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Game of people and their timesRelated Patent Categories: Amusement Devices: Games, Board Games, Pieces, Or Boards Therefor, Piece Moves Over Board Having PatternGame of people and their times description/claimsThe Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20070007726, Game of people and their times. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE [0001] The disclosures made herein relate generally to a group activity that challenges the knowledge of a number of players participating in a game including the use of a game-board, cards and collectible items, and, more particularly, to a game that reveals significant dates coinciding with historical personalities based upon positioning of tokens on the game-board and acquisition of collectible game pieces according to rules of the game and instructions, derived from the game board and via selection or submission of cards, at various points throughout the game. BACKGROUND [0002] Games have been played throughout human history to provide entertainment during times of leisure and recreation. In many cases, games serve a useful purpose as aids to physical coordination and motion, to learning and to strategic thinking. From children's games to sophisticated games of strategy and knowledge, many games have been devised to satisfy a wide variety of entertainment needs. [0003] A game that is played on a pre-marked surface with counters and/or movable game pieces may be referred to as a board game. Discoveries show that board games have been played for centuries to provide family entertainment or to challenge intellectually sophisticated players. Examples of challenging board games include those requiring strategic thinking, such as chess and checkers, games involving word formation, such as Scrabble.TM., and games that require significant knowledge of facts and names and places, such as Trivial Pursuit.TM.. Less demanding board games provide simplified simulations of real life, some of which require deductive reasoning rather than extensive knowledge. [0004] The oldest complete board game found by archeological excavation dates back to about 2500 B.C. and uses dice to control the movement of pieces on a board. Ancient Chinese games including Go and Mah Jongg continue to provide entertainment, having been played for four thousand years or more. Despite the availability of large numbers of board games, there is still a strong demand for new games and a willing pool of players to participate in exploring the latest of the game developers' creations. Development and design of new games fill a need that many games participants have for new entertainment, possibly after losing interest in a familiar game they have played many times. SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE [0005] Embodiments of a game played in accordance with the present invention reveal significant dates for personalities described as extraordinary beings (EOB). An EOB is defined herein to be a person who is well known. Some EOB's are known for having contributed to or being associated with a particular well-known event, which is referred to herein as an Extraordinary Events (EOE). Examples of such EOB's include, but are obviously not limited to, Benjamin Franklin, Archimedes, Galileo Galilei, Leonardo da Vinci and Joan of Ark. An example of an EOE is Leonardo da Vinci having completed painting of "The Last Supper". EOB's and EOE' may consist of globally known people/events or people/events known only in a particular region (e.g., a particular country or a particular city). [0006] Embodiments of the present invention provide a game, playable by up to six participants, wherein the game comprises a game board including a path, also referred to herein as a time track that includes sections to be traversed as the game progresses. Travel tokens, placed at a start space on the time track, are movable according to rules of the game so that they travel to an end space. As the tokens travel along the time track, players answer questions and collect a variety of objects (i.e., collectible game pieces). Preferably, but not necessarily the collectible game pieces are in the form of star-shaped objects that are numbered and that are combined by a player to produce a date that could represent the significant date for an extraordinary being (EOB) held in secret by another player. [0007] Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an entertaining and challenging knowledge-based board game. [0008] It is another object of the present invention to provide a party game that identifies a time sequence for extraordinary moments occurring since the birth of humankind otherwise referred to herein as two seconds to midnight, which will be clarified further below. [0009] In another object, the present invention challenges knowledge of historical times and the decision making ability of from two to six players (i.e., opponents), also referred to as rivals, who each compete for the chance to discover a date that has significance to another rival. [0010] It is yet another object of the present invention to visually chart the progress of individual players towards a defined goal using a game board to show when a player reaches a final space on the board designated as the "The Time capsule Holding Area" from which the player has the opportunity to declare victory and win the game. [0011] Yet another object of the present invention is to control the progress of individual players moving towards the final space of the game board using a variety of tactics for reward or penalty, i.e. forward or reverse progress, based on how players respond to pre-printed information (e.g., presented as questions or