Game program, game device, and game processing method

Abstract

To make action order easy to understand in a turn-by-turn system multi-play game.SOLUTION: For a UI at least including multiple player indexes corresponding to a player, a player index corresponding to a player of a turn under play or a next turn is disposed in a first position, and the UI concerned is updated according to progress of a game such that a player index corresponding to a player for which a turn arrives hereafter following the first position is lined up in the order of arrival of turn.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to information processing for games and the like. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, there have been multiplayer games in which player characters take turns acting in each turn within a round, and at the end, all player characters participate in a mini-game event (for example, Non-Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Non-patent literature]

[0003] [Non-Patent Document 1] “MarioParty SuperStars”, [online], Nintendo Co., Ltd., [Retrieved April 3, 2024], Internet<https: / / marioparty.nintendo.com / > Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In a turn-based multiplayer game, the order of turns is important from a strategic standpoint, but players may get confused about the order unless they check carefully.

[0005] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a game program or the like that makes it easy to understand the order of actions in a turn-based multiplayer game. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] To achieve the above object, the following configuration examples can be given.

[0007] A first configuration example is a game program that causes a processor of an information processing device to perform game processing for each turn associated with each player in a multiplayer game played by multiple players, based on the play of that player during that turn, progress the game in accordance with the order of turns, and update a UI including at least multiple player indicators corresponding to each player as the game progresses so that a player indicator corresponding to the player whose turn is currently playing or whose turn will be next is placed in a first position, and player indicators corresponding to players whose turns will come after that are lined up in order of turn arrival, following the first position, and generate a game image including at least a game scene and a UI.

[0008] According to the above configuration example, a player whose turn is in progress can easily see the order in which the other players' turns will arrive, making it easier for them to play strategically. Also, a player whose turn is not in progress can easily see the order in which the other players' turns will arrive, making it easier for them to play strategically.

[0009] In a second configuration example, in the first configuration example, the processor progresses the game by repeating rounds that include a plurality of turns in a predetermined order and that include turns of at least all players.

[0010] According to the above configuration example, in a game in which rounds are repeated, a player whose turn is in progress can play while clearly seeing the order in which the turns of the other players will arrive, and a player whose turn is not in progress can also clearly see the order in which the turns of the other players will arrive, making it easier for them to play more strategically.

[0011] A third configuration example is the first or second configuration example, and further includes causing the processor to, at the start of each player's turn, place a player indicator corresponding to the player starting the turn at a first position, place a player character controlled in the virtual space based on the play of that player at a position in the virtual space that is associated with the first position in the game image, and then control that player based on the play of the player who has started the turn.

[0012] According to the above configuration example, by placing the player character at a position associated with the player indicator, it is possible to make it easy to understand that a turn has arrived.

[0013] In a fourth configuration example, in the second or third configuration example, the turns included in a round further include turns in which in-game events of the game occur in addition to player turns, and the UI further includes an event indicator indicating the in-game event in addition to the multiple player indicators, and the processor is further configured to execute the in-game event when the turn of the in-game event in the round in the game arrives, and to update the UI according to the progress of the game so that the player indicators and the event indicators corresponding to the in-game events are arranged in order of arrival.

[0014] According to the above configuration example, a player who is taking a turn can play his or her turn while also understanding the timing of events occurring within the round, making it easier to play strategically.

[0015] A fifth configuration example is the fourth configuration example, wherein the in-game event is a mini-game event in which multiple players participate simultaneously, and the processor further updates the UI at a first timing when the mini-game event starts so that player indicators are positioned in the order of players' turns after the mini-game event, and positions each player character controlled in the virtual space based on the play of each player at a position in the virtual space that is associated with the position of each player indicator in the game image.

[0016] According to the above configuration example, even at the start of an event in which multiple players participate simultaneously, each player can know the order in which subsequent turns will arrive.

[0017] A sixth configuration example is the fifth configuration example, wherein the mini-game event is a competitive mini-game event in which multiple players are divided into multiple teams and compete against each other, and the processor further updates the UI so that a player indicator is positioned for each team at the start of the mini-game event and at a second timing after the first timing, and further moves each player character to a position in the virtual space associated with the position of the updated player indicator.

[0018] According to the above configuration example, even when arranging player characters for each team, they are first arranged in the order in which their turns will come, and then arranged by team, thereby preventing confusion about the order in which their turns will come.

[0019] A seventh configuration example is the fifth or sixth configuration example, in which the processor further updates the UI so that at a third timing at the start of the mini-game event and before the first timing, an event indicator is placed at the first position and player indicators are placed in the player's turn order after the mini-game event.

[0020] According to the above configuration example, it is possible to indicate that a turn of the mini-game event has arrived at the start of the mini-game event.

[0021] An eighth configuration example is the fifth or sixth configuration example, in which the processor further updates the UI at a fourth timing when the results of the mini-game event are displayed after the mini-game event ends so that the player indicators are positioned in the order of the players' turns after the mini-game event, and positions each player character at a position in the virtual space that is associated with the position of the player indicator.

