GB2229369A - Word card game - Google Patents

Abstract

A game for young children comprises cards, a playing board 20 and rules, the cards being divided into a series of first cards 15 and one or more series of further cards 13, 14 all marked with representations, each card being marked with a visual code R, G, B (such as a colour) to indicate that it belongs to that series, and for each card 15 of the first series there being at least two different said further cards 13, 14 related thereto by their representations. The related cards form sets of at least three cards preferably representing a compound word and its parts, and a playing area 24 of the board is marked with areas (27) to receive all the cards of a set from the different series. The game is played by players playing on to the playing area the related cards from different series until all the cards from a set have been played, the players either winning a set or scoring most points by either playing the card which completes a set or playing the majority of the cards of a set. Tokens 30 aid the scoring. <IMAGE>

Description

GAME This invention relates to a game. It is an object of the invention to provide a game, normally for two people only, which is both enjoyable and educational.

In its preferred form, the game is concerned with compound words, made up from two other words and is intended to help people understand and become more interested in the construction of words.

The invention evolved from object and word relationships to Picture and Picture relationships, and to Colour and Object relationships. Although such relationships appear simple in themselves, they are unique.

The realistic application of such original idea in learning forum can help, children particularly, and adults too, to develop simple and equally complex dimensions of associations.

The breakdown of such complex 'compound' word, colour and object relationships reveal the value of each item and therefore make clear the independence and also the interdependence of each word or symbol.

Many compound words when separated out reveal individual mea and yet when put together reveal a totally new meaning. Such compound words are illuminated by pictures and colours which impact on the mind revealing the intrigue and mystique of each aspect and the combining effect of them.

For example(s) MATCH (a strip of wood that ignites) + BOX (as in fight = MATCHBOX (domestic item) CRAB (a crustacean) + APPLE (fruit tree) = CRABAPPLE (a different fruit/tree BUTTER (fat) + FLY (an insect) = BUTTERFLY (a different insect).

LEG (a limb) + HORN (musical instrument) = LEGHORN (a domestic fowl).

The above examples as illuminated by Picture (drawings) (and by the game, PICTUREMATICS) make great impact on the mind. It is interesting to note that the combination of such words reveal meaning which have no relation in the meaning with the individual words.

In its broadest form, the game comprises cards and a playing board, the cards being divided into a series of first cards and one or more series of further cards, each card being marked with a visual code (such as a colour) to indicate that it belongs to that series, for each card of the first series there being at least two different said further cards related thereto, the related cards forming sets of at least three cards, the game being played by players playing onto the board the related cards from different series until all the cards from a set have been played; and either the player playing the card which completes a set or the player playing the majority of the cards of a set winning that set.

Preferably the related cards are related either by: a) showing representations (written words, pictures or both) of a compound word and the separate words from which it is compounded; b) by showing different numbers related by sum, subtraction, multiplication, or division c) by showing pictures of the same object drawn in different ways and/or in different colours or with different colour backgrounds or borders.

With advantage the board is marked with at least three positions coded to receive the cards of different series as they are played.

In one prefered form, the invention provides a game comprising a board, cards, each card being marked on a playing face with a representation of a word or part thereof, an object or part thereof, or a number; a scoring means; and rules; in which: the cards are divided into first, second and third series of cards such that for each card in the first series there is a related card in each of the second and third series, all the cards in any one series being marked with a visual code (such as a colour) to indicate that it belongs to that series; the board having a playing area marked for receiving the three series of cards as they are played and preferably for each player an area marked for receiving the three series of cards belonging to that player; the scoring means preferably comprising sets of tokens of at least three different values; and the rules consist essentially of the following, 1. The first, second and third series of cards are divided equally between the players; 2. One player plays a card from one series on to the playing area, the next player plays the related card from one of the other series and the following player plays the related card from the third of the series.

3. If a player cannot play, because he does not have a related card or does not realise that he has a related card, the turn passes to the next (other) player.

4. A player scores a basic score e.g. 2 for each card he plays, if he plays two cards consecutively he scores more than twice the basic score e.g. 5 and if he plays three cards consecutively he scores more than three times the basic score e.g. 10 (the three cards must be related).

5. The player playing the third of the three related cards then has the next turn but this does not count as two consecutive cards.

