating a new deal or further investment in the first deal, or playing a "rider" piece, the second player may suggest to the first player that the deal established on the first player's turn be redeemed. Redeeming can only be done by mutual agreement between the two players in the deal. To redeem the deal the two playing pieces are turned over simultaneously by the players to reveal each player's true intent in the deal, i.e. to co-operate or dissent, as indicated by the positions of the symbols 10 underneath the pieces in the deal.

After the second player has been given the opportunity to "deal", or "ride", or redeem, all as described, play passes to the third player, and so on, continuing in order and in rounds, each player on a turn having an opportunity to establish one new deal with any other player (subject to a maximum number of deals permitted to exist at any one time in the game equal to the number of players in the game), each playing one piece, or to negotiate further joint investment in any one of his/her existing deals, each of the two "dealers" playing one piece, or to play one rider piece (if there is a vacancy), or to redeem any one of his/her existing deals (i.e. in which he/she is a "dealer").

Players may only play pieces either directly on the playing surface or over pieces with symbols of the same colour, i.e. over their own pieces previously played.

By playing pieces over previously played pieces the players may raise the stakes in a deal or as "riders" as high as desired, subject to availability of pieces. Indeed this may become necessary because of the maximum number of deals allowed in play at any one time in the game, e.g. four players: four deals at a time.

Each time two "dealers" jointly invest further pieces in an existing deal each may secretly decide to co-operate or dissent, irrespective of pieces played previously in the deal, and despite the fact that each of the "dealers" is ostensibly avowing cooperation with the other.

As illustrated in Figure 5, rider pieces may be played against each "dealer" in a deal, the symbols 10 on the edge of a rider piece being placed to connect to the symbols 11 on the exposed edge of a "dealer's" piece. "Riders" may play any number of playing pieces against a deal, irrespective of the number of pieces actually in the deal, and irrespective of whether the "rider" player is a "dealer" in the deal. A player may ride both sides of a deal, if desired. "Riders" may not, however, play rider pieces over rider pieces of other players.

Pieces may only be won when deals are redeemed. There is no score sheet. The scoring system is as follows: Playing pieces are considered either as potentially playable, as are all the pieces at the start of the game, or as won by a player in which case they are no longer potentially playable and are kept to one side to represent the scores of the players, in separately identifiable stacks, one stack per player, according to the cumulative outcomes of the redeeming of deals as play progresses.

If a deal being redeemed is several pieces high, i.e. the "dealers" have jointly invested in the deal more than once, then on redemption of the deal only the uppermost pieces of each "dealer" are turned over, both pieces at the same time, and, for the purposes of scoring, the co-operate or dissent actions thereby revealed underneath such pieces are applied to the earlier pieces played in the deal by the "dealers", irrespective of whether the lower earlier played pieces were played to represent co-operate or dissent.

If, on redemption of a deal both "dealers" are found to have genuinely co-operated as originally agreed, they each win (all) their own respective piece or pieces actually played in the deal. Similarly, any rider pieces backing either side of the deal are won by their respective owners who played them.

If, on redemption of a deal both "dealers" are found to have dissented then all the pieces in the deal and any rider pieces backing the deal are returned to their respective owners as potentially re-playable, no pieces being won by any player as a result of the redemption.

If, on redemption of a deal, one "dealer" dissented and the other co-operated, then the dissenting player in the deal wins all his/her pieces actually played in the deal, and the co-operating player receives all his/her pieces actually played in the deal back as potentially re-playable, i.e. not won. Similarly, any rider piece or pieces backing the dissenting "dealer" is/are won by its/their owner who player it/them, and any rider piece or pieces backing the co-operating "dealer" is/are returned to its/their owner who played it/them as potentially re-playable, i.e. not won.

Once started, play continues to pass round in turn from player to player, keeping to the same order, each player on his/her turn having the opportunities described, i.e.

to play a deal piece (simultaneously with a deal partner who agrees to do the same) or to play a rider piece, or to redeem any one deal to which he/she is party as a "dealer".

When any one player has no potentially playable pieces left to play, all his/her initial allocation of playing pieces having been played and any pieces returned following redeeming of deals having been re-played and not returned as potentially re-playable, then no player in the game may play any more pieces in the game, either in deals or as riders. Play continues round in turn, each player having the opportunity to redeem a deal he/she is party to as a "dealer", in the manner described, i.e. by joint agreement between the two players actually in a deal, one redemption only per turn. The number of such rounds is not restricted.

If, as a result of such redeeming, the player who first had no pieces left to play receives pieces back as potentially re-playable then play resumes as normal, with dealing or riding or redeeming opportunities for each player, until once again the same or another player has no pieces left to play, at which point play reverts back to redeeming opportunities only. This process may be repeated until one player has no potentially playable pieces left to play and all agreed redeeming has been concluded. Some deals may be left unredeemed at the conclusion of play, if the two players involved in such deals as "dealers" cannot agree to redemption. The game is now concluded and the winner is the player who has won the most pieces during the game.

The second embodiment of game according to the invention will now be described, with reference to Figure 5.

The playing pieces are identical to those described in the first embodiment.

