Lightyear!tm, the space game!

Abstract

A unique game called Lightyear is described which is about space in which players play games of strategy, rescue, conquest, discovery, trivia and the like. The game may be realized as a board game as well as a computer game playable on one computer or using a network of computers connected using Internet or other wired or wireless networks. The board game version of Lightyear comprises of a game board with all the planets of the solar system drawn and laid out in a unique way on the board around the sun. The game board further comprises of one or more orbits around the sun. The orbits may be oval or circular or any other shape. There may be connectors between the orbits. The players play the specific version of the game on this board with play astronauts and play spaceships. The Lightyear rescue game may be played where the players setup an astronaut on each planet except Earth and race with each other using the rules of the game, to rescue astronauts to Earth from all the planets before losing their resources. The first person to rescue all their astronauts wins the game. The Lightyear conquest game may involve players playing a game of space conquest, where each player may start either from Earth or from their base space station on Pluto or any other planet, with a goal to get their astronauts on most planets. Once the bases are established the players may engage in space battle using rolling dice or drawing battle zone cards or the like to try to gain dominance over the entire solar system.

1 . A board game comprising at least one rule of game play for playing by at least one player using at least one playing piece, and at least one die, said at least one die is rolled to play the said board game, said board game comprising a plurality of marked spaces, said marked space comprises at least one action which is taken when said at least one player's said playing piece reaches the said marked space during the said player's turn, said board game further comprising:
 a. at least two concentric circular or elliptical paths comprising said marked spaces on which said player's said play pieces are placed and moved during game play;   b. at least one connector path comprising said marked spaces to connect the said concentric circular or elliptical paths; and   c. at least one connector play rule of said at least one rule of game play to allow said player's said play piece to move on the connector path, to enter or to leave the said connector path to or from the said concentric circular or elliptical paths.   
   
   
       2 . A board game comprising at least one rule of game play for playing by at least one player using at least one playing piece, the board game further comprising at least one numbered die that is rolled to play the said board game, and the board game further comprising a modifier die that is also rolled with the said numbered die, wherein the said modifier die modifies the result of the roll of the said numbered die, and the said game pieces are moved using the modified resulting roll. 
   
   
       3 . The board game of  claim 2  further comprising a plurality of marked spaces, said marked space comprises at least one action which is taken when said at least one player's said playing piece reaches the said marked space during the said player's turn, said board game further comprising:
 a. at least two concentric circular or elliptical paths comprising said marked spaces on which said player's said play pieces are placed and moved during game play;   b. at least one connector path comprising said marked spaces to connect the said concentric circular or elliptical paths; and   c. at least one connector play rule of said at least one rule of game play to allow said player's said play piece to move on the connector path, to enter or to leave the said connector path to or from the said concentric circular or elliptical paths.   
   
   
       4 . The board game of  claim 1  comprising said at least one die, said at least one die is a numbered die that is rolled to play the said board game, and the board game further comprising a modifier die that is also rolled with the said numbered die, wherein the said modifier die modifies the result of the roll of the said numbered die, and the said game pieces are moved using the modified resulting roll. 
   
   
       5 . The board game of  claim 3  comprises of a game of space with solar system planets laid out on the board, said planets can be reached by playing the said play pieces using the said concentric circular or elliptical paths and the said connector paths, wherein the said play pieces comprise at least one play space ship and at least one play astronaut, and the said play space ships may be moved on the said paths based on the said modified resulting roll. 
   
   
       6 . The board game of  claim 4  comprises of a game of space with solar system planets laid out on the board, said planets can be reached by playing the said play pieces using the said concentric circular or elliptical paths and the said connector paths, wherein the said play pieces comprise at least one play space ship and at least one play astronaut, and the said play space ships may be moved on the said paths based on the said modified resulting roll.