WO2004052478A1

WO2004052478A1 - Table game and method of playing

Info

Publication number: WO2004052478A1
Application number: PCT/HU2002/000139
Authority: WO
Inventors: Sándor SÓTONYI
Original assignee: Sotonyi Sandor
Priority date: 2002-12-09
Filing date: 2002-12-09
Publication date: 2004-06-24
Also published as: HU0204273D0; HUP0204273A2; AU2002348940A1

Abstract

A board game for two or more players or for teams, comprising a board or a board-like playing surface, playing tokens which can be dolls, disks or any shaped solid. The playing surface is divided into cells preferably by sequences of parallel lines and an intersecting sequences of parallel lines; the groups of the tokens which can be placed on the playing surface are distinguishable, preferably they have different colors or different shapes, or they are any other way marked, in this case, for example with relief Braille-writing; the tokens can be placed on cells or on the gridpoints of border lines of the playing fields; the playing procedure of the board game can be selected and determined by the number of players, the size of the board, the number and colors of the playing tokens, moreover of the playing rules selected at the beginning of the game, such that the first player chooses a color, and then the next player places the token upon a cell, that he/she selected, and chooses a color for the next player; by the placement of the tokens the player wants to make complete a formation predetermined at the beginning of the game, preferably a square, rectangular, rhombus, regular triangle of the same color; in the case of finishing the formation the player removes the tokens on the vertices of the formation from the playing surface, and chooses a color for the next player; the previous player drops out from the game; the players come in order during the game; the winner of the game is the player remaining last in the game; the winning of the game in a given case can be also made more difficult, by for example that the player has to finish simultaneously two formations; the game can also be played so that the winner of the game and the order of the players is determined by the number of the completed formations made, or by the number of collected tokens.

Description

Λ

TαJa , game and method of playing

Technical Field

The subject of the invention is a board game for two or more persons or for teams, as well as the method of playing the same. The parlour game includes a game board and tokens on it, which could be dolls, disks or any solid figures.

Background Art

The tradition of board games goes back to several millennia. Many board games are reviewed in "A malomtol a gόig" by Zdzistaw Nowak (Gondolat Edition, Budapest, 1982).

Board games could be played on boards formed or drawn outdoors, on sod of grass, etc., but primarily and more comfortably on table boards. Part of the games are gamblings, where the win depends on fortune; others require different mental gifts, skills, logical thinking, combination ability, foresight, forethought for several steps.

Common characteristic of board games are playing board made of any material, tokens with great variety in shape and color, or perhaps dice, luck wheel or some other equipment. The difference is in the playing rule, operation. Consequently, a great deal of parlour games is known. T HU2002/000139 λ

Most of the board games provide playing possibility only for two players, the level of difficulty, even for logical games, limited by the playing rules, see, e.g., chess, nine-men's morris or game of draughts.

Disclosure of Invention

The purpose of preparing the board game and its playing method described in this invention was to form such a board game, which

• makes possible playing for more than two players;

• is suitable for playing individuals and teams, as well;

• entertaining, delightful, logical, requires combination skills;

• the level of difficulty can be adjusted to the number, ages and skills of players, moreover to the time constraints can be present, partly by changing the size of the board, and partly by the great variety and flexibility of the playing rules; and last but not least

• be new and original by its specific playing rules and not any modified variety of any known ones.

The aim of the invention is a set of ideas, among others as follows

• variable size and form of the game board;

• almost any number and age of the players;

• randomly or carefully planned initial position of the tokens;

• predetermined given formation of the same colored tokens can be removed from the board according to the playing rules;

• at the same time the player can select the next color influencing the progress of the game.

• One basic idea is that the current player not only puts down a token or removes a formation of tokens, but also chooses a continuation method of rules, e.g. color, for the next player. Carrying out the Invention

According to the above objectives, the game board of this invention is divided into cells. The size, dimensions of the game board is selected according to the number and ages of players, and it influences the difficulty level and the time required for finishing the game. For example only 4x4 - 8x8 dimension game board is suggested for at most 4 children of ages 6 to 10. The game requires a variety number of tokens of different color or shape (or any attribute). The placement of the tokens according to the selected playing rules can be to the cells or the grid points of the border lines of the cells. The starting player determines the starting color, and every player decides the color for the next player. The objective is the establishment of a formation of tokens predetermined at the beginning of the game, e.g., built from the same color, and then collecting these tokens by removing the formation from the board. The level of difficulty can be modified, the players can be dropped out. The goal of the game can be to remain in the game, when the last player remaining in the game wins, or the result can be determined by number of collected/removed tokens.

