WO2012077094A1

WO2012077094A1 - A game apparatus

Info

Publication number: WO2012077094A1
Application number: PCT/IE2011/000064
Authority: WO
Inventors: Gareth Hanlon
Original assignee: Gareth Hanlon
Priority date: 2010-12-07
Filing date: 2011-12-07
Publication date: 2012-06-14

Abstract

The present invention relates to a word forming game apparatus. In particular the invention provides a plurality of octagonal game tiles, allowing words to be formed in horizontal, vertical and diagonal orientations, each game tile having an upper display face with a letter thereon, and each letter being assigned an associated numerical value. A number of dual letter function game tiles are provided in the game apparatus. At least one of said dual letter function tiles is invertible to represent a first letter in one orientation and to represent a second letter in another orientation. The advantage of the invention is to provide a wider range of possibilities for word forming and to allow players to spell words in all of eight different linear directions, whereby, a single game tile may be used as a d in one word and as a p in another word, at the same time.

Description

"A Game Apparatus"

Introduction This invention relates to a game apparatus, and in particular to a game apparatus for a word forming game.

Word forming game apparatus is known, for example, Scrabble (Registered Trade Mark), in which a number of square game tiles are arranged on an associated playing board having a matrix of square spaces upon which the tiles are placed to form words. However, the necessary interaction between the game tiles and the board somewhat limits the possibility for word formation.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a new linear multi-directional word forming game apparatus.

Statements of Invention

According to the invention, there is provided a game apparatus including a plurality of polygonal game tiles, each game tile having an upper display face with a letter thereon, and each letter being assigned an associated numerical value. Advantageously, during the course of a game, a number of the game tiles may be assembled to form words on a playing surface, such as a table or the like. In one embodiment of the invention, a number of multi-letter and dual letter function game tiles are provided.

In another embodiment, at least one of said multi-letter game tiles may represent any letter chosen by a player during the course of a game.

In a further embodiment, at least one of said multi-letter game tiles may represent one of a selected group of letters, as chosen by a player during the course of the game. For example, the selected group of letters may comprise vowels. ln another embodiment, at least one of said dual letter function tiles is invertible to represent a first letter in one orientation and to represent a second letter in another orientation, as chosen by a player during the course of the game. This feature advantageously gives a wider range of possibilities for word forming to players during the course of a game, whereby, a single tile may be used, for example, as a d in one word and as a p in another word, at the same time, facilitating the game apparatus to spell words in multiple linear directions.

In another embodiment, orientation indicia are provided on the upper display face.

In another embodiment, the letters are provided in a number of different colours on the game tiles.

In a particularly preferred embodiment, the game tiles have an octagonal shape. This advantageously provides great flexibility in assembling words in horizontal, vertical and diagonal orientations during the course of a game. It is noteworthy that during the course of a game, words must be spelt either from left to right or from top to bottom. Detailed Description of the Invention

The invention will be more clearly understood by the following description of some embodiments thereof, given by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a game tile forming portion of a game apparatus according to the invention;

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 showing another game tile;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 1 showing another invertible game tile forming portion of the apparatus of the invention;

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 showing the game tile of Fig. 3 in another position of use;

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 1 showing a multi-letter game tile forming portion of the apparatus of the invention;

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 1 showing a multi-vowel game tile forming portion of the apparatus of the invention;

Fig. 7 is a plan view showing a number of the game tiles of the invention assembled to form a word during the course of a game played with the game apparatus of the invention;

Fig. 8 is a view similar to Fig. 7 showing a later stage in the game played with the game apparatus of the invention; and

Fig. 9 is a table listing numerical values associated with each letter of the alphabet employed in the game apparatus of the invention.

Referring to the drawings, there is illustrated a game apparatus according to the invention comprising a plurality of octagonal game tiles, indicated generally by the reference numeral 1. Each game tile 1 has letter indicia 2 on an upper display face 3 of the game tile 1. Orientation indicia 4 to indicate the correct orientation of the game tile 1 is also provided on the upper display face 3. A numerical value 5 associated with each letter 2 is marked on the upper display face 3.