[0022] According to the above configuration example, when the results are announced at the end of the game event, the order of the coming turns can be clearly shown without causing any confusion.

[0023] In a ninth configuration example, in any of the above first to eighth configuration examples, the player indicators further include information relating to the scores of the respective players in the game.

[0024] According to the above configuration example, each player can play while taking into consideration the score and the order in which turns arrive.

[0025] In a tenth configuration example, in any of the first to ninth configuration examples, the player indicator further includes an image of a player character that is controlled based on the play of each player in the game.

[0026] According to the above configuration example, each player can recognize his / her own player indicator at a glance.

[0027] In an eleventh configuration example, in any of the first to tenth configuration examples, the player indicators further include images of the respective players.

[0028] According to the above configuration example, each player can recognize his / her own player indicator at a glance.

[0029] A twelfth configuration example is any one of the first to eleventh configuration examples, wherein the player indicators further include names given to the respective players.

[0030] According to the above configuration example, each player can recognize his / her own player indicator at a glance. [Effects of the Invention]

[0031] According to this embodiment, it is possible to provide a game program or the like that makes it easy to understand the order of actions in a turn-based multiplayer game. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0032] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the internal configuration of a game device 1. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a game screen (game board). [Figure 3] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a game screen; [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a game screen; [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a game screen; [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a game screen; [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a game screen; [Figure 8] A diagram illustrating an example of a game screen (battle mini-game) [Figure 9] A diagram illustrating an example of a game screen (battle mini-game) [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a game screen (battle mini-game); [Figure 11] A diagram illustrating an example of a game screen (battle mini-game) [Figure 12] A diagram illustrating an example of a game screen (battle mini-game) [Figure 13] A diagram illustrating an example of a game screen (battle mini-game) [Figure 14] A diagram illustrating an example of a game screen (battle mini-game) [Figure 15] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a game screen (battle mini-game); [Figure 16] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of various data stored in the storage unit 12. [Figure 17] Example of a flowchart of game processing DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0033] An embodiment will be described below.

[0034] [Hardware configuration of information processing device] First, an information processing device (information processing system) for executing information processing according to this embodiment will be described. The information processing device is, for example, a smartphone, a stationary or portable game device, a tablet terminal, a personal computer, a wearable terminal, etc. Furthermore, the information processing according to this embodiment can also be applied to a game system configured from such a game device or the like and a predetermined server. In this embodiment, a stationary game device (sometimes simply referred to as a "game device") will be described as an example of an information processing device.

[0035] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the internal configuration of a game device 1 according to this embodiment. The game device 1 includes a processor 11. The processor 11 is an information processing unit that executes various types of information processing executed in the game device 1, and may be composed of, for example, only a CPU (Central Processing Unit), or may be composed of an SoC (System-on-a-chip) that includes multiple functions such as a CPU function and a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) function. The processor 11 may be composed of a single processor or multiple processors. The processor 11 executes various types of information processing by executing an information processing program (e.g., a game program) stored in a storage unit 12. The storage unit 12 may be an internal storage medium such as a flash memory or a DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory), or may be configured to use an external storage medium inserted into a slot (not shown).

[0036] The game device 1 also includes a wireless communication unit 15 for wireless communication between the game device 1 and other game devices 1 or a predetermined server device. For example, internet communication or short-distance wireless communication is used as the wireless communication.

[0037] The game device 1 also includes a controller communication unit 13 for the game device 1 to communicate with the controller 3 via wired or wireless communication.

[0038] Furthermore, a display unit 2 (e.g., a television or a display) is connected to the game device 1 via an image / audio output unit 14. The processor 11 outputs images and sounds generated (for example, by executing the above-described information processing) to the display unit 2 via the image / audio output unit 14.

[0039] Next, the controller 3 will be described. Although not shown in the drawings, the controller 3 of this embodiment has, as an example, a vertically long housing and can be held in a vertical orientation. The housing has a shape and size that allows it to be held in one hand when held in a vertical orientation. The housing can also be held in a horizontal orientation, in which case it can be held and operated with both hands.

[0040] The controller 3 includes at least one analog stick (not shown), which is an example of a directional input device. The analog stick can be used as a directional input unit that can input directions. By tilting the analog stick, the user can input a direction according to the tilt direction (and input a magnitude according to the tilt angle). The controller 3 also includes a button unit (not shown) that includes various operation buttons. For example, the controller 3 may include a plurality of operation buttons on the main surface of the housing.

[0041] The controller 3 also includes a communication unit (not shown) for wired or wireless communication with the controller communication unit 13. Information indicating the directional input content of the analog stick and the pressed state of the button unit is repeatedly transmitted to the game device 1 at appropriate timing via the communication unit.