According to all the aboves, a board game of the invention for two or more players or for teams, comprising a board or a board-like playing surface, playing tokens which can be dolls, disks or any shaped solid. The playing surface is divided into cells preferably by sequences of parallel lines and an intersecting sequences of parallel lines. The groups of the tokens which can be placed on the playing surface are distinguishable, preferably they have different colors or different shapes, or they are any other way marked, in this case, for example with relief Braille- writing.

The tokens can be placed on cells or on the gridpoints of border lines of the playing fields.

The playing procedure of the board game can be selected and determined by the number of players, the size of the board, the number and colors of the playing tokens, moreover of the playing rules selected at the beginning of the game, such that the first player chooses a color, and then the next player places the token upon a cell, that he/she selected, and chooses a color for the next player. By the placement of the tokens the player wants to make complete a formation predetermined at the beginning of the game, preferably a square, rectangular, rhombus, regular triangle of the same color; in the case of finishing the formation the player removes the tokens on the vertices of the formation from the playing surface, and chooses a color for the next player. The previous player drops out from the game; the players come in order during the game.

The winner of the game is the player remaining last in the game The winning of the game in a given case can be also made more difficult, by for example that the player has to finish simultaneously two formations. The game can also be played so, that the winner of the game and the order of the players is determined by the number of the completed formations made, or by the number of collected tokens.

A board game according to the present invention can be played by 2 to 100, preferably 2 to 10 people ages 6 to 100 years old, can be played individually or in teams.

A board game according to the present invention can be played on different playing surfaces divided into 20 to 400 cells, preferably into 6x6 to 20x20 dimension.

Playing a board game according to this invention the tokens used in the game can have 2 to 10 different colors, the number of tokens in each color can be preferably 25 to 50 percent of the number of the playing fields, preferably in the same number in each color or shape.

A board game as described can be played on the cells or gridpoints of the table board or an outdoor play field sized from 6x6 to 20x20.

To play the board game according to the invention tokens of 2 to 10 different colors, shape, or some other way distinguished groups are used. The preferred number of tokens in a certain color varies from 25 to 50 percent of the number of the play cells, and preferably in the same number of tokens r should be used in every color. The tokens can be simple disks, buttons, pieces of stones, or even beans.

The board game according to the invention can be preferably played on the cells and grid points of a play board of size 6x6 to 20x20 with rectangular grid lines established on a board, carpet, or on a play field formed outdoors.

Advantages of the invention

The board game according to the invention over its novelty, is advantageous, because it is resourceful, it provides high quality and brain-teasing playing possibility for different ages, and different number of playing companies. In the meanwhile it makes thinking playful, develops logical skills, depth perception, combinatorial readiness, and foreseeing, and last but not least it entertains exactingly.

It is playable on a variably sized and structured play fields, with the participation of almost any aged, and any number of players, with changeable playing rules. By the variation of the playing rules complicated, very hard or very long games can work out, as well. But the base game with a relatively simple playing mode and rules is easily learnable and can become fond of for groups of almost every age. Last but not least the game has also an educating effect, which not only lets our children play but also teaches playing, moreover we can teach them over the game to behave.

In the following we outline the usage of the boards and the selection of tokens for the board game of the invention. Moreover we outline easily useable, recommended rules/ arid we also complete the description with examples for playing the game, although without restricting our invention to the playing rules outlined in the examples. The parts of the game:

The board: for ages 7 to 10 form 30 to 60 number of cells, e.g., 6x6 or 7x7 dimension, for ages 10 to adult 60-400 number of cells, e.g., from 8x8 to 20x20 dimension. The size of the board, i.e., play field is chosen suitably according to play rules, time provided, and not least according to the number of players. The bigger the table is, and the more colors used with, the harder and the longer the game will be. The board can be grided, and can be equipped with helping coloring, like the chess table, in this latter case it is suitable to place the tokens on the cells, else on the gridpoints.

The playing tokens: anything can be used, dolls, pins or disks, colored, different shaped or any way marked, some cases with different marks, for example the can be distinguished with relief Braille-writing.

The beginner level players can use two different disks, from which for example the one third of the number of the gridpoints should be available. For example using an 8x8 table 20 red and 20 green disks can be used.

