GB2193898A - A board game - Google Patents

Abstract

A board game has a board (10) displaying a crossword grid (11) having a plurality of playing spaces (12) and non-playing spaces (13). Letter-bricks are used to form answers to clues carried on clue cards, the answers being placed in crossword fashion on the crossword grid (11). A scorepad is used to record the score of each player.

Description

SPECIFICATION A board game This invention relates to a board game.

According to the invention, there is provided a game comprising a board displaying a crossword grid having a plurality of playing and non-playing spaces, a plurality of tokens carrying letters and a plurality of clue cards carrying crossword clues, wherein players alternately form words in crossword fashion on the board with the letters on the tokens selected in answer to the clues on the clue cards selected. The game may preferably further comprise a scoreboard which may be arranged separate from or surrounding the board.

In order that the principle of the invention may be readily understood, an embodiment of the invention is now described with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein: Figure 1 is a plan view of a board for use in the game; Figure 2 shows four examples of clue cards for use in the game; Figure 3 is a plan view of a scoreboard for use in the game; Figure 4 shows four examples of instructions cards for use in the game; and Figure 5 shows plan views of a section of a board similar to that of Figure 1 before and after a player has taken a turn.

The board 10 shown in Figure 1 is one of two boards provided. The board 10 is for use when there are 1 or 2 players and has a crossword grid 11 having a plurality of playing spaces 12 and non-playing spaces 13. The second board (not shown) is for use when there are 3 or 4 players and has a similar crossword grid having larger dimensions than the grid shown. Tokens or letter-bricks are provided, preferably in a bag, each letter-brick carrying a single letter on one face. A plurality of further tokens having no letter are also provided.

Figure 2 shows four examples of clue cards 20. Each clue card 20 carries a clue 21 and also either the word "ACROSS" or the word "DOWN" 22.

Figure 3 shows the layout of a scoreboard 30 which may be used for recording the scores of the players. The scoreboard 30 displays a track 31 having a start 32 and a finish 33 at opposite ends of the track 31. The track 31 has playing spaces 34, non-playing spaces 35 and pre-determined coloured areas 36. The coloured areas 36 are here shown by hatching but may be shown blue on the scoreboard 30. The scoreboard 30 also displays a table 37 summarizing the scoring procedure. Counters are provided for moving along the track 31 on the scoreboard 30.

An alternative form of scoreboard takes the form of a wooden frame which may be arranged to surround the board displaying the crossword grid. Scoring-pegs are then provided for moving along a series of holes arranged in similar formation to the track 31 shown in Figure 3.

Figure 4 shows four examples of instructions cards 40. Each instructions card 40 carries a single instruction 41 relating to a player's turn, clue card, letter-bricks or score.

The game is played according to the following rules.

THE RULES OF CROSS-PURPOSES.

CROSS-PURPOSES is a game for 1, 2, 3 or 4 players and provides hours of entertainment for everyone who has ever enjoyed working on a crossword. It is played by solving the clues provided and entering the solutions on the grid in the usual crossword manner.

TO BEGIN A GAME.

1. First to play is decided by throwing the dice. In clockwise order each player then selects a hand of 10 letter-bricks and 3 clue cards, which he places face upwards in front of him. (Clue cards and instructions cards are always taken from the front of their respective boxes, and are replaced at the back).

Finally, the first player selects one letter-brick from the bag, then replaces it. This letter becomes the bonus letter for that game and earns bonus points whenever it is used during play (see scoring). If a Q, X, Z or blank is selected it must be replaced and a different bonus letter selected.

HOW TO PLAY.

2. players take turns in clockwise order. Each turn consists of three parts.

(a) In the second part of his turn a player scores points by placing or completing a solution to one of his three clue cards in any of the vacant or uncompleted lights on the grid. A solution is any word or phrase that can be considered to be a satisfactory interpretation of any of the player's clues.

A solution must make a complete word or phrase that fills at least one light, leaving no empty squares. If it by chance also completes another partly-filled light or lights it must make complete words or phrases in them also.

Any solution may be placed either across or down, but a bonus is scored if the solution is placed in the direction shown on the clue card.

After he has placed a solution, the player must return the relevant clue card to the box and take a replacement, then take enough letter-bricks to replace those he has used in the solution.

If he is unable to place a solution he must move on the last part of his turn. He may also if he wishes change up to 3 of his letter-bricks.

(b) In the first part of his turn the player can if he wishes make various preparations to assist him in placing a solution.

(i) He can obtain some of the letters he needs in two ways: firstly he can take up letters from solutions already on the grid, provided that he replaces them with letters from his hand which then make other complete words or phrases (e.g., if LEMON is on the grid, the player could replace the L and M with G and T, thus leaving GETON on the grid and securing the letters L and M for his own needs; alternatively, he could replace the 0 and N with I and R, then rearrange the letters so that he leaves MILER on the grid).

