Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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FIELD OF THE INVENTION AND DESCRIPTION OF PRIOR ART
.
This invention relates to a board game.
In particular, this invention relates to apparatus for a
board game.
Board games of the "Monopoly" type are well known . In
"Monopoly" type board games, the game is played on a
playing board having a continuous path marked around the
playing board . This continuous path is divided into
divisions . Each division is associated with a particular
property or a public utility service like "waterworks",
"power utility" and the like . Players "buy" and can
develop the properties or own the public utility services,
in accordance with the rules of the game . After playing
the game a few times interest in the game abates because
the the rules of the game do not require the players to
take any decisions during play and the pattern of play
becomes stereotyped. Further, most of these games include
money tokens which are required to be distributed to and
collected from the piayers. The rules of the game provide
for a banker. The function of the banker is passive.
Usually, one of the players acts as a banker.
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SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
:
According to this invention there is provided an apparatus
for a board game, which includes
a playing board for playing the game, the said playing
board having marked thereon a continuous main path and at .. .
least one diversionary path from the main path, each of
the said paths being divided into divisions , a number of
demarcated divisions being associated with designated
businesses and other demarcated divisions being associated
with a set of instruction cards that provide for specified :
playing occurrences and instructions, as determined by the
rules of the game,
a set of game pieces for identifying players of the game; ;
at least one movement determining means for determining
the movement of the game pieces along the paths defined on ~:
the playing board ;
a set of instruction cards including a deck of risk cards,
a deck of board room decision cards, a deck of
information cards and a deck of public cards that are
associated with specified playing occurrences and
instructions that must be followed in the course of
playing the game, in accordance with the rules of the
game;
a set of business development tokens for placement on the
business divisions, for performing business developments
in the business divisions, in accordance with the rules
of the game;and
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a set of money tokens that can change hands between
players for acquiring or disposing off businesses
associated with the business divisions and business
development tokens and for other eventualities in
accordance with the rules of the game.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The board game in accordance with the invention, and
the method of playing it, will be understood clearly from
the following description in conjunction with the
accompanying drawing, which illustrates a playing board
for a board game in accordance with the invention.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
In the drawing, a playing board generally, for a board
game in accordance with this invention, is indicated by
the reference numeral 10.
The playing board 10 is a square planar element . A main
path 12 is marked around the outer perimeter of the
playing board 10. The main path is divided into four
equal segments 12.1.
.
Two diversionary paths 14 are marked between adjacent
segments 12.1 of the main path 12. The diversionary paths
14 provide alternative playing paths to the main path 12.
The paths 12 and 14 are divided into a plurality of
demarcated divisions 16. Two divisions 16.1 are identified
as exit divisions from the main path 12 to the respective
diversionary paths 14 . Two other divisions 16.2 are
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identified as entrances from the diversionary path 14 to
the main path 12. A plurality of divisions 16.3 shown
blank in the drawing identify specific different
businesses such as different companies. One div;sion 16.4
is identified as a starting zone, one division 16.5 as a
rest zone and a further division 16.6 is identified as a
prison zone. As seen in the drawing, the divisions 16.4,
16.5 and 16.6 are corner divisions.
Divisions 16.7 marked on the paths 12 and 14 are
identified as risk divisions and divisions 16.8 also
marked on both the paths 12 and 14 are identified as
board room decision divisions. ~-
Spaces are provided on the playing board 10 for stacking
decks of instruction cards. A space 18 --is demarcated for
stacking a deck of risk cards. A second space 20 is
demarcated for stacking a deck of board room decision
cards . A third space 22 is demarcated for stacking a deck
of information cards . A fourth space 24 is demarcated for
stacking a deck of public cards .
The apparatus for playing a game on the playing board 10
includes a set of tokens for identifying players, at least
one die that can determine the progress of tokens along
the paths 12 and 14, a deck of risk cards, a deck of
board room decision cards, a deck of information cards and
a deck of public cards.
Additional apparatus for playing the game will include a
set of money tokens that can be used by players for
leasing of businesses and for complying with other playing
instructions, as determined by the rules of the game.The
apparatus further includes business lease certificates
which can change hands and business development tokens
that can be used by players for simulating the development
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of a particular business leased by a player, all in
accordance with the rules of the game.
Also, separate means for maintaining records ~ay also be
provided . Such records being kept by a player who acts as
a banker, in accordance with the rules of the game.