6. The game ends when a player has played all of his cards in two of the series.

7. The winner is the player with the highest score.

Preferably the things represented on the related cards of the first and second series somehow combine together to equal the thing represented on the related card of the third series. In a particular preferred form the related cards in the first and second series represent words while the related card in the third series represents a compound word which is a combination of the words represented by the related cards in the first and second series for example "match" + "box", = "matchbox". The cards in the first and second series will preferably have both pictures and words written thereon while the cards in the third series may have a picture only.

Other series of cards may be related in different ways. For example numbers by sum, subtraction, multiplication or division, objects by various associations or drawn in different ways or different colours, pictorial representations of different meanings of the same word and the word itself.

P-eferably the playing area of the board is located on a turntable so that the cards can be turned to face the right way up for whichever player is about to play.

There could be four (or more) series of cards with the representations on the first three (or more) series combining to form or match the representation on the last series.

In one embodiment the cards of the first series show a picture of an object and the cards of the further series show different representations of the same object with parts of different colours (either the object, the background or a border). The playing board is also marked with different coloured positions and the players have not only to assess that the different representations of the object relate to the first representation of the object to determine which cards belong to a common set but have to play the selected card onto the appropriate coloured area on the board. This game is intended for encouraging small children to assess different representations of the same object (possibly seen from different angles or in different attitudes) and to match two colours. It should aid adults in detecting colour blindness or visual conception problems in young children.

Two embodiments of game, in accordance with the invention, will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying diagramatic drawings of which: Figure 1 shows sample cards forming part of a first form of the game, Figure 2 shows a board forming part of the game of Fig. 1 and, Figure 3 shows sample tokens forming scoring means of the game Figure 4 shows a sample board from a second embodiment of game, and Figure 5 shows one set of cards for use with the board of Figure 4.

The cards 12 are divided into three series of cards 13, 14, 15, each of the cards being coded to indicate to which series it belongs, in this example the first series 13 has a red border R, the second series 14 has a green border G and the third series has a black border B. The cards of each of the first and second series have a representation of a word, in this case both in the form of the written word and a pictorial representation thereof e.g. "match" and "box" and the cards in the third series have a representation in the form of a picture only of the composite word formed by the related words of the first and second series, in this example "matchbox". Other examples of compound words represented by the cards of the third series are - crabapple, leghorn, ladybird, armchair, flowerpot, sunglasses, teapot, horseshoe, wheelchair, lighthouse, cranefly, earwig and cupboard.

The board 20 has, for each player (at opposite ends of the board) an area 21, 22 defining three grooves, colour coded R, G and B, and designed for receiving the three series of cards belonging to the associated player. A screen 23 (indicated diagramatically) is provided in front of each area 21,22 to screen each player's cards from the other player.

A playing area 24, in the central part of the board comprises a turntable 25 mounted for rotation about a vertical axis 26 and defining three grooves 27, colour coded R, G and B, for receiving cards of the three series as they are played.

Scoring means 30 is provided in the form of a set of triangular tokens 31 each representing 10 points, a set of circular tokens 32 each representing 5 points, and a set of square tokens 33 each representing 2 points.

The game is played according to the following rules: Each series of cards is shuffled and dealt to divide the series equally between the two players.

One player plays a card from one series into the appropriate groove of the playing area, the next player plays the related card from one of the other series into the appropriate groove and the following player plays the final related card from the third of the series into the appropriate groove on the playing area.

If a player cannot play, because he does not have a related card or does not realise that he has a related card, the turn returns to the other player who then plays a related card.

A player scores a basic score of 2 (a square token) for each card he plays, a score of 5 (round token) for the second consecutive related card he plays and a score of 10 (triangular token) for the third consecutive related card which he plays.

The player playing the third of the three related cards has the next turn but this does not count as two consecutive cards.

The game ends when a player has played all of his cards in two of the series.

The winner is the player with the highest score.

Each time a player plays a card he takes the appropriate token so that the score is easily added up at the end. It will be seen that a player who plays three consecutive cards all related will score 17 points for those three cards together. Other forms of scoring such as boards marked with numbers and provided with movable marking means may be substituted for the tokens.

The game of Figures 4 and 5 is intended for young children and is not competitive and therefore has no scoring means.

The board 50 has one half 51 marked with seven semicircular rings 52 coloured respectively with the seven colours of the rainbow and a semicircular central part 53 for receiving unplayed, face down cards 54 of a first series.

