Maze board game apparatus

• US 4,252,320 A
• Filed: 09/27/1978
• Issued: 02/24/1981
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/1978
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Glenn R. Rouse
• Original Assignee: Glenn R. Rouse
• Inventors: Rouse, Glenn R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pinkham, Richard C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Brown, Scott L.
• Application Number:
  US05/946,656
• Time in Patent Office: 881 Days
• Field of Search: 273/243, 273/249, 273/248, 273/282, 273/258, 273/262, 211/14, 211/125
• US Class Current: 273/243
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 3/00006 Board games played along a linear track, e.g. game of goose, snakes and ladders, along an endless track A63F3/00028 - A63F3/00157, A63F3/04 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 3/00097 Board games with labyrinths, path finding, line forming labyrinths in boxes with small balls A63F7/04; other labyrinth games A63F9/0078

Abstract

A board game apparatus for play by three players or groups of players which includes a game board bearing a substantially rectangular maze thereon. The maze is divided into a number of spaces or steps and includes a number of blocking positions. Residence strips are delineated or formed adjacent three sides of the maze. On the residence strips are delineated number of residence positions. Starting positions are delineated on the remaining fourth side of the maze. Play of the game is dictated by dice. A marker is placed on one of the residence positions on each of the three residence strips. This marker is designated a Residence. The object of the game is to move a marker or token from a starting position through the maze to visit the space directly in front of a Residence, a Doorstep. The dice also determine the opportunity for a player to place or move a blocking marker into a blocking position on the maze and thereby impede the movement of the other players token. Points or "Bugs" are scored by visiting the doorstep of all three Residence on the board in any order. Also included on the game board are blocking and scoring marker holding rows, a dice storage area, a visit-indicator, a Bug counter, and a token holding device.

Claims

1. A game apparatus comprising:

(a) A game board having designated thereon;

(i) a substantially rectangular maze, said maze being delineated into a plurality of progress spaces and said maze having thereon a plurality of blocking positions,

(ii) three goal areas which are adjacent to and are substantially parallel to three sides of said rectangular maze, said goal areas being separate and distinct from said progress spaces and said blocking positions and containing a plurality of goal positions, and

(iii) one or more starting positions on the remaining fourth side of said rectangular maze;

(b) Position indicating tokens for placement on said progress spaces;

(c) Blocking markers for placement on said blocking positions;

(d) Goal marker means for placement on said goal positions; and

(e) Chance means for determining the play of the game.

2. A game apparatus of claim 1 wherein said position indicating tokens are marbles, said progress spaces are indentations in said game board capable of holding said marbles, said marbles contain holes running through said marbles, and said apparatus includes a marble holder comprising:

(a) A substantially cylindrical rigid rod having a diameter less than the diameter of said hole in said marble, having one end embedded in said game board, and having a remaining portion which extends perpendicular from said board and bends at an angle substantially parallel to the surface of said board at a distance from said board greater than the radii of said marbles; and

(b) A flexible ring which fits securely over the remaining free end of said rod.

3. A board game apparatus of claim 1 wherein said goal areas are three differently colored substantially rectangular strips, said board contains three separate score keeping areas, one of said score keeping areas adjacent each of said goal areas, said tokens are three sets of tokens, one set of said tokens colored to match the color of one of said goal areas, and said blocking markers are three sets of colored blocking markers, one set of said markers colored to match the color of one of said goal areas.

4. A board game apparatus of claim 1 wherein said maze designated on said board includes the name of the game.

5. A game apparatus of claim 1 wherein said blocking positions are arranged substantially concentrically within said maze.

6. A game apparatus of claim 1 wherein said goal marker means are moveable goal marker means which when placed on one of said goal positions designate a progress space in said maze directly adjacent said goal position.

7. A game apparatus of claim 1 wherein said blocking markers comprise three sets of blocking markers and said board includes a blocking marker storage area on said fourth side of said rectangular maze, said storage area including a separate area for each of said three sets of blocking markers, one each of said three areas being designated by the set of numbers 2-6-9, 3-7-10 or 4-8-11 delineated on said game board adjacent said three areas.

8. A game apparatus of claim 1 wherein said board includes three separate score keeping areas designated thereon, one of said score keeping areas adjacent each of said goal areas, and wherein said apparatus includes scoring markers for placement on said score keeping areas.

9. A game apparatus of claim 1 wherein said blocking markers are used as said scoring markers.