Board games patents

Utility An innovation must have value. Elements of an Application An application for a game patent has several key elements, including: The name of the game: Title your work within a few descriptive words.

A detailed description: Explain and describe your board game with care and in detail. Drawings, with a brief description of the drawings: Prepare detailed, understandable illustrations of the game. Have a designer work with you to supply professional illustrations of the moves Fig. Explain the uniqueness of your game through every aspect with a brief description of the drawings.

Alternative game modes: Devise variations on the rules so that players can accelerate or vary the game. This can prevent another gamer from thinking up an alternative version of your game and applying for rights to it. Be aware that the maintenance fees for successful patent applications raise the overall costs. Option to File a Provisional Application First A provisional patent application is a simpler way to start marketing an invention.

File a provisional application for patent online. Get started now. Related Articles. A game board according to claim 1 characterized in that there are two folded sheets forming the playing board, the sheets being adapted for temporary connection, and the respective first board sections of each folded sheet can be folded clear of the second board sections to reveal the second game section.

A game board according to claim 5, characterized in that the second game section is defined jointly by the said second game sections. A game board according to claim 5 or 6 characterized in that the free edges of the second board sections are capable of being joined temporarily, and the first board sections are approximately the same size as the second board sections but are connected to the opposite sides from where the second board sections are temporarily joined, said first board sections being folded inwardly so that their free edges lie adjacent and above the join region between the second board sections.

A game board according to claim 7, characterized in that the two first board sections form a first game section and each has an aperture therein, and the player or players play on the first game section but when a playing piece is positioned in the aperture in either of the first board sections, that first board section is folded outwardly and the second game section is provided on the second board section, and the reverse of the first board section.

A game board according to claim 8 characterized in that the second game section is defined on all four board sections these being the upper surface of the two second board sections and on the under surface of the two first board sections. A game board according to claim 7 characterized in that the first board sections are hinged to the opposite sides from where the second board sections are temporarily joined.

USA en. EPA1 en. AUA en. CAA1 en. GBD0 en. WOA1 en. USB2 en. Displaying information to a selected player in a multi-player game on a commonly viewed display device. Game in which clips are stored on a DVD and played during the course of the game. An add-on board game is disclosed which permits transitions between new and existing boards based on random factors. The game includes a variety of new features including travel cards, random penalties and bonuses, and different mechanisms for traveling around the board.

This application is a division of application Ser. This application relates to the field of games for amusement and entertainment, and more particularly, to a new and improved board game and method of play that is capable of being used in conjunction with existing board games.

Board games have been a popular source of entertainment for people for a number of years. A number of games exist, including the following. Each player has four playing pieces. The goal of the game is to move all four playing pieces from a start to an end position. One player's piece can land on another player's piece and send it back to the beginning. The top board is rotated according to a roll of the die. Whenever a game piece lands on an indicated "socket," that piece is automatically moved to the socket above or below the space on which the piece landed.

The game also has a feature where a piece that lands on certain designated sockets can be moved to the center of the board. A player must roll a specific number to move out of the center of the board, but when that number is rolled the player can move to any of the transition sockets on either game board. Optionally, a player making a move that ends on an indicated socket can move diagonally when transitioning between boards.

The goal of the game is to move pieces from a start position to an end position. The paths on the game board, however, include paths on discs. Based on the spin of a pinwheel, the players can rotate these discs during play. Those pieces can be assembled in a variety of different combinations.

Each piece corresponds to a "region" such as Paris or London. Each piece includes a number of business locations, defining paths on the board piece. Play in this game proceeds as follows. Each player has an initial amount of money. In addition, there are a number of "business coupons" associated with locations on the boards. The business coupons can be acquired by taking one from an opposing player when the player lands on a board location already occupied by the opposing player, receiving one free when landing on a special chamber of commerce location, or purchasing one when landing on a special newsstand location.

When a player lands on a business location, he can exchange one or more business coupons corresponding to that location for money. The purpose of the game is to amass a fortune in order to, at the end of the game, purchase the business locations on the board. The board includes a number of board locations corresponding to "time. This indicates the advancing of time under the game.

Drawing a time card changes the cost of purchasing new business coupons e. Other features disclosed in the specification include:. When landing on a travel agency, a player may risk a business coupon against a certain amount of money held by the Bank.

When this is done, the player draws a "postcard" from a deck. If the postcard happens to match the region of the board on which the player's game piece is located, the player wins the money. Otherwise, the player must give up the business coupon. When a hotel is landed on, the player may pay a limousine fare. After paying the fare, the player can move his game piece to any other location on the board. British Patent , to Anglo-Scottish Pictures Limited discloses a game board that has a number of pieces.

