Sudoku board game

Abstract

A Sudoku board game has a receiver board, a decoder board, and pieces. The receiver board has a plurality of receiver holes. The decoder board has a plurality of key holes, and the key holes are arranged to present a Sudoku game to a player. The pieces are insertable first through the receiver holes and then into the key holes. Each of the pieces comprises a top, a key, and a shaft coupled to the top and the key. The keys are arranged to cooperate with the key holes such that only a key matching a key hole can be fully inserted into the key hole and corresponding receiver hole and such that a key not matching a key hole cannot be fully inserted into the key hole and corresponding receiver hole.

1 . A board game comprising:
 a game board apparatus having at least one board with a plurality of keyed holes, wherein the game board is arranged to obscure view of the keyed holes from players; and,   a plurality of game pieces, wherein each of the game pieces comprises a top and a key coupled to one another, wherein each of the keys matches at least one but not all of the keyed holes, and wherein each of the game pieces is applied to the game board apparatus such that feedback is provided to a player of an incorrect move when the player inserts one of the game pieces into one of the keyed holes that does not match the key of the inserted game piece.   
   
   
       2 . The board game of  claim 1  wherein the keys comprise electric keys. 
   
   
       3 . The board game of  claim 1  wherein the keys comprise mechanical keys. 
   
   
       4 . The board game of  claim 3  wherein each of the game pieces is applied to the game board apparatus such that the game pieces can be fully inserted into only those of the keyed holes that match the keys of the game pieces and such that the game pieces can be partially but not fully inserted into those of the keyed holes that do not match the keys of the game pieces. 
   
   
       5 . The board game of  claim 1  wherein each of the game pieces further includes a shaft coupling the top to the key, wherein each of the keyed holes further has a singularly polarized shape, and wherein each of the shafts has the singularly polarized shape. 
   
   
       6 . The board game of  claim 1  wherein the tops of the game pieces include indicators, wherein the indicators are indicative of an object of a game, and wherein the indicators have values associated with the keys. 
   
   
       7 . The board game of  claim 6  wherein the indicators are repeated around the tops so that the indicators are clearly viewable from all different angles around the game board apparatus. 
   
   
       8 . The board game of  claim 7  wherein the top of each game piece comprises a plurality of facets, and wherein the indicators are carried on the facets. 
   
   
       9 . The board game of  claim 8  wherein the top of each game piece comprises a pyramidal shape. 
   
   
       10 . The board game of  claim 1  wherein the top of each of the game pieces includes a gripping element arranged to facilitate gripping of the game pieces by a player during insertion or withdrawal of the game pieces into or from the keyed holes. 
   
   
       11 . A board game comprising:
 a receiver board having a plurality of receiver holes;   a decoder board having a plurality of keyed holes, wherein the decoder board is located under the receiver board when the board game is played, and wherein, when the decoder board is aligned with the receiver board, each of the keyed holes aligns with a corresponding one of the receiver holes to form a corresponding game hole; and,   a plurality of game pieces, wherein each of the game pieces comprises a top and a key coupled to one another, wherein each of the keys matches at least one but not all of the game holes, and wherein each of the game pieces is applied such that feedback is provided to a player of an incorrect move when the player inserts one of the game pieces into one of the game holes having a keyed hole that does not match the key of the inserted game piece.   
   
   
       12 . The board game of  claim 11  wherein the keys comprise electric keys. 
   
   
       13 . The board game of  claim 11  wherein the keys comprise mechanical keys. 
   
   
       14 . The board game of  claim 13  wherein each of the game pieces is applied such that the game pieces can be fully inserted into only those of the game holes having keyed holes that match the keys of the game pieces and such that the game pieces can be partially but not fully inserted into those of the game holes having keyed holes that do not match the keys of the game pieces. 
   
   
       15 . The board game of  claim 11  wherein each of the game pieces further includes a shaft coupling the top to the key, wherein each of the receiver holes has a singularly polarized shape, and wherein each of the shafts has the singularly polarized shape. 
   
   
       16 . The board game of  claim 11  wherein the tops of the game pieces include indicators, wherein the indicators are indicative of an object of a game, and wherein the indicators have values associated with the keys. 
   
   
       17 . The board game of  claim 16  wherein the indicators are repeated around the tops so that the indicators are clearly viewable from all different angles around the game board apparatus. 
   
   
       18 . The board game of  claim 17  wherein the top of each game piece comprises a plurality of facets, and wherein the indicators are carried on the facets. 
   
   
       19 . The board game of  claim 18  wherein the top of each game piece comprises a pyramidal shape. 
   
   
       20 . The board game of  claim 11  wherein the top of each of the game pieces includes a gripping element arranged to facilitate gripping of the game pieces by a player during insertion or withdrawal of the game pieces into or from the game holes. 
   