The second embodiment is identical to the first embodiment in all respects except two, as follows: Whereas in the first embodiment the rules permit a deal to be redeemed before any rider pieces are added to back either side thereof, or at a stage when only one of the "dealers" has a rider piece or rider pieces added by a backer, in the second embodiment a deal may only be redeemed when at least one rider piece has been added to each of the two "dealers"' piece or pieces in the deal, i.e. when the plan view of the deal from above is as illustrated in Figure 5.

Whereas in the first embodiment when, on redemption of a deal, if one "dealer" dissented and the other co-operated the dissenting player and any "rider" attached thereto win their own pieces, and the co-operating player and any "rider" attached receive their own pieces back as potentially re-playable, in the second embodiment if a similar situation is found to occur on redemption of a deal then the dissenting "dealer" wins all the deal pieces in the deal, including those of the other cooperating "dealer", and the "rider" backing the dissenting "dealer" wins all the rider pieces backing the deal, including those played by the player backing the cooperating dealer.

The invention is not restricted to the details of the foregoing embodiments.

For example, a game may involve the use of more than one form of playing piece.

Each player may use more than one form of playing piece.

Different players may use different forms of playing piece.

The relationships established in the game may involve more than two players.

More than one player may gamble on the performance of any one player in a relationship.

The scores on termination of a relationship in a game in which relationships may involve more than two players may be arranged to reflect the number of "codealers" with which any one player has such a relationship and their respective abutments of edges of the underneath of their respective playing pieces, i.e.

"positive" and "negative", in a manner consistent with the scoring principles in relationships between two players, as described in the foregoing embodiments. For example, on termination for scoring purposes of a relationship between three players "A", "B" and "C", "A" calculates his/her score in relation to "B" and in relation to "C" separately, then such scores are aggregated to produce a positive, nil, or negative score for "A". Similarly, "B" calculates his/her score separately in relation to "A" and "C", then such scores are aggregated to produce a score from the termination of the relationship for "B", and "C" does the same in relation to "A" and "B" to produce a score for "C" from the termination of the relationship.A feature of termination for scoring purposes of relationships between two or more players is the simultaneous revealing of the underneath of the relevant playing piece of each player in the relationship being terminated and the subsequent allocation of one score, positive, nil, or negative, according to the rules, to each player in the relationship, from that relationship.

In a game involving the use of more'than one form of playing piece, the scores on termination of a relationship between two or more players may be arranged to reflect the plan shapes when viewed from above of the playing pieces of the respective players therein. For example, a playing piece with a four-sided plan form may be worth more in terms of investment by a player and potential scoring value than a playing piece with a three-sided plan form.

In a game involving the use of more than one form of playing piece the scores on termination of a relationship between two or more players may be arranged to reflect the distribution of "positive" and "negative" edges of the underneath of the playing pieces on the underneath of each form of playing piece. For example, a playing piece with two "positive" edges and one "negative" edge of the underneath may be worth more in terms of investment and potential scoring value, or less, as dictated by the rules, than a playing piece with two "negative" edges and one "positve" edge of the underneath.

In a manner consistent with the principles of the foregoing, in a game in which more than one player may gamble on the fortunes of any one player in a relationship, on termination for scoring purposes of such a relationship each gambling player may calculate his/her score as if he/she were the sole player gambling on the performance of the player, in the relationship, being gambled upon. Alternatively, several players gambling in this manner may divide and receive such score as would have been allocated to a single player gambling on the performance of one player in the relationship.

A game may comprise any combination of features described in any or all of the four aforegoing paragraphs.

The playing surface may comprise a board or other flat surface divided into areas, such that the shape or shapes of the areas correspond with the shape or shapes of the playing pieces, and such that some or all of the areas abut to provide the opportunity for relationships between players to be established by the abutment of playing pieces (or for the establishment of relationships between players and subsequent playing of pieces by players gambling on the performance of players in a relationship), and such that such opportunities may be restricted according to the arrangement of the areas.

A game may comprise any combination of features described in any or all of the five aforegoing paragraphs.

The invention is not restricted to the details of the foregoing embodiments.

Claims (6)

