Game programs, game devices, game systems

Abstract

To provide a game program capable of improving game properties.SOLUTION: A game program allows a control section 56 to function as first game execution means 563. The first game execution means 563 automatically extracts an intermediate piece that satisfies a match condition according to each position relationship of a start point piece and an end point piece on a puzzle board surface and is a piece separate from the start point piece and the end point piece from among erasure candidate pieces when a user performs operation for selecting the end point piece. The first game execution means 563 erases the extracted intermediate piece Pm from the puzzle board surface PB.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0005] , , , , , ,

[0001] The present invention relates to a game program, a game device, and a game system.

Background Art

[0002] The game device described in Patent Document 1 displays a plurality of pieces within a predetermined area of a display screen, and when the user performs an operation of selecting any one of the plurality of pieces, the pieces that can be continuously selected from the selected piece are displayed in a manner different from other pieces.

Prior Art Document

Patent Document

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In the game described in Patent Document 1, there is room for improvement in terms of its gameplay. An object of the present disclosure is to provide a game program, a game device, and a game system capable of improving gameplay.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] A first aspect causes a computer to function as display control means for displaying a puzzle board surface on which a plurality of pieces are arranged, operation reception means for receiving a user's selection operation on the piece, game execution means for executing a game that changes a state of the piece on the puzzle board surface that satisfies a predetermined match condition based on the user's selection operation, The operation reception means receives an operation in which the user selects a first piece from among the plurality of pieces, Candidate pieces that are candidates for pieces that can satisfy the matching conditions for the first piece are extracted from among the multiple pieces. With the selection of the first piece accepted, the system accepts the user's operation to select a second piece from among the candidate pieces. The aforementioned game execution means is After the user has performed the operation to select the second piece, a third piece is automatically extracted from the candidate pieces that satisfies the matching condition according to the relative positions of the first and second pieces on the puzzle board, and is a piece different from the first and second pieces. Perform a change process that alters the state of at least the third piece on the puzzle board. This is a game program.

[0006] In the first aspect, the game execution means is Regardless of the user's actions on the puzzle board during the period from the time the first piece is selected to the time the second piece is selected, the third piece can be automatically extracted from the candidate pieces.

[0007] In the first aspect, the plurality of pieces includes a plurality of pieces of different types. The first piece and the second piece are of the same type. The aforementioned matching conditions are: The conditions are that among the multiple pieces, they are of the same type as the first piece, and that they can be connected to the first piece in a single continuous line on the puzzle board, The aforementioned operation reception means is From among the multiple pieces, a series of pieces that are of the same type as the first piece and are adjacent to the first piece on the puzzle board can be selected as candidate pieces.

[0008] In the first aspect, the game execution means is After the user selects the second piece, the third piece can be automatically extracted from the candidate pieces in such a way that it contains the largest number of pieces included in the single-stroke path.

[0009] In the first aspect, the matching conditions further include additional matching conditions specified by the user, The aforementioned operation reception means is The system further accepts the user's operation to specify the additional matching conditions. The aforementioned game execution means is From the candidate pieces, a piece that further satisfies the additional matching conditions can be automatically extracted as the third piece.

[0010] In the first aspect, the display control means is After the operation receiving means has received the selection operation for the first piece, and before the operation receiving means has received the selection operation for the second piece, a recommended piece from among the candidate pieces that the user is recommended to select as the second piece can be displayed to the user in a recognizable manner.

[0011] In the first aspect, when the game execution means is designated as the first game execution means and the game is designated as the first game, The aforementioned computer, Based on the changes made to the pieces according to the aforementioned transformation process, the second game is further configured to function as a second game execution means that advances the second game in a virtual space separate from the puzzle board. The display control means is Along with the recommended piece, the system displays a predetermined effect that occurs in the second game when the recommended piece is selected as the second piece and the transformation process is executed, in a manner that can be recognized by the user. The first game execution means is When the recommended piece is actually selected by the user as the second piece, the third piece can be automatically extracted from the candidate pieces so that the predetermined effect is generated.

[0012] On the first aspect, when the game execution means is used as the first game execution means and the game is used as the first game, the computer is further functioned as a second game execution means for advancing a second game in a virtual space different from the puzzle board surface based on the piece changed on the puzzle board surface, the display control means can display, in a recognizable manner to the user, a recommended piece that recommends to the user that the first piece should be selected on the puzzle board surface according to the progress of the second game.

[0013] On the first aspect, the display control means can display, in a recognizable manner to the user, a predetermined effect that occurs in the second game when the recommended piece is selected as the first piece and the change process is executed, together with the recommended piece. the first game execution means When the recommended piece is actually selected by the user as the first piece, the third piece can be automatically extracted from the candidate pieces so that the predetermined effect is generated.

[0014] On the first aspect, the operation reception means after receiving the selection operation of the first piece, receives an operation in which the user selects a temporary piece that is a candidate for the second piece from the candidate pieces, and after the operation of selecting the temporary piece is performed, further receives an operation in which the user determines the temporary piece as the second piece, the display control means After the user has performed the operation to select the temporary piece, the third piece that satisfies the matching conditions can be displayed in a way that is recognizable to the user, according to the relative positions of the first piece and the temporary piece.

[0015] In the first aspect, when the temporary piece is referred to as the first temporary piece, The aforementioned operation reception means is With the operation to select the first temporary piece accepted, the user then accepts an operation to select a second temporary piece from among the candidate pieces, which is a piece different from the first temporary piece and is a candidate for the second piece. The display control means is After the user has performed the operation to select the second temporary piece, the third piece that satisfies the matching conditions can be further displayed in a way that is recognizable to the user, according to the relative positions of the first piece and the second temporary piece.

[0016] In the first aspect, when the temporary piece is referred to as the first temporary piece, The display control means is After the user has performed the operation to select the first temporary piece, if there is another piece among the candidate pieces that is recommended to be selected as the second piece, separate from the first temporary piece, the other piece can be further displayed in a way that is recognizable to the user.

[0017] In the first aspect, the operation receiving means is If, while the selection operation for the first piece has been accepted, the user selects a piece other than the candidate piece, the selection of the first piece can be deselected.

[0018] The second aspect is a display control unit that displays a puzzle board with multiple pieces arranged on it, An operation reception unit that receives user selection operations for the aforementioned piece, The system includes a game execution unit that executes a game that changes the state of the pieces on the puzzle board that satisfy predetermined matching conditions based on the user's selection operation, The aforementioned operation reception unit is The system accepts an operation in which the user selects a first piece from among a plurality of aforementioned pieces. Candidate pieces that are candidates for pieces that can satisfy the matching conditions for the first piece are extracted from among the multiple pieces. With the selection of the first piece accepted, the system accepts the user's operation to select a second piece from among the candidate pieces. The aforementioned game execution unit, After the user has performed the operation to select the second piece, a third piece is automatically extracted from the candidate pieces that satisfies the matching condition according to the relative positions of the first and second pieces on the puzzle board, and is a piece different from the first and second pieces. This is a game device that performs a change process to change the state of at least the third piece on the puzzle board.

