GB2378399A

GB2378399A - Board game

Info

Publication number: GB2378399A
Application number: GB0119133A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Carl Shimmin
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2001-08-04
Filing date: 2001-08-04
Publication date: 2003-02-12
Also published as: GB0119133D0

Abstract

Apparatus for playing a game, comprises a board 2 with a rectangular array of playing positions, a first set of playing pieces 4 and a second set of playing pieces 4, the first and second sets containing equal numbers of playing pieces 4. Within each set, each playing piece 4 has a first face identifiable as the first face and a second face identifiable as the second face, each of face bearing one symbol 6 selected from a predetermined set of three or more symbols, and the arrangement of symbols is the same on corresponding pieces 4 of the first and second sets. The distinctive feature that each playing piece 4 is double-sided, with symbols 6 on both faces allows for a rule in which, when a piece 4 is captured, it is turned over to convert it to a piece 4 of the capturing player; but at the same time the symbol 6 that was previously visible is changed to a symbol 6 that was previously hidden. Thereby an element of unpredictability is introduced into the game. The symbols may represent a value dictating which pieces can capture one another. The capturing of pieces may follow the rules of the game 'Scissors, Paper and Stone'.

Description

TITLE Board game DESCRIPTION Background The invention relates to the field of board games and in particular to the apparatus for playing a board game.

Board games have been known for thousands of years, in which game pieces are moved according to defined rules over the squares of a board, for example chess and draughts. Typically, one player can"capture"a piece belonging to the other player and remove it from the board or convert the captured piece to one of his own. A player usually wins when he captures a key piece of the opponent or when the opponent has no pieces left.

A successful strategy in such board games often involves the application of logic, which does not appeal to all players. An aim of the present invention is to provide apparatus for a board game that combines the application of logic with an element of chance so that a variety of strategies may be successful and the game will appeal to a wide variety of players.

The invention The invention provides apparatus for playing a game, comprising a board with a rectangular array of playing positions, a first set of playing pieces and a second set of playing pieces ; wherein, within each set, each playing piece has a first face identifiable as the first face and a second face identifiable as the second face, each of the first and second faces bearing one symbol selected from a predetermined set of three or more symbols; and the first and second sets contain equal numbers of playing pieces and the arrangement of symbols is the same on corresponding pieces of the first and second sets.

It is a distinctive feature of the present invention that each playing piece is doublesided, with symbols on both faces. This allows for a rule in which, when a piece is captured, it is turned over to convert it to a piece of the capturing player; but at the same time the symbol that was previously visible is changed to a symbol that was previously hidden. Thereby an element of unpredictability is introduced into the game.

Preferably, in the first set of pieces, the first face of each piece is identified with a first player and the second face of each piece is identified with a second player; and in the second set of pieces, the first face of each piece is identified with the second player and the second face of each piece is identified with the first player. This arrangement ensures that the two players can have matching sets of pieces at the start of the game and that, when a player captures an opponent's piece, it can be turned over and become one of the capturing player's pieces.

The identification of each face of each piece with one of the two players is most easily done by the use of an appropriate colour, in the conventional way. Alternatively, it can be done by the design of the symbols on the pieces or by shape. Where the pieces have one concave face and one convex face to facilitate stacking, this may be the means of identification with a player.

The apparatus may further comprising means on each piece for identifying it as a member of the first set or the second set. With this feature, it is possible to ensure that each player has an identical set of pieces at the start of play, because the two sets are known to match. Without this feature, the pieces can be distributed in an apparently fair manner at the start of play but the hidden undersides of the two sets may be different. Where the pieces are tiles, i. e. generally flat shapes of small thickness, one preferred method of identifying the set to which a particular piece belongs is by a colour or pattern or texture around its edge. This allows the set to be identified even when the piece is in a stack and the faces are hidden.

In a preferred embodiment of the game, within each set of pieces each possible combination of one symbol on the first face and a different symbol on the second face occurs. It has been found desirable that the number of symbols in the predetermined set of symbols is three and the number of pieces in each set of pieces is six. A preferred configuration for the board is a square array of 5 x 5 playing positions.

The pieces include means for inhibiting relative sideways displacement when they are stacked one above another. The rules of the game may prescribe that when a piece is captured, it is formed into a stack with the capturing piece. Clearly it is desirable that, as a stack builds up, it should not be easily knocked over and the means for inhibiting relative movement should avoid that. Such means may include a magnet embedded in each piece, taking advantage of the fact that the pieces in a stack are all aligned the same way, i. e. all with the face of the same player on top, so that the north and south poles of the magnet can be correctly aligned. Alternatively, the means for inhibiting relative sideways displacement of the pieces may be mechanical, such as a concave portion on one face of each piece and a corresponding convex portion on the other face of each piece.

The game may be simulated on a computer instead of being physically embodied, providing the facility either for two users to play against each other or for one user to play against the computer.

The drawing Figure 1 shows the apparatus according to a preferred embodiment of the invention, laid out for the start of a game.

