GB2213071A - Improvements in or relating to a game - Google Patents

Abstract

The game comprises a display defining a network of points 2,3 or positions at predetermined locations on the display, means for generating predetermined numbers in a random or quasi-random manner and means for presenting any one of the numbers generated by said number generating means at any one of the points or positions defined by the display so as to form lines of numbers which add-up to a predetermined total. The game may take the form of a board game, a computer game or a game adapted for mass entertainment. In the board game illustrated the board defines a lattice of points 2 and points 3 marked by number 5 at the mid points of squares and counters carrying numbers between one and four and six and nine are used to build up lines adding up to fifteen with points being won and additional points for 'magic squares'. Points 3 may be omitted and counters provided for 5's. Board may have layer of magnetic material or recesses. Game for mass entertainment has electrical or mechanical display e.g. rotatable number-carrying wheel. Game board may be displayed on computer terminal screen. <IMAGE>

Description

Description of Invention "Improvements in or relating to a game?? The present invention relates to a game and more particularly to a numbers-related game which may take the form of a board game, a game for mass entertainment or a computer game.

Within the present document the term "number" should be understood to mean the number or numbers indicated and also any multiple thereof. The numbers one to nine are referred to in the text of this document and this reference should therefore be understood to mean either the numbers one to nine or the numbers one to nine when each of those numbers is multiplied by a common factor. Thus for a common factor of ten the numbers in question would be ten, twenty, thirty, forty, fifty, sixty, seventy, eighty and ninety.

The present invention seeks to provide a game which will prove both interesting and mentally challenging to players of a wide variety of ages and which may also be of educational benefit to younger players.

According to the present invention there is provided a game, said game comprising a display defining a network of points or positions at predetermined locations on the display, means for generating predetermined numbers in a random or quasi random manner and means for presenting any one of the numbers generated by said number generating means at any one of said points or positions defined by the display so as to form lines of numbers which add up to a predetermined total.

In one embodiment of the game the display comprises a board and the number generating means and the number presenting means comprise a plurality of components, each carrying a number, the arrangement being such that any component 'may be placed at any desired point or position on the board to form lines of numbers which add up to a predetermined total.

In a second embodiment of the game the display comprises a board or panel and the number presenting means are electronic or mechanical display means. Thus the number presenting means may each be in the form of electronic light emitting means, or a rotatable element carrying numbers, the numbers being displayed through windows in the board or panel when the element is appropriately aligned with the window.

Preferably each rotatable element carries the numbers one to four and six to nine, and the number generating means is capable of generating the numbers one to four and six to nine.

In a third embodiment of the game the display is carried on a display screen and the number generating means and the number display means are in the form of a computer.

Thus the invention provides a board game, said board game comprising a board defining points or positions at which counters or pegs may be placed upon the board and a plurality of counters or pegs, each carrying a number, the arrangement being such that any counter or peg may be placed at any desired point or position on the board to form lines of numbers which add up to a predetermined total.

It is preferable that each of said counters carries a number, as herein defined, between one and four or between six and nine and said predetermined total is fifteen.

Conveniently the game comprises substantially equal numbers of counters carrying each of the numbers two, four, six and eight and substantially equal numbers of counters carrying the numbers one, three, seven and nine, there being a greater number of counters carrying the numbers one, three, seven and nine than there are counters carrying the numbers two, four, six and eight.

Advantageously there are approximately twice as many counters carrying the numbers one, three, seven and nine as there are counters carrying the numbers two, four, six and eight.

The game may further comprise a plurality of racks upon which said counters may be stood such that a player playing the game may readily see the numbers carried upon said counters.

Preferably the game further comprises a container within which said counters are retained. The container may be in the form of a bag, or may be constituted by part of a box within which the game is supplied.

In all the embodiments of the game said points or positions may be arranged in such a manner as to form a series of adjacent squares.

Preferably each said square consists of three rows of three points such that each square is effectively a three by three matrix of points.