[0042] Furthermore, up to four controllers 3 can be connected to the game device 1, and the game device 1 can also be connected to other game devices 1 via the wireless communication unit 15. Then, using the game device 1, up to four users can play a multiplayer game.

[0043] [Games assumed in this embodiment] Next, an overview of game processing (an example of information processing) executed by the game device 1 according to this embodiment will be described. First, the game assumed in this embodiment is a multiplayer game based on the motif of "Sugoroku," a game in which multiple players take turns rolling dice and move their pieces on a game board (sometimes simply referred to as a "board") forward the number of squares corresponding to the number that comes up. This game can be played by up to four players (users). Note that the processor 11 (see FIG. 1) of the game device 1 can also function as a player and participate in place of the users. The following description will be given taking as an example a case in which this game is played by four players (first player, second player, third player, and fourth player).

[0044] [Contents of the game processing of this embodiment] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a board screen of the present game. As shown in FIG. 2, the board screen displays an overall view of the route of the sugoroku game (sometimes simply referred to as the "route"), which is made up of a large number of squares, and the board screen serves as a map. On the squares of the route, an icon 4 representing a player character (sometimes simply referred to as the "character") A operated by a first player, an icon 5 representing a player character B operated by a second player, an icon 6 representing a player character C operated by a third player, and an icon 7 representing a player character D operated by a fourth player are displayed. At the start of the game, each player selects a character to be operated from a large number of characters, but each player cannot select a character that has already been selected by another player. In other words, in this game, multiple players cannot select the same character and operate it as their own character.

[0045] As shown in FIG. 2, the route has a starting point marked "START," and characters A to D start moving forward from the starting point to progress through the game. A specific explanation follows. In this game, in a predetermined turn order, characters advance by the number of squares indicated by a dice roll performed by a player. The turn order is determined, for example, by the order of the magnitude of the numbers obtained by each player's dice roll at the start of the game. In FIG. 2, arrows displayed on the route indicate the directions in which the characters can move. At branching points on the route, the characters move in the direction indicated by the player's operation. The board screen can be displayed by each player performing a predetermined operation during their turn.

[0046] Depending on the square the character moves through, the character may gain or lose an advantage. There are many types of squares, and for example, when a character moves through (stops at) a certain square, the character is awarded a predetermined number of coins. For example, 10 coins may be awarded in one square, and 5 coins may be awarded in another square. Also, when a character moves through a certain square, the character loses a predetermined number of coins. Also, for example, when a character moves through a certain square, the character returns to the starting point. Note that there are also squares where the character does not gain or lose an advantage even if the character moves through. Also, although not shown in Figure 2, whether or not these advantages or disadvantages are awarded may be displayed depending on the square, and not.

[0047] In addition, some squares have items placed on them, and when a character moves into a square with an item placed on it, the character acquires the item. There are several types of items, such as an item that steals a certain number of coins, such as 10 or 20, from any other character. There are also items that hinder the progress of any other character by limiting the number of dice rolls that the character can make against them, and items that double the number of dice rolls that the player's character makes, thereby increasing the character's progress speed. In Figure 2, triangular items, square items, and circular items are placed on the route.

[0048] Each player rolls the dice according to the turn order described above and moves their character along the route until they reach the square where the star 8 is located. A character (player) who reaches the square where the star 8 is located can acquire the star 8 with a predetermined number of coins, for example, 20 coins. In other words, if a character has 20 or more coins, they can acquire the star 8. Only one star 8 can be placed at a time, and when a character acquires a star 8, the next star 8 is placed in another square.

[0049] In this game, the game ends after a set number of rounds, for example, 10, each including one turn for each of characters A to D. In other examples, the number of rounds may be 15, 20, 30, or some other number. The character (player) who has earned the most 8 stars at the end of the game wins. Therefore, strategy is important for having your own character earn 8 stars while preventing other characters from earning 8 stars. For example, suppose there is another character who is closer to 8 stars than your own character, and that other character has 20 coins, enough to earn 8 stars. In this case, if your character possesses an item that can steal coins, you could use that item to steal the other character's coins and prevent them from earning 8 stars. In this case, if your character possesses an item that limits the number of dice rolls that other characters get, you could use that item to reduce the number of progress of the other character and prevent them from earning 8 stars. However, when considering such a strategy, it is important to consider the order in which each character's turns arrive, the number of 8-stars they have, the number of coins they have, the items they have, etc.

[0050] Therefore, in this embodiment, a turn display UI (User Interface) including a player indicator corresponding to each player is displayed in the lower area of ​​the screen so that this information can be seen at a glance. The turn display UI is displayed on the board screen (FIG. 2), the screen during game progress (FIG. 3, etc.), during the mini-game (FIGS. 8 to 14, etc.), etc.

