GB2236257A

GB2236257A - Board game

Info

Publication number: GB2236257A
Application number: GB8918987A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Allison Grant
Original assignee: British Telecommunications PLC
Current assignee: British Telecommunications PLC
Priority date: 1989-08-21
Filing date: 1989-08-21
Publication date: 1991-04-03
Anticipated expiration: 2009-08-21
Also published as: GB8918987D0; GB2236257B

Abstract

A quality instruction board game for management and staff training comprises a board 1 carrying a path of successive places 2, a set of tokens 3 (one for each player) each carrying a representation of a company function, a set of question cards 4 each carrying a question, a multiple choice set of answers, and a justification for the correct answer; in which at the start of each turn each player is asked a question from one of the question cards. If the player does not give the correct answer he does not move. If the player gives the correct answer he moves a number of places forward (the number may be indicated on the question card). If he then provides the correct justification he moves a further number of places forward (for example, 2 places). A player landing on a quality sayings place 2c reads out the saying in question. A player landing on a chance place 2b draws an instruction card from an instruction card pack which will contain instructions affecting the movement of some or all players. <IMAGE>

Description

BOARD WE This invention relates to apparatus for playing a board game.

Such games are employed not only as trivial pursuits, but also for instructional purposes and ve have found them an effective means of training employees involvement in management and specifically quality management issues.

According to the invention there is provided apparatus for playing a board game, said apparatus comprising: - a board having upon its surface a path running from a starting point, said path comprising a plurality of successive places; - a plurality of tokens each for representing one player, for occupying said places, to be moved along said path in accordance with the rules of play; and - a set of question cards each bearing a question and a corresponding plurality of answers, the movement of a token being determined by the selection by the respective player of a correct one of said plurality of answers, wherein the question card carries also a justification of said correct answer and the extent of movement of said token is further dependent upon said player providing said justification in the event that he has selected said correct answer.

The requirement to justify the correct answer given encourages reasoning rather than guesswork and hence reinforces the message behind the question, not just for the player concerned but also for the other players.

In another aspect of the invention there is provided a board for playing an instructional board game, said board carrying on it's surface a path comprising a plurality of successive places along which player representative tokens may be moved, in which a sub-set of said places bear printed messages relating to the subject of instruction, whereby a player landing on one of said sub-set of places may read out said message.

This aspect also provides reinforcement of the message for all the players. It is particularly advantageous to combine these two features, since the printed messages will often be of assistance to players in answering the questions or in justifying their answers. Other aspects and preferred embodiments are as recited in the claims appended hereto.

The invention will now be illustrated with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 shows a board suitable for playing the game; Figures 2a and 2b show examples of question cards for use in playing the game; and Figure 3 shows tokens suitable for playing the game.

Referring to Figure 1, the board 1 comprises a continuous path divided into a series of successive places 2. Conveniently, as shown, the path may be an inward spiral with the destination at the centre. This may be realised conveniently in a rectangular board 1 as shown, each place 2 comprising a square. At various points in the path, to introduce periodic predictable interuptions in a work schedule, squares 2a labelled for example "holiday" carrying an associated instruction such as "miss a go" are positioned. To simulate unpredictable external influences, various "chance" squares 2b are also positioned at intervals in the path. These squares indicate that a player arriving thereupon is required to draw a card from a "chance" pile and follow it's instructions.Bach "chance" card also contains an explanation of those instructions (for example "union is in dispute with management operations - go back 2 places"). The instructions may or may not affect one or more of the players, either adversely or beneficially.

Further, various places 2c in the path are marked with simple messages relating to the subject to the game is to instruct: where the game is a quality management instruction game, these messages are quality sayings such as "quality costs less", "prevention not detection", "our product is customer satisfaction". lf a player lands upon such a place 2c, he is required to read out the corresponding message, thus reinforcing the message for himself and the other players.