Conveniently the central point in each three by three square matrix of points carries the number five.

Alternatively the central point in each three by three square matrix of points may be substantially i dentical to the remaining points in the matrix. It is envisaged that when the game is played in this form it will only be permissible to place a number five on the central point in a square matrix. This has the advantage that a player who places a number five on a central point to complete a magic square may score a high number of points.

Advantageously each point surrounding the central point in each three by three square matrix of points constitutes a point in two adjacent squares, with the exception of points located at the periphery of the display or board.

Preferably the display or board carries lines interconnecting adjacent points, so that the display or board effectively defines a lattice or network like arrangement.

Conveniently said lines of numbers which add up to a predetermined total are lines of three numbers.

In order that the present invention may be more readily understood and so that further features thereof may be appreciated, the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: FIGURE 1 is a plan view of part of a board for use in a board game according to the present invention; FIGURE 2 illustrates examples of counters used in playing a board game according to the present invention; and FIGURE 3 illustrates examples of racks a bag and a rule book used in playing a board game according to the present invention.

The board game which is the subject of the present invention is a game for two or more players based on the magic square of numbers given below: 294 753 618 The, magic square consists of three rows and columns made up of the numbers one to nine arranged such that each horizontal row, each vertical column and each diagonal consists of three numbers, the sum of which is fifteen. The magic square will only give this result if the numbers are arranged around the number five, i.e.

the number five must be the second number in the second row and the second column. There are however several ways in which the remaining numbers can be positioned around the number five to give this result, but the numbers 9, 7, 3 and 1 must always be in the middle of one side of the square, and the numbers 2, 4, 6 and 8 must always be on the corners of the square.

The game comprises a board, part of which is illustrated in Figure 1, a plurality of counters, as illustrated in Figure 2 each carrying a number between one to four or six to nine, and several racks as illus trated in Figure 3 upon which the counters may be stood.

A bag or container may also be provided within which the counters are retained so that the players cannot see the numbers carried thereon; this container may be constituted by the lid of a box within which the game is supplied, or a bag 7 as shown in Figure 3. A set of instructions are also provided with the game and these instructions may, for example, be printed on the box, or may comprise a rule book 8 as shown in Figure 3.

Referring to Figure 1 of the drawings a corner region 1 of the game board is illustrated. The board is square or rectangular in overall shape, although for illustrative purposes only a part of the board is shown in Figure 1. The board defines a lattice or network like arrangement of points 2 marked by small circles.

The points 2 define the corners and the mid points of the sides of a plurality of immediately adjacent squares. The board also carries points 3 marked by larger circles carrying the number five. Each point 3 is at the mid-point of a square and is connected, by lines, to all the points 2 on that square. Thus adjacent points 2,3 are joined by horizontal, vertical and diagonal interconnecting lines 14.

It will thus be understood that the points 2,3 are arranged in such a manner as to form a series of adjacent squares, each square consisting of three rows of three points, so that each square is effectively a three by three matrix of points. The central point in each square matrix is a point 3 carrying the numeral five, the remaining points surrounding the central numeral five being points 2 marked by small circles.

Each row and column of points 2 surrounding the central point 3 is shared between, or constitutes part of, two adjacent squares, with the exception of the squares lo- cated at the edges of the game board. Thus, a network of interconnected squares is defined on the board, each square having a central point 3 carrying the number five. The board may define a network comprising a seven by seven arrangement of squares, although it is of course possible to have a board of any desired shape comprising any number of interconnected squares.

Figure 2 illustrates the counters which are provided with the game, these counters being in the form of small discs 5, each disc carrying, on one face, a number between one and four or six and nine. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, in which the board consists of a 7 by 7 arrangement of squares, sixteen discs 5 are provided for each even number 2, 14, 6, 8 and twenty-eight discs 5 are provided for each of the odd numbers 1, 3, 7, 9. Thus there are nearly twice as many discs for each odd number as there are for each even number. The precise number of counters provided will depend on the size and shape of the game board. However, it isbpreferable to provide a greater number of counters carrying odd numbers than counters carrying even numbers.