[0019] The third aspect is a display control unit that displays a puzzle board with multiple pieces arranged on it, An operation reception unit that receives user selection operations for the aforementioned piece, The game includes a game execution unit that changes the state of the pieces on the puzzle board that satisfy predetermined matching conditions based on the user's selection operation, The aforementioned operation reception unit is The system accepts an operation in which the user selects a first piece from among a plurality of aforementioned pieces. Candidate pieces that are candidates for pieces that can satisfy the matching conditions for the first piece are extracted from among the multiple pieces. With the selection of the first piece accepted, the system accepts the user's operation to select a second piece from among the candidate pieces. The aforementioned game execution unit, After the user has performed the operation to select the second piece, a third piece is automatically extracted from the candidate pieces that satisfies the matching condition according to the relative positions of the first and second pieces on the puzzle board, and is a piece different from the first and second pieces. This is a game system that performs a change process to change the state of at least the third piece on the puzzle board. [Effects of the Invention]

[0020] According to this disclosure, it is possible to provide a game program, a game device, and a game system that can improve gameplay. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0021] [Figure 1] This is a block diagram showing the schematic configuration of the game system according to the first embodiment. [Figure 2] This is a schematic diagram illustrating the outline of the game according to the first embodiment. [Figure 3] Figures (A) and (B) schematically illustrate the outline of the puzzle game of the first embodiment. [Figure 4] Figures (A) and (B) schematically illustrate the outline of the puzzle game of the first embodiment. [Figure 5] Figures (A) to (F) schematically show examples of commands that can be entered in the puzzle game of the first embodiment. [Figure 6] This is an example of a screen displayed on the screen during gameplay in the first embodiment. [Figure 7] This is an example of a screen displayed on the screen during gameplay in the first embodiment. [Figure 8] This is an example of a screen displayed on the screen during gameplay in the first embodiment. [Figure 9] This is an example of a screen displayed on the screen during gameplay in the first embodiment. [Figure 10] This is an example of a screen displayed on the screen during gameplay in the first embodiment. [Figure 11] This flowchart shows an example of the operation of the game system according to the first embodiment. [Figure 12] This is an example of a screen displayed on the screen during gameplay in the second embodiment. [Figure 13] This is an example of a screen displayed on the screen during gameplay in the third embodiment. [Figure 14] This is an example of a screen displayed on the screen during gameplay in the third embodiment. [Figure 15] This is an example of a screen displayed on the screen during a game of a modified version of the third embodiment. [Figure 16] This is an example of a screen displayed on the screen during gameplay in the fourth embodiment. [Figure 17] This is an example of a screen displayed on the screen during gameplay in the fourth embodiment. [Figure 18] This is an example of a screen displayed on the screen during gameplay in the fourth embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0022] [First Embodiment] Embodiments of the game system 1 of this disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. <Game Description> In the game system 1 shown in Figure 1, a server device 2 and multiple game devices 5 are connected to each other via a communication network 6, and a game is executed on the game devices 5.

[0023] The game of this embodiment is an online game executed on game system 1, and is composed of a combination of a puzzle game G1 and a fighting game G2, as shown in Figure 2. In this embodiment, puzzle game G1 corresponds to the first game, and fighting game G2 corresponds to the second game.

[0024] Such games are played using a game device 5, which is an electronic device such as a home game console like PlayStation®, a portable game console like Nintendo Switch®, or a personal computer, smartphone, or tablet. The following example illustrates the case where the game device 5 is a smartphone.

[0025] <Overview of Game System 1> As shown in Figure 1, the game system 1 consists of a server device 2 and multiple game devices 5. The server device 2 stores the game program and game data, and manages the game data of the game devices 5, more specifically, the game data for each account.

[0026] The game device 5 executes the game based on user input. To do this, the game device 5 receives, specifically downloads and installs, the game program and game data from the server device 2 via the communication network 6. Each user is assigned account information, including identification information and a password, associated with the game device 5. This account information is transmitted from the game device 5 to the server device 2 upon login and is used for user authentication on the server device 2.

[0027] After user authentication, communication between server device 2 and game device 5 becomes possible. After logging in, game device 5 receives data necessary for game progression, such as data related to game progress, from server device 2, and then proceeds with the game while outputting game images and sounds based on the user's input.

[0028] <Game Overview> Next, the game overview will be described. In this embodiment, the game system 1 allows the user to play a puzzle game G1 as shown in Figure 2 by operating the game device 5, and a fighting game G2 progresses in accordance with the progress of the puzzle game G1.

[0029] Puzzle game G1 involves matching pieces of the same type from among several types of pieces that appear one after another on the game screen using touch controls to remove them. Figure 2 illustrates a case where the types of pieces include "●", "○", "△", and "×". In this embodiment, the virtual game space on which puzzle game G1 can be played, specifically the virtual game space on which the puzzle board is displayed, corresponds to the first virtual space. Fighting game G2 progresses in accordance with the progress of puzzle game G1.

[0030] Fighting game G2 is a one-on-one battle between a player character C10 controlled by the user and another player character C20. Hereafter, the character C10 controlled by the user will be referred to as "User Character C10," and the character that will be fighting against it will be referred to as "Opponent Character C20." Opponent Character C20 may be controlled by another user or may be a non-player character controlled by the computer. In fighting game G2, User Character C10 performs various actions based on the progress of puzzle game G1. The progress of puzzle game G1 is determined based on, for example, the number of pieces removed in a single operation in puzzle game G1, and the types of pieces removed. For example, the more pieces removed, the higher the score, and the more powerful attacks can be performed against opponent character C20.

[0031] In the fighting game G2, the user wins by reducing the opponent character C20's hit points (HP20) to a predetermined value or less (typically to zero) based on the actions of the user's character C10. Conversely, the user loses if the user's character C10's hit points (HP10) fall below a predetermined value or less (typically to zero) based on the actions of the opponent character C20.

[0032] Based on the progress of the puzzle game G1, the actions that your character C10 can perform include guarding, jabbing, special moves, and skills. Guarding blocks the opponent's moves. A jab can slightly reduce the opponent character C20's hit points (HP20), while also preventing C20 from using a special move if they are attempting to do so. A special move can significantly reduce the opponent character C20's hit points (HP20), but its activation can be prevented if C20 performs a jab. Skills are special techniques that can be activated by consuming skill points (SP10) set for your character C10, and they can reduce the opponent character C20's hit points (HP20) even more significantly than a special move. Therefore, if skill points (SP10) reach zero, your character C10 will no longer be able to perform skills. Skill points (SP10) recover over time and when your character C10 is hit by an attack from the opponent character C20.

[0033] The opponent character C20 performs the same types of actions as your own character C10. Additionally, the opponent character C20 also has 20 skill points (SP20). <Configuration of Game System 1> The hardware configurations of server device 2 and game device 5 will be described in detail below with reference to Figure 1. Note that each of the multiple game devices 5 has the same configuration as the others.

[0034] <Configuration of Server Device 2> As shown in Figure 1, the server device 2 has a network interface 21, a storage unit 22, and a control unit 23. The network interface 21 and the storage unit 22 are electrically connected to the control unit 23 via a bus 29.

[0035] The network interface 21 is connected to each game device 5 via a communication network 6 such as the Internet and LAN, enabling communication between them. The storage unit 22 consists of an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), RAM (Random Access Memory), ROM (Read Only Memory), and SSD (Solid State Drive). The storage unit 22 stores various programs, including a part of the game program of this embodiment, as well as various data such as the user DB (Data Base) 221.

[0036] User DB221 stores user information, the game medium assigned to each user, and other related information associated with each user's identification number. User information includes information such as the username. The control unit 23 is composed of a microcomputer having a CPU and semiconductor memory, and controls the operation of the server device 2. By executing various programs, the control unit 23 functions as an information processing means 231 and a verification means 232. These means 231 and 232 correspond to an information processing unit and a verification unit, respectively.