The object of a player of the game is to maximise his
"money", both directly in the form of money tokens and
indirectly in the form of ownership of businesses. A
further object of the game is for a player to make his
opponents lose all their money and all their businesses,
thereby taking fu11 control of their empires. A game is
won by the player who has the most "money" after a
particular designated time or when all the remaining
players have been declared "bankrupt". ~-
Before actually commencing play of a game, the moneytokens are distributed amongst the players by one of the
players who shall act as a banker and who shall be in
charge of the bank and other money transactions and who
shall also be in charge of keeping the records of the
transactions of each player. Each player then selects a
playing token, which is designated as the holding or
mother company, each player becomes the president of his
company. Play of the game is then commenced in a
conventional manner with players starting from the
starting zone 16.4, in an order as may be determined by
the throw of the die .When a player lands on a business
division 16.3 , which has not been leased out by the bank
to any player, he picks up an information card from the
set of information cards placed on the space 22 on the
playing board 10. This card will identify the "condition"
of the business. For instance, an information card may
read " business requires premises for extension, cost
R50,000."If the card is not favourable to the player he
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may decide not to take over the business and the
information card is put back to the bottom of the deck. If
the player does decide to take over the business , he is
then required to comply with the conditons of the
information card, pay the rent for the business which is
designated on the particular division immediately and take
over the business. The value of a particular business on a
particular business division can be enhanced by
development of the business, which can be done by buying
development tokens from the banker and placing them on the
particular site of the business division. Preferably, the
playing tokens and thedevelopment tokens are provided with
one colour for each player for identifying different
businesses on the playing board 10. When the token of
another plaeyr lands on a division leased by his opponent
, he has to pay rent to his opponent, the amount being
determined by the development done by the lessor of the
business.
When the token of a player lands on a risk division 16.8,
the plaeyr is required to pick up a risk card freom a deck
of risk cards stacked on the space 18 on the playing
board 10. The player then decides whether he wants to go
ahead with the investment risk. For instance, a risk card
may read " You may claim returns on your investment from
the stock exchange at twice the amount you have invested
or invest
a further sum in shares and sell them later on, on advice
from your stockbroker" The player then deals with the bank
accordingly, eith~r collecting or paying money. Certain of
the risk cards are associated with a particular business
of the plaeyr going public. For example, a risk card may
read " an experimental product is ready for
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production-cost R200 00, estimated return R 400 000( Pick
a public card)". If the player wishes to risk the
investment, he is then required to pick a public card from
a deck of public cards stacked on the space 24 on the
playing board . A public card picked up may read "
Investment was a flop. Lose the amount invested." A player
may pass the risk opportunity and the card is then
returned to the bottom of the deck.
When a player lands on a board room decision division
16.7, the player is required to pick up a board room
decision card from a deck of board room decision cards
placed on the space 20 on the playing board 10. A
board room decision card is not an option card. The player
has to perform the action specified in the particular
board room decision card. For instance, a board room
decision card may read " Your company has bought a second
division world class soccer team-pay R500 000". The player
then deals with the bank accordingly, either collecting or
paying money. A player cannot pass the board room
decision. After executing the decision, the card is
returned to the bottom of the deck.
Further it is provided in accordance with the rules of the
game that, whenever a player passes the starting zone
16.4, he will be required to pay a designated sum to the
bank. By landing on the rest zone, i.e. division 16.5, a
player can decide to pause for upto three turns which may,
in certain circumstances, be to his advantage as
determined by the rules of the game. Any player caught
cheating, as for instance trying to know before hand the
eventuality likely to occur on a risk card, or
deliberately neglecting to pay the designated sum when
passing the starting zone 16.4, may be required to be
sentenced to prison. He may be required to pay a
designated fine, as well as lose a turn , as determined by
the rules of the game.
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The rules of the game further provide for eventualities
such as, for instance, if a player is unable to pay rent
when he lands on an opponent's business division. It can
be provided that in such an eventuality, the lessor
automatically acquires a twenty percent share in the
business of the player in deficit. Such sharing includes a
sharing of the losses of the business of the player in
deficit. On a second occurrence, the share in the business
will automatically increase to forty percent, and so on,
until the entire business of the opponent is acquired.
It will be appreciated that the players will have to
continuously keep a watch on the business in their
possession and on the businesses acquired by their
opponents, with a view to acquiring further businesses and
avoiding the payment of rent, by not landing on their
opponent's divisions. Such avoidance can be done by making
use of the diversionary paths 14. It will also be
appreciated that the eventualities as determined by the
risk cards and the board room decision cards , can
always change the fortune of the players.
The rules of the game also allow for players to enter into
partnership agreements with a view to gaining control of
one or more of the opponents.
It will be appreciated that the game is designed to
simulate every day life business take overs and operations
and it is believed that the game will therefore also
fulfil an educational function, in so far as , it will
familiarise players with the running of businesses.
The aparatus for playing the game will also include a set
of rules and a box or other container for containing the
apparatus.
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