Game for teaching fundamental dating lessons

• US 6,896,263 B2
• Filed: 05/23/2003
• Issued: 05/24/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/23/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Michael Matthews
• Original Assignee: Michael Matthews
• Inventors: Matthews, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Mendiratta, Vishu K.
• Application Number:
  US10/445,141
• Publication Number:
  US 20040232613A1
• Time in Patent Office: 732 Days
• Field of Search: 273/249, 273/243, 434/128, 434/129
• US Class Current: 273/249
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2001/0441 with a written message or sentence, e.g. chance or instruction cards
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2003/00018 played along an endless track
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2250/34 promoting partner selection
• 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 3/04 Geographical or like games ; Educational games educational appliances in general G09B

Abstract

Disclosed is a game for teaching dating skills that includes a first deck containing a plurality of cards, the cards in the first deck having a face containing information representing a character trait which may be valuable when dating, and a second deck containing a plurality of card, the cards in the second deck having a face containing information representing a dating challenge and information representing at least one resolution to the dating challenge. The decks of cards are used in combination with a playing surface displaying at least one track, containing spaces corresponding to both decks of cards.

Claims

1. A game for multiple players comprising

a first deck containing a plurality of MVP cards, the MVP cards in the first deck having a face containing information representing a character trait;

a second deck containing a plurality of 1-on-1 card, the 1-on-1 cards in the second deck having a face containing information representing a dating challenge and information representing at least one resolution to the dating challenge;

a playing surface displaying it least one track, containing spaces corresponding to the first deck of MVP cards and the second deck of 1-on-1 cards;

a marker for marking each player'"'"'s position on the playing surface on the at least one track,

a plurality of tokens associated with each player for use in counting the player'"'"'s game choices; and

a number generator for determining how many spaces each player'"'"'s

wherein winning the game is determined by a combination of a accumulation of a predetermined number of MVP cards representing good dating choices, a predetermined accumulation and distribution of tokens among the player'"'"'s game choices representing a predetermined minimum of dating experience, and maker position on the playing surface representing in part random chance.

2. The game in accordance with claim 1 wherein the first deck further comprises MVP cards having a face containing information indicating that the MVP card is a bonus MVP card entitling the player to draw additional MVP cards.

3. The game in accordance with claim 1 wherein the face containing information on at least one of the 1-on-1 cards of the second deck contains information representing a plurality of alternative resolutions to the dating challenge.

4. The game in accordance with claim 1 wherein the playing surface displays two tracks, a date-for-fun track and a serious dating track, and the relative proportion of spaces corresponding to the first deck of MVP cards to second deck of 1-on-1 cards in the first date-for-fun track is greater than the relative proportion of spaces corresponding to the first deck of MVP cards to second deck of 1-on-1 cards in the second serious dating track.

5. The game in accordance with claim 4 wherein the relative proportion of spaces corresponding to the first deck of MVP cards to second deck of 1-on-1 cards in the first date-for-fun track is about 1:

1 and the relative proportion of spaces corresponding to the first deck of MVP cards to second deck of 1-on-1 cards in the second serious dating track is about 1;

2.

6. The game in accordance with claim 5 wherein at least one of the two tracks further comprises a DATE space with a designation that a player landing on the DATE space must take an action to date or not to date.

7. The game in accordance with claim 1 where the playing surface has a DATE position in a DATING EXPERIENCE section of the playing surface, where one of the MVP cards is a “

waiting”

MVP card, and wherein at least one of the two tracks further comprises a DATE space with a designation that, if a player landing on the DATE space has accumulated one or more tokens, then the player must choose between taking an action to go on a date by moving a token to the DATE position on the DATING EXPERIENCE section of the playing surface corresponding to the player to indicate that the player goes on a date, or does not go on a date either by playing the “

waiting”

MVP cards if the players has such an MVP card or by discarding one or more MVP cards.

8. The game in accordance with claim 1 wherein at least one of the two tracks further comprises an OTHERS CHOOSE space with a designation that a player other than a player landing on the OTHERS CHOOSE space must choose whether the player landing on the OTHERS CHOOSE space must move his or her token to indicate that the player begins a date, dumps a date, draw a card from the first deck of MVP cards or draw a card from the second deck of 1-on-1 cards.

