US3858885A - Apparatus for playing a board game - Google Patents

Abstract

Apparatus for playing a game in which there is provided a board having a peripheral path divided into a plurality of steps grouped to form a plurality of sections arranged in sequence along said path, and an inner circuitous path connecting once with each of said sections of the peripheral path, a plurality of markers of which an outer path marker of each player is in play moved step by step through said sections around said peripheral path and an inner path marker is moved step by step along at least a part of said inner path, in which by travelling along the inner circuitous path, the player may incur penalties or obtain rewards according to the position of his inner path marker along the inner circuitous path, each move being determined by a chance reading of an indicia bearing means, a plurality of pieces representing money, said pieces being alloted to each player before the game commences, a plurality of symbols representing articles which can be purchased by a player with the money during the game, the symbols bearing indicia designating numbers of points which contribute to a total required by each player to win the game, at least one pack of cards providing for penalties or rewards to a player according to the position of his markers on parts of said paths and each said section of said peripheral path indicating what articles can be purchased when a player''s outer path marker is within that section.

Description

United States Patent 1 1 Adcoek Jan. 7, 1975 APPARATUS FOR PLAYING A BOARD GAME [76] Inventor: Alan Adcock, 41 Nottingham PL,

London, England Filed: Feb. 6, 1973 Appl. No.: 330,072

[5 6] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 9/1939 McGennis 273/134 AF 2,458,966 1/1949 Waldrop 273/134 C 3,740,037 6/1973 DeBono 273/134 AF FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 915,550 1/1963 Great Britain 273/134 AC Primary Examiner-Delbert B. Lowe Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Holman & Stern [57] ABSTRACT Apparatus for playing a game in which there is provided a board having a peripheral path divided into a PEIIALTV UPPUIIIUNITY plurality of steps grouped to form a plurality of sections arranged in sequence along said path, and an inner circuitous path connecting once with each of said sections of the peripheral path, a plurality of markers of which an outer path marker of each player is in play moved step by step through said sections around said peripheral path and an inner path marker is moved step by step along at least a part of said inner path, in which by travelling along the inner circuitous path, the player may incur penalties or obtain rewards according to the position of his inner path marker along the inner circuitous path, each move being determined by a chance reading of an indicia bearing means, a plurality of pieces representing money. said pieces being alloted to each player before the game commences, a plurality of symbols representing articles which can be purchased by a player with the money during the game, the symbols bearing indicia designating numbers of points which contribute to a total required by each player to win the game, at least one pack of cards providing for penalties or rewards to a player according to the position of his markers on parts of said paths and each said section of said pcripheral path indicating what articles can be purchased when a players outer path marker is within that section,

4 Claims, 2 Drawing [Figures MISFOIIIUNE ll APPARATUS FOR PLAYING A BOARD GAME BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to apparatus for playing a board game, more particularly a board game involving elements of chance and judgment.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The invention consists in apparatus for playing a game comprising a board having a peripheral path divided into a plurality of steps grouped to form a plurality of sections arranged in sequence along the said path, and an inner circuitous path connecting once with each of the said sections of the peripheral path, a plurality of markers of which an outer path marker of each player is in play moved step by step through said sections around said peripheral path and an inner path marker is moved step by step along at least a part of said inner path, with each move being determined by a chance reading of an indicia bearing means, a plurality of pieces representing money, and a plurality of symbols representing articles which can be purchased, each symbol representing a known number of points which contributes to a total required by each player to win the game, and means providing for penalties or rewards to a player according to his position on parts of said paths.

Preferably, each of said sections indicates which articles can be bought when a players marker is within that section, and the rewards or penalties are indicated on cards.

The plurality of symbols can conveniently represent articles such as plants, vegetables, etc., and other items such as greenhouses, seats, and tools which would be found in a garden, and individual boards representing gardens of different types can be provided upon which to mount said symbols as they are collected by a player.

The invention will be further described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 shows a playing board of a game according to the invention, and

FIG. 2 shows an individual board representing a garden upon which symbols can be mounted.

The subject of this embodiment of the game is a garden, and items involved in playing the game are connected with gardens and gardening.

Referring to FIG. 1 of the drawings, a playing board is marked with an outer peripheral path 1 and an inner circuitous path 2, with the path 2 representing a path meandering through a garden. Both peripheral and circuitous paths are divided into a plurality of steps 3 and 4, respectively.

