Games Promoting Cooperative And Interactive Play

Abstract

Games in which players cooperate to help each other score points or win prizes are described. In a game, players are grouped into rooms where they can collect puzzle pieces using a random selection technique, such as a spinner. The spinner can provide puzzle pieces, points, additional spins, and/or loss of spins. The player can position a puzzle piece on a game board, offer to give a puzzle piece to another player in the room, and/or offer to trade a puzzle piece for another player's puzzle piece. The other players can accept or reject proposed gifts and/or trades. The player can collect and use the puzzle pieces to complete the puzzle. The player can earn points for completing the puzzle, which may be used to win a prize.

1 . A game that promotes cooperative and interactive play to complete a puzzle, the game comprising:
 entering a room of the game;   collecting a puzzle piece using a random selection technique;   using any puzzle piece, wherein using any puzzle piece includes selectively performing at least one of positioning a puzzle piece on a game board, offering to give a puzzle piece to another player in the room, and offering to trade a puzzle piece for another puzzle piece of another player in the room;   accepting/rejecting a proposed gift of a puzzle piece from another player;   accepting/rejecting a proposed trade of a puzzle piece from another player;   repeating at least collecting and using puzzle pieces until completing the puzzle; and   earning points for completing the puzzle.   
   
   
       2 . The game of  claim 1 , further including selecting a prize. 
   
   
       3 . The game of  claim 2 , further including claiming the prize based on points earned. 
   
   
       4 . The game of  claim 1 , wherein the puzzle piece is a wild card. 
   
   
       5 . The game of  claim 1  wherein wild cards affect the number of points earned for completing the puzzle. 
   
   
       6 . The game of  claim 1 , wherein the random selection technique provides one of a puzzle piece, additional points, at least one additional random selection opportunity, and a loss of a random selection opportunity. 
   
   
       7 . The game of  claim 1 , wherein the random selection technique is a spinner. 
   
   
       8 . The game of  claim 1 , wherein the puzzle piece is a chain segment and a completed puzzle forms a completed chain. 
   
   
       9 . The game of  claim 8 , wherein the completed chain includes one of at least two end pieces and a loop. 
   
   
       10 . The game of  claim 9 , wherein the points for completing the chain correspond to a number of links in the completed chain. 
   
   
       11 . The game of  claim 1 , wherein the puzzle piece is a picture piece and a completed puzzle forms a picture. 
   
   
       12 . The game of  claim 1 , wherein the puzzle piece is a tile piece and a completed puzzle forms a tile pattern. 
   
   
       13 . The game of  claim 12 , wherein the points for completing the tile pattern correspond to a number of background colors. 
   
   
       14 . The game of  claim 1 , wherein the puzzle piece is a card and a completed puzzle forms a card hand. 
   
   
       15 . The game of  claim 14 , wherein the points for completing the card hand corresponds to patterns of cards in the card hand. 
   
   
       16 . The game of  claim 1 , wherein the puzzle piece is a layer of a layered arrangement and a completed puzzle forms an arrangement with proper placement of layers. 
   
   
       17 . The game of  claim 16 , wherein the layered arrangement is a food item. 
   
   
       18 . The game of  claim 1 , wherein the puzzle piece is a letter and a completed puzzle forms a word. 
   
   
       19 . The game of  claim 18 , wherein the game board includes a plurality of rows and the word includes all letters from at least one adjacent row. 
   
   
       20 . The game of  claim 19 , wherein the points for completing the word correspond to a number of letters in the word. 
   
   
       21 . The game of  claim 1 , wherein each player has a different and potentially inconsistent view of at least one of the room, arrangement of players, game boards, and puzzle pieces. 
   
   
       22 . A computer-readable medium comprising instructions that, when run on a computer, generate signals to control the steps of a game, the game promoting cooperative and interactive play to complete a puzzle, the instructions comprising:
 instructions for a player to enter a room of the game;   instructions for the player to collect a puzzle piece using a random selection technique;   instructions for the player to use any puzzle piece, wherein using any puzzle piece includes selectively performing at least one of positioning a puzzle piece on a game board, offering to give a puzzle piece to another player in the room, and offering to trade a puzzle piece for another puzzle piece of another player in the room;   instructions for the player to accept/reject a proposed gift of a puzzle piece from another player;   instructions for the player to accept/reject a proposed trade of a puzzle piece from another player;   instructions for the player to repeat at least collecting and using puzzle pieces until completing the puzzle; and   instructions for the player to earn points for completing the puzzle.