The player may swap any or all of his letters in above way, but he must not take up more than 2 letters from any one solution.

(ii) The player can also prepare the ground as he wishes by moving around the letters in any solutions already on the grid, so long as they then make new words or phrases (which need be connected in any way with the original clues). E.g., a player who has the clue GAIN POSSES SION OF, and who finds the situation shown in Fig. 5(a) on the grid could interchange the T and the G and then complete a solution across as shown in Fig. 5(b).

This part of the game is very important.

A skilful player can obtain much enjoyment and gain much advantage by employing this kind of manoeuvre.

(c) In the third and last part of his turn a player takes an instruction card and does what it tells him. He moves on to this part of his turn after he has placed a solution on the grid and recorded his score on the scoreboard.

If he is instructed to change clue cards he must first replace the required number of cards at the back of the box, then take the same number of cards from the front.

(d) The sequence of a player's turn is therefore as follows: (i) Take up or rearrange letters as necessary.

(ii) Place or complete a solution.

(iii)Record the score.

(iv) Return the relevant clue card and take a replacement.

(v) Replace the letters used.

(vi) Take an instruction card, carry out its instruction, then replace it.

3. Clues may be interpreted in any way that is normally acceptable in crosswords. So the clue NUMBER can be taken to mean a figure or anyone or anything which numbs (e.g. ether), and a clue such as RACE can be solved with a verb or a noun. phrases can also be used, so STAYPUT could be a seven-letter solution of DO NOT LEAVE.

Much of the fun of the game comes from the interpretation of the clues. Many have a rather general meaning which must be interpreted by agreement. So, for example, if a player attempts to use TENANT as a solution of PART OF A HOUSE, or WEDDING as a solution for HAPPI NESS, his opponents might consider them unacceptable, although arguments can be advanced in support of them. In this game any interpretation of a clue is to be considered acceptable if the majority of the other players can be persuaded to agree that it is. Thus in a game with three players an interpretation of a clue can only be considered to be acceptable if both the other players agree.

As soon as a solution has been placed or completed, any of the other players can challenge it, either for its spelling or as being an unacceptable interpretation of the clue to which the player has attempted to play a solution. The player should then endeavour to justify his solution, but in the end he must abide by the decision of the majority of the other players. Only if there is a majority in favour can the solution be allowed to stand. Naturally, if a player is able to prove, e.g. by reference to a dictionary or atlas, that his solution is correct, the challenge must be withdrawn.

If a challenge is sustained the player must remove the letters he has placed on the grid as part of his attempted solution and go on to the last part of his turn, thus forfeiting any chance to place a solution in that turn. Any alterations to solutions on the grid which the player may already have made in the first part of his turn must be left as they now are, not replaced.

A player cannot ask whether a solution would be acceptable before he places it; he must take a chance and then try to deal with any challenge which may ensue.

Dictionaries, etc., may be consulted at any time during the game.

A solution can be placed in more than one light, provided that each of the separate lights contains a complete word or phrase, e.g., LAMPLIGHT could be placed as LAMP and LIGHT, and CAPACITY as CAP and ACITY (a city).

Abbreviations, some foreign words in common use, names of people and places, etc., are acceptable, as in most crosswords.

Some of the clue cards are marked "Clue It Yourself". When a player has such a C.l.Y. card he can use it to place any word or phrase in the grid, provided that he has first announced a suitable clue for it He may of course be challenged if the solution is considered to be an unsatisfactory interpretation of his own clue.

Blank letter-bricks can be used to represent any letter. Later in the course of play they can, if any of the players wishes, be considered to represent different letters, provided that they still make a complete word or phrase. E.g., if a blank has been placed as a T in LA E]ER (LATER) it could subsequently said to be a Y, thus making LAYER, or the letters could be moved around and the blank then said to be, say, an N as in LEARN/ (LEARN).

SCORING 4. Solutions placed or completed on the grid score points as follows according to the number of letters they contain: 3 letters 4 points 4 letters 8 points 5 letters 12 points 6 letters or more 3 points for each letter.

Points are scored for all letters in the solution, including blanks and letters which may already be on the grid as part of the other solutions. points are scored for the solution placed in that turn, and not for any other lights which may by chance also be completed when the solution is placed.

A bonus is also scored (a) for any of the letters of a solution which is also part of another solution already on the grid; (b) whenever a bonus letter is placed as part of a solution, but no bonus is scored if the letter was already on the grid as part of another solution, or if a blank is used to represent the bonus letter; (c) whenever a solution is placed or completed in the same direction (across or down) as shown on the clue card. If a solution is placed in two or more lights, all the parts must face in the correct direction to secure the bonus.

All bonuses score 3 points in a game with 2 or 3 players, and 5 points in a game with 4 players. USE OF THE SCORBOARD 5. Scores are recorded on the scoreboard after a solution has been placed on the grid. A coloured counter is moved along by one square for each point scored. Counters cannot cross any of the black squares, but must be moved around them. Counters may be moved forwards or sideways or backwards, but not diagonally. They may only be moved backwards when a player is carrying out the orders of an instructions card.

