Board game with laterally movable pieces

Abstract

A puzzle board game for completing puzzle pictures or patterns of animals, words, phrases, or geometric designs includes a case, a cover for the case, a card holder on the inside of the cover for holding additional game cards with various puzzle patterns imprinted thereon, intersecting tracks for supporting the lateral (left/right or up/down) movement of square or circular-shaped game playing pieces some of which have on their facing surfaces portions of the puzzle pattern or picture printed thereon, with from one to three game playing piece positions left open for determining puzzle solution degree of difficulty, and an end member attachably removably to one side of the case so that after completion of one puzzle game, the end member is removed, the playing pieces are emptied from the tracks, the playing pieces are then randomly inserted back onto the tracks, and the end member is attached to the case so that the next play of the puzzle board game can commence.

1 . A puzzle board game for solving a puzzle picture, comprising:
 a case having three sidewalls with the sidewalls defining an interior game board region;   an end member attachably removable to at least two of the sidewalls for closing off the interior game board region;   a plurality of intersecting tracks extending between the sidewalls and the end member and completely filling the interior game board region with the intersecting tracks defining a puzzle grid;   a plurality of game playing pieces disposed on the tracks and each game-playing piece selectively laterally slidably movable independently of the other game playing pieces;   at least some of the game-playing piece having portions of the respective puzzle picture imprinted thereon;   a cover pivotally attached to the case and which is openable and closable upon the game playing pieces;   the puzzle grid having at least one empty space to permit the lateral slidable movement of the game playing pieces about the tracks; and   whereupon the game playing pieces are moved about the tracks until the puzzle picture is completed and then the end member is removed so that the game playing pieces can be removed from the interior game board region and then the game playing pieces are reset in a random manner back onto the tracks and the end member is attached to the sidewalls so that play of the next puzzle game can commence.   
   
   
       2 . The puzzle board game of  claim 1  further comprising a plurality of game cards with each game card having a unique puzzle picture imprinted thereon. 
   
   
       3 . The puzzle board game of  claim 2  wherein the cover includes an inner lip for holding game cards therein. 
   
   
       4 . The puzzle board game of  claim 3  wherein each game-playing piece includes a foot, a stem, and body member. 
   
   
       5 . The puzzle board game of  claim 4  wherein the puzzle picture can be representative of a word, a phrase, a geometric shape, and flora and fauna from the natural world. 
   
   
       6 . The puzzle board game of  claim 5  wherein the puzzle grid having three empty spaces is for a novice or child. 
   
   
       7 . The puzzle board game of  claim 6  wherein the puzzle grid having two empty spaces is intended for an individual having normal and intermediate puzzle solving abilities. 
   
   
       8 . The puzzle board game of  claim 7  wherein the puzzle grid having one empty space is for an individual having expert puzzle solving abilities. 
   
   
       9 . A puzzle board game for solving a puzzle picture, comprising:
 a case having three sidewalls with the sidewalls defining an interior game board region;   an end member attachably removable to at least two of the sidewalls for closing off the interior game board region;   a plurality of intersecting tracks extending between the sidewalls and the end member and completely filling the interior game board region and the intersecting tracks defining a puzzle grid within the case;   a plurality of game playing pieces disposed on the tracks and each game playing piece selectively laterally slidably movable thereon independent of the other game playing pieces;   at least some of the game playing pieces having portions of the respective puzzle picture imprinted thereon;   at least one game card having the puzzle picture imprinted thereon that corresponds to the puzzle picture imprinted on the game playing pieces;   a cover pivotally attached to the case and which is openable and closable upon the game playing pieces;   the cover including an inner lip for holding additional game cards;   the puzzle grid having between one and three empty spaces to permit the lateral slidable movement of the game playing pieces on the tracks and for a plurality of levels of difficulty for puzzle picture solution; and   whereupon the game playing pieces are moved about the tracks until the puzzle picture is completed and then the end member is removable so that the game playing pieces can be removed from the interior game board region and then the game playing pieces are reset back onto the tracks in a random manner with the end member attached to the sidewalls so that the puzzle board game can be played anew.   
   
   
       10 . The puzzle board game of  claim 9  wherein each game playing piece includes a foot, a stem, a body member, and a game facing surface. 
   
   
       11 . The puzzle board game of  claim 10  wherein the puzzle picture can be representative of a word, a phrase, a geometric shape, and flora and fauna from the natural world. 
   
   
       12 . The puzzle board game of  claim 11  having three empty spaces in the puzzle grid being intended for play by a novice and child. 
   
   
       13 . The puzzle board game of  claim 12  having two empty spaces in the puzzle grid being intended for play by an individual having normal and intermediate puzzle solving abilities. 
   
   
       14 . The puzzle board game of  claim 13  having one empty space in the puzzle grid being intended for play by an individual having expert puzzle solving abilities.