Bingo-like and trivia televison game show

Abstract

A bingo-style/trivia game in a game show or computer game format is provided. In accordance with the method, at least two players compete to match numbers on a game board and to correctly answer questions. The player who has the most points at the end of one-to-one contestant rounds then plays a bonus round.

1 . A method of playing a game comprising the steps of: 
 providing a game board comprising a matrix of cells configured in a column and row orientation and a row of player cells;    displaying on each of a subset of said matrix of cells a random number;    displaying during a plurality of turns one of a random number and a graphic icon on each of said row of player cells;    determining at least one of whether at least one random number displayed by at least one player cell matches at least one random number displayed by at least one cell of said matrix of cells and whether at least one graphic icon displayed by the at least one player cell provides for the performance of a predetermined action; and    in accordance with said determining step, performing at least one of covering up the at least one random number displayed by the at least one cell of said matrix of cells which matches the at least one random number displayed by the at least one player cell and performing the predetermined action corresponding to the at least one graphic icon displayed by the at least one player cell.    
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the predetermined action is selected from the group consisting of awarding a predetermined number of points to at least one player, providing an option to the at least one player of selecting a cell of said matrix of cells to cover, awarding a free turn to the at least one player, and asking the at least one player a question.  
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein, if the at least one player answers the question incorrectly, deducting points from the at least one player and giving another player an opportunity to answer the question.  
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising the step of awarding the at least one player a clue for solving a puzzle, if the at least one player answers the question correctly.  
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising the step of determining the occurrence of at least one bingo-like condition after the covering of said at least one matched random number.  
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein each player cell corresponds to a respective column of the matrix of cells, such that only the random number displayed in a cell in the column corresponding to the player cell can be matched by the random number displayed by the player cell.  
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the at least one player is given an opportunity to solve the puzzle during a bonus round.  
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 7 , further comprising the step of announcing a category related to the puzzle prior to giving the opportunity to solve the puzzle to the at least one player.  
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the bonus round comprises the steps of: 
 providing a bonus round game board comprising a matrix of game cells configured in a column and row orientation and a row of bonus cells;    displaying on each of a subset of said matrix of game cells a random number;    displaying during at least one turn one of a matching icon and a non-matching icon on each of said row of bonus cells;    covering one or more random numbers displayed by the matrix of game cells in columns of the bonus round game board corresponding to one or more bonus cells displaying the matching icons;    determining the occurrence of at least one bingo-like condition after the covering of the one or more random numbers; and    awarding a clue to the at least one player for each bingo-like condition for solving the puzzle.    
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising the step of awarding points to at least one player of said game after matching the at least one random number displayed by the at least one player cell with the at least one random number displayed by the at least one cell of said matrix of cells.  
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising the step of providing the method steps in a format suitable for broadcasting.  
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the game includes at least one contestant round played between at least two players and at least one round played by a player of the at least two players, and wherein the player of the at least two players is a winning player of the at least one contestant round.  
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein points awarded to the at least two players are increased for at least one of the at least one contestant round.  
   
   
       14 . A computer-readable medium storing a set of programmable instructions and game resources capable of being executed by a processor for playing a game comprising the steps of: 
 providing a game board comprising a matrix of cells configured in a column and row orientation and a row of player cells;    displaying on each of a subset of said matrix of cells a random number;    displaying during a plurality of turns one of a random number and a graphic icon on each of said row of player cells;    determining at least one of whether at least one random number displayed by at least one player cell matches at least one random number displayed by at least one cell of said matrix of cells and whether at least one graphic icon displayed by the at least one player cell provides for the performance of a predetermined action; and    in accordance with said determining step, performing at least one of covering up the at least one random number displayed by the at least one cell of said matrix of cells which matches the at least one random number displayed by the at least one player cell and performing the predetermined action corresponding to the at least one graphic icon displayed by the at least one player cell.    
   
   
       15 . A method of playing a game comprising the steps of: 
 providing a game board comprising a matrix of cells configured in a column and row orientation and a row of player cells;    displaying on each of a subset of said matrix of cells a symbol of a first set;    displaying during a plurality of turns one of a symbol of the first set and a symbol of a second set on each of said row of player cells;    determining at least one of whether at least one symbol of the first set displayed by at least one player cell matches at least one symbol of the first set displayed by at least one cell of said matrix of cells and whether at least one symbol of the second set displayed by the at least one player cell provides for the performance of a predetermined action; and    in accordance with said determining step, performing at least one of covering up the at least one symbol of the first set displayed by the at least one cell of said matrix of cells which matches the at least one symbol of the first set displayed by the at least one player cell and performing the predetermined action corresponding to the at least one symbol of the second set displayed by the at least one player cell.    
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the predetermined action is selected from the group consisting of awarding a predetermined number of points to at least one player, providing an option to the at least one player of selecting a cell of said matrix of cells to cover, awarding a free turn to the at least one player, and asking the at least one player a question.  
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein, if the at least one player answers the question incorrectly, deducting points from the at least one player and giving another player an opportunity to answer the question.  
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising the step of awarding the at least one player a clue for solving a puzzle, if the at least one player answers the question correctly.  
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising the step of determining the occurrence of at least one bingo-like condition after the covering of said at least one matched symbol of the first set.  
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein each player cell corresponds to a respective column of the matrix of cells, such that only the symbol displayed in a cell in the column corresponding to the player cell can be matched by the symbol displayed by the player cell.  
   
   
       21 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the at least one player is given an opportunity to solve the puzzle during a bonus round.  
   
