GB2209001A - Board game - Google Patents

Abstract

The game comprises a board marked with a square grid of lines, playing tokens and random number of indicating means specifically in the form of two differently coloured dice to respectively provide indications of movement along the respective grid axes; one internal board square 4 is marked as a destination square while there are a plurality of marginally located start-and-finish squares 5-10. Players progress from start-and-finish squares to destination square and back. Points are scored - score cards 15, 16 are provided. Sets of cards may be provided with information on one or two faces and skill questions - there may be wild life illustrations on one face and questions relevant thereto on other face. As shown board is marked as inner and outer territory and rules of play may vary therebetween. The grid is superimposed over a map of area of Devon with inner territory being Dartmoor National Park. Illustrations 14 and periphery of board correspond to map locations 1-50 on square of board. <IMAGE>

Description

BOARD GAME This invention relates to a board game.

Board games of the "path" type are well known. In such games tokens representing individual players move around the subdivisions of a subdivided path in accordance with the numbers generated by random-numeral-indicating equipment to encounter instructions upon individual subdivisions. The path may be a single continuous path, or may be branched, or may constitute a network.

The present invention is concerned with a board game in which tokens are moved in accordance with the numbers generated by random-number-indicating equipment about a number of positions arranged in a square grid pattern.

In one aspect the invention consists in a board game or the like comprising a playing surface marked with a square grid pattern of positions; a plurality of playing tokens; and random-number-indicating means: in which one board position, in a generally interior location, is marked as a destination position; and a plurality of other board positions each in a generally edge or margin location are marked as start and finish positions whereby rules of play may provide for movement of tokens by successive players each in dependence on two random number indications. one governing movement along a first grid axis and the other governing movement along the second grid axis at right angles thereto, insofar as such movement is permitted by the limits of the grid.

so that the players may progress from a start/finish position to the destination position and back to or through a start/finish position.

Preferably there are two random number indicating devices, for example two dice. If there are two dice they can be differently coloured. and one dice may provide number indications specific to travel in an "east" or "west" direction, while the other may provide similar information specific to travel in a "north" or "south direction. In such a case. one throw of the two dice provides a choice of four possible destinations for a token (insofar as the edges of the board permit). It is of course also possible to make rules so that the dice numbers thrown are not specific to a given grid direction but can be interchanged. whereby up to eight destinations are possible.

Preferably moreover there are the same number of tokens for use by players as there are start and finish destinations marked on the board.

While a board game of the above type can be played merely upon a grid pattern of positions. on a "first to finish" basis, it is preferred if the game comprises certain further features. Thus, preferably at least some of the positions on the grid are marked with score indications. If this expedient is adopted. it is much preferred also to provide at least one set of score cards for "face-up" use. whereby if a score is made by landing upon a given position one or more cards to the value of the score can be taken and retained.

Moreover. it is valuable if at least some of the positions generate turn-affecting, move-affecting. or score-affecting instructions. These instructions can be printed upon the board itself but most preferably a further set of cards is provided. for 'face-down" use.

having one information face and one non-information face. Such cards can be taken up one at a time by players landing upon relevant positions which can for example be marked with a question mark. The information face of the cards can contain instructions affecting the turn of the player (e.g.miss a turn) or the movement of the.player (e.g.go to predetermined position) or the score of the player (e.g.score fifty bonus points). More preferably, however, the information face of the cards carries skill questions which need to be answered correctly before a score can be made. In either instance rules may provide for successfully answered score cards to be retained.

Preferably again at least some of the positions are marked as "card-accumulation" positions. In such an instance, there will be provided a yet further set of cards having two information faces. Rules may provide for such cards to be placed with one face uppermost for view during play. The cards may further be embodied so that the other (underneath) face carries a skill question relative to the top face.

It will be appreciated that by the man skilled in designing board games that a given position may carry more than one of the indications.

A particular valuable feature of marking of the board is to divide the grid into an inner and outer territory.

Any destination position, for preference a single destination, can lie within the inner territory. Rules of play can differ as between positions inside and outside of the territory, for example, the takeup of a "face-down" skill card may be made optional outside of the territory but obligatory within that territory.

It is also within the scope of the invention to ornament the board with a map of a known area. This is of particular value since it permits the game to be embodied as a holiday. or tourist promotion, activity.

Moreover, if the board is so marked some of the grid positions can be numbered as additional skill features, whereby if a player can correctly identify the feature of interest at that map location his score is increased.

In addition to the basic rule of progression from a starting/finishing position to a destination position and back (preferably to the same starting-and-finishing position) rules may provide that the game terminates either when all players have returned to their starting position (at which time the points are counted) or, if point-score cards are provided. when all of the score cards on the board are exhausted. Rules may further and preferably provide that the said yet further set of cards. i.e. that set of cards containing information on both faces. includes cards which have to be successfully answered, and hence collected. to a given number (e.g.

two) of such cards. The players will appreciate during progress of the play that the next such card shows an object. location or creature about which the underside poses a question and will arrange their strategy in accordance with their confidence in answering questions on that topic.

The invention will be further described with reference to the accompanying drawings, which show an embodiment of the game displayed using a map of the Dartmoor National Park within its surrounding countryside.

Figure 1 shows a square grid of lines superimposed over a map of an area of countryside in Devon. In a generally interior position in relation to the edges of the grid is shown the outline (1) of the Dartmoor National Park.

Some of the grid squares are prominently outlined with colours serving as score indications,for example blue (2) for five points and yellow (3) for twenty points.

