|
(11) | EP 0 265 115 A1 |
| (12) | EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION |
|
|
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| (54) | Board game apparatus |
| (57) The invention relates to game board apparatus 1 comprising a generally rectangular
board 2, having a playing surface 3, a plurality of discrete securing means 4 of the
board, a plurality of removable marker means in the form of pegs 5 which can be removably
secured by a respective securing means 4 of the board 2, and a plurality of separate
information means in the form of separate question and answer cards (not shown) which
are associated with the marker means for determining the order in which marker means
is or are removed from the board. |
[0001] The invention relates to board game apparatus, particularly one which in playing reflects or simulates the game of snooker.
[0002] According to one aspect of the invention there is provided board game apparatus, comprising a board, a plurality of discrete securing means of the board, a plurality of removable marker means which marker means can be removably secured by a respective securing means of the board, and a plurality of separate information means associated with the marker means for determining the order in which marker means is or are removed from the board.
[0003] The discrete securing means may comprise a plurality of holes in the playing surface of the board.
[0004] The removable marker means may comprise pegs which can be mounted in and removed from the holes.
[0005] The holes may be laid out in an array corresponding to the positions of the game balls in a game of snooker.
[0006] The holes may be laid out in an array corresponding to the positions of the game balls at the start of a game of snooker.
[0007] There may be two identical sets of holes spaced apart over the playing surface, so that two players can each have a set of removable marker means.
[0008] The apparatus may include a further plurality of markers corresponding to particular ones of the removable marker means.
[0009] There may be two identical arrays of securing means on the saying surface of the board for receiving the further plurality of markers.
[0010] The securing means may comprise holes in the playing surface and the further plurality of markers may comprise removable pegs.
[0011] The board may include scoring means whereby the score of a player or players of a game using the apparatus can keep a tally of their score.
[0012] The scoring means may comprise a series of numbered holes in the playing surface, and a peg which is inserted in a particular hole to represent a particular score.
[0015] The board may be rectangular and there may be a plurality of receptacles positioned to simulate pockets of a snooker table.
[0018] According to a second aspect of the invention there is provided a simulated board game apparatus, comprising a simulated board, a plurality of simulated discrete securing means, a plurality of simulated marker means which can be removable from a respective simulated securing means, and a plurality of simulated separate information means associated with the marker means for determining the order in which the marker means is or are removed from the board.
[0019] Board game apparatus embodying the invention is hereinafter described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Fig. 1 is a schematic plan view of a playing surface of a board of the apparatus according to the invention;
Fig. 2 is a perspective view of an embodiment of game board incorporating the lay out of Fig. 1;
Fig. 3 is a detail of Fig. 2;
Fig. 4 shows a schematic perspective view of a second embodiment of game board apparatus according to the invention; and
Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a pratical example of game board apparatus embodying the invention.
[0021] Referring to the drawings, there is shown game board apparatus 1 comprising a generally rectangular board 2, having a playing surface 3, a plurality of discrete securing means 4 of the board, a plurality of removable marker means in the form of pegs 5 which can be removably secured by a respective securing means 4 of the board 2, and a plurality of separate information means in the form of separate question and answer cards (not shown) which are associated with the marker means for determining the order in which marker means is or are removed from the board.
[0022] The board 2 itself is suitably injection moulded in one piece from plastics material, the securing means 4 being in the form of holes which are formed during the moulding process in the playing surface 3. The holes 4 are laid out in an array simulating the position of the game balls (that is excluding the cue ball) at the start of a game of snooker. The game board has two sets of securing means 4ʹ and 4ʺ. Between them is a further array of securing means in the form of two sets of identical holes 6ʹ and 6ʺ, each set comprising six rows corresponding to the 'colours' (i.e. non-red) balls in snooker. The board also includes marker means in the form of a series of holes 7, each one being numbered, to simulate a score. The surface of the board also has a well 8, and pockets 2a which act as feet too.
[0023] The removable marker means are pegs, such as plastic pegs, which can be inserted in and removed from the holes 4. The pegs 9 in each set are red, simulating red balls, the pegs 10 are respectively yellow, green, brown, blue, pink and black, simulating those colour balls of snooker. In the further array 6ʹ, 6ʺ there are yellow, red, green, brown and black pegs, the number increasing from two (yellow) to seven (black).
[0024] The well 8 contains a number indicator such as a cup and dice. The cards are arranged in sets to determine a subject, for example General Knowledge, Music, Art and Literature, Entertainment, Sport, History, Geography, six in all to correspond with the six colours. There are categories of difficulty within each set, from 1 to 6, so that a question of tariff 6 is harder than a question of tariff 1.
[0025] In use to play the game, which can be played by two people or two teams of players, the board 2 is laid out so that all the red markers 9 in both sets of holes 4 are in position, and the coloured pegs 10 are in their respective positions too. The further pegs are in position in their holes 6ʹ, the adjacent array of holes 6ʺ being vacant.
[0026] The question cards are shuffled, the first player or team is selected by suitable random choice indicator means such as the highest throw of the dice, or a toss of a coin.
