Board game

• US 4,998,735 A
• Filed: 12/18/1989
• Issued: 03/12/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/1989
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Mindgames Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Mindgames Incorporated
• Inventors: Blackwell, George L. III
• Primary Examiner(s): Layno, Benjamin
• Application Number:
  US07/455,974
• Time in Patent Office: 449 Days
• Field of Search: 273/249, 273/248, 273/243, 273/308
• US Class Current: 273/249
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2001/045 Chance or clue cards
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2009/186 Guessing games
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2011/0004 Bags
• 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 9/18 Question-and-answer games

Abstract

A game for two or more players who compete to guess correct answers in response to the reading of statements provided on associated clue cards. The speed at which a correct answer is provided is related by the rules to the speed of playing piece movement over an associated game board. The clue cards include a correct "answer" sought in response to reading of the individual statements written on the card. The game board is geometrically divided into a playing space for each player. Each playing space is divided into a multi-spaced path to be traveled by the playing pieces, which travel toward a winner'"'"'s circle defined at the center of the board. Piece movement is generally related to successful answering of the clue card questions. The statements on each clue card all relate to a particular category, such as a person, place, thing or event. Each statement in effect provides a "clue" to the player as to what "answer" is desired. These statements vary in relative suggestiveness between total vagueness and specificity. In general, according to the rules, piece movement is correlated to successful answering. The fewer statements which must be read from the clue card to the player before he correctly discerns the correct answer, the more "points" he will generate to move his piece upon the board towards the winner'"'"'s circle. An element of randomness is provided by associated venture cards.

Claims

1. A board game for two or more players, said game comprising:

a game piece for each player;

a plurality of clue cards to be utilized by the players to play the game, each clue card comprising;

a category comprising a person, place, thing, or event;

a correct and desired answer for the players to discern, each answer classified within said category; and

,

a plurality of clue statements to be sequentially read to the players by a player designated as a card reader for suggesting said correct and desired answer to said players, said statements arranged in order by difficulty on said cards, so that the first-listed statement provides the least amount of specific information from which said correct and desired answer may be discerned, and the latter-listed statements provide increasingly more specific information for indicating said correct and desired answer;

a plurality of venture cards for randomly affecting the movement of said game pieces;

a game board adapted to be disposed upon a supporting surface for receiving said game pieces, said clue cards, and said venture cards, said game board comprising;

a plurality of adjacent, generally radially spaced apart playing areas, one for each player, wherein each of said player'"'"'s game pieces moves within one of said plurality of playing areas;

distinctive border means for separating said playing areas from one another so that said game pieces do not advance into adjacent playing areas; and

,

a winning position defined in the center of said game board, said winning position bordering each of said playing areas;

wherein each of said plurality of playing areas comprises;

a starting position;

a multi-space, serpentine path to be traveled by said players'"'"' game piece and interconnecting said starting position with said winning position;

a plurality of venture markings defined within said path for indicating to a player whose piece lands on one of said venture markings that one of said plurality of venture cards must be played;

randomly dispersed means for requiring that a player'"'"'s game piece be moved backwards;

means on said path for defining a free guess zone said free guess zone occupying the plurality of spaces extending roughly halfway between said starting position and said winning position for indicating to a player whose piece is within that zone that he may offer two incorrect answers to each statement read to him from said clue cards before being penalized for each additional incorrect answer;

means on said path for defining penalty zone said penalty zone occupying the remaining plurality of spaces extending between said free guess zone and said winning position for indicating to a player whose piece lands on said penalty zone that after one incorrect response to a statement read to him from said clue cards he must move his piece backwards one space, whereby advancement on said game board is made more difficult as a player nears said winning position; and

,

rule means for determining game piece movement such that each player may move his piece a predetermined number of spaces established by said rule means for each correct and desired answer discerned by said player in response to the reading of said clue statements, and wherein the reading of each additional clue statement results in the reduction of the number of spaces to be advanced by said player'"'"'s game piece.