[0037] (Information processing means) The information processing means 231 sends and receives various data to and from each game device 5. The main data received by the information processing means 231 includes game program download request information, account information, and game data. The main data transmitted by the information processing means 231 includes information to confirm that the game device 5 has received the game program.

[0038] (Verification means) The matching means 232 authenticates the user's account using the user's identification information received from the game device 5. <Game device configuration> The game device 5 has a display 61, speakers 62, and a touchpad 63, which are either externally connected or built-in. The game device 5 also has a network interface 51, a graphics processing unit 52, an audio processing unit 53, an operation unit 54, a storage unit 55, and a control unit 56. The network interface 51, graphics processing unit 52, audio processing unit 53, operation unit 54, and storage unit 55 are electrically connected to the control unit 56 via a bus 59.

[0039] The network interface 51 is connected to the communication network 6 in a way that allows it to send and receive various data between the game device 5 and the server device 2. The graphics processing unit 52 renders game images in video format based on game image information output from the control unit 56. The game images include characters and various objects related to the virtual game space. The graphics processing unit 52 displays the rendered game images in video format as a game screen on the display 61.

[0040] The audio processing unit 53 is connected to the speaker 62 and plays and synthesizes game audio based on instructions from the control unit 56, and outputs the game audio from the speaker 62. The control unit 54 is connected to the touchpad 63 and transmits and receives data related to operation and input to and from the touchpad 63. The user can input operation signals to the game device 5 by touching the touchpad 63.

[0041] The operation unit 54 and the display 61 in this embodiment are composed of a touch panel that combines a display function like a liquid crystal panel and an input function like a touchpad. Therefore, the user can perform various operations by touching the display 61 with their finger or the like.

[0042] The storage unit 55 consists of an HDD, SSD, RAM, and ROM. The storage unit 55 stores game data downloaded from the server device 2, various programs including parts of the game program, and account information for the game device 5. The control unit 56 is composed of a microcomputer having a CPU and semiconductor memory, and controls the operation of the game device 5. By executing various programs, the control unit 56 functions as a communication means 561, an operation reception means 562, a first game execution means 563, a second game execution means 564, an audio control means 565, and a display control means 566. These means 561 to 566 correspond to the communication unit, operation reception unit, first game execution unit, second game execution unit, audio control unit, and display control unit, respectively.

[0043] (Means of communication) The communication means 561 communicates with the server device 2 via the network interface 51. The communication means 561 generates information that the server device 2 can understand based on various operation signals received by the operation unit 54 from the touchpad 63, and transmits that information to the server device 2. For example, the communication means 561 transmits account information, new game data download request information, and gacha execution requests to the server device 2. The communication means 561 also receives new game data and other information transmitted from the server device 2 in response to download request information.

[0044] (Operation reception means) The operation reception means 562 receives user operations via the touchpad 63, such as user operations on pieces on the puzzle board. Specifically, if the user touches one of the multiple pieces displayed on the display 61, the operation reception means 562 recognizes that piece as the starting piece. In this embodiment, the starting piece corresponds to the first piece, and the touch operation performed on the starting piece corresponds to the selection operation of the first piece. When the user touches the starting piece, the operation reception means 562 acquires information about the type of piece that was touched.

[0045] For example, suppose a puzzle board PB as shown in Figure 3(A) is used in the puzzle game G1. The puzzle board PB shown in Figure 3(A) has multiple pieces of two types: "●" and "△". If a user touches a predetermined "●" piece P10 on such a puzzle board PB, the operation reception means 562 determines that a touch operation has been performed on this piece P10. In this case, the operation reception means 562 recognizes piece P10 as the starting piece Ps. After a touch operation is performed on the starting piece Ps(P10), the operation reception means 562 remains in a state of accepting a selection operation for the starting piece Ps(P10) until the user's finger leaves the display 61.

[0046] The operation receiving means 562, after receiving an operation on the starting piece Ps(P10), extracts pieces that satisfy predetermined match conditions for the starting piece Ps(P10), in other words, pieces that are candidates for elimination, from among multiple pieces on the puzzle board PB. The predetermined match conditions are that the piece is of the same type as the starting piece and that it can be connected to the starting piece in a single stroke on the puzzle board PB, and these indicate the conditions for eliminating a piece. Therefore, pieces that are candidates for elimination can be said to be pieces that satisfy the elimination conditions for the starting piece. Hereinafter, pieces that are candidates for elimination will be referred to as elimination candidate pieces. For example, when a user touches piece P10 with their finger on the puzzle board PB shown in Figure 3(A), the operation receiving means 562 extracts several pieces P11 to P18, which are of the same type as the starting piece Ps(P10) and can be connected to the starting piece Ps(P10) in a single stroke on the puzzle board PB, i.e., pieces with dot hatching in Figure 3(B), as candidate pieces Pc to be eliminated. If multiple single-stroke paths can be identified from the starting piece Ps, the candidate pieces Pc to be eliminated may be extracted based on the longest path, or based on all paths. Furthermore, when extracting candidate pieces Pc based on multiple paths, the candidate pieces Pc corresponding to each path may be extracted separately and displayed in different ways.

[0047] After receiving the selection operation for the starting piece Ps (P10), the operation receiving means 562, while maintaining that state, specifically without lifting the finger from the display 61, moves the finger to one of the erase candidate pieces Pc (P11~P18), and sets the piece the finger is touching as the temporary ending piece Pt. Then, if the finger is lifted at the predetermined temporary ending piece Pt, the operation receiving means 562 confirms that piece as the ending piece Pf. In this embodiment, the operation of lifting the finger from a piece to confirm the ending piece Pf corresponds to the operation of selecting the second piece.

[0048] For example, if, on the puzzle board PB shown in Figure 3(B), the user touches the starting piece Ps with their finger, and then, while keeping their finger in contact with the display 61, moves their finger to the candidate piece P14 to be erased, as shown in Figure 4(A), the operation receiving means 562 sets this candidate piece P14 as the temporary endpoint piece Pt. Subsequently, if, while keeping their finger in contact with the display 61, the user moves their finger further to the candidate piece P18 to be erased, as shown in Figure 4(B), the operation receiving means 562 sets this candidate piece P18 as the temporary endpoint piece Pt. In the state shown in Figure 4(B), the setting of the candidate piece P14 as the temporary endpoint piece Pt has been released.

[0049] If the user releases their finger from the deletion candidate piece P18 in the state shown in Figure 4(B), the operation reception means 562 changes this deletion candidate piece P18 from a provisional endpoint piece Pt to an endpoint piece Pf. At this time, the operation reception means 562 determines that a user operation has been completed in which piece P10 is the starting piece Ps and piece P18 is the endpoint piece Pf. Hereafter, a user operation in which the starting piece Ps and the endpoint piece Pf are determined will simply be referred to as "a user operation".

[0050] On the other hand, after the operation receiving means 562 receives the operation to select the starting piece P10, if the user selects a piece other than the candidate piece Pc to be deleted, the selection of the starting piece P10 is canceled. For example, in the puzzle board PB shown in Figure 3(B), if the user touches the starting piece Ps with their finger, and then, while keeping their finger in contact with the display 61, moves their finger to a piece P100 that is different from the candidate piece Pc to be eliminated, and then releases their finger on that piece P100, the selection of the starting piece P10 is deselected. In this case, the user needs to perform the operation of selecting the starting piece on the puzzle board PB again.