On advanced level the same number of disks, but it can even 11 different colors be available for the players. In the case of the above mentioned 8x8 table size, for example with 3 different colors, players should use 20 red, 20 white, and 20 green playing tokens, for example disks.

Before the game we put the tokens on the side of the board, so every player could reach any colored token to put it on the table. Objective of the game: is to establish same predetermined formation of the same colored tokens, e.g., a square (rectangular, regular triangle), so that for example in the case of a square the tokens should form the four vertices of the square. The sides of the square can be parallel to the rows and the columns of the table, but they can be also such, which are not parallel to the grid lines of the board.

Game play:

The players stand around the table where the board and the tokens for the selected game type are located, or they sit around the carpet which the grids are woven into, or some outdoor play-field set up for the game. The starting player is selected (the youngest, or with drawing, or the next one in order).

The starting player chooses a color. The next player (lets go counterclockwise) puts the chosen colored token on one empty cell, or gridpoint of the board, and he/she also chooses a color for the coming player. The next player puts a given colored token on a selected and empty cell or gridpoint of the board. (In the sequel the place of the token is called cell). The game continues in order so on.

If the next player could not complete a square (or other predetermined formation) with putting down a token of the prescribed color he/she selects a color for the next player and the game goes on.

If the next player completes a square of the same color, he/she can remove the tokens forming the square, and, of course, selects a color for the next player. The previous player, who has chosen the color, drops out.

If the player who made the square, does not realize that he/she made a square, then any of the players can interrupt, can show the square and can take off the tokens forming the square. Then he/she can select a color for the next player (or according to a preliminary agreement the game goes on with original color selection). The player who made the square and did not realize it drops out.

When the disk or token last placed down is the vertex of more than one square, the player who showed the square decides which square, i.e., tokens of the four vertices of the squares will be removed from the table.

The winner of the game is the player who remains in the game as the last one.

We can set up a little harder task for the two best players. For example the last player drops out only when simultaneously two same colored squares are formed, or exchanging the removable tokens of the square to any colored tokens a new square will be formed.

The game can also be ended when all the tokens were put down, this way by announcing the players stayed in the game equally strong, we can start a new party.

Such a playing type is also recornmendable, that nobody drops out of the game, and the game ends only when somebody completes, e.g., ten times a square from the tokens. The position of the others is determined by the squares made by them. The removal of the tokens changes the entertaining and playful character of the game.

The game time:

When we do not have a lot of time, then 5-10 seconds are proposed to make each movement. (If somebody could not make a movement within this time, then he/she drops out of the game.) The game is also variable with the following agreement. During the game everybody can make a pass, i.e. stays out of one turn, three times, when he/she feels the next player could get to a finishing formation, so he/she could not have a good color choice. With the "complicated accumulating" of the rules the game can be made very complicated, or very long. The basic game with a relatively simple game play is easily acquirable, and it is easy to come to like it.

For those who want to play a long game many colors are recommended, because the number of the selected colors increases the complexity of the game. The game is very fast in the case of two colors.

To demonstrate the board games and some rules/methods for playing them I give the following but not limiting examples without the intention of being complete.

Example Game 1

Below I will outline an example game of a beginner level for five players being 8-9 years old children. For the sake of simplicity they have played on a chessboard, and I will outline their moves with the field marks used there.

The moves of the two first players were the following: The starting first player choose the red color, and the second player put the prescribed red token on the field a1. This describes the notation of the movements below. The steps were the followings:

1. R (red chosen) 2. a1 R (the token was put on field a1 , red color is chosen) 3. b1 W (white) 4. d4 G (green) 5. e5 R 6. e1 R

7. a8 R 8. h1 W " ^' 9. h8 G 10. d5 G

11. C6 W 12. c3 R 13. e4 W 14. a4 G 15. d6W 16. h4R 17. b2W

18. dδ (d4; h4; h8; d8) (the first player dropped out, moreover the four tokens have been removed from the board) W

19. c5W 20. e6G 21.h4W 22. a2W 23. h8 R 24. d2 G 25. b4 R 26. e3 G 27. f6 R 28. f2 (e1 ; d2; e3; f2) W 29. d3 R 30. e7 G 31. f2 W 32. f4 (d3; f4; e6; c5) W 33. d4 W 34. e6 R 35. d W 36. d3 W

37. c4 (c3; d3; d4; c4;) R c2 (b1 ; d ; c2; b2) Applause! The game has ended.

