US20030001337A1

US20030001337A1 - Jester board game

Info

Publication number: US20030001337A1
Application number: US09/893,057
Authority: US
Inventors: John Lopez; Michael Lopez; Juan Lopez
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2001-06-28
Filing date: 2001-06-28
Publication date: 2003-01-02

Abstract

A multiple board game to challenge individual participants to be the first to proceed from the first board through a second and third game on a second board. The main board is designed with the printed rectangular blocks arranged around the perimeter of the board leaving an open area in the center of the board for a penalty area. Two further areas within the center space are designated for game cards. The central portion is generally decorated as a lake or moat surrounding the dungeon. The lake is inhabited by dragons.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The field of invention relates to game apparatus for a group of participants each of which is competitively attempting to be the first to complete a passage through a board game and more particularly to a series of three board games linked so as to provide additional challenges and opportunities to the players.

2. Prior Art

Board games consist generally of one board around which players are seated, were the roll of dice allows players to progress, using game pieces, from one square to the next, In such games, rewards and penalties are randomly encountered as the dice provide the number of moves each player can make, the randomness of the dice themselves adding fairness and chance to the game.

Such board games, while still enjoying enormous popularity, are limited in longevity because they eventually become less interesting to the players and fall into disuse. Family games in which children and parents can interact have long been recognized as a vital component in building strong family units and the challenge and excitement of new games continues this interaction. There is therefore, a constant need for new games with new challenges as the older ones age and become less interesting.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A multiple board game is provided to challenge individual participants to be the first to proceed from the first board through a second and third game on a second board. It is a primary object of the invention to provide entertainment to multiple game players (3 to 6) by using two boards each decorated in a generally medieval theme with King's, Queens, Jesters, Executioners, Dragons and other symbology. The boards are each divided into a succession of printed rectangular blocks each block having either a reward or penalty associated with it.

It is a further object of the invention to have a main board designed with the printed rectangular blocks arranged around the perimeter of the board leaving an open area in the center of the board for a penalty area named THE DUNGEON. Two further areas within the center space are designated for game cards; JESTER CARDs and BONUS BUFFOON cards. The central portion is generally decorated as a lake or moat surrounding THE DUNGEON. The lake is inhabited by dragons.

It is a further object of the invention to have players use a single die to begin the game and to advance each player in turn through the game.

It is a further object of the invention to add interest to the game by having some of the Blocks grant players either a JESTER CARD or a BONUS BUFFOON card. The JESTER CARDs either reward or penalize the player. The BONUS BUFFOON cards are each color matched to one of the player Game Pieces and when a player lands on a block which awards a BONUS BUFFOON card, the player must take the one matching his/her Game Piece color. The BONUS BUFFOON cards are used by players to add penalties to their opponents by placing cards on chosen blocks, in the hope that the opponent will land on the card and incur the penalty.

It is a further object of the game to have players win an opportunity to advance to the second board and participate in the two games thereon. The first game on the second board is the DOOR PICK game, so named because it consists of a numbered series of doors upon which six Door Pick cards are placed. By rolling the die, a player takes the Door Pick card and is either rewarded or penalized thereby. One of the Door Pick cards permits the player to progress to the final game THE EVIL JESTER GAME. Progress through this game is by throw of the die and moving a game piece as in the main game. While a player is engaged in either the DOOR PICK or THE EVIL JESTER GAME, the other players back at the main board wait until that player either successfully progresses through THE EVIL JESTER GAME or is eliminated.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic view of the first board of the invention. [0011]
FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic view of the second board of the invention. [0012]
FIG. 3 is an illustration of a series of cards each bearing a message to a game player. [0013]
FIG. 3[0014] a is an elevational view of a Jester game piece.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION

Referring now to the drawings wherein like numerals designate like and corresponding parts throughout the several views, in FIG. 1 the Jester Game is designated overall by the [0015] numeral 10 and the component blocks representing each step of the game are numbered 13-39, the space for Bonus Buffoon cards 67 and the spaces for The Dungeon 69 and Jester Cards 68 are shown in their respective positions on the board.
Referring now to FIG. 2 in which the second board (referred to as THE OUTWORLD) of the game is designated overall by the [0016] numeral 110, the EVIL JESTER GAME blocks are numbered sequentially from 53-60, and the DOOR-PICK game squares are numbered 40-45 the DOOR-PICK game cards are numbered 40 a-45 a.
Referring now to FIG. 3 in which the obverse sides of the DOOR-PICK game cards are numbered [0017] 40 a-45 a and the Jester Game piece is numbered 70.