[0051] (Method for executing the first game) The first game execution means 563 shown in Figure 1 executes the puzzle game G1 based on the user's operation of the touchpad 63. The first game execution means 563 reads data such as objects and textures of a virtual game space corresponding to puzzle game G1, which are included in the game data, from the storage unit 55 or receives them from the server device 2. The first game execution means 563 executes the game program of puzzle game G1 using the data such as objects and textures of a virtual game space corresponding to puzzle game G1, and generates two-dimensional or three-dimensional game image information. The game image information is processed by the graphics processing unit 52, and the processed game images are sequentially displayed on the display 61.

[0052] For example, when the user performs an operation to confirm the endpoint piece, specifically by releasing their finger from the endpoint piece, the first game execution means 563 automatically extracts intermediate pieces from the list of candidate pieces to be eliminated that satisfy the matching conditions in terms of the relative positions of the starting piece and the endpoint piece on the puzzle board PB, and that are pieces different from the starting piece and the endpoint piece. "Automatically" means that it does not depend on the path of the user's finger touch operation when moving their finger from the starting piece to the endpoint piece. The first game execution means 563 extracts intermediate pieces in such a way that the number of pieces located between the starting piece and the endpoint piece is maximized. This is because the more intermediate pieces eliminated in a single operation, the stronger the effect of special moves and other actions activated in the fighting game G2 becomes. In this embodiment, the intermediate pieces correspond to the third piece.

[0053] For example, as shown in Figure 4(B), suppose the user touches piece P10 with their finger, then moves their finger linearly from piece P10 to piece P18 as indicated by arrow F, and releases their finger at piece P18. In this case, the user's operation is one in which piece P10 is the starting piece Ps and piece P18 is the ending piece Pf. At this time, regardless of the user's finger movement path indicated by arrow F, the first game execution means 563 extracts all of the candidate pieces Pc (P11~P17) to be eliminated as intermediate pieces Pm. The first game execution means 563 then eliminates the extracted intermediate pieces P11~P17, the starting piece Ps, and the ending piece Pf from the puzzle board PB. Therefore, the user can eliminate all of pieces P10~P18 simply by moving their finger linearly from piece P10 to piece P18, in other words, without performing an operation to trace all of pieces P10~P18 with their finger. The first game execution means 563 removes pieces P10 to P18, and then makes replacement pieces appear on the puzzle board PB.

[0054] (Method for executing the second game) The second game execution means 564 executes the fighting game G2 in accordance with the progress of the puzzle game G1. The second game execution means 564 reads data such as objects and textures of a virtual game space corresponding to the fighting game G2, which are included in the game data, from the storage unit 55 or receives them from the server device 2. The second game execution means 564 executes the fighting game G2 game program using the data such as objects and textures of a virtual game space corresponding to the fighting game G2, and generates two-dimensional or three-dimensional game image information. The game image information is processed by the graphics processing unit 52, and the processed game images are displayed sequentially on the display 61.

[0055] For example, when a user completes an operation in the puzzle game G1, the second game execution means 564 determines the actions of the user's character C10 in the fighting game G2, based on the number of pieces removed by that operation and the type of path from the starting piece Ps to the ending piece Pf.

[0056] For example, if the second game execution means 564 determines that the number of pieces removed by a user operation is greater than or equal to a predetermined number, it causes its own character C10 to perform a special move. Furthermore, when a user moves their finger from a predetermined piece to a piece adjacent to that predetermined piece in any direction (up, down, left, or right) as one movement operation, for example, if a single operation from the starting piece Ps to the ending piece Pf, as shown in Figures 5(A) and (B), includes two movements to the left or right and one movement up or down, the second game execution means 564 causes its own character C10 to perform a guard action.

[0057] As shown in Figures 5(C) and 5(D), if a single operation from the starting piece Ps to the ending piece Pf includes one movement to the left and one movement to the right, the second game execution means 564 causes its own character C10 to perform a jab. As shown in Figures 5(E) and 5(F), if one operation from the starting piece Ps to the ending piece Pf includes two operations of moving upward three times, the second game execution means 564 will have its own character C10 perform a skill action while consuming skill points.

[0058] In the puzzle game G1, each time a user's action is completed, the second game execution means 564 makes its own character C10 move in real time based on that user action. The second game execution means 564 then proceeds with the fighting game G2 based on the actions of its own character C10 and the actions of the opponent character C20.

[0059] (Voice control means) The voice control means 565 controls the audio output of the speaker 62 based on user operations on the game device 5 during game execution. (Display control means) The display control means 566 controls the display output of the display 61 based on user operations on the game device 5 during game execution. For example, the display control means 566 displays the gameplay screen of the puzzle game G1 and the gameplay screen of the fighting game G2 on the display 61.

[0060] Next, with reference to Figures 6 to 10, an example of a screen displayed on the display 61 by the display control means 566 will be described. When the user starts the game, the display control means 566 displays the game screen 70 shown in Figure 6 on the display 61. The game screen 70 is provided with a first display area 71 and a second display area 72.

[0061] The first display area 71 displays gameplay images of the fighting game G2. The first display area 71 includes a first character display area 711, a first hit point display area 712, a first skill point display area 713, a second character display area 714, a second hit point display area 715, and a second skill point display area 716.

[0062] The first character display area 711 displays the player's character C10. The player's character C10 performs various actions according to the user's progress in the puzzle game G1 on the game device 5. The first hit point display area 712 displays the player's character C10's current hit points in bar format. The first skill point display area 713 displays the player's character C10's current skill points in bar format.

[0063] The opponent character C20 is displayed in the second character display area 714. The opponent character C20 performs various actions according to the progress of the puzzle game, controlled by the computer or another user. The opponent character C20's current hit points are displayed in bar format in the second hit point display area 715. The opponent character C20's current skill points are displayed in bar format in the second skill point display area 716.

[0064] The second display area 72 displays gameplay images of the puzzle game G1. The second display area 72 also displays a puzzle board PB, for example, as shown in Figure 6. The puzzle board PB has multiple instances of each of the four types of pieces: "●", "△", "○", and "×". Before a touch operation is performed on the puzzle board PB, only the shape of each piece is shown, and it is not colored.

[0065] In such a puzzle board PB, if the user touches a predetermined piece P30 marked with a "●" located at the bottom, as shown in Figure 7, the display control means 566 displays piece P30 in a color corresponding to the starting piece Ps. The display control means 566 also displays pieces P31 to P41 that satisfy the matching conditions for the starting piece Ps in a color corresponding to the candidate pieces Pc to be eliminated. In Figure 7 and the following figures, the colored parts of the pieces are shown with dot hatching or diagonal hatching, and the difference in color is represented by differences in the density of dots in the dot hatching, differences in the density of the diagonal lines, and differences in the direction of the diagonal lines. As shown in Figure 7, piece P30 corresponding to the starting piece Ps and pieces P31 to P41 corresponding to the candidate pieces Pc to be eliminated are displayed in different colors. This allows the user to easily identify the starting piece Ps and the candidate pieces Pc to be eliminated, and to easily distinguish between them.

[0066] Next, let's assume that the user slides their finger upward from piece P31 to piece P35, as shown by the arrow in Figure 8. In this case, piece P35 is set as the temporary endpoint piece Pt. At this time, among the candidate pieces Pc (P31~P41) to be deleted, pieces P31, P33, P34, P35, P37, and P38 become intermediate pieces Pm that satisfy the match condition with respect to the positional relationship between the temporary endpoint piece Pt (P35) and the starting piece Ps (P30). The display control means 566 displays pieces P31, P33, P34, P35, P37, and P38 in the color corresponding to the intermediate piece Pm. The color corresponding to the intermediate piece Pm is different from the color corresponding to the starting piece Ps (P10) and the colors corresponding to the candidate pieces Pc (P32, P36, P39~P41). This makes it easier for the user to visually understand which pieces will be erased when they lift their finger from the display 61 on piece P35. Pieces P31, P33, P34, P37, and P38 are extracted as intermediate pieces Pm, even though the user has not touched them.