Example Game 2

Below I will outline an example game of a beginner level, that was a little bit short with 3 players, 10 years old children played on a chessboard, and the game has ended by the 24^th movement. The steps are the following:

1. R 2. h8R 3. e5 R 4. a8 R

5. a1 G 6. M R 7. a5 G 8. e1 R

9. e8W 10. gδR 11.h5(h5;h8;eδ;e5)R

12. d5G 13. d3R 14. d4G 15. e4R

16. d1 W 17. a4R 18. c4W 19. c5R

20. d3W 21.C3R 22. b1 W 24. e3 G

25. h4 (h4; e4; e1; hi) R e4 (e4; d5; c4; d3)

Example Game 3

Below I will outline a more complicated example game with 11 players, 13-15 years old children played on a 13x13 board, They prepared seven colored, M

50-50 tokens for the game (red (R), dark black (D), green (G), blue (B), yellow (Y), purple (P), light green (L)). The moves came this way in order: 1. R 2. π D 3.112 G 4. f6 R 5. b2 R 6. i3 G

7. h6G δ. hδY 9. f δ G 10. f9Y 11. f 5 D 12. k12 B 13. MOB 14.J7B 15. d9 P 16. g7 P 17. gδ P 18. g9P 19. g10P 20. g11 P 21.g12P 22. g13 B 23.111 P 24. e10 R 25. c2R 26. d3R 27. e4 R 28. f5 R 29. g6 D 30. e6 R

31.h7R 32. iδ R 33. j9 R 34. k10 R 35. m12D 36. cδ Y

37. a6 D 38. g4 R 39. i9 D 40. c4Y 41.Θ12Y 42. k6 L

43. e9 Y 44. jδ R 45. e3 Y 46. k7 L 47. f10L 48. e11 Y

49.18 G 50. e2 G 51.h4D 52. d4 D 53. k9 D 54. f3 Y

55. gδ Y 56. I7 D 57.16 D 58. k8 D 59.113 Y 60.d10L

61.k13L 62. f4 L 63.14 D 64. 7 G 65. eδ G 66. a5 P

67. f12 G 68. d1 (d1 , h4, eδ, a5) until the first square (see figure three as well).

Figures:

Figure 1 : A few opportunities for completing squares on an 8x8 board

Figure 2: Triangle shaped game board is suitable for playing on cells or gridpoints.

Figure 3: The figure demonstration of Example Game 3.

Claims

A board game for two or more players or for teams, comprising a board or a board-like playing surface, playing tokens which can be dolls, disks or any shaped solid, c h a r a c t e r i z e d b y t h a t the playing surface is divided into cells preferably by sequences of parallel lines and an intersecting sequences of parallel lines; the groups of the tokens which can be placed on the playing surface are distinguishable, preferably they have different colors or different shapes, or they are any other way marked, in this case, for example with relief Braille-writing; the tokens can be placed on cells or on the gridpoints of border lines of the playing fields; the playing procedure of the board game can be selected and determined by the number of players, the size of the board, the number and colors of the playing tokens, moreover of the playing rules selected at the beginning of the game, such that the first player chooses a color, and then the next player places the token upon a cell, that he/she selected, and chooses a color for the next player; by the placement of the tokens the player wants to make complete a formation predetermined at the beginning of the game, preferably a square, rectangular, rhombus, regular triangle of the same color; in the case of finishing the formation the player removes the tokens on the vertices of the formation from the playing surface, and chooses a color for the next player; the previous player drops out from the game; the players come in order during the game; the winner of the game is the player remaining last in the game; the winning of the game in a given case can be also made more difficult, by for example that the player has to finish simultaneously two formations; the game can also be played so that the winner of the game and the order of the players is determined by the number of the completed formations made, or by the number of collected tokens. lb A board game according to claim 1 , characterized by that 2 to 100, preferably 2 to TO people ages 6 to 100 years old can be played individually or in teams.

A board game according to claim 1, characterized by that the playing surface of it is divided into 20 to 400 cells, preferably into 6x6 to 20x20 dimension.

A board game according to claim 1, characterized by that the tokens used in the game have 2 to 10 different colors, the number of tokens in each color is preferably 25 to 50 percent of the number of the playing fields, preferably in the same number in each color or shape.

A board game according to claim 1 , characterized by that it is played on the cells or gridpoints of the table board or an outdoor play field sized from 6x6 to 20x20.