GB2215625A

GB2215625A - Board game apparatus

Info

Publication number: GB2215625A
Application number: GB8829659A
Authority: GB
Inventors: David Craig Smith
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1987-12-23
Filing date: 1988-12-20
Publication date: 1989-09-27
Also published as: GB8730079D0; GB8829659D0

Abstract

The apparatus comprises a board printed to define adjacent zones 1 for receiving playing pieces 2, a plurality of items 10, at least some of which are collectable, which correspond to distinctive areas 5 marked on the board, instruction cards 11 which correspond to distinctive regions 7 marked on the board, purchase tokens 12, prize tokens 14, a die 13 and a set of rules. The playing pieces 2 are moved at each move a number of zones determined by a throw of the die 13. A said item 10 is collected by a player when his playing piece 2 enters a said area 5 and contains instructions for purchasing prize tokens 14. A said instruction card 11 is obtained by a player when his playing piece 2 enters a said region 7 and contains instructions for winning or losing purchase tokens 12. The game ends when one player has collected a collectable item 10 from each of said areas 5 and the winner is the player who has obtained the greatest number of prize tokens 14. The apparatus illustrated has areas 5 representing different inns or public houses with items 10 in the form of beer mats, regions 7 representing betting shops and cards 11 in the form of betting cards. Tokens 14 are drinks tokens. <IMAGE>

Description

BOARD GAME APPARATUS The present invention relates to board game apparatus.

The present invention provides board game apparatus comprising a playing board, playing pieces, a plurality of items at least some of which are collectable, a plurality of prize tokens. random number means for determining a number of moves according to chance and a set of rules for playing the game, the board defining adjacent zones for receiving said playing pieces1 said zones being arranged as an endless maze and the playing pieces being movable in turn around the maze a number of zones determined by said random number means, said maze including a plurality of differentiated areas and said items being differentiated in similar manner to said areas whereby each area has a plurality of items corresponding thereto, the object of the game being to move around the maze visiting all of said areas, to collect a said collectable item corresponding to each area visited and to obtain prize tokens in accordance with the rules, the game finishing when one player has collected a said collectable item corresponding to each one of said areas and the winner being the player who has obtained the largest number of prize tokens.

Said playing pieces max be distinguishable from one another so that each player can readily identify his own playing piece. Thus, for example, the playing pieces may be of different colours, sizes and/or shapes so as to be readily identifiable from one another. The maze preferably includes a number of different starting points, e.g.. at spaced intervals around the periphery of the maze, corresponding to the number of playing pieces and each starting point may correspond to a playing piece. Preferably the playing pieces are each of a different colour and the starting point for each playing piece is of the same colour as the playing piece. Each player may select a playing piece of his own choice.The order of play may be determined bs said random number means and by said starting points, with the player obtaining the highest number starting first and thereafter the other players following in clockwise rotation according to the positions of other stating points.

The random number means preferably comprises at least one die, although other random number means such as a spinner. dial and rotatable pointer or Lhe like may be used if desired.

Said areas of the maze may correspond to different establishments such as different inns or public houses, supermarkets, shops or the like, which may be either real or imaginary, and may be marked with the name or other identification of such establishment. For example, where said areas correspond to inns or public houses then each area may be marked with the name and sign of the inn or public house to which it corresponds.

Said items may be in the form of mats, cards or the like and may bear on one side thereof the name or other identification of the establishment corresponding to the area to which the item corresponds. Preferably the items have an association with the establishments to which their corresponding areas correspond. For example, where the areas each correspond to a different inn or public house then said items may be in the form of beer mats such as are commonly used in such establishments. The items may contain on the other side thereof instructions for the players1 e.g. , an instruction for the player who obtains the item r an instruction for one or more other players. To improve the interest and difficulty of the game, some of said items mat be retainable by the players who obtain them whilst other items may need to be returned to the stock or bank thereof.Thus, a stack of items may be provided corresponding to each of said areas and a player entering a particular area may take an item from the top of the corresponding stack. If it is indicated on the item that the player may retain it then the player will keep it but if it is indicated that the item must be returned then the player will return that item to the bottom of the appropriate stack.

One or more of said zones, e.g. the four corner zones of a square playing board, map be a specially designated zone and may have a suitable identifying marking thereon and said items may contain instructions for a player to move his playing piece to such a zone. For example, one zone may be designated as a telephone, another as a cash dispenser, another as a fish and chip shop, and yet another as a police station and said items may contain instructions such as "MOVE TO POLICE STATION AND MISS A TURN" or "MOVE TO TELEPHONE, TELEPHONE HOME AND AWAIT NEXT TURN".

The board game apparatus of the invention may further comprise said maze including at least one distinctive region, instruction cards corresponding to the or each said region and purchasing means such as purchase tokens or play money.

The said at least one distinctive region may correspond to an establishment such as a betting shop and said instruction cards may contain instructions for a player entering that region whereby the player can either win or lose purchase means such as purchase tokens or play money.