[0067] Suppose the user then slides their finger further upwards from piece P35 to piece P41, as shown by the arrow in Figure 9. In this case, the temporary endpoint piece Pt changes from piece P35 to piece P41. At this time, among the candidate pieces Pc (P31~P41), pieces P31, P33, P34, P35, P38~P40 become intermediate pieces Pm that satisfy the match condition for the positional relationship between the temporary endpoint piece Pt (P41) and the starting piece Ps (P30). The display control means 566 displays pieces P31, P33, P34, P35, P38~P40 in the color corresponding to the intermediate pieces Pm. Pieces P31, P33, P34, P38~P40 are extracted as intermediate pieces Pm even though the user has not performed a touch operation on them.

[0068] Next, when the user releases their finger from piece P41, piece P41 is confirmed as the final piece Pf. As a result, as shown in Figure 10, the starting piece Ps, piece P30, the intermediate pieces Pm, pieces P31, P33, P34, P35, P38~P40, and the final piece Pf, piece P41, are removed. Then, the player character C10 performs an action corresponding to the removed pieces. For example, if the player character C10 performs an action to activate a predetermined skill, as shown in Figure 10, the player character C10's skill points are consumed, and if the predetermined skill hits the opponent character C20, the opponent character C20's hit points decrease. New pieces appear in the places where pieces were removed.

[0069] <Operation flow of Game System 1> Next, with reference to Figure 11, the operation flow of the game system 1 of this embodiment will be described. Note that the operation shown in Figure 11 is executed repeatedly at a predetermined cycle.

[0070] As shown in Figure 11, in the game system 1 of this embodiment, it is first determined whether or not an operation to touch any of the multiple pieces on the puzzle board PB has been detected by the operation receiving means 562 (step S10). If this touch operation is not detected by the operation receiving means 562 (step S10: NO), the process shown in Figure 11 is terminated.

[0071] When a user touches any of the multiple pieces on the puzzle board PB, the touch operation is detected by the operation reception means 562, and a positive decision is made in the process of step S10 (step S10: YES). In this case, the operation reception means 562 confirms the piece that was touched as the starting piece Ps (step S11), and extracts candidate pieces Pc that satisfy the matching conditions for the starting piece Ps (step S12). Then, the display control means 566 colors the starting piece Ps and the candidate pieces to be consumed and displays them on the display 61 (step S13).

[0072] Next, the operation reception means 562 determines whether the user's finger has moved to any of the erase candidate pieces Pc (step S14), and if it detects that the user's finger has moved to any of the erase candidate pieces Pc (step S14: YES), it sets the erase candidate piece Pc that the user's finger is touching as the temporary endpoint piece Pt (step S15). Then, the display control means 566 extracts intermediate pieces Pm that satisfy the match condition based on the positional relationship between the starting piece Ps and the temporary endpoint piece Pt (step S16), and displays the intermediate pieces Pm and the temporary endpoint piece Pt on the display 61 with color (step S17).

[0073] If the process in step S17 is executed, or if the user does not move their finger to any of the candidate pieces Pc to be deleted (step S14: NO), the operation receiving means 562 determines whether the user's touch operation is finished or not (step S18). If the user has touched the starting piece Ps with their finger and has not lifted their finger from the display 61, the operation receiving means 562 determines that the user's touch operation is not finished (step S18: NO). In this case, the operation receiving means 562 returns to the process in step S14.

[0074] On the other hand, when the user lifts their finger from the display 61, the operation reception means 562 determines that the user's touch operation has ended (step S18: YES). In this case, the operation reception means 562 determines that the piece located at the position where the user's finger was lifted is the endpoint piece Pf (step S19). The first game execution means 563 then determines whether the endpoint piece Pf corresponds to a candidate piece Pc for elimination (step S20), and if the endpoint piece Pf corresponds to a candidate piece Pc for elimination (step S20: YES), it eliminates pieces that satisfy the match condition according to the positional relationship between the starting piece Ps and the endpoint piece Pf (step S21). The second game execution means 564 also causes its own character C10 to perform an action corresponding to the eliminated pieces (step S22).

[0075] On the other hand, if the endpoint piece Pf does not correspond to the candidate piece Pc for elimination (step S20: NO), the piece is not eliminated, and the selection of the starting piece Ps, etc., is canceled (step S23). In summary, the game system 1 of this embodiment makes the control unit 56 (computer) of the game device 5 function as a display control means 566, an operation reception means 562, and a first game execution means 563. The display control means 566 displays a puzzle board PB on which multiple pieces are arranged. The operation reception means 562 receives the user's selection operation for a piece. The first game execution means 563 executes a game that changes the state of pieces on the puzzle board PB that satisfy predetermined match conditions, specifically a game that removes pieces that satisfy predetermined match conditions from the puzzle board PB, based on the user's selection operation. The operation reception means 562 receives the user's operation to select a starting piece Ps (first piece) from among multiple pieces, and extracts candidate pieces Pc that can be removed from among the multiple pieces, which are candidates for pieces that can satisfy the match conditions for the starting piece Ps. The operation reception means 562 accepts the user's selection of the starting piece Ps, specifically, the user's finger has not yet been lifted from the display 61 after selecting the starting piece Ps, and accepts the user's operation to select the ending piece Pf (second piece) from among the candidate pieces Pc to be eliminated. When the user performs the operation to select the ending piece Pf, specifically, the operation to lift the finger from the ending piece Pf, the first game execution means 563 automatically extracts an intermediate piece Pm (third piece) from among the candidate pieces Pc to be eliminated, which satisfies the matching conditions according to the relative positions of the starting piece Ps and the ending piece Pf on the puzzle board PB, and is a piece different from the starting piece Ps and the ending piece Pf. The first game execution means 563 then performs an elimination process (change process) that changes the state of at least the intermediate piece Pm on the puzzle board PB, specifically, an elimination process (change process) that removes at least the intermediate piece Pm from the puzzle board PB.

[0076] <Effects> With the above configuration, the user simply selects the starting piece Ps and the ending piece Pf on the puzzle board PB, and the intermediate pieces Pm that satisfy the matching condition based on the positional relationship between the starting piece Ps and the ending piece Pf are automatically removed. This improves the gameplay compared to games where the user has to trace all the pieces between the starting piece Ps and the ending piece Pf with their finger.

[0077] The first game execution means 563 of this embodiment automatically extracts an intermediate piece Pm from among the candidate pieces Pc to be eliminated, regardless of the user's actions on the puzzle board PB during the period from the time the user selects the starting piece Ps to the time the user selects the ending piece Pf.

[0078] This configuration eliminates the need for the user to select an intermediate piece (Pm), thus improving the game's playability. The multiple pieces arranged on the puzzle board PB in this embodiment include multiple pieces of different types. Furthermore, the match condition requires that the starting piece Ps and the ending piece Pf are of the same type. The match condition is that, among the multiple pieces, the starting piece Ps is of the same type and can be connected to the starting piece Ps in a single stroke on the puzzle board PB. The operation receiving means 562 extracts a series of pieces from among the multiple pieces that are of the same type as the starting piece Ps and are adjacent to the starting piece Ps on the puzzle board PB as candidate pieces Pc to be eliminated.

