Card game providing a customizable, randomizable gameboard

Abstract

This invention provides a customizable gameboard populated by playing cards. The cards are placed face down in the gameboard spaces and players take turns revealing cards while attempting to reach a goal as defined by the cards and gameboard. The game accommodates any number of players and allows for solitaire play. Most of the cards represent obstacles to reaching the goal of the game and players may choose to work individually or in teams and cooperatively or competitively to reach that goal. Ideally, the obstacles and goal may represent a story in which each player controls an adventuring character. As each player earns and manages resources which enable them to better overcome obstacles, their characters will develop to become more effective. As these characters develop, players may retain their resources from one game and use them in subsequent games. Dice are used to produce random outcomes when facing obstacles.

I claim:  
     
         1 . A method of playing a card game for one or more players, comprising: 
 (a) customizable sets of individually designed playing cards of which some cards may represent events constituting steps in reaching the goal of the game and also of which most cards represent obstacles to obtaining said goal;    (b) a customizable gameboard consisting of said playing cards arranged face down, concealing indices, in a pattern where a card or a stack of cards may fill a game space of said gameboard;    (c) a token or other device to track which game space a player occupies on said gameboard;    (d) a device producing random numbers which provides outcomes for determining if a player has overcome an obstacle represented by said playing cards; and    (e) cards or other devices used to track each player's resources effecting said outcomes and each player's ability to obtain said goal.    
     
     
         2 . A method of  claim 1 , wherein the playing cards further provide: 
 (a) indices representing the relative difficulty of overcoming said obstacle, or the manner in which the card aids a player in reaching said goal; and    (b) a randomization of the gameboard, by shuffling said cards.    
     
     
         3 . A method of  claim 1 , wherein the rules further provide: 
 (a) for solitaire play;    (b) cooperative or competitive and individual or team play as the players work toward obtaining the said goal;    (c) a customizable said goal based on card design;    (d) a variant of the game where the inclusion of a draw deck and hand for each player provides more card interaction between players and the gameboard; and    (e) for resources a player earns during play of one game to be retained and used in subsequent play of additional games.