There is a main board that defines a number of incomplete paths. The board is filled in with small reversible boards i. When a player is positioned to enter a small reversible board, the player rolls a die--the small reversible board is then rotated or flipped so that the small board is positioned such that the player will enter the path on the small board indicated by the die roll.

Much of the game path i. The game includes a feature for moving the small boards, and changing the direction in which a game piece is moving, based on rolls of dice. For example, if a six and an odd number is rolled, a player may reverse the direction of his game piece on the board. If a player rolls a double six, the player can change the paths on the board by moving the small reversible boards. If the player rolls a double two or a double four, all of the players may be forced to reverse direction.

Play within each area is similar to play for Monopoly. Each geographic location may use a different currency and the exchange rates may change during play. Transitions between boards are mandatory and made when landing on a deportation board location.

The patent discloses an add-on board for Monopoly where the new board locations are positioned around the exterior of an existing Monopoly board. The add-on board has a recess in its center where the existing Monopoly board is placed--such that the add-on board locations and the existing Monopoly board locations are flush. Entry to and exit from the add-on board is done automatically, i.

This patent also discloses addition of board locations for bridges and airlines. Games such as those described above offer varying levels of skill, elements of chance and theme. For example, some games are directed to positioning pieces on a game board, where pieces are moved based on a random factor such as a roll of dice. Other games, such as chess, involve no random element and are based only on skill. In addition, some games have no theme and involve only the positioning of pieces on a game board.

Other games have a theme such as real estate transactions for example, Monopoly. Finally, games have varying levels of complexity both in the rules for the game and for strategic decisions made during the course of play. It is a goal, therefore, to attempt to find a mix of the random elements, strategy, theme and complexity that enhances people's enjoyment of the game and retains their interest over time. People playing games often wish to play familiar games in order to avoid having to learn new and difficult rules.

People also become bored, however, with playing the same game over and over again. One solution to this problem is to develop an add-on board for existing games. The add-on board is shaped to fit around the perimeter of the existing Monopoly board game--thus increasing the size of the overall playing surface. In addition, transitions from the existing board to the add-on board and transitions back are mandatory. Accordingly, people desire a new and improved game that offers new features which are not found in the prior art and that provide a mix of skill, chance and theme that increase people's enjoyment in their leisure time.

According to the present invention an add-on board may be provided for an existing game board. The add-on board has a plurality of new board locations and a mechanism for indicating how to transition between boards.

According to the invention, elements of chance may be introduced into the circumstances where a player transitions between boards, thereby increasing variation and significantly altering strategy in the game during play. The add-on board may be shaped to fit within the existing game board. In this configuration, the overall perimeter of the two boards is the same as the perimeter of the existing board, resulting in the advantages of greater familiarity and comfort with the game playing surface and avoiding a larger overall playing area which may not fit on the surface or table on which the game is being played or may be difficult for players to reach across.

The add-on board may have a number of novel and exciting new features, which are suitable for use in an add-on board game or for use in any board game. The add-on board may include a move backwards location where a player moves in the opposite direction on the player's next turn. This creates fun and excitement because a player may be forced to traverse the same section of the board more than one time on succeeding turns.

In addition, if the move backwards board location is located near a point where a player may transition from one board to the other, a player landing on the move backwards board location may remain in suspense as to whether the player will be forced to transition back to a different board after transitioning onto the board.

Alternatively, the move backwards location may cause the entire add-on board to change orientation against the existing board, thereby altering the game playing surface during play. The add-on board may have a board location that becomes a part of a common group with board locations on the existing board. This subtly alters play with the existing game by requiring a player to traverse both the add-on board and the existing board to take advantage of having landed on all of the members of the common group.

Patents definitely cover processes, and since board games are at an innermost level processes for entertainment, they are eminently patentable , so long as they meet the general requirements for patentability. The general requirements for patentability in a board game are threefold:. To start with, the novelty requirement ensures the game is not just a mindless copy of something else already released or a boldfaced attempt to add legal protection to a common folk game.

You can prevent unintentional similarity to other works through a patent search , best carried out by those experienced in the field. The usefulness of a board game is defined by what it intends to accomplish. Most board games intend to entertain their players, though some also have educational aspirations.

Since these aspects are usually apparent in the game's design, this test is perhaps the easiest for a board game to meet. The obviousness test requires a game to not simply serve as a slight variant on something already on the market.