A player must begin with his counter on the square of its own colour, and must end by crossing the counter over the square of its own colour on the finish line, but in between he may follow any route he chooses. However, no counter may cross over a square occupied by an opponent's counter. If there is no other way forward the counter must stop on the nearest unoccupied square, and any unused points scored in that turn must be forfeited, unless with one throw of the dice the player may throw a six. In that case the counter hops over the intervening counter and the remaining points are then scored in the usual way.

If an instructions card tells a player to move his counter forward, but the way ahead is blocked by another counter, the player must leave his counter where it is, unless with one throw of the dice he can throw a six. If an instruction card tells a player to move his counter backwards, but the way back is blocked by another counter, the player must throw the dice once. If he throws a six he must jump his counter over the intervening counter and then move it backwards by the indicated number of squares.

When his counter is in any of the areas shaded blue on the scoreboard a player can use one of his clue cards as though it were a Clue It Yourself Card.

THE WINNER 6. The winner is the first player whose counter first reaches or crosses the finish line.

In the extremely unlikely event that no player is able to place another solution, or all the lights on the grid are filled, the winner is the player whose counter at that time is nearest to the finish line.

DUEL BY DICE.

7. Once only in each game each player has the option of trying to make one of his opponents miss a turn by issuing a challenge to a duel by dice.

In such a duel the challenger throws the dice three times and adds up the total of his throws.

The player who has been challenged then also makes three throws and adds up his total. The player with the smallest total must miss his next turn. Neither player misses a turn if the totals are the same.

A challenge must be made at the beginning of the turn of the person who is being challenged.

Such a challenge cannot be refused.

CROSS-PURPOSES SOLITAIRE 8. A single player can obtain much entertainment and diversion from a solo version of CROSS PURPOSES.

The object in such a game is not to score points, but to attempt to complete every light on the grid. The player begins with 10 letter-bricks as usual, and follows the usual procedure, renewing clue cards and letter-bricks and taking instructions cards, but whenever he draws an instructions card which refers to scoring or to missing a turn he replaces it and takes another card.

It should be noted that: The name of the game is not limited to "CROSS PURPOSES"; An alternative form of the scoreboard may be a wooden frame arrangeable around the crossword grid and having holes for accommodating score-pegs; The counters may be replaced by scoring-pegs when a scoring frame is used.

Claims (19)

1. A game comprising a board displaying a crossword grid having a plurality of playing and non-playing spaces, a plurality of tokens carrying letters and a plurality of clue cards carrying crossword clues, wherein players alternately form words in crossword fashion on the board with the letters on the tokens selected in answer to the clues on the clue cards selected.

2. A game as claimed in claim 1, wherein a plurality of boards are provided, each displaying a crossword grid, the board for use in the game being selected by the number of players.

3. A game as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein each clue card further carries either the word "ACROSS" or the word "DOWN" for indicating an advantageous direction in which the answer to the clue may be placed on the board.

4. A game as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein a plurality of the clue cards carry clues allowing players to invent a clue for immediate use.

5. A game as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, further comprising a plurality of instruction cards carrying instructions relating to a player's turn, wherein each player follows the instruction on the instruction card selected.

6. A game as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein points are scored according to the length of the words formed on the board.

7. A game as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein bonus points are scored for forming a word incorporating a letter previously placed on the board.

8. A game as claimed in any preceding claim and claim 3, wherein bonus points are scored for placing the answer to a clue on the board in the direction indicated by the clue card.

9. A game as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein a letter is previously selected and bonus points are scored by use of that letter in a word placed on the board.

10. A game as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, further comprising a scoreboard displaying a track having a start and a finish, and counters or scoring-pegs for moving along the track between the start and the finish.

11. A game as claimed in claim 10, wherein the track has non-playing spaces for providing obstacles for the counters or scoring pegs.

12. A game as claimed in claim 10 or 11, wherein the track has predetermined spaces allowing players to substitute an invented clue for a selected clue.

13. A game as claimed in any one of claims 10 to 12, wherein the scoreboard is a frame arrangeable around the board displaying the crossword grid.

14. A game as claimed in any one of claims 6 to 9 and any one of claims 10 to 13, wherein all points and bonus points are recorded by moving the counters or scoring-pegs along the track on the scoreboard.

15. A game as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein a player may exchange selected tokens for tokens previously placed on the board such that all tokens placed on the board form complete words.

16. A game as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein a player may rearrange the letters of a previously placed answer such that the rearranged letters form a complete word.

17. A game as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein a player replaces a clue card immediately after an answer thereto has been placed on the board.

18. A game substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

19. Data-carrying medium for reproducing visually a game as claimed in any one of the preceding claims.