The peripheral path 1 is divided into twelve sections 5 representing the 12 months of the year, and each step 3 of path 1 represents a week of the year. Each section 5 includes four steps or weeks, and four corner steps are provided marked Penalty, Chance, Opportunity" and Misfortune for the purpose outlined hereinafter. Additionally, each section 5 is marked with a number of different species of garden plant, shrub or tree, and the sections 5 of 2 winter months January and February are shaded.

The inner circuitous path 2 forms a closed path around theboard. Branch sections 6 of the path 2 connect the main part of the path 2 with one step or week in each of the month sections of the other peripheral path 1. The path 2 also connects with a central portion of the playing board divided into four rectangles 7. Each rectangle 7 counts as a step in the path 2.

The four rectangles 7 are marked Penalty," Chance, Opportunity and Misfortune and four packs of cards are provided, one for each rectangle. The cards of the Chance" and Opportunity" packs indicate different rewards of varying degree to be awarded to a player, and the cards of the Penalty and Misfortune packs indicate penalties of varying severity to be inflicted on a player. A card is read and its instructions obeyed if a player, during the course of a game, lands on a step 4 of path 2 which is suitably marked to indicate one of the four types of card, or on one of the four corner steps of the peripheral path 1.

A set of boards are provided, one board 8 of which is illustrated in FIG. 2. The board 8 represents a country house and garden. It is provided with a plurality of slots 9 for holding symbols 10.

Other similar boards are provided representing other gardens and all the gardens are allotted monetary and point values as follows:

Interest Value Points Mortgage per year Town garden 500 400 250 l2. l0. 0d. Cottage garden 33 350 300 I 8. 15. 0d. Country garden 1000 750 500 25. Formal garden 2000 1500 1000 50.

Accessories (Square headed signs) No. of Abbreviation Each item Accessory of Points Cost Available Accessory 4 Cold frame CF 5 5 8 Fence FE 50 50 8 Fertilizer F l5 5 6 Fish Fl l0 l0 4 Fountain F0 50 50 8 Garden Furniture GF 50 50 6 Garden ornaments G0 25 25 6 Greenhouse-small GS 25 25 6 Greenhouse-large GL 50 50 8 Manure M l5 :8 5 6 Paving stones PS 25 25 4 Pergola PE 25 25 6 Pond P 50 50 4 Rookery R I00 6 Summer house SH 50 50 2 Swimming pool SP 350 450 2 Tennis court TC 250 350 2 Terrace T 350 450 2 Tool shed T0 15 15 4 Wall W 50 50 Plants (Round headed signs) No. of Abbreviation Each Item Plant of Points Cost Available Plant 120 Annuals A 5 5 8 Asparagus AS 10 5 20 Bulbs B 5 5 8 Carnations C 5 5 8 Chrysanthemums CH 5 5 l5 Climbers-Pots CL 10 5 8 Dahlias D 5 5 20 Evergreens E 15 15 25 Fruit trees FT 20 15 25 Fruit bushes FB 15 10 20 Heather HT l 2O Hedges H 20 20 40 Herbaceous HE 5 5 50 Lawn-seed LS 5 5 l00 Lawn-turf LT a6 10 8 Marrow MA 10 5 8 Orchids O 25 10 8 Rhubarb RH 5 5 8 Ridge cucumbers RC 5 5 35 Rock plants-P RP 5 5 20 Roses R0 5 5 50 Shrubs S :3 l5 8 Tomatoes TO 10 5 l5 Treeslarge TL 50 50 15 Treessmall TS 25 25 l Vegetables V 5 5 8 Waterlilies W 10 5 Ownership of cold frames or greenhouses enables players to buy certain plants during the shaded months of the board at reduced cost in what is termed, for the purpose of the game, seed or cutting form, although the board is not marked with seeds and cuttings. Players should remember to plant out these plants in the appropriate month indicated. Cold frames and greenhouses take vegetables, marrows, cucumbers, tomatoes and annuals. The allowed limit is 4 per frame. Greenhouses also take dahlias, Chrysanthemums, orchids, carnations, grapes and peaches.

Counters are provided which are marked to represent different monetary denominations, and also two sets of markers, namely, a set of inner path markers and a set of outer path markers. Each player has an inner path marker and an outer path marker, with the inner path marker for moving along the inner path 2 and the outer path marker around the outer path 1 according to the throw of a die.

The game is played according to the following rules and instructions:

How Does Your Garden Grow? is a game that can be played by two to eight players.

The winner of the game is the first player to plant up his garden to the required number of points stipulated for his plot and then complete one circuit of the planting year (52 squares) without dropping any points.