Figure 3 illustrates, by way of example, 2 racks 6 upon which up to eight counters may be stood so that a player may see the numbers carried on the counters. In a preferred embodiment of the invention in which the game is intended for up to six players, six racks are provided.

As mentioned above a bag 7 or container may be provided within which the counters can be retained, although this container may be constituted by the lid of the box within which the game is supplied. The box may also carry printed instructions of how to play the game or, alternatively, a set of instructions may be provided in a rule book 8.

The object of the game is for players, in their turn, to place as many counters as possible upon the points 2 on the board with each counter forming part of a row of three numbers which have a sum of fifteen.

Points are scored for each row of three numbers completed on the board which add up to fifteen during any one turn of each player. Further details of the points scored will be given hereinafter. . The game ends when the last possible counter has been placed on the board to form a line adding up to fifteen. Each player's score is then added up and the winner is the player with the highest score. Alternatively the game can be played for a predetermined period of time.

In order to set up the game for playing the counters are initially placed in the bag 7 provided or are placed face down in the lid of the box such that the numbers carried on each counter cannot be seen by the players. The players determine amongst themselves who is to play first and this may, for example, be determined by each player drawing one counter out of the bag or out of the container, the player with the highest numbered counter being the player who goes first. If the counters are kept in a bag then the bag may be shaken in order to shuffle the counters. Each player is then issued with a rack 6 and draws eight counters from the set of counters and places the counters on his or her rack. The game is now ready to play.

The first player places as many of his counters as possible on the points 2 on the board to form as many interconnected horizontal, vertical or diagonal lines of three counters as possible which add up to a total of fifteen. Counters may only be placed on the board if they form part of a line of three counters, the total of which is fifteen. A score of 1 point is credited for each line of counters which add up to fifteen. If a player manages to use all eight of his or her counters in one turn then a bonus of 15 points, in addition to the points credited for each line of three totalling fifteen, is gained.If a player manages to lay all of his or her eight counters in one go to form a magic square, i.e. a square centred upon a point 3 and in which each row, column and diagonal add up to fifteen, then a bonus of 60 points is gained in addition to the points credited for each separate line of three counters totalling fifteen. If a player manages to complete a magic square which has been partially completed by preceding players then a bonus of 30 points is gained in addition to the points credited for each line of three counters totalling fifteen. A record of each player's score is kept as each counter is placed upon the board and a total figure is worked out for each player's turn.

This procedure enables every player to observe the counters being laid upon the board and to check that no mistakes are made in the crediting of points. When a player has completed his or her turn the counters which have been placed upon the board are replaced by drawing a corresponding number of counters from the bag or container in which the counters are retained. These freshly drawn counters are placed upon the player's rack 6, so that each player always has eight counters upon his or her rack at the beginning of a turn.

It will be appreciated from consideration of the board that the positioning of one counter upon a point 2 may complete several lines of three counters totalling fifteen. A player who lays one counter and completes several lines in this manner is credited with points for every line completed.

Upon his or her turn a player may opt not to lay any counters upon the board but instead replace one or more of his or her counters with counters drawn from the supply of counters. In this case the number of counters to be discarded are returned to the bag or container before the new counters are drawn. This particular option may prove advantageous to a player who is seeking to collect the numbers 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8 and 9 in order to form a complete magic square and gain a bonus of 60 points.

A point is only credited for a line of three totalling fifteen if that line of three is laid through a point 3 carrying the number five, or along one side of a square which is centred on a point 3. Thus, no point is credited for a line of three which bridges two squares centred on separate points 3.

The game continues until the last possible counter has been placed on the board to form a line of three counters totalling fifteen. The sum of each players remaining, unused counters is deducted from his or her scoreKto give a final score. The winner is the player with the highest score.