9. The game in accordance with claim 4 wherein the first date-for-fun track and second serious dating tracks have a space on the playing surface in common.

10. The game in accordance with claim 1 where the number generator comprises a pseudo-random number generator and a game board bearing the playing surface.

11. The game of claim 1 where the plurality of tokens associated with each player for use in counting the player'"'"'s game choices comprise tokens associated with each player'"'"'s game choices to date or not date.

12. The game of claim 11 where the tokens associated with each players game choices to date or not date further comprise plurality of tokens associated with each player choices to dump a date.

13. The game of claim 12 further comprising a DATES position and a DUMPS position in a DATING EXPERIENCE section of the playing surface corresponding to each player and where the tokens associated with each player'"'"'s choices to date or to dump a date are indicated by placement a token corresponding to the token being placed in the DATES position or DUMPS position of the DATING EXPERIENCE section corresponding to the player so that players game choices are recorded for determination of eligibility to win the game.

14. The game of claim 12 where at least one space of one of the two tracks is a DUMP DATE! space designated such that the player landing on the DUMP DATE! space must move one of his or her corresponding tokens from the DATES position to the DUMPS position of the DATING EXPERIENCE section of the player.

15. The game of claim 12 where at least one space of one of the two tracks is a ALL DUMP! space designated such that when any player lands on the ALL DUMP! space, each players must move one of his or her corresponding tokens from the DATES position to the DUMPS position of the DATING EXPERIENCE section of each player.

16. The game of claim 1 where the second deck containing the plurality of 1-on-1 cards having a face containing information representing at least a first resolution to the dating challenge available for player choice end at least a second and third resolution to the dating challenge available according random selection, the selection of the first resolution or a randomly selected one of the second and third resolutions in turn being selected by player choice.

17. A game for a plurality of players comprising:

a first MVP deck containing a plurality of cards, each card in the first MVP deck having a face containing information representing a character trait;

a second 1-ON-1 deck containing a plurality of cards, each card in the second 1-ON-1 deck having a face containing information representing a dating challenge and information representing a plurality of alternative resolutions to the dating challenge; and

a playing surface displaying two tracks, each track containing a plurality of spaces corresponding to the first deck of MVP cards and the second deck of 1-ON-1 cards, the relative proportion of spaces corresponding to the first deck of MVP cards to second deck of 1-ON-1 cards in the first one of the two tracks being greater than the relative proportion of spaces corresponding to the first deck of MVP cards to second deck of 1-ON-1 cards in the second one of the two tracks and the two tracks having a space in common;

a marker for marking each player'"'"'s position on the playing surface on the at least one track,

a plurality of tokens associated with each player for use in counting the player'"'"'s date or dump choices; and

a number generator for determining how many spaces each player'"'"'s marker moves on the playing surface,

wherein winning the game is determined by a combination of a accumulation of a predetermined number of MVP cards representing good dating choices, a predetermined accumulation and distribution of tokens among the date and dump choices representing a predetermined minimum of dating experience, and make position on the playing surface representing in part random chance.

18. The game in accordance with claim 17 wherein the relative proportion of spaces corresponding to the first deck of MVP cards to second deck of 1-ON-1 cards in the first track is about 1:

1 and the relative proportion of spaces corresponding to the first deck of MVP cards to second deck of 1-ON-1 cards in the second track is about 1;

2.

19. The game in accordance with claim 17 wherein at least one track further comprises a DATE space with a designation that a player landing on the space must choose to date or not date draw a card from the first deck of MVP cards or draw a card from the second deck of 1-ON-1 cards, and a OTHERS CHOOSE space with a designation that a player other than a player landing on the space must choose whether the player landing on the OTHERS CHOOSE space must choose to date or to dump a date, draw a card from the first deck of MVP cards or draw a card from the second deck of 1-ON-1 cards.

20. The game in accordance with claim 17 where the number generator comprises a pseudo-random number generator, and a game board bearing the playing surface.