Portable self-contained game

Abstract

A game apparatus includes a plurality of dice and a master cube which is larger than the dice. A container for the game has a cover and a base, with the cover and the base having tubular peripheral engagement portions to telescopically mate with and frictionally engage each other. The tubular peripheral engagement portions interact in a non-planar configuration, thereby facilitating grasping of the cover portion relative to the base portion. The base includes recesses to receive the playing pieces during play, and the cover holds the playing pieces in place in the recesses during storage and transportation. The cover includes a window for viewing the playing pieces through the cover. The cover and the base slope the playing pieces and a scoring chart relative to a flat underlying surface. The cover is constructed so it can be flipped over and used as a casting chute.

1 . A game apparatus comprising: 
 a plurality of dice-like playing pieces, each dice-like playing piece having a plurality of faces, and each face bearing a different indicium thereon; and    a container comprising: 
 a base portion having a least one recess therein formed to retain at least one of the playing pieces during play; and  
   a cover portion selectively securable upon the base portion to form a closed chamber for storing the playing pieces, the cover portion and the base portion having tubular peripheral engagement portions to telescopically mate with and frictionally engage and thereby secure the cover upon the base portion, wherein the tubular peripheral engagement portions interact in a non-planar configuration to facilitate grasping of the cover portion relative to the base portion.    
     
     
         2 . The game apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the cover further comprises a pad retaining face, the pad retaining face having a generally planar undersurface for contacting a score pad, and wherein the non-planar configuration of the tubular peripheral engagement extends at different heights relative to the generally planar undersurface of the pad retaining face.  
     
     
         3 . The game apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the container has opposing sides separated from each other by a grasping distance of from about 2 inches to about 8 inches such that a user can grasp across the container from the opposing sides with a single hand, and wherein the non-planar configuration of the tubular peripheral engagement portions is disposed on the opposing sides of the container.  
     
     
         4 . The game apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the container has a left side and a right side opposing the left side and separated from the left side by a grasping distance of from about 2 inches to about 8 inches such that a user can grasp across the container from the left side and the right side with a single hand, and wherein the non-planar configuration of the tubular peripheral engagement portions is disposed on the left and right sides of the container.  
     
     
         5 . A game apparatus comprising: 
 a plurality of dice-like playing pieces, each dice-like playing piece having a plurality of faces, and each face bearing a different indicium thereon; and    a container comprising: 
 a base portion having a least one recess therein formed to retain at least one of the playing pieces during play; and  
   a cover portion selectively securable upon the base portion to form a closed chamber for storing the playing pieces, wherein the cover portion interacts with the base portion along a sloped engagement portion tending to induce self-seating alignment of the cover portion relative to the base portion when the cover portion is placed on the base portion.    
     
     
         6 . A game apparatus comprising: 
 a plurality of dice-like playing pieces, each dice-like playing piece having a plurality of faces, and each face bearing a different indicium thereon; and    a container comprising: 
 a base portion having a least one recess therein formed to retain at least one of the playing pieces during play; and  
   a cover portion selectively securable upon the base portion to form a closed chamber for storing the playing pieces the cover portion having a piece retaining section positioned such that, when the cover portion is secured upon the base portion with the playing pieces within the recess, the piece retaining section contacts and retains the playing pieces within the recess in a stationary position relative to the base portion.    
     
     
         7 . The game apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein the cover portion has a translucent or transparent window disposed therein such that, when the playing pieces are retained within the recess, at least some indicia facing the window are visible through the window.  
     
     
         8 . The game apparatus of  claim 7 , further comprising: 
 a visible scoring chart which is used to determine a player's score for a turn, depending upon the indicia displayed on the playing pieces, the scoring chart being on an outer surface of the window.    
     
