Question-and-answer game

• US 7,694,974 B1
• Filed: 06/25/2007
• Issued: 04/13/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Savvy Ideas, LLC
• Original Assignee: Savvy Ideas, LLC
• Inventors: Fowler, Debbie L., Fowler-Gehring, Carie S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pierce; William M
• Application Number:
  US11/767,888
• Time in Patent Office: 1,023 Days
• Field of Search: 273429-432
• US Class Current: 273/429
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 1/04 Card games combined with other games
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 11/0002 Dispensing or collecting devices for tokens or chips dispensers for game pieces in chain reaction games A63F9/28; coin freed apparatus for games G07F17/32
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2009/186 Guessing games
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2250/34 promoting partner selection
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 9/18 Question-and-answer games

Abstract

A question-and-answer game in which teams of two players are divided into two sets of teammates, and one set of teammates is isolated while the other set of teammates is asked one or more questions about their isolated teammates or about themselves and are designed to elicit how well they know each other. The isolated teammates return, are asked the same questions, and their answers/guesses are compared to their teammates'"'"' guesses/answers. In a first round, the questions are asked and answered in open forums where discussion is permitted. In a second round, the questions are asked in a closed forum where discussion is limited or not permitted, and the responses of the isolated teammates are presented one at a time, and if not a match to their teammates'"'"' responses, the other teams have an opportunity to correctly match.

Claims

1. A question and answer game method for entertaining and socializing a party of people at least some of whom are relatively unknown or unequally known to each other, by testing them openly to see how well pairs of people matched at the party know each other and thus teaching all members of the party something about the individuals in each pair, and further by creating competitive bonding between matched pairs of people as against other members of the party, thereby “

breaking the ice”

, increasing knowledge of one another, and creating a greater social bond among members of the party, comprising;

selecting teams comprising two persons from a party of people at least some of whom are relatively unknown or unequally known to each other;

designating a first person on each team as an A teammate, and designating a second person on each team as a B teammate;

providing a set of predetermined questions on one or more tangible presenting media, the questions designed to determine how well A and B teammates know each other, the set of questions comprising a Group 1 question and a Group 2 question;

isolating the B teammates from their A teammates and the party;

presenting the Group 1 question to the A teammates, the A teammates responding to the Group 1 question in an open forum, and recording their responses on one or more tangible recording media in a manner hidden from their B teammates;

presenting the Group 2 question to the A teammates, the A teammates responding to the Group 2 question in a closed forum by recording their responses on the recording media in a manner hidden from their B teammates and from the other A teammates;

bringing the B teammates back from isolation into communication with their A teammates and the party, asking the B teammates the Group 1 question from the presenting media, the B teammates giving their respective responses to the Group 1 question openly, revealing and comparing the A teammates'"'"' responses from the recording media to their B teammates'"'"'open responses in a manner open to the other teams, and giving a score for matching responses;

asking the B teammates the Group 2 question from the presenting media, the B teammates giving their respective responses to the Group 2 question, a first one of the A and B teammates of a first team giving her response to the Group 2 question from the recording media, comparing the second teammate'"'"'s response to the first teammate'"'"'s response and revealing the second teammate'"'"'s response to the other teams if the responses match, and giving a score therefor, but otherwise keeping the second teammate'"'"'s response hidden from the other teams and giving the other teams in the party a chance to privately consult, to record their responses on the recording media in a manner hidden from the other teams, to reveal their recorded responses one team at a time in an open manner, and then to reveal the second teammate'"'"'s recorded response in an open manner to all, and giving a score to any team whose recorded response matches that of the second teammate'"'"'s response.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of the A teammates discussing their responses in an open forum how the B teammates will respond to the Group 1 question permits the A teammates to discuss information relevant to their responses with the other A teammates.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of the A teammates recording their responses to the Group 2 question in a closed forum does not permit the A teammates to discuss information relevant to their responses with the other A teammates.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein during the step of the A teammates recording their responses to the Group 2 question in a closed forum, the A teammates are not permitted to talk.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein during the steps of the B teammates giving their responses to the Group 2 questions the B teammates are not otherwise permitted to talk.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the Group 2 question is taken from a different set of questions.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of the first teammate revealing her response to the Group 2 question comprises the step of the B teammate revealing her response to the group in an open manner, and the step of comparing the second teammate'"'"'s response to the first teammate'"'"'s response to the Group 2 question comprises the step of the A teammate secretly comparing her recorded response to the B teammate'"'"'s revealed response.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the Group 2 question requires the B teammate to guess how her A teammate has answered.

9. The game method of claim 7, wherein the Group 2 question requires the A teammate to guess how her B teammate will answer.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of the first teammate revealing her response to the Group 2 question comprises the step of the A teammate revealing her recorded response to the group in an open manner, and the step of comparing the second teammate'"'"'s response to the first teammate'"'"'s response to the Group 2 question comprises the step of the B teammate secretly comparing her recorded response to the A teammate'"'"'s revealed response.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the Group 2 question requires the A teammate to guess how her B teammate will answer.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the Group 2 question requires the B teammate to guess how her A teammate has answered.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein when the other teams in the party privately consult they form separate team huddles, and may not discuss their response with anyone other than their respective teammates.