1. IA competitive game between two or more players using one or more playing pieces polygonal on plan, in which some or all of the players enter one or more potentially scoring relationships by abutting edges of their respective playing pieces on a flat surface or on previously played pieces, without revealing to each other the positions of marks on the underneath surfaces of the playing pieces, and in which such relationship or relationships may be terminated to produce positive or negative scores or an absence of scores for the players, by the players in any particular relationship simultaneously revealing to each other or all of the players in the game the positions of such marks on the underneath surface of one or more of their respective playing pieces, the marks serving to identify "positive" or "negative" edges of the playing pieces, such that players who jointly abutted "positive" edges of their respective playing pieces each receive a positive score, players who jointly abutted "negative" edges of their respective playing pieces each receive a lesser score or no score or a negative score, by way of a penalty, and a player or players who abutted a "negative" edge or "negative" edges to a player or players who abutted a "positive" edge or "positive" edges thereto receives or each receive a positive score, or an enhanced positive score by way of a bonus, whereas the player or players who abutted a "positive" edge or "positive" edges to a player or players who abutted a "negative" edge or "negative" edges thereto receives or each receive a lesser score or no score or a negative score, by way of a penalty, or a greater negative score, by way of a greater penalty, the object of the game for each player being to win by achieving a greater score than any one of the other players.
2. 2 A competitive game between two or more players as claimed in Claim 1, wherein a player or players may abut a playing piece or playing pieces to a playing piece or playing pieces already in a relationship, or place a playing piece or playing pieces over a playing piece or playing pieces already in a particular relationship, thereby gambling on the fortunes of the player or players in the relationship who owns or own such a playing piece or playing pieces being abutted or covered in this way, such that in the event of the relationship being terminated with a view to producing scores for the players therein the gambler (or gamblers) receives (or receive) a positive or negative score or scores or an absence of score or scores, in a manner consistent to the particular player or players in the relationship, being gambled upon.
3. 3 A competitive game as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2, wherein both the players in a relationship between two players or all the players in a relationship between two players, when terminating the relationship, terminate the relationship simultaneously and by mutual agreement in the case of a relationship between two players or simultaneously and by unanimous agreement in the case of a relationship between more than two players.
4. 4 A competitive game as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2, wherein both the players in a relationship between two players or all the players in a relationship between more than two players, when terminating the relationship, terminate the relationship simultaneously and by mutual agreement in the case of a relationship between two players or simultaneously and by a majority agreement in the case of a relationship between more than two players.
5. 5 A competitive game as claim in Claim 1 or Claim 2, wherein both the players in a relationship between two players or all the players in a relationship between more than two players enter and subsequently, when terminating the relationship, terminate the relationship simultaneously, by mutual agreement in the case of a relationship between two players or by unanimous agreement in the case of a relationship between more than two players.
6. 6 A competitive game as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2, wherein both the players in a relationship between two players or all the players in a relationship between more than two players enter the relationship by mutual agreement in the case of a relationship between two players or by unanimous agreement in the case of a relationship between more than two players, and, when terminating the relationship, terminate the relationship simultaneously and by mutual agreement in the case of a relationship between two players or simultaneously and by majority agreement in the case of a relationship between more than two players.

   6 A competitive game as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2, wherein both the players in a relationship between two players or all the players in a relationship between more than two players enter the relationship by mutual agreement in the case of a relationship between two players or by unanimous agreement in the case of a relationship between more than two players, and, when terminating the relationship, terminate the relationship simultaneously and by mutual agreement in the case of a relationship between two players or simultaneously and by majority agreement in the case of a relationship between more than two players.

   7 A competitive game as claimed in any preceding Claim, wherein two or more relationships may exist simultaneously.

   8 A competitive game as claimed in Claim 7, wherein a restricted number of relationships may exist simultaneously.

   9 A competitive game as claimed in any preceding Claim, wherein the number of players permitted by the rules to enter any particular relationship is restricted.

   10 A competitive game as claimed in Claim 9, wherein any particular relationship may involve any combination of at least two players, up to the maximum number of players permitted therein.

   11 A competitive game as claimed in any preceding Claim, wherein any of the players may increase their respective potential positive or negative scores, resulting from the termination of a relationship or relationships, by further investment of playing pieces placed over and/or to abut their own respective playing pieces already played, the playing of such further pieces being done in a manner consistent with the rules governing the playing of their initially played playing pieces.

   12 A competitive game as claimed in any preceding Claim, wherein the relation ships represent an imaginary theme or combination of imaginary themes, for example business deals, military alliances, political alliances, romantic relationships, or any combination thereof.

   13 A competitive game as claimed in any previous Claim, wherein some or all of the playing pieces are played by the players on to a board or boards or other flat playing surface or surfaces marked out into areas which correspond in shape to the plan form of some or all of the playing pieces, such that some or all of the playing pieces when played are located on some or all of the areas, and such that the shape or shapes and/or arrangement of the areas influences or restricts or in some other way affects the performance and/or outcome of the game.

   14 A competitive game substantially as described herein with reference to Figures 1-8 of the accompanying drawings.

   Amendments to the claims have been filed as follows therein the gambler (or gamblers) receives (or receive) a positive or negative score or scores or an absence of score or scores, in a manner consistent to the particular player or players in the relationship, being gambled upon.

   3 A competitive game as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2, wherein both the players in a relationship between two players or all the players in a relationship between more than two players, when terminating the relationship, terminate the relationship simultaneously and by mutual agreement in the case of a relationship between two players or simultaneously and by unanimous agreement in the case of a relationship between more than two players.

   4 A competitive game as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2, wherein both the players in a relationship between two players or all the players in a relationship between more than two players, when terminating the relationship, terminate the relationship simultaneously and by mutual agreement in the case of a relationship between two players or simultaneously and by majority agreement in the case of a relationship between more than two players.

   5 A competitive game as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2, wherein both the players in a relationship between two players or all the players in a relationship between more than two players enter and subsequently, when terminating the relationship, terminate the relationship simultaneously, by mutual agreement in the case of a relationship between two players or by unanimous agreement in the case of a relationship between more than two players.