   
       21 . The board game of  claim 11  further comprising a plurality of additional decoder boards such that each of the decoder boards uniquely corresponds to a different game. 
   
   
       22 . The board game of  claim 11  wherein the receiver board is arranged to prevent players from directly viewing the decoder board. 
   
   
       23 . The board game of  claim 11  further comprising a game piece holder arranged to hold a players game pieces. 
   
   
       24 . A Sudoku board game comprising:
 a receiver board having a plurality of receiver holes, wherein the receiver holes are formed as a grid into rows and columns, and wherein the grid is divided into a plurality sub-grids such that each of the sub-grids has a predetermined number of receiver holes;   a decoder board having a plurality of key holes, wherein the decoder board is located under the receiver board when the board game is played, wherein, when the decoder board is aligned with the receiver board, each of the key holes aligns with a corresponding one of the receiver holes, and wherein the key holes are keyed so that each key hole is unique within a sub-grid and within each row and column of the grid and so that each key hole is repeated in each sub-grid; and,   a plurality of pieces, wherein each of the pieces comprises a top, a key, and a shaft coupled to the top and the key, wherein each of the pieces is applied to the receiver and decoder boards such that the shaft is accommodated by a corresponding one of the receiver holes and the key is accommodated by a corresponding one of the key holes, and wherein the keys match the key holes so that each key is unique within a sub-grid and within each row and column of the grid and so that each key is repeated in each sub-grid, wherein the keys can only be fully inserted into matching key holes, and wherein the keys cannot be fully inserted into non-matching key holes.   
   
   
       25 . The Sudoku board game of  claim 24  wherein each receiver hole has a singularly polarized shape, and wherein each shaft has the singularly polarized shape. 
   
   
       26 . The Sudoku board game of  claim 24  wherein the receiver board is arranged to releaseably receive the decoder board. 
   
   
       27 . The Sudoku board game of  claim 24  further comprising a plurality of additional decoder boards such that each of the decoder boards uniquely corresponds to a different Sudoku puzzle. 
   
   
       28 . The Sudoku board game of  claim 27  wherein the decoder boards are arranged into at least first and second groups, and wherein the second group represents a level of play more difficult that a level of play associated with the first group. 
   
   
       29 . The Sudoku board game of  claim 24  further comprising a blank board to be used in place of or in combination with the decoder board, wherein the blank board has no unique key holes and prevent feedback when a piece is inserted into an incorrect receiver hole. 
   
   
       30 . The Sudoku board game of  claim 24  wherein the tops of the pieces include indicators indicative of the keys of the pieces, and wherein the indicator on a top is repeated therearound so that the indicator is viewable from different angles around the receiver board. 
   
   
       31 . The Sudoku board game of  claim 30  wherein the top of each piece comprises a plurality of facets, and wherein the indicator is carried on each of the facets. 
   
   
       32 . The Sudoku board game of  claim 31  wherein the top of each piece comprises a pyramidal shape. 
   
   
       33 . The Sudoku board game of  claim 24  wherein the top of each of the pieces includes a gripping element arranged to facilitate gripping of the pieces by a player during insertion or withdrawal of the pieces into or from the receiver board. 
   
   
       34 . The Sudoku board game of  claim 24  wherein the receiver board is arranged to prevent players from directly viewing the decoder board. 
   
   
       35 . The Sudoku board game of  claim 24  further comprising a piece holder arranged to hold a players pieces. 
   
   
       36 . A board game comprising:
 a receiver board having a plurality of receiver holes, wherein each of the holes of the receiver board comprises a singularly polarized shape;   a decoder board having a plurality of keyed holes, wherein, when the decoder board is aligned with the receiver board, each of the keyed holes aligns with a corresponding one of the receiver holes to form a corresponding game hole; and,   a plurality of game pieces, wherein each of the game pieces comprises a shaft and a key coupled to one another, wherein each of the shafts has the singularly polarized shape of the holes of the receiver board, wherein the singularly polarized shape of the shafts cooperates with the keys so that each of the keys matches at least one but not all of the game holes, and wherein each of the game pieces is applied such that feedback is provided to a player of an incorrect move when the player inserts one of the game pieces into one of the game holes having a keyed hole that does not match the key of the inserted game piece.   
   
   
       37 . The board game of  claim 36  wherein the key of a first one of the pieces comprises a first angle with respect to the polarized shape of the shafts, wherein the key of a second one of the pieces comprises a second angle with respect to the polarized shape of the shafts, and wherein the first and second angles are different such that the key of the first piece but not the key of the second piece can be fully inserted into one of the keyed holes. 
   
   
       38 . The board game of  claim 37  wherein the key of a third one of the pieces comprises a neutral key having no angle with respect to the polarized shape of the shafts. 
   
   
       39 . The board game of  claim 38  wherein the neutral key comprises a circular shape.