GB2137513A - Alphabet card game - Google Patents

Abstract

Apparatus for playing a card game comprises a plurality of packs distinguishably marked on their rear faces, each pack covering the letters of the alphabet individually and including a further plurality of additional cards incorporating supplementary letters, including vowels, together with a "wild" card (the "joiner" card) of variable value or designation. The cards are used to form words, different cards being allocated different points values according to their difficulty in incorporation in a word, and additional points may be awarded for words over a predetermined length. The apparatus may particularly comprise two packs each of 67 cards, each pack comprising two sets of cards each bearing the complete range of alphabet letters (with one set bearing black letters and the other red letters) and an additional set of 14 cards bearing mainly vowels and a "joiner" card. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Alphabet card game This invention relates to card games and is particularly concerned with a card game simulating the deployment of letters of the alphabet to produce words which achievement is accredited with a points score determining the winner of a game or round of the game.

Although many diverse kinds of card game have been proposed, it is difficult to strike a compromise between a game which is interesting and stimulating and yet does not involve overly complex rules or burdensome elaborate playing pieces. Thus, maximal satisfation and enjoyment in playing a card game is often to be secured by an effectively streamlined set of rules and playing pieces which nevertheless represent a challenge in terms of skill and incorporate a competitive element as a stimulus to playing the game.

Moreover, a card game simpliciter is much more compact and portable than a game involving more substantial playing piece hardware.

According to the invention, a playing card game comprises a collection of playing cards depicting the letters of the alphabet and arranged in a combination comprising a plurality of packs distinguishably marked on their rear faces and each pack covering the letters of the alphabet individually, a further plurality of additional cards incorporating supplementary letters, including vowels, and a further card selectively identifiable with a selected letter during the course of the game, the cards being distributed in selected numbers between the players of the game and exchanged optionally one at a time in orderly rotation by the players to produce a word which is accredited a points score according to points associated with the individual letters comprising that word, a round of the game being won by the first player to achieve a word with an associated points score in excess of a predetermined value, the game being continue for successive rounds until a player wins two rounds, the points score associated with residual cards held by non-winning players in any particular round of the game being accredited as a cumulative total to the points of the winning player, the total points score being taken into account over a plurality of games.

Playing skill requires not only the formation of words from each player's collection during the course of a round of the game to achieve a word with the minimum points score before other players, but also an on-going ability to capitalise upon opportunities to discard cards and minimise if not avoid altogether a residual points score which might be accredited to the winner of that round if it is other than that particular player. Thus words already constructed and presented on the playing surface may be added to without directly adding to the points score of the player making that move but reducing the residual card collection of that player.

Different cards may be allocated different points values according to their difficulty in incorporation in a word and additional points may be awarded for words over a predetermined length.

The predetermined points value may be achieved over more than one word; words being put upon the playing surface as and when they are formed and the game continuing until a player reaches the threshold or predetermined point level of the cumulative total of points associated with the words he has formed during the course of that round.

There now follows a description of a particular embodiment of the invention by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawing which shows exemplary playing card faces.

Referring to the drawings, there are shown sample specimen designs for the back or rear surface of two playing cards, and designs for the face of a card bearing a letter, in this case the letter A, and also the face of a special so-called "joiner" card having a variable value or designation.

In this particular embodiment the playing pieces of the card game comprise two packs each of 67 cards, with each pack comprising two sets of cards of which each set bears the complete range of alphabet letters, with one letter per card and the two sets are differentiated solely by different face colour, one set in black letters, the the other in red lettters. Each pack further comprises an additional set of 14 cards, bearing primarily vowels and one card of variable designation, that is the "joiner" card previously mentioned.

The rules of the game will be described below and any informal means can be employed for recording and computing the score in accordance with the rules.

Atypical selection of additional letter cards would be 4 "A"s; 4 "E"s; 2 "I"s; 2 "O"s; and 2 "S"s.

Rules Between 2 and 8 people can play the game; one pack being used for up to 4 players and 2 packs being used for between 5 and 8 players.

The order of play is determined by a preliminary round of each player picking a card in turn; with the player picking the card nearest to the letter A becoming the dealer for the subsequent round.

