GB2182854A - Apparatus for playing a board game - Google Patents

Abstract

Apparatus comprising a set of rules and a board, the board having a playing surface displaying an array of "squares" occupied during play by one or more playing pieces, is characterised by the following features: a) The "squares" displayed on the playing surface of the board provide the or each player with a plurality of alternative playing routes by which to travel from a game-starting position to a game-finishing position; b) certain of the "squares" give, to a player whose playing piece occupies any such "square", no choice in the matter of which "square" he must next move to; whilst certain other "squares" are so marked as to indicate that a player whose playing piece occupies anyone of them does have a choice of which "square" he may next move to; c) selected "squares", appropriately marked, enable a player whose playing piece occupies it to operate a random-number generator (for example a die or dice) whose result determines whether or not that player may perform (notionally or otherwise) an activity; and d) the rules specify that there are a plurality of such activities and that each such activity normally requires the player performing it to spend notionally or otherwise money. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Apparatus for playing a board game Field ofthe invention The invention relates to apparatus for playing a board game.

Reviewofartknown to the applicant Apparatus for playing a board game is well known as a general class, comprising typically a set of rules; a board whose playing surface displays an array of squared or otherwise appropriately differentiated territorial zones; and usually- butnotnecessarily- supplied with the board and the rules, one or more playing pieces which, during play, is moved about the board to occupy a succession of the said zones.

Apparatus comprising a set of rules and a board, and having thefeaturesjust outlined, will be referred to from now on in this specification as "apparatus ofthe kind in question".

The oreach playing piece (which, at the risk of repetition, is commonly supplied with but in this specification does notnecessarilyform partofan apparatus ofthe kind in question) can be a simplecircular disc, often referred to as a "counter". As well as being supplied in combination with one or (more usually) several such counters, apparatus ofthe kind in question often requires the use of a random-number generator, typically a die or dice. Here again, a set ofdicewill conventionally be supplied withtheapparatus but is not an essential feature of apparatus ofthe kind in question in this present specification.

Summary ofthe invention The invention seeks to embody, in an apparatus ofthe kind in question, an educational game which will assist particularly young children to learn the intrinsic value of money andthevarious ways in which money can be handled or mis-handled.

In its broadest aspect, therefore, apparatus ofthe kind in question and comprising a set of rules and a board is characterised by the following features: a) The territorial zones displayed on the playing surface of the board provide the or each player with a plurality of alternative playing routes by which to travel from a game-starting position to a game-finishing position; b) Certain ofthezones give, to a player whose playing piece occupies any one such zone, no choice inthe matter of which zone he must next move to; whilst certain other zones are so marked as to indicate positively (either in themselves or by reference to the rules of game-play) that a player whose playing piece occupies any one of them does have a choice of which zone he may next move to; c) Selected zones, appropriately marked, enable a player whose playing piece occupies any one such zone to operate a random-number generator (for example a die ordice)whose result determineswhether or not that player may perform (notionally or otherwise) an activity; and d)The rules specifythatthere are a plurality of such activities andthateach such activity normally requires the player performing it to spend (notionally or otherwise) money.

The money-costing activities may, for example, each comprise the purchase of goods from a shop; the buying ofthe means to travel to a notional destination byroad, rail, sea or air; or, in a preferred embodiment ofthe invention (to be described and illustrated in this specification) a range of activities ofthe kind typically found atafairground. In this latter case, children- especially young children are likely to be attracted at once to the use of the apparatus.

The said selected and appropriately marked zones may normally compel a player, whose playing piece occupies any one such zone, to perform a money-costing activity; but this is not essential. Some ofthose zones could give the player the choice of whether or not to perform the activity. This introduction of an element of choice, together with the already-existing plurality of alternative playing routes from start to finish ofthe game, brings the concept of strategy into the use of the apparatus; hence increasing its educational value to young children.

The said selected and appropriately marked zones may be marked with an indication of a given one ofsaid money-costing activities and/or an indication ofthe price (notional or otherwise) of performing that activity.

Alternatively, a plurality of the said selected and appropriately marked zones may surround (and optionally may delineate) a playing area on which a given one of said money-costing activities is either explicitly identified or, alternatively, the said playing area is marked in such a way that by reference to the rules the playerwill be able to identify a particular activity relevant to that playing area.

Preferably, substantially all the zones are so grouped on the playing surface of the board that whatever route a player chooses, he completes essentially a closed loop when travelling from start to finish ofthe game. This makes for a compact board layout, implying a minimum board size, both of which are important if young children are readily to use the apparatus.

The apparatus in its basic form, i.e. comprising rules and board, may specify in itselfthe order in which the various money-costing activities are to be performed and/orthe points ofthe game atwhich they areto be or may be performed. Preferably, however, the apparatus further comprises a set of cards each ofwhich specifies a given one ofthe activities and/or gives a choice between any one or more of said activities and/or gives other directions to the player holding that card.

The said other directions may on occasion comprise directions which all players, notjustthe player holding the card, are compelled to obey whenever that particularcard is brought into game-play.