     
         9 . A game apparatus comprising: 
 a plurality of dice-like playing pieces, each dice-like playing piece having a plurality of faces, and each face bearing a different indicium thereon; and    a container comprising: 
 a base portion having a least one recess therein formed to retain at least one of the playing pieces during play, the base portion having a planar support undersurface for contacting a flat supporting structure during placement thereon, the recess being oriented such that it retains the playing pieces in a sloped position relative to the planar support undersurface; and  
 a cover portion selectively securable upon the base portion to form a closed chamber for storing the playing pieces.  
   
     
     
         10 . The game apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein the recess is oriented such that it retains the playing pieces in a position sloped at an angle of from about 5° to about 40° relative to the planar support undersurface.  
     
     
         11 . A game apparatus comprising: 
 a plurality of dice-like playing pieces, each dice-like playing piece having a plurality of faces, and each face bearing a different indicium thereon; and    a container comprising: 
 a base portion having a least one recess therein formed to retain at least one of the playing pieces during play; and  
   a cover portion selectively securable upon the base portion to form a closed chamber for storing the playing pieces; the cover portion comprising: 
 a support undersurface for contacting a flat supporting structure during placement thereon; and  
 a scoring chart which is used to determine a player's score for a turn, depending upon the indicia displayed on the playing pieces, the scoring chart being visible when the cover portion is positioned on its support undersurface.  
   
     
     
         12 . The game apparatus of  claim 11 , further comprising a peelable label extending over the scoring chart.  
     
     
         13 . The game apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the scoring chart is visible on the exterior of the container when the cover portion is secured on the base portion.  
     
     
         14 . The game apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the scoring chart is on a planar surface of the cover portion.  
     
     
         15 . The game apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the scoring chart is disposed on an outer surface of the cover portion which is slanted relative to the support undersurface such that the scoring chart is displayed in a sloped position when the cover portion is placed upon a flat supporting structure.  
     
     
         16 . A game apparatus comprising: 
 a plurality of dice-like playing pieces, each dice-like playing piece having a plurality of faces, and each face bearing a different indicium thereon; and    a container comprising: 
 a base portion having a least two recesses therein, each recess being formed to retain at least one of the playing pieces during play, at least one of the recesses being formed to retain a plurality of playing pieces during play in a curved line; and  
 a cover portion selectively securable upon the base portion to form a closed chamber for storing the playing pieces.  
   
     
     
         17 . A game apparatus comprising: 
 a plurality of dice-like playing pieces, each dice-like playing piece having a plurality of faces, and each face bearing a different indicium thereon; and    a container comprising: 
 a base portion; and  
 a cover portion selectively securable upon the base portion to form a closed chamber for storing the playing pieces, the cover portion and the base portion having tubular peripheral engagement portions to telescopically mate with and frictionally engage and thereby secure the cover upon the base portion, wherein the tubular peripheral engagement portion of the cover portion comprises a cover face surrounded by one relatively low wall and remaining relatively high walls, such that the cover when flipped over forms a chute for receiving a roll of the plurality of dice-like playing pieces with the relatively low wall defining an opening into the chute.  
   
     
     
         18 . A game comprising: 
 a plurality of dice-like playing pieces, each dice-like playing piece having a plurality of faces, and each face bearing a different indicium thereon, such that the plurality of dice-like playing pieces when cast on a generally horizontal flat surface will come to rest with one of the indicium on each dice-like playing piece facing upward; and    a master playing piece which is dice-like, the master playing piece having a plurality of faces, and each face bearing a different indicium thereon, such that the master playing piece when cast on a generally horizontal flat surface will come to rest with one of its indicium facing upward, the master playing piece being sized differently than any of the dice-like playing pieces;    wherein the master playing piece is cast together with the plurality of dice-like playing pieces in at least one roll, with the indicium facing upward on the master playing piece affecting how the roll of the plurality of dice-like playing pieces is scored.    
     
     
         19 . The game of  claim 18 , wherein each of the plurality of dice-like playing pieces is similarly sized, and wherein the master playing piece is larger than all of the dice-like playing pieces.