[0051] As shown in FIG. 2, the turn display UI includes a player indicator 21 corresponding to the first player, a player indicator 22 corresponding to the second player, a player indicator 23 corresponding to the third player, and a player indicator 24 corresponding to the fourth player. The turn display UI displays the player indicators 21 to 24 lined up from the left in the order in which the turns arrive. As will be described later, there are also event turns corresponding to event indicators that indicate the execution of events (in-game events) such as mini-games, and the event indicators are also displayed lined up from the left in the order in which the turns arrive (see FIG. 3). As will be described later, there are exceptional cases in which the player indicators are not displayed lined up from the left in the order in which the turns arrive (see FIG. 10).

[0052] Each of the player indicators 21-24 includes a player name indicator 31 indicating the name given to the player, a character image 32, an acquired star count indicator 33 indicating the number of stars acquired, a held coin count indicator 34 indicating the number of coins held, a held item indicator 35 indicating the items held, and a held coin ranking indicator 36 indicating the ranking in terms of the number of coins held. For example, at the start of the game, each player can set their own name or the like as a player name, and the set player name is displayed as the player name indicator 31. Also, for example, at the start of the game, if each player has an account, they can set the account name as their player name. However, the setting of the player name is not limited to the above method. Note that the character image 32 is an image of a character, and is not the actual character operated by the player in the virtual space. As will be described later, the display contents of the player indicators 21-24 may change depending on the scene (see Figures 3, 9, etc.). The acquired star count indicator 33, held coin count indicator 34, and held coin ranking indicator 36 are information related to the score.

[0053] As described above, by arranging the player indicators of all players in the order in which their turns will arrive and displaying them at the bottom of the screen, each player can check at a glance the order in which their turns will arrive for all players and other strategically necessary information while the board screen is displayed.

[0054] Next, the start of a character's turn will be described. FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining the start of a turn of character A operated by a first player. As shown in FIG. 3, when character A starts his turn, character A is displayed on the route. Furthermore, a player indicator 21 of the first player is displayed at the left end of the turn display UI and is enlarged. Furthermore, the held item display and character image are not displayed on the player indicator 21 (see FIG. 2). Instead of the held item display being hidden, a display 37 indicating the items held by character A is displayed in the upper left of the screen. Furthermore, instead of the character image being hidden, character A is displayed behind the player indicator 21. As shown in FIG. 3, the player indicators 21 to 24 have semi-transparent portions, allowing the entire image of character A to be seen. Note that character A does not have to be displayed behind the player indicator 21, and may be displayed at another position associated with the player indicator 21.

[0055] In this way, by displaying the turn display UI with the player indicators and event indicators aligned in the order in which the turns arrive, each player can check at a glance the order of all players' turns and other strategically necessary information. Also, because character A is displayed at a position associated with player indicator 21, it is possible to know at a glance that it is the turn of the first player who controls character A.

[0056] In FIG. 3, an event indicator 25 indicating the execution of a competitive mini-game is displayed next to the player indicator 24, followed by an event indicator 26 indicating the start of a limited-time sale. In this embodiment, one round ends when the first to fourth players take turns, and finally a turn of the competitive mini-game in which all players participate is performed. Also, a round may include a turn indicating the start of a limited-time sale as the first turn and a turn indicating the end of the limited-time sale as the last turn. During the limited-time sale period, for example, if a character lands on a square where an item can be purchased with coins, the character can purchase the item for fewer coins than usual. In FIG. 3, an event indicator 26 indicating the start of a limited-time sale is displayed as an indicator of the first turn of the next round.

[0057] Next, a scene will be described in which a character rolls the dice to determine the number of squares to move forward. FIG. 4 is a scene following the scene in FIG. 3, in which character A rolls the dice 60 in response to an operation by the first player, and the dice 60 stops at "2." When character A rolls the dice 60, the display of character A behind the player indicator 21 disappears. Furthermore, during his / her turn, the player can use an item held by his / her character by performing a predetermined operation before having his / her character roll the dice. Therefore, when character A rolls the dice 60, the display of the display 37 (see FIG. 3) showing the item disappears.

[0058] Next, we will explain a scene in which a character rolls a die and moves forward by the number shown on the die. FIG. 5 is a scene following the scene in FIG. 4, in which character A moves forward two squares according to the number "2" on the stopped die 60 and then stops. As shown in FIG. 5, when the advancing character stops, the player indicator of the player taking the turn displays the same display items as the other players. In other words, the display of the character image 32 and held item display 35, which had been hidden, resumes (see FIG. 4). Also, in FIG. 5, a triangular item is placed in the square where the character stopped. Furthermore, since the square is set to award 10 coins, a display 61 is displayed indicating that the item and 10 coins have been acquired. Additionally, a triangular item is added to the held item display and the held coin count display 34 is increased by 10 on the player indicator 21.

[0059] Next, a scene where a character's turn ends will be described. Figure 6 is a scene following the scene in Figure 5. As shown in Figure 6, when character A's turn ends, the player indicator 21 that was displayed on the left edge of the turn display UI disappears from the left edge and is displayed on the right edge of the turn display UI as the player indicator 21 for the next round.