[0027] The first player throws the dice to determine the subject (1, General Knowledge, 2 Music, Art and Literature, 3 Entertainment, 4 Sport, 5 History, 6 Geography) and if the question is answered correctly scores a red. The player then throws the dice again to determine the next subject. He then selects a colour which rises in degree of difficulty and value from yellow up to black. If answered correctly the player throws again for a red and continues the break in snooker fashion until a wrong answer is given. Within each single break the number of times a colour can be selected after a successful red equates to the value of that colour e.g. a yellow question can be selected only twice.
[0028] If a question is answered incorrectly the break comes to an end and the opposing team try for a red.
[0029] After all the reds have been potted the questions then relate to the colours in snooker sequence and value.
[0030] As each red is potted it is placed in a pocket 2a. As each colour is potted after a red the appropriate colour peg is taken and placed in the receiving holes to act as a counter towards the maximum number of times each colour can be potted within each break. At the end of the break the pegs are returned to their original position to act as a counter for the opposing team. A which mark peg is placed at the appropriate one in the series of holes 7 to mark the score of the "break".
[0031] Once all the reds have been potted the colours are attempted in sequence and on each successful answer the appropriate peg is placed in the pocket. When one team/player has potted all the colours the game is finshed and the winner is the one who has scored the highest, the score being indicated by moving the peg along the score 'board'.
[0032] The board 20 shown in Fig. 4 is similar to that shown in Figs. 1-3, and includes in addition receptacles such as slots 21 in which used game question cards can be placed.
[0033] It will thus be understood that the invention provides a snooker based game, the easier red questions must be answered correctly before a player can select a more valuable but more difficult question.
[0034] The actual value of each colour is the same as in snooker:
Red ..... 1 point
Yellow ..... 2 points
Green ..... 3 points
Brown ..... 4 points
Blue ..... 5 points
Pink ..... 6 points
Black ..... 7 points
[0035] The player must correctly answer a red question before selecting a colour and the break continues until a wrong answer is given. At that stage the opposing player takes his turn. It will be understood that having answered a red question correctly to start their "break"; before proceeding to answer relatively more difficult colour questions the player must throw the dice to select the next category of question in order to attempt to answer the colour question of his choice from the relatively easy yellow questions to score two points or the relatively very difficult black questions to score seven points. The degree of difficulty of the question to be answered will be based on the individual players' knowledge of the selected subject.
1. Board game apparatus, characterised by a board (2), by a plurality of discrete
securing means (4) of the board (2), by a plurality of removable marker means which
marker means (5) are removably securable by a respective securing means (4) of the
board (2), and by a plurality of separate information means associated with the marker
means (5) for determining the order in which the marker means (5) is or are removed
from the board.
2. Apparatus according to Claim 1, characterised in that the discrete securing means
(4) comprise a plurality of holes in the playing surface (3) of the board.
3. Apparatus according to Claim 2, characterised in that the removable marker means
(5) comprise pegs which can be mounted in and removed from the holes.
4. Apparatus according to Claim 3, characterised in that the holes (4) are laid out
in an array corresponding to the positions of the game balls in a game of snooker.
5. Apparatus according to Claim 3, characterised in that the holes (4) are laid out
in an array corresponding to the positions of the game balls at the start of a game
of snooker.
6. Apparatus according to Claim 4 or Claim 5, characterised in that there are two
identical sets of holes (4ʹ and 4ʺ) spaced apart over the playing surface (3), so
that two players can each have a set of removable marker means (5).
7. Apparatus according to Claim 6, characterised in that there is a further plurality
of markers (6ʹ, 6ʺ) corresponding to particular ones of the removable marker means
(5).
8. Apparatus according to Claim 7, characterised in that there are two identical arrays
of securing means (6ʹ,6ʺ) on the playing surface (3) of the board (2) for receiving
the further plurality of markers.
9. Apparatus according to Claim 8, characterised in that the securing means (4) comprise
holes in the playing surface (3) and in that the further plurality of markers (6ʹ,
6ʺ) comprise removable pegs.
10. Apparatus according to any preceding Claim, characterised in that the board
(2) comprises scoring means (7) whereby the score of a player or players of a game
using the apparatus can keep a tally of their score.
11. Apparatus according to Claim 10, characterised in that the scoring means (7) comprises
a series of numbered holes in the playing surface, and a peg which is insertable in
a particular hole to represent a particular score.
12. Apparatus according to Claim 11, characterised in that the holes (7) are arranged
as two converging rows to simulate the shape of a cue.
13. Apparatus according to any preceding Claim, characterised in that the board (2)
comprises a receptable (8) for removed marker means.
14. Apparatus according to Claim 13, characterised in that the board (2) is rectangular
and in that there is a plurality of receptacles (8) positioned to simulate pockets
of a snooker table.
15. Apparatus according to any preceding Claim, characterised in that the board (2)
comprises plastics material.
16. Apparatus according to Claim 15, characterised in that the board (2) is made in
one piece by injection moulding.
17. Simulated board game apparatus, characterised by a simulated board (2), a plurality
of simulated discrete securing means (4), a plurality of simulated marker means (5)
which can be removable from a respective simulated securing means, and a plurality
of simulated