Playing the Game

To win the game a player must beat the Evil Jester's Game in the Outworld [0018] 110 or be the last Jester left alive in the game.
Game equipment includes a single die, six tokens as the Six court Jester pieces [0019] 70 (Red, Blue, Purple, Green, Yellow and Orange.), main board 10 and Outworld 110, forty Royal Tax Gold Coins 72 and twelve Life Stars 73, sixteen Jester cards 68 a, six Bonus Buffoon cards 67 a and seven DOOR-PICK game cards 40 a-45 b.
The game is set-up by laying out the board and placing face down, Jester [0020] cards 68 a on Block 68, Bonus Buffoon cards 67 a on block 67,Gold coin box 72 a and Life star box 73 a by the board. Six of the seven DOOR-PICK game cards 40 a-45 b are placed face down on each of the Outworld 110 doors in the DOOR-PICK game. Both the sets of cards are shuffled prior to placement.
Upon commencement each player receives two [0021] Gold coins 72 at Start block 12 of Mainboard 10.
Playing order is established by each player rolling the die with the highest number player playing first and so on in descending order. In the event a tie between players, another roll is taken. [0022]
With each player rolling the die in turn, the number rolled becomes the number of moves beginning at [0023] Start block 12.
Start [0024] block 12 is where the game begins and every time a player lands there they always collect two Gold Coins.
Stop [0025] block 22, the player stops and waits for his/her next turn and is given two chances to roll a six on to keep on playing. If a six is not rolled, the player waits for their next turn to try again.
In the event that only two players are left playing with one in THE DUNGEON [0026] 69 and the other on Stop block 22, then he/she can continue to play without having to roll a six. Jester card block 68 stores the Jester cards 68 a until a player wins one. They get only one Jester card 68 a at one time and after reading it they must put the card under the deck. Jester cards 68 a carry messages on the obverse side as follows;
The Two Sea Dragons give you the chance to roll 2 times in a row [0027]
Go to the “STOP” step![0028]
Give 1 Gold coin to the person who is rolling next. [0029]
Take 15 steps [0030]
Get 1 Gold coin [0031]
Pay 2 Gold coins to the Royal Family [0032]
You lose 2 turns![0033]
Go straight to the Dungeon![0034]
Go to the nearest “Choice” step. [0035]
If you have a Life Star, give it back to the Royal Family![0036]
Take the Short-Cut step. [0037]
Get 2 Gold coins![0038]
If you have your Bonus Buffoon card, put it back in its place![0039]
Choose one opponent to put in the Dungeon![0040]
Choose one opponent you want to lose a turn. [0041]
Go to the nearest Lucky-Spot. [0042]
On Lose Next turn blocks [0043] 29 the player loses the next turn.
Rolling dice blocks [0044] 18 and 31 mean the player is to roll once.
[0045] Choice block 36 gives the option either to go the opposite way on the next turn or Roll again. If the player wants to roll again they don't have to wait for their next turn. If the player decides to go the opposite way, they continue in that direction until they again land on choice block 36 again whereupon they again have a choice of direction.
[0046] Choice block 28 gives the option to go to the Lucky Spots 19 or 35.
Step blocks [0047] 13 and 27 permit three steps forward or a single step forward respectively.
Short Cut block [0048] 21 send the player to the Start block to collect two gold coins 72.
Life Star blocks [0049] 32 award a Life Star 73 (each player may only win one Life Star) for use on the Outworld board 110, in the Evil Jester's game. Should the player land on block 14, they must put the Life Star in the Royal Family box 12.
Lucky Spot blocks [0050] 19 and 35 specify that the player must roll two threes within four tries. If the player does so, they get a free trip to the Evil Jester's game in the Outworld 110. If they don't succeed within four tries, the stay at that block until their next turn. Pay One Gold Coin blocks 16, 24, 30, 37, these blocks determine that the player must pay 1 gold coin to the Royal Tax box 12. If the player arrives on these blocks with no gold coins to pay, they must go directly to the Dungeon 69.
Dungeon blocks [0051] 25 and 39. If the player arrives here they must go into the Dungeon 69. They can get out if they pay five Gold coins 72 to the Royal Tax Box 12, or they can wait until another player gets into Dungeon 69 whereupon the first player can get out. Only one player at a time can be in Dungeon 69. Every time a player gets out of Dungeon 69, they go back to START 12 and collect two coins.
Bonus [0052] Buffoon Card block 67. There are six Bonus Buffoon cards 67 a. Each card has a color which corresponds to the color of one Jester Piece 70. Players must take the card matching their own token color. Bonus Buffoon cards 67 a once collected (by landing on block 15), are placed at that player's discretion on any block on Mainboard 10. Any player whose token that lands thereon, must pay the owner of that Bonus Buffoon card 67 a one Gold coin 72. If that player doesn't have any Gold coins 72 to pay, then they go to the Dungeon 69.
If the owner of a [0053] Bonus Buffoon card 67 a wishes to move the card to another block, they must first land on that block. Bonus Buffoon cards 67 a are forfeited should the owner land on block 23.
[0054] Bonus Buffoon cards 67 a once forfeited, are put back in the center of the Mainboard 10.
Bonus Buffoon card, [0055] 67 a must be placed on a block before it's the next person's turn.
The [0056] Bonus Buffoon cards 67 a cannot be placed on the Dungeon 25, 39 and Door Pick Game Blocks 17, 33
Door [0057] Pick Game Blocks 17, 33 are the two blocks which give access to the Outworld 110 and allows the player to play the Door-Pick Game at the top of the Outworld 110 board. Only one player at a time can play the Door-Pick Game.

