Board game with multi-functional pieces

Abstract

A board game permitting from one to thirty-five players includes a plurality of square playing tiles ( 2201 - 2204 ) in an opaque bag, and a square board ( 2200 ) on which the tiles are placed. Each tile is simultaneously an element in four distinct bi-directionally infinite arithmetic series. A player moves by placing a tile onto the board. There are nine distinct tile front surface patterns. In the preferred embodiment the pattern imprinted on the board is a macroscopic image of these nine tiles, and its mirror image is imprinted on the back surface of the tiles. In order to be played, the marking on the back surface of a tile must match the markings on the square on the board on which it is placed. The first person to play all their tiles wins; in a solitaire game, the goal is to run out placing the fewest tiles.

1 . A game consisting of a plurality of playing pieces, each said piece being simultaneously an element of an even number of at least four distinct series, each said series being comprised of the numbers 1 to 9, with each said series being extended by following the 9 th  element with the element 1, then 2, and so on repeatedly; and 
 wherein the four or more series on each piece are grouped into series pairs, with the elements of each series pair totaling the number nine on each playing piece, except in the case where all the four series elements on a piece are the element 9.    
   
   
       2 . The game of  claim 1  wherein the front surface of the playing pieces are divided into possibly separable sections, one for each distinct series of which the playing piece is a member, each said section bearing a unique marking associated with and identifying the series of which it is a member, each said section being further marked with an indicium representing the element of the series of which the section is a member.  
   
   
       3 . The game of  claim 2  wherein the playing pieces are square tiles.  
   
   
       4 . The game of  claim 2  in which the indicia representing the elements of the series of which each quadrant is a member are represented by numbers.  
   
   
       5 . The game of  claim 2  wherein the playing pieces are square or hexagonal tiles; and 
 wherein the sections covering the front surface of the tile are possibly separable isosceles triangles.    
   
   
       6 . The game of  claim 5  wherein each of the isosceles triangle sections covering the front surface of the tile is subdivided into 9 equal-sized smaller isosceles triangles which fill the section, of which said 9 triangles any side adjacent triangles being inverted, all 9 being arranged in a pattern of 5 side adjacent triangles with the hypotenuse of the center triangle coincident with the outer border of the tile, next to which are 3 side adjacent triangles with the isosceles vertex of the central triangle coincident with the isosceles vertex of the central triangle of the first 5 triangles, next to which is one triangle whose hypotenuse is coincident with the hypotenuse of the central triangle of said 3 triangles, and whose isosceles vertex is coincident with the center of the tile.  
   
   
       7 . The game of  claim 5  wherein each isosceles triangle section covering the surface of the tile contains from one to nine geometric or schematic indicia indicating the element of the series of which the quadrant is a member, arranged in three stacked rows of five, three, and one indicia, said row of five indicia being located to the outside of the tile, the row of one indicium being located in the isosceles vertex of the triangle, and the row of three indicia being located between the row of five indicia and the row of one indicium.  
   
   
       8 . The game of  claim 7  wherein the schematic indicia are embossed on the front surface of the tile.  
   
   
       9 . The game of  claim 3  wherein the sections covering the front surface of the tile are possibly separable squares, and where the game is played on a game board.  
   
   
       10 . The board game of  claim 9  in which the indicia representing the elements of the series of which each quadrant is a member are comprised of a set of schematics with no intrinsic orientation embossed on the front surface of the tile to enable the element number and the series of which it is a member to be accessible to the blind.  
   
   
       11 . The board game of  claim 9  in which the indicia representing the elements of the series of which each quadrant is a member are represented by a pattern of geometric, schematic, or other shapes, one such shape for each quadrant, arranged as the numbers on ordinary playing cards Ace through 9.  
   
   
       12 . The board game of  claim 9  in which the indicia representing the elements of the series of which each quadrant is a member are a set of nine small squares in a three by three pattern, the number of said small squares marked with a distinct pattern or color indicating the element of the series of which the quadrant is a member and identifying said series, said nine squares being arranged such that the first marked square is placed on either the innermost or outermost square in a quadrant, and as subsequent squares are added to increase the element count in a quadrant, they are added side adjacent to the previous squares in a clockwise or a counter-clockwise spiral, said board game: 
 wherein a minimal set of nine distinct playing tile front surface patterns form a minimal spanning set which when replicated are sufficient to fill the entire game board with tiles; and    wherein the game board is a square; and    wherein the game board is marked into squares the size of the square playing pieces.    
   
   
       13 . The game board of  claim 12  wherein the game board is divided into two equal-sized rectangular halves to aid in manufacturing, packaging, and shipping, as well as stacking, moving, and storing games in progress, such halves being placed side adjacent for game play.  
   
   
       14 . The game board of  claim 12  wherein the game board is comprised of an 18 by 18 matrix of 324 squares.  
   
   
       15 . The game board of  claim 12  in which two or more Anchor Tiles are permanently affixed to the board to set the pattern for game players and to prevent the evolution of nonintersecting series during game play.  
   
   
       16 . The game board of  claim 12  in which four Anchor Tiles are permanently affixed to the board to set the pattern for game players, to prevent the evolution of nonintersecting series during game play, and to retain the aesthetic symmetry of the game board.  
   
   
       17 . The board game of  claim 12  in which the image imprinted on the game board surface is an enlargement of an image created by a minimal spanning set of the playing pieces.  
   
   
       18 . The board game of  claim 17  in which the game board is divided into the nine equal-sized pieces identical to but an enlargement of the nine minimal spanning set of playing pieces, thereby enabling the use of said nine game board pieces as playing pieces on a similarly marked, larger game board.  
   
   
       19 . The board game of  claim 17  in which the back surface, or the sides, or both the back surface and the sides of the playing pieces are imprinted with the mirror image of the image on the game board, such that a legal placement of a playing piece on the game board entails matching the image on the back surface, or the sides, or both the back surface and the sides of the playing piece with the image in the corresponding location on the game board onto which the playing piece is being placed.  
   
   
       20 . The board game of  claim 19  wherein a schematic representing the series corresponding to the pattern or color on the back surface and/or sides of each tile is embossed on the back surface of the tile, and the squares on the game board having like pattern or color are recessed to receive said schematic, thus rendering the game accessible to the blind.