[0060] Figure 7 is a scene following the scene in Figure 6, and shows the start of a turn for character B operated by the second player. The explanation of the scene in Figure 7 is omitted as it is the same as the content already explained using Figure 3.

[0061] Next, the start of a battle mini-game, which is a type of event, will be described. FIG. 8 is a diagram for explaining the start of a turn in a battle mini-game. A battle mini-game is a mini-game in which characters compete against each other, such as a bicycle race mini-game, a mini-game in which you knock down your opponent on a slippery skating rink, or a mini-game in which you fly through the air to collect coins. As shown in FIG. 8, when character A's turn begins, an event indicator 25 indicating the execution of the battle mini-game is enlarged and displayed on the left edge of the turn display UI for a relatively short time (e.g., 0.5 seconds), and a display 62 reading "Battle mini-game begins" is displayed. This indicates that a turn in the battle mini-game has begun.

[0062] Next, we will explain the scene where the characters line up at the start of a turn in a battle mini-game. Figure 9 is a scene following the scene in Figure 8. As shown in Figure 9, at the start of a turn in a battle mini-game, player indicators 21 to 24 are displayed lined up at the bottom of the screen in the order in which their turns will arrive after the end of the battle mini-game. Also, during the battle mini-game, in order to allow players to concentrate on the battle mini-game, all displays other than the player name are hidden on each player indicator. Also, event indicators are hidden.

[0063] Thereafter, at the start of a turn in a competitive minigame, the player indicators and each player move and rearrange for each team. The competitive minigames include minigames in which players compete in 1-on-3 teams, minigames in which players compete in 2-on-2 teams, and minigames in which each character is considered a team. When the game is played by three players, a competitive minigame in which players compete in 1-on-2 teams may be played. Figure 10 is a scene following the scene in Figure 9, showing the start of a turn in a competitive minigame in which players compete in 1-on-3 teams. As shown in Figure 10, at the start of a turn in a competitive minigame in which players compete in 1-on-3 teams, the player indicators and each player move and rearrange to positions where the teaming is 1-on-3. In Figure 10, player indicator 21 and character A are swapped with player indicator 22 and character B, and they move and rearrange to positions where the teaming is 1-on-3. Also, a display 63 that reads "1 vs. 3 minigame" is displayed.

[0064] FIG. 11 is a scene following the scene in FIG. 9, showing the start of a turn in a two-on-two team battle mini-game. As shown in FIG. 11, at the start of a turn in a two-on-two team battle mini-game, the player indicators and each player move and rearrange to positions where the teams are divided into two. In FIG. 11, player indicator 22 and character B are swapped with player indicator 23 and character C, and the players move and rearrange to positions where the teams are divided into two. Also, a display 63 reading "2 vs. 2 mini-game" is displayed.

[0065] Figure 12 is a scene following the scene in Figure 9, and shows the start of a turn in a competitive mini-game in which each character is considered to be a team. As shown in Figure 12, at the start of a turn in this competitive mini-game, the player indicators and each player are in the same positions as in the scene in Figure 9. Also, a display 63 reading "1 vs. 1 vs. 1 vs. 1 mini-game" is displayed.

[0066] After that, the battle of the mini-game begins. Although details are omitted, in the battle of the mini-game, characters may earn coins during the battle, or the character that wins the battle may earn coins, and each player aims to earn as many coins as possible.

[0067] Next, the scene when the result of the battle mini-game is announced will be described. FIGS. 13 and 14 are diagrams for explaining the scene when the battle that started after any of the scenes in FIGS. 10 to 12 ends and the result of the battle mini-game is announced. First, as shown in FIG. 13, when the result of the battle mini-game is announced, player indicators 21 to 24 are displayed in a line at the bottom of the screen in the order of the turn that occurred after the end of the battle mini-game. At this time, all displays other than the player name display 31, the number of held coins display 34, and the number of acquired stars display 33 are hidden on each player indicator. Also, at this point, the number of held coins display 34 of each player indicator displays the number of held coins at the start of the battle mini-game (see FIG. 8). Then, each character is placed on a platform whose height corresponds to the number of held coins.

[0068] Next, as shown in FIG. 14, the number of coins won in the battle mini-game is reflected in the coin count indicator 34 of the player indicator, and the platform height is updated. At this time, a coin ranking indicator 36 is also displayed on each player indicator. In FIG. 14, character B wins the battle and wins 34 coins, making character B the player with the most coins. In this way, when the results of the battle mini-game are announced, player indicators 21-24 are displayed in order at the bottom of the screen in the order of their turns after the battle mini-game ends, which naturally draws each player's attention to the game developments after the battle mini-game ends.