The cards may be brought into game-play at points ofthe game determined by the rules and/or as a result of the operation ofthe random-number generator.

The cards, when brought into game-play, may be selected by chance from a random-shuffled set which is "banked" and from which each playertakes (typically)thetop card when he is directed- orwhen he hasthe choice- to do so.

Alternatively the rules may specify that the cards, having been random-shuffled, are then dea It to each playerwhothen has choice ofwhich cards to use and/or at what point any card may be used in the game.

The cards mayforexample give a player an opportunity to avoid having to perform a money-costing activity; or may side-step the "normal" situation by allowing the playerto perform the activity without spending money. In the lattercase,for example, a card may allow a playeronefree performance of one given activity, or alternatively one free performance of any selected one of the activities encompassed within the game.

The territorial zones displayed on the board may be squares, circles, as in well known boards forming part of apparatus of the kind in question; but preferablytheyare bounded by non-rectangular polygons,for exampletriangles and hexagons, as in the specific apparatus to be described and illustrated.

Preferably also the random-number generator is a set of two dice, one of which is an icosahedral (i.e. a twenty-sided) die.

Briefdescription ofthe drawings In the accompanying drawings, there are shown a set of cards, and the playing surface of a board, each forming part of an apparatus embodying the invention. It is obvious which of the drawings show the cards, and which shows the board playing surface. There are no reference numbers on any ofthe drawings, other than those numbers which form part of the markings on the cards and the board playing surface respectively.

Description of the preferred embodiment The drawings showthe card markings and the board playing surface layout of an apparatus for playing a game known as FAIRGROUND intended for between two and five players. Typically the players will beyoung children, and the educational aims ofthe game areto giveyoung children practise in handling money i.e. in subtracting, adding and multiplying differing coinage; to encourage the development of strategy in game-play generally, but with particular reference to the handling of money i.e. how can money best be spent quickly, spent carefully, spent on the maximum number ofvariagated purchases, or deliberately conserved.

The apparatus consists essentially of afloat rectangular board, with the word FAIRGROUND in thetop left hand corner and marked as shown in the drawing. In the bottom right hand cornerthe game-start position is clearly identified. The game-finishing position can vary, as will become apparent, in accordance with the rules which are the other essential feature of the apparatus.

The rules are printed in conventional format. They are not illustrated, although they are encompassed to some extent in the illustrated cards which also form part of the apparatus. As well as the board, the rules and the sixteen cards illustrated, there are suppliedfourcoloured circulardiscs; a setoftwo dice, one ofthem a conventional cube numbered one to six, the other an icosahedral (i.e. twenty-sided) die numbered one to twenty.

As the use of the apparatus, and the playing of the game, involves the spending of money, "toy" money can be provided with the apparatus. Alternatively, real money in the form of coinage and/or notes can be used. With very young players, an older person would normally be elected as "banker" who does nottake part in game-play but who supervises the game and who allocates and receives money appropriately as the game proceeds.

Typically, there might be issued four 5 notes; sixteen 1 coins or notes; eight 50p pieces, eight 20p pieces and eight 5p pieces; and sixteen lOp pieces, to the players.

The rules may specify thatthe aim of the game is for a playerto be the first person to spend all his money; orto be the very last person to spend all his money; or, as will become apparent, to be the first person to have performed each of the ten activities which normally cost money and which are also specified in the rules and (in this particular embodiment of the apparatus) are marked on the board playing surface together with their normal cost of performing them respectively.

The way in which the cards are marked is self-explanatory. The board, as shown, has its playing surface divided into a succession oftriangular, hexagonal and parallelogram-bounded territorial zones. Apartfrom thefirstfour(numbered one to four) of these zones, which are situated in the bottom right hand corner of the board and which follow the START marking, and apart also from the GHOST TRAIN track (see later),the territorial playing zones are so grouped that there is a plurality of alternative playing routes by which to travel from the start position to the situation where the game is ended; and whatever route a player chooses he can complete a closed loop (or a succession of alternative closed loops) when travelling from startto finish ofthe game.

Certain ofthezones, as shown, carry a large blackcircularspot in the middle ofthem. These zones giveto any player whose playing piece occupies them, a choice of which zone he next moves into. The triangular zones which are unmarked, i.e. are without the black circular spot, give no choice in the matter of which zone the player next moves to.

Selected zones on the board neither carry the blackcircularspot nor are completely unmarked. Instead they are marked along one of their boundary sides with a blacktriangle. These zones surround and delineate hexagonal playing areas which are marked so asto indicate a given one ofthe FAIRGROUND activities (for example HELTER SKELTER) togetherwith the normal cost of performing that activity.

There is a similarly hexagonal playing area, approximately in the middle of the board playing surface and surrounded by zones marked R1 to R6 respectively in arithmetic progression. Reference to the rules yields the information that the R1 to R6 markings signify the following: R1 Popcorn (cost) 15p R2 Hotdogs 50p R3 Coke 20p R4 Candy Floss 30p R5 ToffeeApples 25p R6 Orange Carton 15p The method ofgame-playas dictated bythe rules is as follows: Each player starts at the entrance (marked START) with an allocation of 5. He rolls the six-sided conventional die to move from the entrance into the fairground, and he then rolls that same die to move around the fairground.