As shown in Figure 1, the board 2 comprises a 5 x 5 array of squares in a typical chequerboard arrangement. The colours of the squares have no significance other than to distinguish them from one another.

On the board 2 are twelve playing pieces 4. Each of the playing pieces 4 has a first

face, which is uppermost at the start of the game, and a second face. which faces I

down and is hidden at the start of the game. The faces are of different colours, which will be referred to as black and white in this example. The pieces 4 are flat tiles and the narrow edge surrounding each piece (not seen in the drawing) is also coloured black or white. A first set of six of the pieces have white edges and are arranged at the top of the board 2, as shown in Figure 1, while the other six pieces form a second set and are arranged in a mirror-image pattern at the bottom of the board, as shown.

Each face of each playing piece 4 bears a symbol 6, such that the symbols on the two faces of a single piece are different from each other. There are three possible symbols - in this example a cross (x), a circle (o) and a square (0) - and they are arranged such that, within each set, all six combinations of different symbols on the first and second faces appears. This will be made clearer in the following table:

First face Second face Set Colour Symbol Colour Symbol White x Black 0 White x Black 0 First set White 0 Black 0 (White edges) White 0 Black x White 0 Black x White 0 Black 0 Black x White 0 Black x White 0 Second set Black 0 White a (Black edges) Black 0 White x Black 0 White x Black 0 White 0

The symbols represent the way in which the pieces can take (capture) one another and also the way in which they are allowed to move. The capturing of pieces follows the rules of the traditional children's game"Scissors, Paper and Stone". Thus Scissors (represented by x) can take Paper. Paper (represented by o) can take Stone. Stone (represented by o) can take Scissors.

Scissors can move only diagonally, like a bishop in chess, as suggested by the diagonal arms of the symbol x. Paper can move only horizontally and vertically, like a castle in chess, as suggested by the straight sides of the symbol a. Stone can move in any direction, like a queen in chess, as suggested by the circular symmetry of the symbol o. All pieces can move as far as possible in a straight line, until they reach the edge of the board or are blocked by another piece.

One player (say, white) captures a piece of the other player (black) by moving his piece to the square containing the captured piece then inverting the captured piece to form a stack on top of his own. The inversion changes the colour from black to white and reveals a new symbol that was previously hidden. If there is already a stack of pieces on the captured square, the whole stack is inverted. These rules ensure that all pieces in a stack have the same orientation.

Only the top piece of a stack is active. When it is moved, the remaining pieces stay put and a new symbol is revealed on the second piece in the stack.

The layout of pieces shown in the Figure ensures that no piece can capture any other piece in the first move of the game.

The game ends when one player has no pieces of his colour left. The other player is the winner.

In a simpler variant of the game, the same board and the same sets of six pieces are used. However, in this version each piece can move in any direction but only by one square at a time. This variant has been found to be popular with children. Although

the layout of the board is the same for each of these versions of the game, it may be desirable to provide a more brightly coloured board for the simpler version, on the reverse of a more soberly coloured board for the original version. This helps the players to remember which version they are playing.

A further embodiment of the invention (not illustrated) comprises nine pieces in each

set, wherein the nine pieces in each set comprise every possible pairing of the three 4=1 symbols on the first and second faces respectively, including pieces bearing the same symbol on both faces. With the increased number of pieces, this version works best on a 7x7 playing board.

Claims

1. Apparatus for playing a game, comprising: a board with a rectangular array of playing positions; a first set of playing pieces; and a second set of playing pieces; wherein: within each set, each playing piece has a first face identifiable as the first face and a second face identifiable as the second face, each of the first and second faces bearing one symbol selected from a predetermined set of three or more symbols; and the first and second sets contain equal numbers of playing pieces and the arrangement of symbols is the same on corresponding pieces of the first and second sets.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: in the first set of pieces, the first face of each piece is identified with a first player and the second face of each piece is identified with a second player; and in the second set of pieces, the first face of each piece is identified with the second player and the second face of each piece is identified with the first player.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1 or claim 2, further comprising means on each piece for identifying it as a member of the first set or the second set.

4. Apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein each piece has a symbol on its second face that is different from the symbol on its first face.

5. Apparatus according to claim 4, wherein within each set of pieces, each possible combination of one symbol on the first face and a different symbol on the second face occurs.

6. Apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the number of symbols in the predetermined set of symbols is three and the number of pieces in each set of pieces is six.

7. Apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein the pieces include means for inhibiting relative sideways displacement when they are stacked one above another.

8. Apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the means for inhibiting relative sideways displacement of the pieces include a magnet embedded in each piece.

9. Apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the means for inhibiting relative sideways displacement of the pieces include a concave portion on one face of each piece and a corresponding convex portion on the other face of each piece.

10. Apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein the board comprises a square array of 5 x 5 playing positions.

11. Apparatus for playing a game substantially as described herein, with reference to the drawing.