Board game

Abstract

Embodiments of a board game of racing, luck, and strategy include a game board providing a plurality of adjacent paths upon which players advance game pieces, with the goal of being the first to remove all of one's game pieces from the game board. Directional game pieces indicate allowable directions of movement as the game pieces are advanced along the paths or from path to path, wherein a special exception provided by rules of the game allows a player to change the directionality of a game piece. Rules of the game further provide for capturing or blocking an opponent's game pieces, as well as for early removal of a portion of one's own game pieces, by creating a variety of formations with the game pieces. Various embodiments of the board game allow for the use of non-directional game pieces, team play, and variations in the game board.

Description

PRIORITY INFORMATION [0001] This application claims priority benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60 / 541,442 filed Feb. 3, 2004, titled “BOARD GAME,” which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] 1. Field of the Invention [0003] The present invention relates generally to the field of board games and, more specifically, to board games that combine elements of racing, chance, and strategy. [0004] 2. Description of the Related Art [0005] The use of board games is known in the prior art. A number of attempts have been made to provide board games to satisfy our ever-growing need for entertainment while still finding intellectual stimulation. Board games that provide game pieces which advance along one or more paths on a game board may, in some of their simpler forms, be racing games, in which players advance their game pieces, sometimes according to numbers selected by chance, such as by a roll of a pair of dice, along a single...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0006] Embodiments of a board game that combines elements of racing, chance, and strategy are described that, while simple enough for play by young players, also provide opportunities for more sophisticated use of strategy and spatially-oriented planning. The board game includes a game board providing a plurality of adjacent paths upon which players advance game pieces. In various embodiments, a goal of players of the board game is to be the first player to remove all of one's game pieces from the game board. In a preferred embodiment, the adjacent paths are formed in a geometric shape, such as a ring of adjacent paths that form a circle. Directional game pieces indicate allowable directions of movement as the game pieces are advanced along the paths or from path to path, wherein a special exception provided by rules of the game allows a player to change the directionality of a game piece. Rules of the game further provide for capturing or blocking an opponent's game pieces, as well as for early removal of a portion of one's own game pieces, by creating a variety of formations with the game pieces. Various embodiments of the board game allow for the use of non-directional game pieces, team play, and variations in the game board.

Problems solved by technology

Such games, while simple enough to play for very young players, may not provide the stimulation or opportunities for mental development desired by older, more sophisticated players.

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