Before the game begins each player chooses an outer path marker, an inner path marker and a garden plot, if necessary by the throw of the dice.

According to what garden plot each player holds, the bank allots, at the beginning of the game, a sum of money sufficient to enable the player to plant up the garden.

Players should allow for the possibility of paying for a penalty or misfortune, although a chance or opportunity card may offset by its reward any financial difficulty or disaster incurred.

The number of points required and the money provided by the bank for each garden are:

Cottage garden 300 points, 350. Town garden 400 points 500. Country garden 750 points 1,000. Formal garden 1,500 points 2,000.

Gardens can be planted up with plants (round headed signs) and accessories (square headed signs) which, with the exceptions of fish, are non-living things. Every garden must have at least half its total points scored in plants, but, if a player wishes, all points can be scored through plants. A player can score more than the total number of points required for a particular garden providing the accessories do not exceed more than half the points scored.

As long as this rule is observed, players can plant up their gardens to any design they like. Accessories or plants can only be bought when it is the players turn and before the throw of the die. Accessories can be bought by a player at any time of the year, but plants can only be bought in the month indicated on the board and when that players outer path marker rests on a square of the section coresponding to that particular month. The shaded'months of the board enable players to buy certain plants as seedlings at half cost, if they hold cold frames or greenhouses. It is advisable for players to have in mind what accessory or plant they want to buy before their turn comes, as otherwise the game can get slowed down through players hesitating over their purchases when it is their turn. It will be appreciated that the accessories or plants bought by a player when it is his turn are those allowable in accordance with that section in which the players outer path marker rests before the throw of the die, and not those allowable in accordance with that section in which the players outer path marker rests after his turn.

Players are restricted to buying at their turn one accessory or five plants or less of any one value, e.g., all 5. plants. Players do not have to buy at each turn.

Players, if they wish or need to, can sell back to the bank any plants or accessories at their turn. This does not prevent them buying something else at the same time.

The outer path markers are for moving around the months of the year (outer section of the board) and the inner path markers for moving along the garden paths (inner area).

Players throw for who starts first. Players can place their outer path markers on any square (week) of any month to start, that particular square being counted in the number the player throws on the die. The outer path markers must move in a clockwise (calendar) di rection. The four corner squares each count as a week.

Players must place their inner path markers on the connected path 6 which connects with the plants they select to begin the game, with the inner path marker being placed on the square of the connecting path 6 immediately adjacent the peripheral path. Players move their inner path markers clockwise the same number of squares as their outer path markers. At the beginning of each month they must count the square their inner path markers are on in the number thrown on the die.

As a players throw takes the outer path marker into another month, then on the next turn the inner path marker must be placed at the beginning of the connected path 6 which connects with the month the outer path marker is now in, i.e., on the square of the new connected path immediately adjacent the peripheral path.

If players wish, they can move their inner path markers in a different manner, provided they announce before their turn that they are Going up the garden path, they can then move their inner path markers along any path, independently of the months, but always in a clockwise direction. In other words, a player may move his inner path marker continuously around the inner circuitous path rather than placing his inner path marker at the beginning of the section of the inner circuitous path which interconnects with the outer path at the beginning of each turn, as described above. If a player finds this way unsatisfactory, a change back to the movement by months can be made provided the intention is declared at one turn and made at the next.

The four center squares marked Penalty, Chance, Misfortune and Opportunity are counted in the paths. No matter what course a player is taking, if the last count of the number is a center square, then the player places the inner path marker there and takes a card, as would happen on any garden path square so marked and landed on. Players can count the center squares in their garden path progress provided the direction is a clockwise one.

In one throw a player can move his inner path marker only through one center square, i.e., upon reaching a center square from the path 2, he must move back onto the path 2 in a clockwise direction. A player cannot move directly from one center square to another center square.

When a players outer path marker comes to rest on a corner square, holiday, hospital, jail, bad weather, as a result of a throw (not directed there by a card) the appropriate card must be taken from the center square.

The corner squares form part of the outer path. When a player lands on one of these corner squares, he is obliged to take a card from the stack indicated by the small square inset in the larger corner square. In other words, if a player lands on the jail" square, he must take a card from the Penalty pack. Special cards can be bought (for the purpose explained below) at any time, provided it is the players turn, but no accessories or plants can be bought at that turn.

lfa player holds a special card and through the result of a throw has to draw a penalty card, then there is no obligation to draw this card if the player is prepared to give up immediately to the bank the special card held. Of course, a player may prefer to look at the card to see if the penalty applies or is worth surrendering a special card. There is no obligation to surrender a special card to nullify a penalty.