[0079] This configuration makes it easy to extract candidate pieces Pc that satisfy the matching condition for the position of the starting piece Ps. In this embodiment, the first game execution means 563 automatically extracts intermediate pieces Pm from among the candidate pieces Pc to be eliminated, after the user has performed an operation to select an endpoint piece Pf, such that the number of intermediate pieces included in the single-stroke path is maximized.

[0080] This configuration eliminates the need for the user to consider the path that requires the most pieces when connecting the starting piece Ps and the ending piece Pf in a single continuous line, thus further improving the game's playability. In this embodiment, the operation receiving means 562 receives the operation to select the starting piece Ps, and then receives the operation by the user to select a temporary ending piece Pt, which is a candidate for the ending piece Pf, from among the candidate pieces Pc to be deleted, specifically by sliding a finger on the display 61 to the temporary ending piece Pt. After the operation to select the temporary ending piece Pt is performed, the operation receiving means 562 receives the operation by the user to confirm the temporary ending piece Pt as the ending piece Pf, specifically by releasing the finger from the temporary ending piece Pt. After the user has performed the operation to select the temporary ending piece Pt, the display control means 566 displays intermediate pieces Pm that satisfy the match conditions according to the relative positions of the starting piece Ps and the temporary ending piece Pt, so that the user can recognize them.

[0081] This configuration makes it easier for the user to recognize the intermediate piece Pm that is erased when the finger is released from the temporary endpoint piece Pt and the temporary endpoint piece Pt is confirmed as the endpoint piece Pf, thereby further improving the playability of the game. As shown in Figure 8, the operation receiving means 562 of this embodiment receives an operation to select piece P35 as a temporary endpoint piece Pt (first temporary piece), and as shown in Figure 9, the user receives an operation to select piece P41, which is different from piece P35, from among the candidate pieces Pc to be deleted, as another temporary endpoint piece Pt (second temporary piece) which is a candidate for the endpoint piece Pf. As shown in Figures 8 and 9, after the user has performed the operation to select piece P41 as a temporary endpoint piece Pt, the display control means 566 further displays intermediate pieces Pm that satisfy the match conditions according to the positional relationship between piece P30, which is the starting piece Ps, and piece P41, which is the temporary endpoint piece Pt, so that the user can recognize them.

[0082] With this configuration, if the user changes the piece selected as the temporary endpoint piece, the intermediate piece Pm corresponding to the piece selected as the temporary endpoint piece after the change will be displayed, making it easier for the user to understand the intermediate piece Pm. In this embodiment, the operation receiving means 562, after receiving the operation to select the starting piece Ps, deselects the starting piece Ps if the user selects a piece other than the candidate piece Pc to be deleted.

[0083] This configuration allows the user to deselect the starting piece Ps simply by selecting pieces other than the candidate piece Pc for deletion, thereby improving user usability. [Second Embodiment] Next, we will describe the game system 1 of the second embodiment. The following description will focus on the differences between this system and the game system 1 of the first embodiment.

[0084] In this embodiment, the game system 1 differs from the game system 1 of the first embodiment in that when the user touches the starting piece Ps, the user is presented with a list of recommended ending piece Pf candidates. <Game device configuration> (Display control means) As shown in Figure 12, if the user touches a predetermined piece P30 marked with a "●" located below the puzzle board PB, the display control means 566 displays that piece P30 in a color corresponding to the starting piece Ps. In addition, the display control means 566 displays the recommended pieces P32, P35, P39, and P41, which are recommended to be selected as the ending piece Pf from among the candidate pieces Pc (P31~P41) that satisfy the match conditions for the starting piece Ps, in different colors, and displays the other pieces P31, P33, P34, P36~P38, and P40 in a color corresponding to the candidate pieces Pc. The recommended pieces P32, P35, P39, and P41 are recommended because when selected as the ending piece Pf, they allow the activation of predetermined commands such as guard, jab, skill, and special move. The display control means 566 makes it possible for the user to recognize the reasons why pieces P32, P35, P39, and P41 are recommended by displaying them in a speech bubble.

[0085] (Method for executing the first game) The first game execution means 563, when the user selects one of the recommended pieces P32, P35, P39, or P41 as the endpoint piece Pf, automatically extracts an intermediate piece Pm from the candidate pieces Pc to be eliminated so that the effect of the recommended piece selected as the endpoint piece Pf is activated, and then eliminates the extracted intermediate piece Pm, as well as the starting piece Ps and the endpoint piece Pf.

[0086] For example, in the state shown in Figure 12, if the user moves their finger from piece P30 to recommended piece P39 and releases their finger at recommended piece P39, then recommended piece P39 is set as the endpoint piece Pf. In this case, the first game execution means 563 extracts pieces P31, P33, P34, P35, and P38 as intermediate pieces Pm so that the effects corresponding to the starting piece P30 and recommended piece P39, specifically the "big move" effect, are activated, and then deletes them along with the starting piece P30 and the endpoint piece P39.

[0087] <Effects> As described above, the display control means 566 of this embodiment displays, after the operation reception means 562 has received the selection operation for the starting piece Ps, and before the operation reception means 562 has received the selection operation for the ending piece Pf, a recommended piece from among the candidate pieces Pc to be deleted that the user is recommended to select as the ending piece Pf, in a way that is recognizable to the user.

[0088] This configuration makes it easier for the user to identify which piece should be selected as the endpoint piece Pf from among the candidate pieces Pc to be eliminated, thereby further improving the game's playability. In this embodiment, the second game execution means 564 advances the fighting game G2 (second game) in a virtual space separate from the puzzle board PB, based on the pieces that were removed in the puzzle game G1. The display control means 566 displays, in a way that the user can recognize, the effects that occur in the fighting game G2 when the recommended piece is selected as the endpoint piece Pf and removed. When the user actually selects the recommended piece as the endpoint piece Pf, the second game execution means 564 automatically extracts an intermediate piece Pm from the candidate pieces Pc to be removed so that a predetermined effect occurs in the fighting game G2.

[0089] With this configuration, when the user selects one of the recommended pieces as the final piece Pf, an intermediate piece Pm is automatically extracted so that the effect of that recommended piece is activated, further improving the game's playability. [Third Embodiment] Next, we will describe the game system 1 of the third embodiment. The following description will focus on the differences from the game system 1 of the first embodiment.

[0090] In the fighting game G2, as mentioned above, when the opponent character C20 is about to use a special move, it is effective for the player character C10 to perform a jab. This is because it prevents the opponent character C20 from activating their special move. The game system 1 of this embodiment differs from the game system 1 of the first embodiment in that it presents the user with a piece to be selected as the starting piece Ps depending on the various states of the opponent character C20.

[0091] <Game device configuration> (Display control means) In the fighting game G2, for example, when the opponent character C20 performs a special move, a predetermined amount of time is required between the moment the opponent character C20 begins the special move's action and the actual execution of the special move, as shown in Figure 13. The moment the opponent character C20 begins the special move's action is, for example, the moment the user controlling the opponent character C20 eliminates the piece corresponding to the special move in the puzzle game. Hereafter, the period from the moment the opponent character C20 begins the special move's action until the special move is actually executed will be referred to as the "execution grace period." The execution grace period is equivalent to the so-called "preparation time" in the game.