Referring also to Figures 2 and 3, the manner of playing the game will be described. Each player is represented by a token 3. In a management instruction game, each token 3 represents a different area or function of the company: for example, sales, management, client services, and operations. These are - preferably graphically illustrated by a representative caricature on each token. The use of different functional areas of the company demonstrates graphically that quality is not job specific. The order of movement is governed by the normal chain of events in a company: in the example given above management moves first, followed by sales, client services, then operations. This sequence is maintained throughout the game. The aim is for each player to move their character token along the length of the path to the end.To simulate real-life time pressures, a time limit (e.g. 1 hour) may be imposed for play.

Movement is determined as follows: each player, at the start of his turn, is asked a question from a question card 4 (for example as illustrated in Figures 2a or 2b).

The question is on the subject to which the game relates; preferably the questions relate to a mixture of everyday management problems and quality related problems. The questions may either be asked by another player or by a moderator. A set of possible answers to the question are also read out, and the player asked to select one. Should he select an incorrent answer, he does not move his token and play passes to the next player. Should he select the correct answer, he will move a number of places forward; this number may be predetermined (for example 6) or may be indicated on the question card (so as to particularly reward those answering harder questions. Referring to Figure 2b, several answers may be "correct" but with varying degrees of desirability; the or each correct answer may therefore have associated with it a number of points indicating places to be moved forward.If the player produced a correct answer, he is then asked to justify his answer to test his understanding. The correct justification is indicated on the question card 4, and if the player gives this justification he is awarded further points (for example 2 further points). The player then moves his token forward along the path a number of places corresponding to the total number of points he has scored in that turn. As indicated above, if he lands upon a message place 2c he reads out the corresponding message; if he lands upon a chance place he draws a chance card and obeys the instructions thereon (for example, to move back 2 places) and so on. Once the player has obeyed all outstanding instructions, play passes to the next player and so on.The first player to reach the centre of the board wins, unless as indicated above a time limit is imposed in which case the player who has progressed the furthest within the time wins. To demonstrate that quality improvement is a continuous process, the next move from the centre may be to the start.

It will of course be recognised that the game could be played upon a computer screen with questions either visually presented or generated using a speech synthesiser, and answers being input either from a keyboard or from a speech recognition stage. In such a case, the apparatus for playing such a game would comprise a visual display unit, a suitably programmed computer and some form of input/output device for asking questions and receiving answers. This embodiment of the invention will be understood to be within the scope of the present application.

Although the invention has been described with particular reference to quality instruction, it is applicable equally to instruction in other topics.

Claims

1. Apparatus for playing a board game, said apparatus comprising: - a board having upon its surface a path running from a starting point, said path comprising a plurality of successive places; - a plurality of tokens each for representing one player, for occupying said places, to be moved along said path in accordance with the rules of play; and - a set of question cards each bearing a question and a corresponding plurality of answers, the movement of a token being determined by the selection by the respective player of a correct one of said plurality of answers, wherein the question card carries also a justification of said correct answer and the extent of movement of said token is further dependent upon said player providing said justification in the event that he has selected said correct answer.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 in which the question card carries also an indication of the extent of movement associated with the or each said correct answer.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1 or claim 2, further comprising a set of cards bearing instructions affecting the movements of one or more of said players, in which certain places of said board refer to said instruction set cards, whereby a token landing on one of said instruction card places causes a reference to one of said instruction cards.

4. Apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3 for playing a game for instructing managers in quality, in which each token carries an indication of an associated functional role within a company and said questions relate to management and/or quality problems.

5. Apparatus according to claim 4 in which each said token bears a graphical caricature of its respective management role.

6. A board for playing an instructional board game, said board carrying on it's surface a path comprising a plurality of successive places along which player representative tokens may be moved, in which a sub-set of said places bear printed messages relating to the subject of instruction, whereby a player landing on one of said sub-set of places may read out said message.

7. A board for a board game according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

8. A board according to claim 6 or claim 7, said board being generally rectilinear, said path comprising an inwardly directed spiral, each of said places being generally rectilinear.

9. A board substantially as herein described with reference to Figure 1.

10. A board game substantially as herein described with reference to Figures 1 to 3.

11. Apparatus for playing a game comprising a visual display unit coupled to a computer programmed to produce a display on said display unit corresponding to the board, and means for outputting questions (and inputting respective answers) corresponding to the question cards of any preceding claims.