[0069] Next, the start of a limited-time sale, which is a type of event, will be described. FIG. 15 is a diagram for explaining the turn at which the limited-time sale starts. As shown in FIG. 15, when the turn at which the limited-time sale starts is executed, an event indicator 26 indicating the start of the limited-time sale is enlarged and displayed on the left edge of the turn display UI for a relatively short time (e.g., 0.5 seconds), and a display 66 reading "Limited-time sale starts." This indicates that the limited-time sale has started. Also, as shown in FIG. 15, an event indicator 27 indicating the turn at which the limited-time sale ends is displayed next to the player indicator 24, and then an event indicator 25 indicating the turn of the competitive mini-game executed at the end of the round is displayed. In the turn at which the limited-time sale ends, the event indicator 27 indicating the end of the limited-time sale is enlarged and displayed on the left edge of the turn display UI for a relatively short time (e.g., 0.5 seconds), and a display reading "Limited-time sale ends" is displayed (not shown). As already explained, during the limited-time sale period, for example, if a character lands on a square where an item can be purchased with coins, the character can purchase the item with fewer coins than usual.

[0070] [Details of information processing in this embodiment] Next, the information processing of this embodiment will be described in detail with reference to FIGS.

[0071] [About data usage] Various types of data used in this game processing will now be described. Fig. 16 shows an example of data stored in the storage unit 12 of the game device 1. As shown in Fig. 16, the storage unit 12 is provided with at least a program storage area 301 and a data storage area 302. The program storage area 301 stores a game program 401. The data storage area 302 stores game control data 402, image data 408, virtual camera control data 409, operation data 410, transmission data 411, received data 412, etc. The game control data 402 includes object data 403.

[0072] The game program 401 is a game program for executing the game processing.

[0073] The object data 403 is data on objects placed in the virtual space, such as player characters, enemy characters appearing in mini-games, items, boards, components of the turn display UI (player indicators, event indicators), etc. The object data 403 also includes data on the coordinates (position), direction, posture, status, etc. of the objects.

[0074] Image data 408 is image data such as background and virtual effects.

[0075] The virtual camera control data 409 is data for controlling the movement of a virtual camera placed in a virtual space.

[0076] The operation data 410 indicates the content of the operation performed on the controller 3 .

[0077] The transmission data 411 is data to be transmitted to other game devices 1.

[0078] The received data 412 is data to be transmitted that has been received from another game device 1.

[0079] In addition, the storage unit 12 stores various types of data used in the game processing as needed.

[0080] [About game processing] Next, the game processing according to this embodiment will be described with reference to a flowchart. Fig. 17 is an example of a flowchart showing the details of the game processing according to this embodiment. Below, the processing characteristic of this embodiment will be mainly described, and a description of other processing such as the rendering processing of game images will be omitted. Note that this game processing is executed at a predetermined cycle (for example, one frame cycle).

[0081] When this game process is started and the game is started, the game process of FIG. 17 starts.

[0082] First, in step S100, processor 11 performs game board display processing. Specifically, when processor 11 determines, based on operation data 410 (or received data 412), that the player whose turn it is has performed an operation to display the game board, processor 11 causes the display unit to display the game board (see FIG. 2). Furthermore, when processor 11 determines, based on operation data 410 (or received data 412), that the player whose turn it is has performed an operation to end the display of the game board, processor 11 ends the display of the game board. Thereafter, the processing proceeds to step S101.

[0083] In step S101, processor 11 performs a game progression process. Specifically, processor 11 progresses the game by sequentially executing turns in which a character rolls dice and moves forward, etc. (see FIGS. 3 to 7), and event turns (see FIGS. 8 to 15). Processor 11 also displays a turn display UI at the bottom of the screen. After that, the process proceeds to step S102.

[0084] In step S102, processor 11 performs a turn display UI update process. Specifically, as described with reference to FIGS. 3 to 9 and 13 to 15, processor 11 arranges and displays player indicators and event indicators in the order in which turns arrive in the turn display UI displayed at the bottom of the screen, and moves the player indicators and event indicators according to the completion of turns, etc. Also, as described with reference to FIGS. 10 to 12, processor 11 moves the player indicators to the positions of each team in the competitive mini-game. Then, the process proceeds to step S103.

[0085] In step S103, processor 11 determines whether the game has ended. Specifically, processor 11 determines whether an ending condition for the game (for example, a condition that 10 rounds have ended and an ending has been executed) has been satisfied. If the determination is YES, the processing ends, and if the determination is NO, the processing returns to step S100.

[0086] As described above, according to this embodiment, a turn display UI is displayed in a game scene, arranging each player's player indicator and event indicator in the order in which their turns arrive and updating as turns are completed (see FIGS. 3 to 8 and 13 to 15). This allows both players who are currently playing a turn and players who are not currently playing a turn to understand at a glance the order in which their opponent's turns and event turns will arrive in each game scene, allowing for more strategic gameplay. Furthermore, according to this embodiment, a turn display UI is also displayed on the game board display screen (see FIG. 2), allowing for more strategic gameplay by taking into consideration the relative positions of each character. Furthermore, according to this embodiment, a turn display UI is displayed at the start of a battle mini-game and when the results are announced (see FIGS. 9, 13, and 14). This allows for players to understand at a glance the order in which their opponent's turns and event turns will arrive after the battle mini-game ends, allowing for more strategic gameplay.