Referring in particular to Figs. 3 and 4, some of the game tiles 1 are invertible so that during the course of a game, a player may place the invertible game tile 1 in a first orientation to represent a first letter ("B" - Fig. 3) or alternatively, in a second orientation to represent a second letter ("Q" - Fig. 4).

Referring in particular to Fig. 5, a multi-letter game tile 1 is shown having letter indicia 8 indicating that this game tile 1 may represent any letter of the alphabet, as chosen by a player during the course of a game. Referring in particular to Fig. 6, there is shown another multi-letter game tile 1 which, in this case, has letter indicia 9 representing a group of letters, in this case, vowels, which indicates that this game tile 1 may represent any vowel, as chosen by a player during the course of a game.

Fig. 7 illustrates a number of game tiles 1 assembled to form a word 10 during the course of a game. It will be appreciated that the octagonal game tiles 1 allow words to be spelt out in eight different directions - horizontally, vertically and diagonally.

Fig. 8 shows a later stage in the game where another word 12 has been spelt out using one of the game tiles 1 of the original word 10 and a number of additional game tiles 1. Fig. 9 shows a table listing numerical values associated with the letters 2 on each game tile 1.

It will be noted also that the letter indicia 2 on the game tiles 1 is provided in a number of different colours, in this case, four different colours (green, blue, red or gold).

Example

In one example of the game apparatus, sixty game tiles 1 are provided comprising fifty-six game tiles 1 with a single letter 2 thereon, 2 of the multi-letter game tiles 1 shown in Fig. 5 and two of the multi-vowel game tiles 1 shown in Fig. 6. Of the fifty-six single letter game tiles 1 , a number of these are the invertible game tiles, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4. In use, a randomly selected leader game tile 1 is placed on the play area which may comprise a table, for example. Each player randomly selects seven game tiles 1. The first player spells a word using the leader game tile 1 and their own game tiles 1 as shown in Fig.7 for example. The numerical values on the game tiles 1 forming the word 10 are added to provide a score for that word 10. The object of the game is to score the highest number of points by spelling words. A player may spell more than one word when laying tiles from their seven tiles in hand, as long as each conjunction of letters formed by the tiles laid forms a legitimate word. The next player then forms a word 12 (see Fig. 8) using any game tile 1 on the first player's word 10 or words and their own game tiles 1 , and the appropriate score is calculated for the new word 12. Each player takes turns building new words using one or more game tiles 1 in the previously formed words 10, 12 and their own game tiles 1. When a player cannot spell any more words, they replenish their game tiles 1. During their turn, a player may choose to spell a word or exchange game tiles 1. Use of all seven game tiles 1 to form a word scores bonus points. Words formed by game tiles 1 having letter indicia 2 all of the same colour give a double word score.

It will be appreciated that the invention provides a game apparatus for playing a word forming game which is relatively simple but allows great flexibility and variety in the formation of words.

The game tiles 1 may conveniently be of wooden or plastics material or any other suitable material.

The invention is not limited to the embodiments hereinbefore described which may be varied in both construction and detail.

Claims

- 6 - Claims

1. A game apparatus including a plurality of polygonal game tiles, each game tile having an upper display face with a letter thereon, and each letter being assigned an associated numerical value,

wherein during the course of a game, a number of the game tiles may be assembled to form words on a playing surface, such as a table or the like,

and wherein at least one tile is invertible to represent a first letter in one orientation and to represent a second letter in another orientation.

2. A game apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein indicia are provided on the upper display face of the game tiles.

3. A game apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein the game tiles are octagonal in shape.

4 A game apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein the letters are grouped in a number of different colours on the game tiles.

5. A game apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein at least one of said multi-letter game tiles may represent any letter.

6. A game apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein at least one of said multi-letter game tiles may represent one of a selected group of letters.