It will be appreciated that various modifications and alterations may be made to the above-described embodiment of the invention without departing from the scope thereof. For example, the board may incorporate a layer of permanently magnetic material so that magnetic counters will be held in position once they have been placed on the board. This would be advantageous in an embodiment of the game intended for playing whilst travelling, for example in a car or on a train. It would alternatively be possible for the board to define a plurality of recesses or holes corresponding to the points 2, with the counters being in the form of pegs which are receivable within the holes.

The pegs or counters need not carry numerals as such but may carry indicia representative of numerals.

Thus, for example, the pegs or counters may carry dots, the number of dots being representative of the numeral.

It will be appreciated that the magic square principle will work with numerals other than the numbers 1 to 9, so long as these numbers are each multiplied by the same factor to obtain the numerals. Thus, for example, the points 3 may carry the number ten and all the remaining numbers on the counters would be multiplied by a factor of two.

In a slightly modified embodiment the board may carry only points 2, i.e. so that the number five is not printed upon the board and counters may be provided which include counters carrying number five.

It is envisaged that the game may be adapted for mass entertainment. Here the board may be an "electronic board" as opposed to a board upon which counters or pegs may be placed. The electronic board would define a network of points in a similar manner to the previously described board. Thus the network of points would form a series of adjacent squares, each square consisting of three rows of three points. As with the previously described board, the central point in each square may carry the numeral five. In this version of the game the board is provided with means for displaying any number between one and nine at any of the points defined by the board, or means for displaying any number between one and four or six and nine if the central point in each square on the board carries the numeral five.The display means may comprise electrical or mechanical means and may therefore comprise electrical light emitting means or may be a rotatable wheel carrying numbers which are displayed through an opening or window in the board when appropriately aligned.

Means for enabling players of the game to select or be allocated in a random manner, numbers between one and nine or one and four and six and nine are provided. It is envisaged that such means may be in the form of an electronic random number generator. In practice the number generator would be biassed to generate a greater quantity of odd numbers than even numbers and thus the number generator may be considered to generate numbers in a quasi random manner. Further display means will be provided for displaying the numbers selected by players to an audience and these further display means may take the same form as the display means incorporated in the electronic board.

The object and the method of playing the game are the same as previously described. Thus, players will select eight numbers using the random number generator or be allocated eight numbers and these numbers will be displayed to the audience. Each player in turn utilises as many of these eight numbers as possible to form lines of three numbers on the board having a sum of fifteen. Each player will therefore decide on his turn which of his numbers he wishes to use and at which points on the board he wishes those numbers to be displayed. The appropriate numbers are then displayed at the selected points by the display means incorporated in the board. After each turn the players select or are allocated further numbers so as to maintain eight numbers for the start of their next turn.

The rules for scoring are as previously described, as are the remaining rules for the playing of the game. The game will be played until a predetermined total of numbers have been used, or the board is completed or for a predetermined period of time. The winner is the player with the highest score.

It is also envisaged that the game may be provided in the form of a computer game. A computer programme would be provided which incorporated the rules for playing the game and scoring. The programme would be loaded on a computer system and players would play the game at a terminal incorporating a display screen and a keyboard. The game board, as previously described, would be displayed on the terminal screen.

The computer programme would be capable of generating the numbers one to four and six to nine in a random or quasi random manner (as described above) upon a command entered by a player via the keyboard. Players would therefore be able to select eight numbers. Each player in turn utilises as many of the selected numbers as possible to form lines of three numbers on the board having a sum of fifteen. Each player will select at which points on the board he wishes to display those numbers and Will move a cursor to that point by actuating appropriate keys on the keyboard and will then enter the number to be displayed at that point via the keyboard. A check will be made that the move is permissible and if correct the number will be displayed at the selected point. The computer programme will keep a record of the points scored, and will display this score on the screen. The game is played until a predetermined total of numbers have been used or the board is complete or for a predetermined period of time.

The winner is the player with the highest score.