A player cannot hold more than one special card at any time.

The bank receives and makes all payments for any center square card.

All garden stock and accessories are held by the bank and can only be bought through the bank.

No player is allowed to monopolize the buying of any one plant or accessory, i.e., no player can hold three quarters or more of the total stock of any one plant or accessory unless agreed.

No player is allowed to buy plants or accessories to deliberately forestall any other players completing their gardens.

Garden plots can be mortgaged to the bank but only if the player is in financial difficulties. Mortgage and interest has to be paid back before the player can begin the final 12 month run around the board. Mortgages are half the cost of the plot and interest is at 5 percent a year.

When a player has amassed the required number of points for the garden plot held, the player announces the completion of the garden design. Then, the player takes the inner path marker and places it on the same outer circuit planting square where the outer path marker rests. The inner path marker will indicate the last square the player has to reach or pass in completing the 12 month circuit without losing any points. Should the player drop any points in circulating the board, then the inner path marker has to be returned to the garden path area and moved according to the rules until the lost points have been acquired again; then the player has another try at the circuit.

After planting up their gardens to the required number of points, players can, when they begin their final complete circuit of the board, keep their inner path markers on the garden paths and move them month by month as when planting up their gardens. This increases the likelihood of players encountering difficulties and having to sell or lose plants or accessories, thus nullifying their final round.

Warning: The planting times indicated on the board have been arranged to make the game interesting and are not an accurate guide for a real garden. Planting times vary according to the suitability of the weather, the type of garden soil and the kind of plant and its form.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for playing a game comprising a board having a peripheral path divided into a plurality of steps grouped to form a plurality of sections arranged in sequence along said path, and an inner circuitous path connecting once with each of said sections of the peripheral path, a plurality of markers of which an outer path marker of each player is in play moved step by step through said sections around said peripheral path and an inner path marker is moved step by step along at least a part of said inner path, in which by travelling along the inner circuitous path, the player may incur penalties or obtain rewards according to the position of his inner path marker, each move being determined by a chance reading of an indicia bearing means, a plurality of pieces representing money, said pieces being alotted to each player before the game commences, and a plurality of symbols representing articles which can be purchased by a player with the money during the game, the symbols bearing indicia designating numbers of points which contribute to a total required by each player to win the game, means providing for penalties or rewards to a player according to the position of his markers on parts of said paths and each said sections of said peripheral path indicating what articles can be purchased when a players said outer path marker is within that section.

2. Apparatus as claimed in claim. 1 wherein the said means providing for penalties or rewards is at least one pack of cards, the cards of which indicate various penalties or rewards, in play, a card being turned over and its instructions obeyed when a players marker comes to rest on a marked part of a path.

3. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 further compris' ing a plurality of collecting boards upon which the symbols can be mounted as they are collected by the players during play.

4. Apparatus as claimed in claim 3 wherein said collecting boards each have a plurality of slits in which symbols can be held.

Claims (4)

1. Apparatus for playing a game comprising a board having a peripheral path divided into a plurality of steps grouped to form a plurality of sections arranged in sequence along said path, and an inner circuitous path connecting once with each of said sections of the peripheral path, a plurality of markers of which an outer path marker of each player is in play moved step by step through said sections around said peripheral path and an inner path marker is moved step by tep along at least a part of said inner path, in which by travelling along the inner circuitous path, the player may incur penalties or obtain rewards according to the position of his inner path marker, each move being determined by a chance reading of an indicia bearing means, a plurality of pieces representing money, said pieces being alotted to each player before the game commences, and a plurality of symbols representing articles which can be purchased by a player with the money during the game, the symbols bearing indicia designating numbers of points which contribute to a total required by each player to win the game, means providing for penalties or rewards to a player according to the position of his markers on parts of said paths and each said sections of said peripheral path indicating what articles can be purchased when a player''s said outer path marker is within that section.

2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the said means providing for penalties or rewards is at least one pack of cards, the cards of which indicate various penalties or rewards, in play, a card being turned over and its instructions obeyed when a player''s marker comes to rest on a marked part of a path.

3. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a plurality of collecting boards upon which the symbols can be mounted as they are collected by the players during play.

4. Apparatus as claimed in claim 3 wherein said collecting boards each have a plurality of slits in which symbols can be held.

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