   
       22 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the bonus round comprises the steps of: 
 providing a bonus round game board comprising a matrix of game cells configured in a column and row orientation and a row of bonus cells;    displaying on each of a subset of said matrix of game cells a random number;    displaying during at least one turn one of a matching icon and a non-matching icon on each of said row of bonus cells;    covering one or more random numbers displayed by the matrix of game cells in columns of the bonus round game board corresponding to one or more bonus cells displaying the matching icons;    determining the occurrence of at least one bingo-like condition after the covering of the one or more random numbers; and    awarding a clue to the at least one player for each bingo-like condition for solving the puzzle.    
   
   
       23 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising the step of announcing a category related to the puzzle prior to giving the opportunity to solve the puzzle to the at least one player.  
   
   
       24 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising the step of awarding points to at least one player of said game after matching the at least one symbol of the first set displayed by the at least one player cell with the at least one symbol of the first set displayed by the at least one cell of said matrix of cells.  
   
   
       25 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the game includes at least one contestant round played between at least two players and at least one round played by a player of the at least two players, and wherein the player of the at least two players is a winning player of the at least one contestant round.  
   
   
       26 . An apparatus for playing a game comprising: 
 a processor configured for executing a set of programmable instructions and game resources for performing the steps of: 
 providing a game board comprising a matrix of cells configured in a column and row orientation and a row of player cells;  
 displaying on each of a subset of said matrix of cells a random number;  
 displaying during a plurality of turns one of a random number and a graphic icon on each of said row of player cells;  
 determining at least one of whether at least one random number displayed by at least one player cell matches at least one random number displayed by at least one cell of said matrix of cells and whether at least one graphic icon displayed by the at least one player cell provides for the performance of a predetermined action; and  
 in accordance with said determining step, performing at least one of covering up the at least one random number displayed by the at least one cell of said matrix of cells which matches the at least one random number displayed by the at least one player cell and performing the predetermined action corresponding to the at least one graphic icon displayed by the at least one player cell.  
   
   
   
       27 . The apparatus of  claim 26 , wherein the predetermined action is selected from the group consisting of awarding a predetermined number of points to at least one player, providing an option to the at least one player of selecting a cell of said matrix of cells to cover, awarding a free turn to the at least one player, and asking the at least one player a question.  
   
   
       28 . The apparatus of  claim 26 , wherein the processor further executes the set of programmable instructions for determining the occurrence of at least one bingo-like condition after the covering of said at least one matched random number.  
   
   
       29 . The apparatus of  claim 26 , wherein the processor further executes the set of programmable instructions and game resources for giving at least one winning player an opportunity to solve a puzzle during a bonus round.  
   
   
       30 . The apparatus of  claim 26 , wherein the processor further executes the set of instructions and game resources for playing a bonus round comprising the steps of: 
 providing a bonus round game board comprising a matrix of game cells configured in a column and row orientation and a row of bonus cells;    displaying on each of a subset of said matrix of game cells a random number;    displaying during at least one turn one of a matching icon and a non-matching icon on each of said row of bonus cells;    covering one or more random numbers displayed by the matrix of game cells in columns of the bonus round game board corresponding to one or more bonus cells displaying the matching icons;    determining the occurrence of at least one bingo-like condition after the covering of the one or more random numbers; and    awarding a clue to the at least one player for each bingo-like condition for solving a puzzle.    
   
   
       31 . An apparatus for playing a game comprising: 
 a processor configured for executing a set of programmable instructions and game resources for performing the steps of: 
 providing a game board comprising a matrix of cells configured in a column and row orientation and a row of player cells;  
 displaying on each of a subset of said matrix of cells a symbol of a first set;  
 displaying during a plurality of turns one of a symbol of the first set and a symbol of a second set on each of said row of player cells;  
 determining at least one of whether at least one symbol of the first set displayed by at least one player cell matches at least one symbol of the first set displayed by at least one cell of said matrix of cells and whether at least one symbol of the second set displayed by the at least one player cell provides for the performance of a predetermined action; and  
 in accordance with said determining step, performing at least one of covering up the at least one symbol of the first set displayed by the at least one cell of said matrix of cells which matches the at least one symbol of the first set displayed by the at least one player cell and performing the predetermined action corresponding to the at least one symbol of the second set displayed by the at least one player cell.  
   
   
   
       32 . The apparatus of  claim 31 , wherein the predetermined action is selected from the group consisting of awarding a predetermined number of points to at least one player, providing an option to the at least one player of selecting a cell of said matrix of cells to cover, awarding a free turn to the at least one player, and asking the at least one player a question.  
   
   
       33 . The apparatus of  claim 31 , wherein the processor further executes the set of programmable instructions for determining the occurrence of at least one bingo-like condition after the covering of said at least one matched symbol of the first set.  
   
   
       34 . The apparatus of  claim 31 , wherein the processor further executes the set of programmable instructions and game resources for giving at least one player an opportunity to solve a puzzle during a bonus round.  
   
   
       35 . The apparatus of  claim 31 , wherein the processor further executes the set of programmable instructions and game resources for playing a bonus round comprising the steps of: 
 providing a bonus round game board comprising a matrix of game cells configured in a column and row orientation and a row of bonus cells;    displaying on each of a subset of said matrix of game cells a random number;    displaying during at least one turn one of a matching icon and a non-matching icon on each of said row of bonus cells;    covering one or more random numbers displayed by the matrix of game cells in columns of the bonus round game board corresponding to one or more bonus cells displaying the matching icons;    determining the occurrence of at least one bingo-like condition after the covering of the one or more random numbers; and    awarding a clue to the at least one player for each bingo-like condition for solving a puzzle.