Collectible card games and methods for playing same

Abstract

Games for two or more players, wherein each attempts to be the first to traverse a path consisting of a series of tasks, are disclosed. Game components such as collectible trading cards may be used to represent tasks, movers, and effects, and the game may include a racing theme. Players may form a path by arranging player-selected task cards on a playing surface, each task card including indicia representing a task, such as a numerical value. Players may then move mover cards along the path, each mover card including indicia representing attributes of the mover to indicate whether the mover is able to accomplish a selected task, such as a corresponding numerical value. Players may play effect cards to modify the attributes of the movers, such as to accomplish a task or hinder an opponent's progress, and to modify game rules and other aspects of the game environment.

1 . A game, comprising 
 a set of rules for game play;    a first set of game cards, each including first set-specific indicia and indicia indicating a numerical value;    a second set of game cards, each including second set-specific indicia, indicia indicating at least one numerical value, and indicia indicating correspondence between at least one numerical value and a numerical value of at least one card of the first set of cards; and    a third set of game cards, each including third set-specific indicia and indicia indicating one or more effects of the card on game play when the card is played in accordance with the set of rules, wherein the effect indicating indicia of at least some of the third set of cards includes indicia indicating a modification of one or more numerical values of a selected card of the second set.    
   
   
       2 . The game of  claim 1 , wherein the effect indicating indicia of at least some of the third set of cards includes indicia indicating an effect on one or more of the rules.  
   
   
       3 . The game of  claim 1  wherein each of the third set of game cards further includes indicia indicating a condition associated with using the card in game play.  
   
   
       4 . The game of  claim 3  wherein the indicia indicating a condition includes a numerical value representing a cost of using the card in game play.  
   
   
       5 . The game of  claim 1  wherein at least some of the third set of cards further include indicia indicating the duration of one or more of the effects of the card.  
   
   
       6 . The game of  claim 1  wherein at least some of the first set of cards further includes compatibility indicia indicating a modification of one or more numerical values of a card of the second set of cards that includes corresponding compatibility indicia, and wherein at least one or more of the second set of cards further includes compatibility indicia corresponding to the compatibility indicia of at least one of the first set of cards that includes compatibility indicia.  
   
   
       7 . The game of  claim 6  wherein at least some of the cards of the third set further include compatibility indicia corresponding to the compatibility indicia of at least one of the first set of cards that includes compatibility indicia and effect indicating indicia indicating that, when played in conjunction with a selected card of the second set, the selected card of the second set is considered to include the compatibility indicia of the card of the third set.  
   
   
       8 . The game of  claim 1  wherein at least some of the cards of the second set include compatibility indicia indicating that cards of the third set that include corresponding compatibility indicia may be played in conjunction with cards of the second set that include compatibility indicia, and wherein at least one or more of the third set of cards further includes compatibility indicia corresponding to the compatibility indicia of at least one of the second set of cards that includes compatibility indicia.  
   
   
       9 . The game of  claim 1 , wherein the effect indicating indicia of at least some of the third set of cards includes indicia indicating an effect of the card on another card of the third set of cards.  
   
   
       10 . The game of  claim 1  wherein the effect indicating indicia may include indicia indicating that a selected card of the third set of cards is removed from play.  
   
   
       11 . A method of playing a card game, the game including rules of play and a plurality of cards, the method comprising: 
 arranging one or more cards from a first set of cards to form a path on a playing surface, each card of the first set having set-specific indicia and indicia indicating a numerical value;    drawing a card from a supply of cards that includes one or more cards from each of a second set of cards and a third set of cards, each card of the second and third sets having set-specific indicia, at least one card of the second set having indicia indicating at least one numerical value to which the numerical value of the cards of the first set correspond, and each card of the third set having indicia indicating a modification to a numerical value of the card of the second set;    executing a turn that includes, at the player's option: 
 placing a drawn card of the second set in a position relative to a selected card in the path; and  
 using one or more drawn cards of the third set in accordance with the rules to modify the numerical value of a placed card; and  
   if the numerical value of the placed card is modified to be equal to or greater than the numerical value of the selected card in the path, moving the placed card to a position relative to a different card in the path.    
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein executing a turn further includes, at the player's option, using one or more drawn cards of the third set in accordance with the rules to modify the modification indicated by another drawn card.  
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein using one or more drawn cards of the third set includes placing the drawn card to partially overlap the card of the second set having the numerical value modified by the used card.  
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein arranging one or more cards from a first set of cards to form a path includes arranging the cards in a continuous row.  
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 11  wherein placing a drawn card of the second set in a position relative to a selected card includes placing the drawn card adjacent the selected card.  
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 15  wherein moving the placed card to a position relative to a different card includes moving the placed card adjacent the different card.  
   