The Door Pickgame

THE DOOR PICKGAME consists of six doors [0058] 40-45, each receives one of seven cards 40 a-45 b. There are seven cards only six are playable at any given time. The six cards are picked at random after shuffling. The doors number 71 from left to right The player rolls the die once only. The number that appears on the die determines the door he/she must pick. The seven cards 40 a-45 b are King, Queen, Knight, Snake, Executioner and two Evil-Jesters.
The Executioner card puts the player out of the game. [0059]
The Snake bites and the player has to stay in place until another player arrives in the [0060]
[0061] Outworld 110. Once this occurs, the original player goes back to the Mainboard 10 to the Start block 12.
The Knight gives the chance to roll again for another game of Door Pick. [0062]
After every Door Pick game the player must go back to the [0063] Mainboard 10.
The Queen gives the player three [0064] Gold Coins 72 who then returns to the Mainboard 10 on the Start block.
The King gives the player one [0065] Life Star 73 and the player goes back to the Mainboard 10 on the Start block.
While a player is playing the Door Pick game, the other players must wait until he/she either is eliminated from the game or comes back to the [0066] Mainboard 10.
Similarly, if a player reaches the Evil-Jesters Game, the others must wait until he/she wins that game or is eliminated. [0067]

Evil-jester's Game

The Evil-Jester card on the Door Pick game allows the player to enter the Evil-Jester's game. This game is played the same way as the Jester game on [0068] Mainboard 10 by the roll of the die and movement from one Block to another.
The player must keep rolling until he/she lands either on the Snake, Executioner or the Evil-Jester at which time, unless the player has a Life Star to surrender, they are out of the game. If the player is fortunate enough to go beyond all of them, then they have reached the end and won the game. [0069]
If the player arrives within six blocks of the FINISH, then he/she must roll the corresponding number on the die to finish the game. For example; If the player is two blocks from the FINISH, they must roll a 2 to win. [0070]
In the event that two players are left playing and they wish to end the game, they can roll the die and whomever gets the higher number wins the game. [0071]
A tie is broken by rolling the die again. It is to be understood that while certain forms of the present invention have been illustrated and described herein, it is not to be limited to the specific forms or arrangement of parts described and shown. [0072]

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A multiple board game comprising:

A first board and a second board, a plurality of reward cards, a plurality of penalty cards, a single die, a plurality of player tokens,

said first board having a decorated face, said face having a peripheral edge, said face having a generally open center section,

said first board being generally imprinted with a plurality of game blocks, said game blocks being contiguously arranged around said peripheral edge,

said first board having a first and a second imprinted rectangle, said first and said second rectangle being positioned within said center section of said board face, said first board having a third imprinted rectangle, said third rectangle being positioned centrally upon said open space, said third rectangle representing a first penalty section of said game, said first and said second rectangles representing a first and a second repository for said reward and said penalty cards, said first board delineating a first game sequence,

said second board being imprinted with a plurality of game blocks, said game blocks representing a first game section and a second game section, said second board delineating a second and a third game sequence, said game sequences having a generally medieval theme,

said player tokens being individually colored and decorated, said decoration being consistent with said game theme,

a first storage box and a second storage box, said storage boxes being positioned adjacent to said first and said second game boards, said first and said second storage boxes being repositories for said reward cards, and

a multi-tiered game consisting of said first, said second and said third game sequences, said game being played between said first and said second boards.

2. The board game as described in claim 1 wherein said face decoration comprises a generally modern theme.