For clarity of illustration not all such are indicated.Many of the grid squares are marked with a question mark. A few of the squares are marked with a letter W. Fifty of the squares are marked with an encircled number from 1 to 50 (not all shown).There is a single internal and prominently marked destination square (4), corresponding in position to Cranmere Pool, a prominent and remote feature of the Park itself. There are moreover six generally marginally located start-and-finish squares (5-10) each corresponding in map position to a town in the area (Okehampton, Tavistock, Ivybridge, Yelverton. Totnes, Bovey Tracey).

The map shows various topographical features such as roads (11), restricted areas or woodlands (12) rivers 13, and the like. These play no part in the game itself but serve a useful promotional or advertising purpose e.g. as a tourist promotion.

Around the periphery of the board there are fifty illustrations (14), numbered 1 to 50 (not all numbered in the drawings)and corresponding to map locations 1 to 50 marked on the square of the board.

Spaces are provided for two sets 15, 16 of "face-up" score cards worth respectively 5 points and 20 points a card; one set 17 of "face-down" cards each card with a question mark on the back; and one set 18 of two-sided cards with wild life illustrations on one face and questions relevant to the illustration on the other face.

The board is completed by a name space 19 and a space for printed rules 20.

The board and the stacks of cards are used with six tokens. for use by up to six players. and two dice of contrasting colours e.g. yellow and green.

Typical rules by which a game may be played with this equipment are as follows.

The players choose their respective tokens and a starting position from one of the six starting positions labelled The players successively throw two dice.

Each player moves his token to a square governed by the throw of the two dice. The yellow dice governs movement in a north or south direction and the green dice governs movement in an east or west direction from the starting point. The tokens can of course only be moved to squares available on the board. and up to four possible destinations are therefore possible for each throw of the two dice.

If an opponent is already in position on the chosen square 10 points are transferred from the arriving player to the existing player.

If the arrival square is outlined in blue or yellow then 5 or 20 respectively are scored, being taken from the face-up piles of point score cards. If the arrival square is marked with a question mark then a card is taken from the face down pile, and instructions on the back wording is read.These will typically involve a question about the area. If the question is correctly answered (a book of answers can be provided. or the answer can be printed in fine print on the card and the question administered by another player) then the score on the card is duly amassed or the instructions on the card are or followed respectively. Usually there will be a question and a point score for a correct answer. but there may be penalties for any incorrect answer or the card in some instances may contain bonus points not contingent upon the answer of the question.Also. the card may contain move-affecting. turn-affecting or position-affecting instructions.

The board may carry question-mark squares both inside and outside the National Park. Those squares inside the park oblige the player to take a question card, whereas those marked squares outside of the park give him the option of declining to take such a card if desired.

If the arrival square is marked with a W then the "wild life illustrations" card currently on top of the stack,is turned over. and the relevant question on the back is answered. It will be obvious that a player who is not confident of his ability to answer questions of identification or habit as to the animal or plant shown in the wild life card will so arrange his travel as to avoid this particular stack of cards until that wild life card has been dealt with by someone else. If the wild life card is successfully answered it is retained but if the answer is incorrect the card is placed on the bottom of the stack and the next card exposed.

If the arrival space contains a number from 1 to 50, on the specific map location. the player can amass further points by identifying the feature of interest at that location, utilising the small illustrations around the edge of the board by way of reference.

If the arrival square is the destination square then the player is halfway through his travel and can commence his return path back to his original starting point. In practice, it is advisable for the rules to provide that the home square need only be passed over but not actually landed upon so as to keep the game to a reasonable time span.

The first player home receives bonus points from the others. Typically, the bonus points to be exchanged for each player that reaches home can be 10 points if five or six players are playing, 20 points if three or four players are playing, and 40 points if only two players are playing.

Rules may provide that the player can thereafter continue playing so as to continue to amass points.

The game ends when either the points cards run out or the last player has reached home.

The winner is the player with the most points.

Claims (10)

Claims

1. A board game or the like comprising a playing surface marked with a square grid pattern of positions; a plurality of playing tokens; and random-number-indicating means: in which one board position, in a generally interior location, is marked as a destination position; and a plurality of other board positions each in a generally edge or margin location are marked as start and finish positions whereby rules of play may provide for movement of tokens by successive players each in dependence on two random number indications. one governing movement along a first grid axis and the other governing movement along the second grid axis at right angles thereto. insofar as such movement is permitted by the limits of the grid, so that the players may progress from a start/finish position to the destination position and back to or through a start/finish position.

2. A board game as claimed in claim 1 in which the random numeral indicating means is two dice.

3. A board game as claimed in claim 1 or 2 in which at least some of the positions on the grid are marked with score indications and in which at least one set of score cards are provided. whereby rules may provide for cards to be taken. retained and accumulated during play.

4. A board game as claimed in any one preceding claim wherein at least some of the grid positions are marked with turn-affecting, score-affecting or move-affecting instructions.

5. A board game as claimed in claim 4 further comprising at least one set of cards with one information face and one non-information face.

6. A board game as claimed in claim 5 in which the information face of each such card carries one or more skill questions.

7. A board game as claimed in claim 4, 5 or 6 further comprising at least one set of cards with two information faces.

8. A board game as claimed in claim 7 in which one information face of the two carries indicator wording, or a picture, and the other carries one or more skill questions relevant thereto.

9. A board game as claimed in any one preceding claim in which the board is marked as an inner and outer territory whereby rules of play may vary as between tokens in each territory.

10. A board game as claimed in claim 1 and substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.