In any of the above-described embodiments of the game it would be possible for the game board to define smaller squares located within the squares defined by the network of points already described.

Thus a magic square may be provided with a magic square, and there may be points on the board which are common to both squares. Thus one number may be placed at a point which forms part of a large and a small magic square.

Alternatively the smaller square may be located within but completely separate from the larger square. Where this arrangement is used in a board game with counters, counters of different colours or shape may be provided for placing at points in the smaller squares as compared with the counters for placing at points in the larger squares.

Further modifications are possible within the scope of the invention.

Claims (25)

CLAIMS:

1. A game, said game comprising a display defining a network of points or positions at predetermined locations on the display, means for generating predetermined numbers in a random or quasi random manner and means for presenting any one of the numbers generated by said number generating means at any one of said points or positions defined by the display so as to form lines of numbers which add up to a predetermined total.

2. A game according to claim 1, wherein the display comprises a board and the number generating means and the number presenting means comprise a plurality of components each carrying a number, the arrangement being such that any component may be placed at any desired point or position on the board to form lines of numbers which add up to a predetermined total.

3. A game according to claim 1, wherein the display comprises a board or panel and the number presenting means are electronic or mechanical display means.

4. A game according to claim 3, wherein the number presenting means are in the form of electronic light emitting means.

5. A game according to claim 3, wherein the number presenting means are each in the form of a rotatable element carrying numbers, the numbers being displayed through windows in the board or panel when the element is appropriately aligned with the window.

6. A game according to claim 5, wherein each said rotatable element carries the numbers one to four and six to nine.

7. A game according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the number generating means is capable of generating the numbers one to four and six to nine.

8. A game according to claim 1, wherein the display is carried on a display screen and the number generating means and the number display means are in the form of a computer.

9. A board game, said board game comprising a board defining points or positions at which counters or pegs may be placed upon the board and a plurality of counters or pegs, each carrying a number, the arrangement being such that any counter or peg may be placed at any desired point or position on the board to form lines of numbers which add up to a predetermined total.

10. A game according to claim 9, wherein each of said counters carries a number, as herein defined, between one and four or between six and nine and said predetermined total is fifteen.

11. A game according to claim 10, wherein the game comprises substantially equal numbers of counters carrying each of the numbers two, four, six and eight and substantially equal numbers of counters carrying the numbers one, three, seven and nine, there being a greater number of counters carrying the numbers one, three, seven and nine than there are counters carrying the numbers two, four, six and eight.

12. A game according to claim 11, wherein there are approximately twice as many counters carrying the numbers one, three, seven and nine as there are counters carrying the numbers two, four, six and eight.

13. A game according to any one of claims 9 to 12, said game further comprising a plurality of racks upon which said counters may be stood such that a player playing the game may readily see the numbers carried upon said counters.

A A game according to any of claims 9 to 13, wherein said game further comprises a container within which said counters are retained.

15. A game according to claim 14, wherein said container is in the form of a bag.

16. A game according to claim 14, wherein said container is constituted by part of a box within which the game is supplied.

17. A game according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said points or positions are arranged in such a manner as to form a series of adjacent squares.

18. A game according to claim 17, wherein each said square consists of three rows of three points such that each square is effectively a three by three matrix of points.

19. A game according to claim 18, wherein the central point in each three by three square matrix of points carries the number five.

20. A game according to claim 18, wherein the central point in each three by three square matrix of points is substantially identical to the remaining points in the matrix.

21. A game according to claim 18, 19 or 20, wherein each point surrounding the central point in each three by three square matrix of points constitutes a point in two adjacent squares, with the exception of points located at the periphery of the display or board.

22. A game according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the display or board carries lines interconnecting adjacent points, so that the display or board effectively defines a lattice or network like arrangement.

23. A game according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said lines of numbers which add up to a predetermined total are lines of three numbers.

24. A game substantially as herein described, with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.

25. Any novel feature or combination of features disclosed herein.