statements), or how they strategically present cards to gain advantage over their rivals. [0012] In yet another object of the present invention, players each collect collectible game pieces as they progress from the start space on the game board, corresponding to the beginning of time, also referred to herein as the "Big Bang," until they arrive at the finish space prior to entering the "Time Capsule Holding Area." The collectible game pieces include numbered game pieces (e.g., numbered star-shaped game pieces) that, when suitably organized, produce a date that has significance to a rival player. [0013] Even a further object of the present invention is to provide means for identifying one of the participants as the player to initiate the game by taking the first turn, after which turns are taken around the game board from one player to the next. [0014] General embodiments of the present invention include a game board, a box or other suitable container for collectible game pieces collected during play, a plurality of sets of information cards (e.g., question cards) covering different eras in history, a plurality of instruction cards that are generally referred to herein as support cards, movable travel tokens marking players' current positions on the game board and other containers and holding areas for a variety of other pieces required by rules of play. [0015] Players assemble around the game board used to follow the progress of the game from start to finish. At the finish, one of the players wins the game by declaring a key, previously hidden, date having significance to one of the other players. The game provides each of the players with a box, referred to herein as a "Chaos and Order Star Station." [0016] After setting up the components of the game, play starts by determining which player takes the first turn. Upon completion of the first turn control of the game board moves to the next player in rotation. Players move travel tokens forwards and/or backwards as they traverse the game board one or more spaces at a time. Direction and distance of movement is determined by numbers obtained from a number generating device (e.g., a spinner device, dice, etc), from the value of answers to pre-printed information (e.g., questions) that address historic time periods, from instructions printed on support cards, and/or from actions associated with special spaces randomly distributed on the game board between the start space and the finish space. Examples of means for controlling how the travel tokens progresses included, but are not limited to, a number generating device pre-printed information cards, pre-printed instruction cards, and/or actions associated with special spaces randomly distributed on the game board. As players progress between spaces of the game board, they collect collectible game pieces (e.g., star-shaped game pieces) that they retain in the storage device (i.e., referred to herein as a Chaos and Order Star Station). Star-shaped numbered game pieces and Ruling Star game pieces are examples of such collectible game pieces. During the game a player places game pieces (e.g., numbered star-shaped game pieces) into individual groups associated with individual rivals. At the end of the game, when a player has reached the finish space (e.g., designated the "Time Capsule Holding Space"), the star groups assist a player to accurately assemble a date in time that was previously known only to one other player. While residing in a holding area, referred to as the "Time Capsule Holding Area," a player has the opportunity to address a rival, asserting knowledge of the rival's significant date. Numbered collectible game pieces (e.g., numbered star-shaped game pieces) provide evidence supporting the player's assertion. A device for holding and organizing such collectible game pieces is provided. If the rival concedes that the date is correct the player presenting the star filled shuttle becomes the game winner. In some embodiments of play, other game pieces may also be needed for a player to declare victory). [0017] Having provided description of a game in accordance with the present invention, the inclusion of additional features results in a variety of optional useful embodiments as follows: [0018] Turning now to specific aspects of the present invention, in at least one embodiment the game board is shaped as a hexagon having a spiral path or "time track" for which the start space occupies the center of the board. Travel tokens gradually move around the portions of the spiral path towards the finish space close to the perimeter of the game board. The expanding "time track" may include sections shaped as concentric hexagons or having circular geometry. [0019] In at least one embodiment of the present invention, the game board has a circular shape preferably including a circular spiral path. [0020] In at least one embodiment of the present invention, the game board has rectangular geometry and the design of the "time track" may be one of a variety of options selected from serpentine paths and circuitous paths that may include linear or arcuate portions and mixtures thereof. [0021] At least one embodiment includes a start space at the center of the game board, wherein the start space represents a center circle labeled the "Big Bang." Continue reading about Game of people and their times... Full patent description for Game of people and their times Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Game of people and their times patent application. ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. Fill in the keywords to be monitored. 3. Each week you receive an email with patent applications related to your keywords. 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