[0092] If the starting piece Ps is not selected during the opponent character C20's special move activation grace period, the display control means 566 displays pieces that can activate commands to counter the special move, such as pieces P30 and P32, in different colors, as shown in Figure 13. Piece P30 is recommended for activating a jab action that can interrupt the special move by immediate activation. Piece P32 is also recommended for activating a guard action that can block the special move. During the opponent character C20's special move activation grace period, the display control means 566 displays to the user, using a speech bubble or the like, the reason why pieces P30 and P32 are recommended.

[0093] As shown in Figure 14, the display control means 566 changes the color of piece P35, which is the piece on which the jab action is actually activated when recommended piece P30 is selected as the starting piece Ps, and also changes the color of the candidate pieces Pc (P31, P33, P34, P37, P38) that are deleted along with pieces P30 and P35.

[0094] Although not shown in the diagram, the display control means 566, for example, when the player character C10 attacks the opponent character C20 with a jab, displays a starting piece that allows the player to activate a special move command as a recommended piece during the period when the opponent character C20 is stunned. (Method for executing the first game) The first game execution means 563 automatically extracts intermediate pieces Pm from the candidate pieces Pc to be eliminated so that if the user selects either of the recommended pieces P30 or P32 as the starting piece Ps, a predetermined effect corresponding to those pieces P30 or P32 is activated.

[0095] For example, if a user moves their finger from the recommended piece P30 to piece P35 and releases their finger at piece P35, piece P35 is set as the endpoint piece Pf. In this case, the first game execution means 563 deletes the starting piece Ps(P30), intermediate pieces Pm(P31, P33, P34, P37, P38), and endpoint piece Pf(P35) so that the effects corresponding to the starting piece Ps(P30) and endpoint piece Pf(P35), specifically the "jab" effect, are activated.

[0096] <Effects> The display control means 566 of this embodiment displays, in accordance with the progress of the fighting game G2, a recommended piece that the user should select as the starting piece Ps on the puzzle board PB, in a way that is recognizable to the user.

[0097] This configuration makes it easier for the user to recognize which of the multiple pieces on the puzzle board PB should be selected as the starting piece Ps, thereby further improving the game's playability. In addition, in the game of this embodiment, it is possible to enjoy strategic maneuvering, such as having the player character C10 immediately execute a jab attack to interrupt the opponent character C20 when the opponent character C20 activates a command with a large opening, such as a powerful move, and create an even larger opening for the opponent character C20. Therefore, in the game of this embodiment, it is possible to play by selecting the starting piece Ps and ending piece Pf while observing the actions of the player character C10 and the opponent character C20.

[0098] The display control means 566 of this embodiment displays, along with the recommended piece, the effect that occurs in the fighting game G2 when the recommended piece is selected as the starting piece and then erased, in a way that is recognizable to the user. The second game execution means 564 automatically extracts an intermediate piece Pm from the erase candidate pieces Pc so that a predetermined effect occurs in the fighting game G2 when the recommended piece is actually selected by the user as the starting piece Ps.

[0099] With this configuration, when a user selects a recommended piece as the starting piece Ps, intermediate pieces Pm are automatically extracted and removed so that the effect of that recommended piece is activated, further improving the game's playability. <Variation> Next, a modified example of the game system 1 of the third embodiment will be described.

[0100] In this modified example, the display control means 566, when the user moves their finger from piece P30 to piece P35 in the state shown in Figure 14, and piece P35 is selected as the temporary endpoint piece Pt, will display a message indicating that a different effect can be activated in the fighting game G2 by selecting a different deletion candidate piece Pc as the endpoint piece Pf. For example, as shown in Figure 15, if a different effect called guard is activated when piece P32 is selected as the endpoint piece Pf, the color of piece P32 will be changed, and the effect that will be activated when piece P32 is selected as the endpoint piece Pf will be displayed in a speech bubble or similar.

[0101] As described above, in this modified example, after the user has selected piece P35 as a temporary endpoint piece Pt (first temporary piece), if there is another piece P32 among the candidate pieces Pc to be deleted that is recommended to be selected as an endpoint piece Pf, separate from piece P35, the display control means 566 further displays the other piece P32 in a way that can be recognized by the user.

[0102] This configuration allows users to instantly change the effects they activate in the fighting game G2 according to the situation, further improving the game's playability. [Fourth Embodiment] Next, we will describe the game system 1 of the fourth embodiment. The following description will focus on the differences from the game system 1 of the third embodiment.

[0103] <Game device configuration> (Display control means) As shown in Figure 16, the game screen 70 of this embodiment is further provided with a condition selection area 73. Buttons 731 to 733 are provided in the condition selection area 73. Each of the buttons 731 to 733 is operated to further narrow down the types of pieces recommended as the starting piece Ps and ending piece Pf. For example, button 733 is operated when you want to display the starting piece Ps and ending piece Pf that can activate Guard.

[0104] Specifically, as shown in Figure 17, when the user touches button 733, the display control means 566 displays piece P32, which can activate guard on the puzzle board PB, as a candidate for the starting piece Ps. Then, when the user touches piece P32 with their finger, the display control means 566 displays piece P35 as a candidate for the ending piece Pf, as shown in Figure 18. Therefore, when the user moves their finger from piece P32 to piece P35 and then lifts their finger from the display 61, pieces P32, P33, P34, P37, P38, and P35 are erased, and the player character C10 performs the guard action.

[0105] (Operation reception means) The operation receiving means 562 accepts further operations specifying additional match conditions corresponding to each of the buttons 731 to 733 shown in Figure 16 when any of the buttons 731 to 733 are operated. For example, when button 733 is operated, the operation receiving means 562 accepts further operations specifying a match condition corresponding to button 733, which is that the guard effect is activated.

[0106] (Method for executing the first game) The first game execution means 563 automatically extracts intermediate pieces Pm that further satisfy the additional match conditions received by the operation reception means 562. For example, if the additional match condition is that the effect of guard is activated, and piece P32 is the starting piece Ps and piece P35 is the ending piece Pf, then pieces P33, P34, P37, and P38 are extracted as intermediate pieces Pm, and these, along with the starting piece Ps (P32) and the ending piece Pf (P35), are removed to activate the effect of guard.

[0107] <Effects> As described above, the operation receiving means of this embodiment further accepts the user's operation to specify additional match conditions. The first game execution means 563 further extracts pieces that further satisfy the additional match conditions from the elimination candidate pieces Pc as intermediate pieces Pm.

[0108] With this configuration, the user can further narrow down the candidates for the starting piece Ps and ending piece Pf simply by operating buttons 731 to 733, which allow for the setting of additional conditions as shown in Figure 14, thereby further improving the game's playability. In the game of the fourth embodiment, the user can play by observing the situation of their own character C10 and the opponent character C20, selecting a button from buttons 731 to 733 that can activate a command appropriate to the current situation, and then selecting the starting piece Ps and ending piece Pf that can activate that command.

[0109] [Other embodiments] The various control means and processing procedures described in the above embodiments are examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention, its applications, or its uses. The various control means and processing procedures can be modified as appropriate without altering the essence of the present invention.

[0110] Puzzle game G1 may include a first piece that is removed once the match condition is met, and a second piece that is removed after the match condition is met multiple times (for example, twice). For example, the second piece is placed on the puzzle board PB in a frozen state, transitions from the frozen state to a normal state when the match condition is met once, and is removed when the match condition is met again. In this case, the transition of the second piece from the frozen state to a normal state when the first match condition is met corresponds to a change in the state of the piece on the puzzle board. Also, the process of transitioning the second piece from the frozen state to a normal state when the first match condition is met corresponds to a change process.