Thereafter the dealer is the winner of the immediately preceding round.

At the start of the game the cards are shuffled and the dealer deals each player in turn, including himself last of all, one card at a time up to a complement of 14 cards, dealt in a clockwise direction, the remaining cards being placed in a stack face downwards on the playing surface.

Initially the dealer picks one card from the stack and tries to make one or more words from 14 letter cards, discarding one card to the playing surface face uppermost. The card chosen from the stack may be rejected or discarded face up to the playing surface.

Words can be formed from two or more letters, a standard dictionary being used as a reference in the event of dispute, but proper names, nicknames or abbreviations being excluded.

Each player in turn repeats the previous procedure of selecting and selectively discarding a card in an attempt to form one or more words with the hand of 14 cards allocated.

Should a player be able to form one or more words which have a cumulative point value of 14 (calculated as set out below) the score taking account of not only the individual letters but the value of words according to the rules, then the cards bearing those words are set down face up upon the playing surface and the score at this stage recorded, one card being discarded face up to the table, given that the word or words have been formed with only some of the complement of 14 cards from the hand.

Having achieved the foregoing 14 points minimum, a player may pick up a discarded card from the preceding player instead of a card from the stack previously formed. The player can also in his turn expand words already on the table, whether previouslyformed his cards or other players, by adding one or more letters, although no points are accorded for this - an advantage being that that player does not risk retaining cards which might be used to credit points with another player at the end of that round as discussed later in the explanation of the rules.

A player having laid down a word can further place exposed joiner card whether used by that player or another player in a word on the table by the letter and set marking which it represents in the word constructed; the player still discarding a card as part of that turn.

The process is repeated with each player in turn continuing until a player can form one or more words from his 14 cards and discard one to the playing surface; that player being the winner of that particular round.

Should the stack of cards be exhausted before a winner of a round is achieved, then discarded cards are shuffled and placed face down on the laying surface to act as a fresh stack and the game continued as before.

A complete game is concluded when a player has won two rounds.

If more than one game is played the outright winner is the player with the cumulative highest score.

The overall object of the game is thus to form one or more words from the hand of 14 cards allocated to a player and as may subsequently be altered by the player picking up and discarding cards one at a time as explained, the formation of words being to achieve a maximum points score forthat particular player and to reduce or eliminate the value of any remaining cards of that player, which are otherwise added to the score of the winning player of that particular round.

Points are recorded when a player achieves a score by putting down cards with a point value of at least 14 and for any subsequent words set down.

No points are awarded for enlarging or amending an existing word or in relation to the use of the joiner card.

The letter value of individual cards is as follows: The letters A, E, I, L, M, N, O, R, S, T, U are each allocated one point.

The letters B, C, D, F, G, H, Pare allocated a value of two points.

The letters J, K, V, W, Y are alloted a value of three points.

The letter Xis alloted a value of four points; and the letters Q and Z are allocated a value of five points.

Additional or supplementary points may be achieved for words of more than 4 letters; a 5 letter word being allocated one point with an additional point for each additional letter up to a 9 letter word, thereafter 10 and 11 letterwords being allocated six supplementary points; and 12, 13, and 14 letter words being allocated ten points. The foregoing additional points are doubled if the word concerned is formed from playing cards of one rear designation, for example colour, only - this being more difficult to achieve in the context of the game.

Claims (1)

1. A playing card game comprising a collection of playing cards depicting the letters of the alphabet and arranged in a combination comprising a plurality of packs distinguishably marked on their rear faces and each pack covering the letters of the alphabet individually, a further plurality of additional cards incorporating supplementary letters, including vowels, and a further card selectively identifiable with a selected letter during the course of the game, the cards being distributed in selected numbers between the players of the game and exchanged optionally one at a time in orderly rotation by the players to produce a word which is accredited a points score according to points associated with the individual letters comprising that word, a round of the game being won by the first player to achieve a word with an associated points score in excess of a predetermined value, the game being continued for successive rounds until a player wins two rounds, the points score associated with the residual cards held by non-winning players in any particular round of the game being accredited as a cumulative total to the points of the winning player, the total points score being taken into account over a plurality of games.