Game played in a darkened room

Abstract

A game played in a darkened room includes a playing surface defining playing features and a lighting source positioned to illuminate the playing surface and configured to provide multiple lighting modes. The appearance of the playing features change in response to changing lighting modes.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A game played that can be played in a darkened room, the game comprising: 
 a playing surface defining playing features; and    a lighting source positioned to illuminate the playing surface and configured to provide multiple lighting modes;    wherein appearances of the playing features change in response to changing lighting modes.    
     
     
         2 . The game of  claim 1  wherein the playing features include words, symbols, or images.  
     
     
         3 . The game of  claim 2  wherein the words, symbols, or images are printed in more than one color and the lighting modes provide light of different colors.  
     
     
         4 . The game of  claim 2  wherein the words, symbols, or images include a phosphorescent substance.  
     
     
         5 . The game of  claim 1  wherein the lighting source comprises more than one colored light that emit different colors of light.  
     
     
         6 . The game of  claim 5  wherein the lighting source comprises a switch and emits different colors of light in response to manipulation of the switch.  
     
     
         7 . The game of  claim 1  wherein the lighting source comprises a colored lens.  
     
     
         8 . The game of  claim 7  wherein the colored lens includes more than one color.  
     
     
         9 . The game of  claim 1  wherein the changing lighting modes that change the appearances of the playing features include changes in a lighting color of the lighting source.  
     
     
         10 . The game of  claim 9  wherein the lighting colors change from blue to orange.  
     
     
         11 . The game of  claim 9  wherein the lighting colors change from blue to red.  
     
     
         12 . The game of  claim 9  wherein the lighting colors change between colors in the visible spectrum.  
     
     
         13 . The game of  claim 1  wherein the changing lighting modes that change the appearance of the playing features include changes between wavelengths in bands other than the visible waveband.  
     
     
         14 . The game of  claim 1  wherein the changing lighting modes that change the appearance of the playing features include a change in a luminous intensity of the lighting source at a particular wavelength in comparison to background or ambient lighting conditions.  
     
     
         15 . The game of  claim 1  further comprising playing cards defining card features wherein appearances of the card features change in response to the changing lighting modes.  
     
     
         16 . A method of playing a game that can be played in a darkened room, the method comprising: 
 providing a playing surface defining playing features;    positioning a lighting source to illuminate the playing surface and configured to provide multiple lighting modes; and    changing the lighting mode of the lighting source to change appearances of the playing features.    
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16  wherein the playing features include words, symbols, or images that are printed in more than one color such that changing the lighting mode of the lighting source changes the appearance of the words, symbols, or images.  
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16  wherein the lighting mode of the lighting source that changes the playing features includes light color and further comprising manipulating a switch to change the light color from the lighting source.  
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18  wherein manipulating the switch changes the light color from blue to orange.  
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 18  wherein manipulating the switch changes the light color from blue to red.  
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 18  wherein manipulating the switch changes the light color between colors in the visible spectrum.  
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 16  further comprising providing playing cards having card features wherein changing the lighting mode of the lighting source changes appearances of the card features.