As already mentioned, if his playing piece lands on anyofthetriangularzones carrying the circular black spot, he may choose his nextzonefrom one ofa pluralityofzones adjacentthat one. If he lands on an unmarked zone, he is compelled simply to continue to the nextzonealong.

if his playing piece lands on one ofthezoneswhose boundary side carries a blacktriangle,the playerthen rolls the twenty-sided die. His score then dictates whether or not he performs a money-costing activity-the activity indicated and specified in the hexagonal playing area adjacent his black triangle- and, if he does perform it, the manner in which he performs it; as follows: if he scores an odd number, he performs the activity ONCE if he scores two, four, six or eightthen he performsthe activityTWICE; and then misses aturn (i.e. hewould normallythen roll the conventional cubic die, to move on around thefairground: he does not do so) if he scores ten or twelve, he performs the activity THRICE; and then misses two turns (with the conventional die, to move on) if he scores eighteen, he does NOT perform the activity if he scores fourteen or sixteen, he takes a card from the random-shuffled "banker" pack if he scores twenty, then ALL PLAYERS are compelled to go to the refreshment zone (R1, R2, R3 etc) nearest their own playing piece at that particulartime; and to buy refreshments, the cost of which can be dictated by each player taking in turn from the top of the banked deck a card; or by each player having a measure of choice from an already-dealt set of cards; or otherwise as the rules dictate.

Should any player land his playing piece attheentrance to the GHOSTTRAlN track, then he MUSTenter the track. He throws the twenty-sided die. The resu It tells him how many spaces round the track to go. He continues to use that die until he emerges from the other end of the track, reverting then to the conventional cubic die to progress around the fairground.

Those skilled in the field to which the invention relates will appreciate how versatile the apparatus is in use, especially with young children. The boards could readily be produced by known techniques. The icosahedral die is chosen because it can be made under appropriate supervision by relatively young children. The triangular-hexagonal basic board marking pattern is chosen to harmonise with the triangular face of an icosahedral die.

Claims (13)

1. Apparatus of the kind in question, characterised by the following features: a) The territorial zones displayed on the playing surface ofthe board provide the or each player with a plurality of alternative playing routes by which to travel from a game-starting position to a game-finishing position: b) certain of the zones give, to a player whose playing piece occupies any one such zone, no choice in the matter of which zone he must next move to; whilst certain other zones are so marked as to indicate positively (either in themselves or by reference to the rules of game-play) that a playerwhose playing piece occupies any one of them does have a choice of which zone he may next move to; c) selected zones, appropriately marked, enable a player whose playing piece occupies any one such zone to operate a random-number generator (forexample a die or dice) whose result determines whether or not that player may perform (notionally or otherwise) an activity; and d) the rules specify thatthere are a plurality of such activities and that each such activity normally requires the player performing itto spend (notionally or otherwise) money.

2. Apparatus according to Claim 1 and in which the money-costing activities are selected from the group comprising the purchase of goods from a shop; the buying ofthe means to travel to a notional destination by road, rail, sea or air; and a range of activities of the kind typically found at afairground.

3. Apparatus according to Claim 1 or Claim 2 and in which the said selected and appropriately marked zones compel a player, whose playing piece occupies any one such zone, to perform a money-costing activity.

4. Apparatus according to Claim 1 or Claim 2 and in which some of the said selected and appropriately marked zones give the player the choice of whether or not to perform a money-costing activity.

5. Apparatus according to any preceding Claim and in which the said selected and appropriately marked zones are marked with an indication of a given one of said money-costing activities and/or an indication of the price (notional or otherwise) of performing that activity.

6. Apparatus according to any of Claims 1 to 4 and in which a plurality of the said selected and appropriately marked zones surrounds and preferably delineates a playing area on which a given one ofsaid money-costing activities is either explicitly identified or, alternatively, the said playing area is marked in such a waythat by referenceto the rulesthe playerwill be ableto identify a particular activity relevanttothat playing area.

7. Apparatus according to any preceding Claim and in which substantially all the zones are so grouped on the playing surface of the board that whatever route a player chooses, he completes essentially a closed loop when travelling from start to finish ofthe game.

8. Apparatus according to any preceding Claim and further comprising a set of cards each ofwhich specifies a given one of the activities and/orgives a choice between any one or more of said activities and/or gives otherdirectionsto the player holding that card.

9. Apparatus according to Claim 8 and in which the said other directions comprise directions which all players, notjustthe player holding the card, are compelled to obey wheneverthat particular card is brought into game-play.

10. Apparatus according to Claim 8 orClaim 9 and in which the cards give a player an opportunity to avoid having to perform a money-costing activity.

11. Apparatus according to Claim 8 or Claim 9 and in which the cards allow a playerto perform a money-costing activity without spending money.

12. Apparatus according to any preceding Claim and in which the random-number generator is a setof two dice, one ofwhich is an icosahedral die.

13. Apparatus substantially as described herein with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.