WO2008090315A1

WO2008090315A1 - Game apparatus

Info

Publication number: WO2008090315A1
Application number: PCT/GB2008/000170
Authority: WO
Inventors: Andrew Paul Simmill
Original assignee: Andrew Paul Simmill
Priority date: 2007-01-26
Filing date: 2008-01-17
Publication date: 2008-07-31
Also published as: GB0911541D0; GB2458401A; GB0701458D0

Abstract

Game apparatus including a playing board (10) and one or more dice and playing pieces. The board (10) has a path (12) defined by a plurality of adjoining playing areas (14). The playing areas include spending areas (22), shopping areas (24), bills (26), other spending items (28, 30), and a wage area (32). Other playing areas (14) indicate credit card interest to be paid, and building society interest to be accrued.

Description

Game Apparatus

This invention concerns game apparatus, and particularly but not exclusively game apparatus relating to personal debt.

Personal debt is a significant problem in society. However education relating to personal debt, and particularly for children and young people, is generally at most quite limited. It would though be advantageous for persons to learn about the possibility and consequences of personal debt, and desirably at an early age.

According to the present invention there is provided game apparatus, the apparatus comprising means defining a plurality of defined areas, which defined areas are arranged to define a path along which a plurality of playing pieces are movable in response to a number produced by a random number generator to dictate the number of defined areas along the path a playing piece should move along, a plurality of the defined areas being marked with sums to be spent by a player whose playing piece lands on said defined area, and a further plurality of the defined areas being marked with a debit indication showing a percentage which should be deducted from the money held by a player during the game when the player's playing piece lands on said defined area.

The apparatus may also include one or more further defined areas which may be marked to indicate a sum to be added to money held by a player during the game when the player's playing piece lands on said defined area.

The apparatus may include a still further plurality of defined areas marked with a credit indication showing a percentage which should be added to the money held by a player during the game when the player's playing piece lands on said defined area. The apparatus may yet further include means defining one or more defined areas marked with an instruction to be carried out in relation to the money held by a player during the game when the player's playing piece lands on said area.

The defined areas may be arranged in a continuous path.

An embodiment of the present invention will now be described by way of example only and with reference to the accompanying drawing, which is a plan view of a board game of apparatus according to the present invention.

The drawing shows a playing board 10 which can be used to play a game concerning personal debt suitable for use with children. The game will be played with the board 10, one or more dice (not shown), and a number of playing pieces (also not shown). The board 10 has a rectangular path 12 defined by a plurality of adjoining square defined playing areas 14, with ten areas 14 along the longer sides of the rectangle, and eight along the shorter sides. An instruction area 16 is provided within the path 12, and can include decoration and also a set of rules 18 for the game.

The playing areas 14 include a start area 20 at the top left hand corner which indicates that each player should start with £1500 in credit. Such money could be held as a series of imitation bank notes, or by writing down or recording otherwise the amount of money held.

A plurality of spending areas 22 are provided which include for instance shopping areas 24, bills 26 or other spending items such as a new car 28 or holiday 30.

The playing areas 14 also include wage areas 32 which are marked with a wage which should be added to the money held by the player. A particular playing area 34 is marked to indicate that due to sickness the last wage will be lost by a player landing on this area 34.

Some of the playing areas 14 are marked to indicate credit card interest which may be paid. Such credit card areas 36 are marked with a percentage interest which should be deducted from the money held by a player. For a player's interest, the credit card areas 36 are marked with particular fruits with different rates of interest, and these rates of interest are also illustrated in the instruction area 16.

Others of the playing areas 14 are marked as building society areas 38 and indicate a percentage interest which should be added to the sum held by a player. Different percentages are provided, namely four, five or six per cent, and as can be seen these are significantly less than the credit card levels of 15, 20, 25 and 30 per cent to reflect where the greater interest charges are likely to be incurred.

In use, the players' playing pieces are placed on the start area 20, and each player is allocated £1500 of credit as indicated. The playing pieces are then moved around the path 12 in turn, with the number of playing areas to be moved across determined by a dice or other random number generator. In response to the instructions on the respective playing area 14, the money held by each player is amended as a result of the instructions on the respective playing areas 14.

The game may continue until the first playing piece has travelled the whole way around the path 12, or may continue until a number of laps of the path 12 have been completed. Alternatively the game could be played for a set time period, or for instance when a player's total of money reaches a particular level, i.e. low or high. It may be useful for instance to indicate when a player moves into debt, or reaches a particular level of debt. There is thus described a game, and game apparatus for playing a game, concerning personal credit which can be fun for young people and others to play, and is also informative.

It is be realised that various modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the invention. For instance the board may take a different form, may have a different shape, and different path or paths could be provided, perhaps with high risk and low risk branches. Different naming and/or markings for the playing areas could be provided as may be of relevance and/or interest to potential players as a game.

Whilst the game apparatus has been defined in terms of a playing board and pieces, it is to be realised that the game could be played for instance on a computer which would suit itself for educational use, perhaps being shown on a screen for a group or class of children. The amount of money held by each player could be automatically calculated in response to the instructions on the respective playing areas. Alternatively, a calculator means or otherwise could be provided to enable players to calculate the money they are holding.

Whilst endeavouring in the foregoing specification to draw attention to those features of the invention believed to be of particular importance it should be understood that the Applicant claims protection in respect of any patentable feature or combination of features hereinbefore referred to and/or shown in the drawings whether or not particular emphasis has been placed thereon.

Claims

1 Game apparatus, the apparatus comprising means defining a plurality of defined areas, which defined areas are arranged to define a path along which a plurality of playing pieces are movable in response to a number produced by a random number generator to dictate the number of defined areas along the path a playing piece should move along, a plurality of the defined areas being marked with sums to be spent by a player whose playing piece lands on said defined area, and a further plurality of the defined areas being marked with a debit indication showing a percentage which should be deducted from the money held by a player during the game when the player's playing piece lands on said defined area.

2 Game apparatus according to claim 1 , characterised in that the apparatus also includes one or more further defined areas which may be marked to indicate a sum to be added to money held by a player during the game when the player's playing piece lands on said defined area.

3 Game apparatus according to claims 1 or 2, characterised in that the apparatus includes a plurality of defined areas marked with a credit indication showing a percentage which should be added to the money held by a player during the game when the player's playing piece lands on said defined area.

4 Game apparatus according to any of the preceding claims, characterised in that the apparatus includes means defining one or more defined areas marked with an instruction to be carried out in relation to the money held by a player during the game when the player's playing piece lands on said area.

5 Game apparatus according to any of the preceding claims, characterised in that the defined areas are arranged in a continuous path.