[0087] [Variations] In the above-described embodiment, an example has been given in which the player indicator corresponding to the player currently playing during one's turn is displayed at the left edge of the bottom of the screen in the turn display UI (see FIGS. 3 to 7). However, for example, in the turn display UI, instead of the player indicator corresponding to the player currently playing during one's turn, the player indicator corresponding to the player taking the next turn may be displayed at the left edge of the bottom of the screen. In this case, for example, in FIG. 3, the player indicator 21 and character A overlapping this indicator are not displayed, and the turn display UI is displayed so that the player indicator 22 taking the next turn is positioned at the left edge of the bottom of the screen.

[0088] In the above-described embodiment, an example has been given in which the turn display UIs (player indicators and event indicators) are aligned horizontally from the left at the bottom of the screen (see FIG. 3, etc.). However, the positions and alignment of the turn display UIs are not limited to this. For example, they may be aligned in order from the right. Furthermore, the turn display UIs may be aligned vertically on the left or right side of the screen, aligned in order from the bottom or top.

[0089] In the above-described embodiment, the player indicator may include an image of the player corresponding to the player indicator. In this case, for example, an image of the player taken by a camera (not shown) provided in the game device 1 at the start of the game or the like is set as the image of the player.

[0090] In the above-described embodiment, a series of steps related to game processing is executed by a single game device. In other embodiments, the series of steps may be executed in an information processing system including multiple information processing devices. For example, in an information processing system including a terminal device and a server device capable of communicating with the terminal device via a network, some of the steps may be executed by the server device. Furthermore, in an information processing system including a terminal device and a server device capable of communicating with the terminal device via a network, the main steps of the series of steps may be executed by the server device, and some of the steps may be executed by the terminal device. In the above-described information processing system, the server system may be composed of multiple information processing devices, and the processes to be executed on the server side may be shared and executed by the multiple information processing devices. A so-called cloud gaming configuration may also be used. For example, a game device may send operation data indicating user operations to a predetermined server, and the server may execute various game processes, with the execution results being streamed to the game device as video and audio.

[0091] Although the present embodiment and its modifications have been described above, these descriptions are merely illustrative in every respect and are not intended to limit the scope of the present embodiment and its modifications. It goes without saying that various improvements and modifications can be made to the present embodiment and its modifications. [Explanation of symbols]

[0092] 1. Game device 2 Display section 3 Controller 11 processors 12 Storage section 21, 22, 23, 24 Player Indicators 25, 26 Event Indicators

Claims

1. The processor of the information processing device In a multiplayer game with multiple players, for each turn associated with each of the players, a game process is performed based on the play of the player in that turn, and the game progresses in the order of the turns; updating a UI including at least a plurality of player indicators corresponding to the respective players in accordance with the progress of the game so that the player indicator corresponding to the player whose turn is currently playing or whose turn will be the next is placed at a first position, and the player indicators corresponding to the players whose turns will come after that are arranged in order of turn arrival, following the first position; A game program that generates a game image including at least a game scene and the UI.

2. the processor, 2. The game program according to claim 1, wherein the game progresses by repeating rounds that include a plurality of turns in a predetermined order and that include turns of at least all of the players.

3. The processor further comprises: At the start of each of said players' turns, placing the player indicator corresponding to the player who will start a turn at the first position; a player character controlled in a virtual space based on a play by the player is placed at a position in the virtual space that is associated with the first position in the game image; 2. The game program according to claim 1, wherein the game program causes the player who has started a turn to be controlled based on the play of the player.

4. The turns included in the round further include a turn in which an in-game event of the game occurs other than the player's turn, the UI further includes, in addition to the plurality of player indicators, an event indicator that indicates the in-game event; The processor further comprises: When a turn of the in-game event in the round in the game arrives, execute the in-game event; The game program according to claim 2 , wherein the UI is updated in accordance with the progress of the game so that the player indicator and the event indicator corresponding to the in-game event are arranged in the order of their arrival.

5. the in-game event is a mini-game event in which the plurality of players simultaneously participate, The processor further comprises: At a first timing when the mini-game event starts, further updating the UI so that the player indicators are arranged in the player's turn order after the mini-game event; 5. The game program according to claim 4, wherein each player character controlled in the virtual space based on the play of each of the players is placed at a position in the virtual space that is associated with the position of each of the player indicators in the game image.