[0111] In puzzle game G1, for example, as shown in Figure 7, when the user selects the starting piece Ps(P30), the corresponding candidate pieces to be eliminated, Pc(P32~P41), are highlighted by changing their color. Alternatively, for example, pieces other than the starting piece Ps(P30) and candidate pieces to be eliminated, Pc(P32~P41), may be displayed in a less prominent manner.

[0112] In puzzle game G1, when the user selects a starting piece Ps, an ending piece Pf that satisfies the matching conditions is automatically selected, and intermediate pieces Pm between the starting piece Ps and the ending piece Pf are also automatically selected, and the starting piece Ps, intermediate pieces Pm, and ending piece Pf may be automatically removed. In this puzzle game G1, the user only needs to select the starting piece Ps. The automatic selection of the ending piece Pf for the starting piece Ps is, for example, done by selecting the piece that satisfies the matching conditions for the starting piece Ps and removes the most pieces as the ending piece Pf.

[0113] In puzzle game G1, when the starting piece Ps and ending piece Pf are determined, it is acceptable to remove only the intermediate piece Pm without removing the starting piece Ps and ending piece Pf. In other words, in puzzle game G1, it is sufficient to remove at least the intermediate piece Pm when the starting piece Ps and ending piece Pf are determined.

[0114] In the above embodiment, the example shown is that the game device 5 is a smartphone, but the game device 5 may also be an amusement device provided to arcades or the like. The above-mentioned games may include action games, shooting games, role-playing games, simulation games, board games, and puzzle games, and can be applied to various types of games.

[0115] In the above embodiment, the example given was that the object is a player character, but the embodiment is not limited to this. For example, the object may be a card or item (equipment such as weapons and armor) used in the virtual game space. The above embodiment illustrates a case where a server device 2 and multiple game devices 5 function together as a single unit to run a game program, but it is not limited to this. All means of the game program may be provided in the server device 2 alone, the game device 5 alone, a separate communication terminal separate from the server device 2 and game devices 5, or any two of these devices that can be combined (for example, distributed processing on the server device 2 and game devices 5). Furthermore, when the server device 2, game devices 5, and communication terminal function together as a single unit, the means of operation on which device can be appropriately changed.

[0116] The effects and advantages of this embodiment will also be achieved when these other embodiments are adopted. Furthermore, it is possible to combine this embodiment with other embodiments, and other embodiments with each other, as appropriate. [Explanation of symbols]

[0117] 56: Control unit (computer), 562: Operation reception means (operation reception unit), 563: First game execution means (first game execution unit), 564: Second game execution means (second game execution unit), 566: Display control means (display control unit).

Claims

1. Computers, A display control means for displaying a puzzle board with multiple pieces arranged on it, An operation receiving means for receiving a user's selection operation for the aforementioned piece, A game execution means that performs a game in which the state of the pieces on the puzzle board that satisfy predetermined matching conditions is changed based on the user's selection operation, The aforementioned operation reception means is The system accepts an operation in which the user selects a first piece from among a plurality of aforementioned pieces. Candidate pieces that are candidates for pieces that can satisfy the matching conditions for the first piece are extracted from among the multiple pieces. The aforementioned game execution means is When the first piece is the starting point, the second piece, which is a single endpoint piece that most advantageously satisfies the matching condition among the pieces located on the path that satisfies the matching condition, is automatically extracted from the candidate pieces regardless of the user's operation on the puzzle board. When the first piece is used as the starting point and the second piece as the ending point on the puzzle board, a third piece that satisfies the matching conditions and is different from the first and second pieces is automatically extracted from the candidate pieces regardless of the user's operation on the puzzle board. Perform a change process that changes the state of at least the third piece on the puzzle board. Game program.

2. The aforementioned multiple pieces include multiple pieces of different types, The first piece and the second piece are of the same type. The aforementioned matching conditions are: The conditions are that among the multiple pieces, they are of the same type as the first piece, and that they can be connected to the first piece in a single continuous line on the puzzle board. The aforementioned operation reception means is From among the multiple pieces, a series of pieces that are of the same type as the first piece and are adjacent to the first piece on the puzzle board are selected as candidate pieces. The game program according to claim 1.

3. The aforementioned game execution means is From the candidate pieces, the third piece is automatically extracted such that the number of pieces included in the single-stroke path is maximized. The game program according to claim 2.

4. The aforementioned match conditions further include additional match conditions specified by the user, The aforementioned operation reception means is The system further accepts the user's operation to specify the additional matching conditions. The aforementioned game execution means is From the candidate pieces, a piece that further satisfies the additional matching conditions is automatically extracted as the third piece. The game program according to claim 1.

5. When the aforementioned game execution means is designated as the first game execution means, and the aforementioned game is designated as the first game, The aforementioned computer, Based on the changes in the puzzle board, the second game is further configured to function as a second game execution means that advances the second game in a virtual space separate from the puzzle board. The display control means is Depending on the progress of the second game, the puzzle board will display a recommended piece that the user should select as the first piece, in a way that is recognizable to the user. The game program according to claim 1.

6. The display control means is Along with the recommended piece, the system displays a predetermined effect that occurs in the second game when the recommended piece is selected as the first piece and the transformation process is executed, in a manner that can be recognized by the user. The first game execution means is, If the user actually selects the recommended piece as the first piece, the third piece is automatically extracted from the candidate pieces so that the predetermined effect occurs. The game program according to claim 5.

7. A display control unit that displays a puzzle board with multiple pieces arranged on it, An operation reception unit that receives user selection operations for the aforementioned piece, The system includes a game execution unit that executes a game that changes the state of the pieces on the puzzle board that satisfy predetermined matching conditions based on the user's selection operation, The aforementioned operation reception unit is The system accepts an operation in which the user selects a first piece from among a plurality of aforementioned pieces. Candidate pieces that are candidates for pieces that can satisfy the matching conditions for the first piece are extracted from among the multiple pieces. The aforementioned game execution unit, When the first piece is the starting point, the second piece, which is a single endpoint piece that most advantageously satisfies the matching condition among the pieces located on the path that satisfies the matching condition, is automatically extracted from the candidate pieces regardless of the user's operation on the puzzle board. When the first piece is used as the starting point and the second piece as the ending point on the puzzle board, a third piece that satisfies the matching conditions and is different from the first and second pieces is automatically extracted from the candidate pieces regardless of the user's operation on the puzzle board. Perform a change process that changes the state of at least the third piece on the puzzle board. Game device.

8. A display control unit that displays a puzzle board with multiple pieces arranged on it, An operation reception unit that receives user selection operations for the aforementioned piece, The game includes a game execution unit that changes the state of the pieces on the puzzle board that satisfy predetermined matching conditions based on the user's selection operation, The aforementioned operation reception unit is The system accepts an operation in which the user selects a first piece from among a plurality of aforementioned pieces. Candidate pieces that are candidates for pieces that can satisfy the matching conditions for the first piece are extracted from among the multiple pieces. The aforementioned game execution unit, When the first piece is the starting point, the second piece, which is a single endpoint piece that most advantageously satisfies the matching condition among the pieces located on the path that satisfies the matching condition, is automatically extracted from the candidate pieces regardless of the user's operation on the puzzle board. When the first piece is used as the starting point and the second piece as the ending point on the puzzle board, a third piece that satisfies the matching conditions and is different from the first and second pieces is automatically extracted from the candidate pieces regardless of the user's operation on the puzzle board. Perform a change process that changes the state of at least the third piece on the puzzle board. Game system.

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