The said items may contain instructions to the players whereby a player picking up a particular item might be instructed to purchase prize means for one or more other players or to have prize means purchased for him by one or more other players. Thus, for example, where said areas correspond to different inns or public houses the prize means may comprise drinks tokens and a said item might instruct a player obtaining it to purchase a drink for one or more other players or to obtain a drink from one or more other players. If desired actual drinks may be substituted for the drinks tokens.Each player may be issued with a specified number or amount of purchase means prior to the start of the game, e.g. , a specified number of purchase tokens or a specified amount of play money. Tlie rules may also provide that a player whose playing piece lands on a zone other than a said area, region or specially designated zone, already occupied b the playing piece of another player may collect a prize token from the other player and the other player may be required to return his playing piece to its starting point.

The invention will be more particularly described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a plan vie of one embodiment of a board for playing a board game according to the present invention Figure 2 illustrates the playing pieces, purchase tokens, die prize tokens, the upper side of instruction cards and the upper side of beer mats for use in playing the board game of the invention; Figure 3 illustrates typical instructions zhich may be contained on the reverse side of said beer mats; and Figure 4 illustrates instructions which may be contained on the reverse side of said instruction cards.

Referring to Figure 1 of the drawings it will be seen that the board is a square board printed to define adjacent square zones I each adapted to receive a playing piece 2, the zones 1 being arranged in the form of ari endless maze by means of barrier markings 3, e.g., in the form of hedges and/dr walls. The maze llas eight different starting points 4 spaced around the periphery of the board so that there are two starting points 4 on each side of the board. The maze defines six areas 5 each of which represents a different inn or public house and which has marked thereon an appropriate inn sign 6 and two distinctive regions 7 which represent betting shops and which have the name of the betting shop shown at 8 thereon.The four corner zones 9 of the board are special zones which are marked to represent a telephone, a police station, a cash dispenser and a fish and chip shop. The eight starting points 4 of the maze are each of a different colour.

Referring now to Figure 2 it will be seen that the board game apparatus of the present invention further comprises items in the form of beer mats 10 which correspond to the areas 5 and which are marked with corresponding inn signs 6, instruction cards'in the form of betting cards 11 corresponding to each of the betting shops 7 and which are marked with the corresponding name of the betting shops, purchasing means in the form of purchase tokens 12, a die 13 arid prize means in the form of drinks tokens 14. The complete apparatus may comprise, for example. eight playing pieces 2, which are of different colours corresponding to the colours of the starting points 4, a set of sixteen beer mats 10 corresponding to each of the six inns or public houses 5, a set of vielve betting cards 11 corresponding to each of tilt- two betting shops 7, a set of forty-eight drinks tokens 14 and sixty purchase tokens 12. although it will be understood that these are only the preferred number in each set and that the numbers may be varied as desired.

Each of the beer mats 10 has instructions printed on the reverse side thereof and these instructions may be as shown in Figure 3. The instructions printed on the reverse side of the beer mats 3 include instructions as to whether the beer mat can be retained by a player or must be returned to the appropriate stack of beer mats 10. Likewise the betting cards Ii have instructions printed on the reverse side thereof which indicate how purchase tokens 12 can be won or won and lost.

Preferred rules of the game, which for purposes of illustration has been entitled "BAR TREWS' are as follows: - BAR TREK is a game for 2-8 players. It is best with 4 or more. Players go from pub to pub collecting beer mats and drink tokens. with an occasional visit c? a betting shop when short of cash. The player with most drink tokens at the end is the winner.

EQUIPMENT Plaving Board, 6 sets x 16 Beer mats, 2 sets x 12 Betting Cards. 48 Drink Tokens, 60 Purchase Chips 8 Playing Pieces. 1 Die.

PREPARATION The eight sets of beer mats and betting cards are shuffled separately and placed, titles up. e.g. in compartments therefor in a box for containing the game.

Each player receives six purchase chips then selects a playing piece and places it on the start space of corresponding colour. There is a BANE and a BAR. The balance of the purchase chips are retained by the bank.

The bar is stocked with drink tokens equal to six times the number of players (example: 4 players, 24 tokens) the rest being discarded.

OBJECT OF THE GAME To collect the most drink tokens. The eame ends when one player has collected six different beer mats.

MOVEMENT Highest die roll starts. Rotation of play is clockwise.

Moves are governed by die roll. A player can move in an direction and may pass over squares occupied by other players but may not land on another player's start square, nor visit the same square twice during a turn.

LANDING ON AN OCCUPIED SQUARE A player cho lands on a square (other than a pub, betting shop or corner square) occupied by another player, claims a drink token from that player whose piece is then returned to its start square.