6. the mini-game event is a battle mini-game event in which the plurality of players are divided into a plurality of teams and compete against each other, The processor further comprises: At a second timing at the start of the mini-game event and after the first timing, further updating the UI so that the player indicators are positioned for each of the teams; The game program according to claim 5 , further comprising: moving each of the player characters to a position in the virtual space that is associated with the updated position of the player indicator.

7. The processor further comprises: At a third timing at the start of the mini-game event and before the first timing, The game program according to claim 5 or 6, further updating the UI so that the event indicator is placed at the first position and the player indicators are placed in the player's turn order after the mini-game event.

8. The processor further comprises: At a fourth timing when the result of the mini-game event is displayed after the mini-game event ends, further updating the UI to position the player indicator in the player's turn order after the mini-game event; 7. The game program according to claim 5, wherein each of the player characters is placed at a position in the virtual space that is associated with the position of the player indicator.

9. 7. The game program according to claim 1, wherein the player indicators further include information regarding the scores of the respective players in the game.

10. The game program according to claim 1 , wherein the player indicators further include images of player characters that are controlled based on play of the respective players in the game.

11. The game program of claim 1 , wherein the player indicia further include an image of each of the players.

12. The game program according to claim 1 , wherein the player indicators further include a name given to each of the players.

13. A gaming device including a processor, The processor: In a multiplayer game with multiple players, For each turn associated with each of the players, a game process is performed based on the play of the player in that turn, and the game progresses in the order of the turns; updating a UI including at least a plurality of player indicators corresponding to the respective players in accordance with the progress of the game so that the player indicator corresponding to the player whose turn is currently playing or whose turn will be the next is placed at a first position, and the player indicators corresponding to the players whose turns will come after that are arranged in order of turn arrival, following the first position; A game device that generates a game image including at least a game scene and the UI.

14. The processor: The gaming device according to claim 13, wherein the game progresses by repeating rounds that include a plurality of turns in a predetermined order and that include turns of at least all of the players.

15. The processor further comprises: At the start of each of said players' turns, placing the player indicator corresponding to the player who will start a turn at the first position; a player character controlled in a virtual space based on a play by the player is placed at a position in the virtual space that is associated with the first position in the game image, and The game device according to claim 13, wherein the player is controlled based on the play of the player who has started a turn.

16. The turns included in the round further include a turn in which an in-game event of the game occurs other than the player's turn, the UI further includes, in addition to the plurality of player indicators, an event indicator that indicates the in-game event; The processor further comprises: When a turn of the in-game event in the round in the game arrives, the in-game event is executed; The game device according to claim 14 , wherein the UI is updated in accordance with the progress of the game so that the player indicators and the event indicators corresponding to the in-game events are arranged in the order of their arrival.

17. the in-game event is a mini-game event in which the plurality of players simultaneously participate, The processor further comprises: At a first timing when the mini-game event starts, further updating the UI so that the player indicators are positioned in the player's turn order after the mini-game event; 17. The game device according to claim 16, wherein each player character controlled in a virtual space based on play of each of the players is placed at a position in the virtual space that is associated with the position of each of the player indicators in the game image.

18. A game processing method executed by a processor of an information processing device, comprising: the processor, In a multiplayer game with multiple players, for each turn associated with each of the players, a game process is performed based on the play of the player in that turn, and the game progresses in the order of the turns; updating a UI including at least a plurality of player indicators corresponding to the respective players in accordance with the progress of the game so that the player indicator corresponding to the player whose turn is currently playing or whose turn will be the next is placed at a first position, and the player indicators corresponding to the players whose turns will come after that are arranged in order of turn arrival, following the first position; A game processing method for generating a game image including at least a game scene and the UI.

19. the processor, 20. The game processing method according to claim 18, wherein the game progresses by repeating rounds that include a plurality of turns in a predetermined order and that include turns of at least all of the players.

20. The processor further comprises: At the start of each of said players' turns, placing the player indicator corresponding to the player who will start a turn at the first position; a player character controlled in a virtual space based on a play by the player is placed at a position in the virtual space that is associated with the first position in the game image; 20. The game processing method according to claim 18, wherein the player is controlled based on the play of the player who has started a turn.

21. The turns included in the round further include a turn in which an in-game event of the game occurs other than the player's turn, the UI further includes, in addition to the plurality of player indicators, an event indicator that indicates the in-game event; The processor further comprises: When a turn of the in-game event in the round in the game arrives, execute the in-game event; The game processing method according to claim 19 , wherein the UI is updated in accordance with the progress of the game so that the player indicator and the event indicator corresponding to the in-game event are arranged in the order of arrival.

22. the in-game event is a mini-game event in which the plurality of players simultaneously participate, The processor further comprises: At a first timing when the mini-game event starts, further updating the UI so that the player indicators are arranged in the player's turn order after the mini-game event; 22. The game processing method according to claim 21, wherein each player character controlled in a virtual space based on play of each of the players is placed at a position in the virtual space that is associated with the position of each of the player indicators in the game image.

Images