   
       17 . A method of playing a card game for at least two players, the game including game cards each having at least one numerical value and indicia indicating correspondence between numerical values of at least two game cards, the method of playing the card game comprising: 
 arranging a plurality of game cards on a playing surface to form a path;    each player drawing at least one game card from a supply of cards;    each player executing a turn by placing a drawn card in a first position relative to a first card in the path, and moving the placed card from the first position to a second position relative to a second card in the path if a numerical value of the placed card is equal to or greater than a corresponding numerical value of the first card.    
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 17  wherein arranging a plurality of game cards on a playing surface to form a path includes arranging the cards in a continuous row.  
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 17  wherein placing a drawn card in a first position relative to a first card includes placing the drawn card adjacent the first card, and wherein moving the placed card from the first position to a second position relative to a second card includes moving the placed card adjacent the second card.  
   
   
       20 . A method of playing a card game for at least two players, the game including rules of play and a plurality of cards, the method comprising: 
 each player assembling an individual deck of cards from a reservoir of cards that includes a first set of cards and a second set of cards, each card of the first set including indicia indicating a task to be accomplished by the use of one or more cards of the second set, such that the assembled deck of cards includes at least one card from the first set of cards;    each player removing from the deck of cards at least one card from the first set of cards;    arranging the cards from the first set of cards to form a path on a playing surface;    each player executing a turn by drawing at least one card from the deck of cards and, at the player's option, playing a drawn card by placing the card in a position relative to a selected card in the path.    
   
   
       21 . The method of  claim 20 , further including, before assembling an individual deck of cards, each player acquiring an individual reservoir of cards, and wherein each player assembling an individual deck of cards includes each player assembling an individual deck of cards from the player's individual reservoir of cards.  
   
   
       22 . The method of  claim 20  further including, before executing a turn, each player drawing a hand of cards from the player's deck of cards.  
   
   
       23 . The method of  claim 20  wherein arranging the cards further includes arranging the cards face-down.  
   
   
       24 . The method of  claim 23  further including, before executing a turn, turning a selected face-down card face-up.  
   
   
       25 . The method of  claim 20  wherein the game further includes a third set of cards, each card of the third set including indicia indicating the effect of the card on a card of the second set, and wherein executing a turn further includes, at the player's option, playing a card from the third set in conjunction with a played card.  
   
   
       26 . The method of  claim 20  wherein arranging the cards further includes placing the cards in a continuous row.  
   
   
       27 . A method of playing a card game, comprising: 
 arranging a plurality of cards face-down to form a path on a playing surface, the path terminating at one end in a first card;    turning a first card in the path face-up;    drawing a hand of cards from a supply of cards;    playing a drawn card by placing the card in a first position relative to the first card in the path;    turning a second face-down card in the path face-up; and    moving the played card from the first position to a second position relative to the second card in the path.    
   
   
       28 . The method of  claim 27  wherein the game further includes a set of rules for game play, and wherein the method further comprises playing a drawn card, in accordance with the set of rules, in conjunction with a selected played card, by placing the drawn card to partially overlap the played card.  
   
   
       29 . The method of  claim 28  wherein moving the played card includes collectively moving the played card and any cards that are placed to partially overlap the played card.  
   
   
       30 . The method of  claim 27  wherein arranging a plurality of cards face-down to form a path includes arranging the cards in a continuous row.  
   
   
       31 . A method of playing a game, the game including rules of play and a plurality of game components, the method comprising: 
 selecting from the plurality of game components a task component having indicia indicating a numerical value;    drawing a hand of components from a supply of components, the hand including mover components and effect components, at least one mover component having one of more indicia each indicating at least one numerical value that corresponds to a numerical value of the selected task component, and each effect component having indicia indicating a modification of one or more numerical values when played in conjunction with the at least one mover component; and    playing one or more effect components in conjunction with the at least one mover component from the hand and in accordance with the rules to modify the numerical value of the mover component to meet or exceed the corresponding numerical value of the task component.    
   
   
       32 . The method of  claim 31 , further including, before drawing a hand of components from a supply of components, 
 acquiring a personal reservoir of game components; and    assembling for game play a supply of game components from the personal reservoir of game components.    
   
   
       33 . A method of playing a game for two or more players, the game including rules of play and a plurality of cards, the method comprising: 
 drawing a selection of cards from a supply of cards, the selection including mover cards and effect cards, at least one effect card having indicia indicating a cost associated with playing the effect card in conjunction with a mover card and an effect of playing the effect card in conjunction with a mover card;    paying the cost associated with the at least one effect card;    playing the at least one effect card in conjunction with a selected mover card; and    moving the mover card as a result of playing the at least one effect card in conjunction with the selected mover card.    
   
   
       34 . The method of  claim 33 , further including, before playing the at least one effect card, playing a mover card by placing the mover card on a playing surface; wherein playing the at least one effect card further includes placing the played effect card to partially overlap the selected mover card.  
   
   
       35 . The method of  claim 34  wherein moving the mover card further includes collectively moving the mover card and effect cards that were placed to at least partially overlap the mover card prior to moving the mover card.