PUBS A player entering a pub picks up the top beer mat. reads it aloud and carries out the instructions. The mat is then retained if printed in Green or returned to the back of the pack if printed iii Red. but only Owe mat may be retained from each pub. Any player invited or opting to enter the pub as a result of these instructions does not pick up a mat. A player in a pub must leave on the next turn without 9iin up a mat.

THE BAR If the bar runs dry, all players contribute one drink token to it and take one purchase chip from the bank. A player without a drink token pays one purchase chip to the bank.

VISITING PUBS AND BETTING SHOPS Any number of visits may be paid to pubs and betting shops which can be entered or left by either door but cannot be entered and left on the same turn. It is not necessary to throw the exact number to enter a pub or betting shop a higher number will suffice.

BETTING SHOPS The cost of a bet is one purchase chip, payable to the banli. Only one bet may be made per visit. The player takes the top card, reads it aloud, carries out the instructions and returns it to the back of the pack.

Winnings are Daid by the ban.

INSOLVENCY A player who has no purchase chips may auction drink tokens to the other players or return them to the bar in exchange for one purchase chip from the bank. A player who has neither chips nor tokens may remain in the game but must retire if required to make a purchase.

TRAVELLING BY TAXI Once during a game each player may elect, before rolling the die and providing five beer mats are not held to travel by taxi. A taxi journey permits multiple moves and costs two purchase chips for the first die roll and one for each subsequent roll. The journey ends when the player enters a pub or betting shop or earlier, at the player's discretion. During the journey the taxi mas not land on a square occupied b another player.

DRINK TOKENS The cost of a drink token is one purchase chip. The token is collected from the bar and payment is made to the bank.

ENDING THE GAME The game ends when one player has collected six different beer mats. The instructions on the last mat are not executed. The player receives one drink token from each of the other players plus any tokens remaining in the bar.

The player with most drink tokens is the winner.

Claims

1. Board game apparatus comprising a playing board playing pieces, a plurality of items at least some of which are collectable, a plurality of prize tokens, random number means for determining a number of moves according to chance and a set of rules for playing the game, the board defining adiacent zones for receiving said playing pieces, said zones being arranged as an endless maze and the playing pieces being movable in turn around the maze a number of zones determined by said random number means1 said maze including a plurality of differentiated areas and said items being differentiated in similar manner to said areas whereby each area has a plurality of items corresponding thereto, the object of the game being to move around the maze visiting all of said areas, to collect a said collectable item corresponding to each area visited and to obtain prize tokens in accordance with the rules, the game finishing when one player has collected a said collectable item corresponding to each one of said areas and the winner being the player who has obtained the largest number of prize tokens.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said playing pieces are distinguishable from one another.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2, herein said playing pieces are of different colours.

4. Apparatus according to claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein said playing board is square and is divided into smaller squares defining said zones.

Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said maze includes a number of different starting points corresponding to the number of playing pieces.

6. Apparatus according to claims 3 and 5, wherein said starting points are each of a different colour corresponding to a said playing piece.

I. Apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the rules provide that each player may select a playing piece and that the order of play is determined by operation of the random number means, and by said starting points, with the player obtaining the highest number starting first and thereafter the other players following in clockwise rotation according to the positions of their starting points.

8. Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims1 wherein the random number means comprises at least one die.

9. Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said differentiated areas correspond to different inns or public houses and said items are in the form of beer mats.

10. Apparatus according to claim 9, wherein each said area has the name and sign of an inn or public house printed thereon and the beer mats corresponding to each said area have the same name and sign printed on one side thereof.

11. Apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said maze includes six said areas each corresponding to a different inn or public house and wherein there are sixteen beer mats corresponding to each of said areas.

12. Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said items have instructions thereon.

13. Apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said items are in the form of mats or cards marked on one side to correspond to a said area and having said instructions on the other side thereof.

14. Apparatus according to claim 12 or 13, wherein a said item is obtained each time a playing piece enters a said area and said instructions govern the obtaining or disposal of said prize tokens by the players.

15. Apparatus according to claim 14, wherein said instructions include an instruction as to whether the item may be retained or must be returned to a stock thereof.

16. Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein one or more of said zones is a specially designated zone and some of said items contain instructions for a player to move his playing piece to such a zone.

1 Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said maze includes at least one distinctive region and the apparatus further comprises instruction cards corresponding to the or each said region and purchasing means.

18. Apparatus according to claim 17, wherein said maze comprises two said distinctive regions each of which corresponds to a different betting shop and said instruction cards comprise twelve betting cards corresponding to each of said betting shops, a player being required to pick up a said instruction card when his playing piece enters- a said region and to follow instructions provided on the instruction card.

19. Apparatus according to claim 17 or 18, wherein said purchasing means comprises purchase tokens or play money.

20. Apparatus according to claim 18 or 19, wherein said betting cards contain betting instructions which enable players to win said purchasing means and wherein the rules provide that said purchasing means can be used to purchase said prize tokens.

21. Board game apparatus substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.