The backs of the cards 54 are coded with a common colour and the fronts are provided with different pictures 55 in black on a white background of objects e.g. a butterfly.

The other half 56 of the board has a semicircle 57 completing the semicircle 53 of the first half for receiving the played cards 54 face upwards. It is marked with six different positions 60 respectively numbered 61, 62, 63, 64, 65 and 66 for receiving cards 59 of a further series each of which has a back face coded in a common colour. Each of the positions 60 is marked with a triangular portion for receiving a card and a sector border portion 67, these portions being coloured with different ones of the colours of the rainbow. The cards 59 of the second series are triangular (preferably equilateral) to fit the positions 60 and each is coloured on its front face and provided with a picture. Either the picture or the background may be coloured so as to correspond with one of the colours of the rainbow shown at the positions 60.For each plain object represented on a card of the first series there are at least three cards of different colours in the further series representing the same object but in different manners so that all the cards related by showing the same object form one set.

The game is played by placing the cards of the first series face down in the area 53 and dividing the cards of the second series between the players. One player turns one of the cards 54 face upwards to show its picture and the other players in turn play cards of the same set (showing the same object) on to the area 60 of the same colour as shown on their card. Normally there will be an odd number of cards, preferably three, of the second series in a single set and the player playing the majority of cards of that set will win the set when it is completed and remove those cards from the board. The winner may be the player ending with the most sets or first playing all his cards.

Claims (12)

1. A game comprising cards, a playing board and rules; the cards being divided into a series of first cards and one or more series of further cards all marked with representations, each card being marked with a visual code (such as a colour) to indicate that it belongs to that series, for each card of the first series there being at least two different said further cards related thereto by their representations, the related cards forming sets of at least 3 cards, a playing area of the bao,rd being marked with areas to receive all the cards of a set from the different series, the game being played by players playing on to the playing area the related cards from different series until all the cards from a set have been played, the players either winning a set or scoring most points by either playing the card which completes a set or playing the majority of the cards of a set.

2. A game according to Claim 1 in which the board is marked with areas for receiving the cards of each player before they are played on to the playing area.

3. A game according to Claim 1 or Claim 2 including a scoring means.

4. A game according to Claim 3 in which the scoring means comprises sets of tokens having different values.

5. A game according to any of Claims 1 to 4 in which the first series of cards show representations of compound words and at least two series of further cards show representations of separate words from which the compound words are compounded.

6. A game according to Claim 5 in which the compound words are represented only by pictures while the separate words are represented by pictures and writing.

7. A game according to any of Claims 1 to 4 in which the first series of cards show representations of numbers and the further cards show representations of numbers from which the numbers of the first series are formed by sum, subtraction, multiplication or division.

8. A game according to any of Claims 1 to 4 in which the first series of cards show pictures of an object and the further cards show pictures of the same or similar object depicted in a different way.

9. A game according to any of Claims 1 to 8 in which the board incorporates a turntable on which the playing area is included.

10. A game according to any of Claims 1 to 9 in which the playing area of the board is depicted in a plurality of different colours corresponding with the colours on the cards of the further series.

11. A game comprising a board, cards, each card being marked on a playing face with a representation of a word or part thereof, an object or part thereof or a number; a scoring means; and rules; in which, the cards are divided into first, second and third series of cards such that for each card in the first series there is a related card in each of the second and third series all the cards in any one series being marked with a visual code (such as a colour) to indicate that it belongs to the series; the board having a playing area marked for receiving the three series of cards as they are played, and the rules consisting essentially of the following:: i) the first, second and third series of cards are divided equally between the players; ii) one player plays a card from one series on to the playing area, the next player plays the related card from one of the other series and the following player plays the related card from the third of the series.

iii) if a player cannot play, because he does not have a related card or does not realise that he has a related card, the turn passes to the next (other) player; iv) a player scores a basic score (e.g. 2) for each card he plays, if he plays two cards consecutively, he scores more than twice the basic score (e.g. 5) and if he plays 3 cards consecutively he scores more than 3 times the basic score (e.g. 10). The three cards must be related.

v) the player playing the third of the related cards then has the next turn but this does not count as two consecutive cards; vi) the game ends when a player has played all of his cards in 2 of the series; vii) the winner is the player with the highest score.

12. A game substantially as described herein, with reference to, or as illustrated in Figures 1 to 3 or Figures 4 and 5 of the accompanying drawings.