Category-Related Guessing Game

Abstract

The claimed invention is a game in which a player or players tries to guess the category to which a set of words or phrases belongs. The words or phrases are arranged on a playing means such that only the first letter of each word or phrase is initially revealed. The second letters of each word or phrase are then simultaneously revealed, then the third letters, and so on, until a player is able to guess the category to which the words or phrases belong. The game represents an original and elegant advance over other games involving categories, members of categories, and orthography. Whereas other games involve only two of these types of information, or involve providing two types of information in order to guess the third type, the claimed invention utilizes orthography to enable a guessing of both words and categories in a dynamic and fun way, and further implements a simple game device conducing to ease and excitement of play.

1 . A playing apparatus for guessing categories, the playing apparatus consisting of a plurality of playing means and a means for concealing text displayed on the playing means, each playing means displaying a set of words or phrases constituting members of a category, the words or phrases being displayed on the playing means such that all the letters of the words or phrases except the first letter of each word or phrase may be initially concealed, then both the first and second letters (but not the remaining letters) of each word or phrase may be revealed with the remaining letters being concealed, then the only first three letters of each word or phrase may be revealed, and so on, the concealing means being constructed so as to be capable of initially concealing, then gradually revealing the letters of the words or phrases. 
   
   
       2 . A method for a player or players to guess categories by being apprised of initially only the first letter of each of a set of given words or phrases belonging to a given category, then being gradually apprised of second, third, and fourth letters of each word or phrase, and so on, until a player guesses the category, the letters being supplied to the player in the form of a simultaneous revelation of additional letters from all the words or phrases. 
   
   
       3 . A method for a player or players to guess categories by being apprised of certain but not all the letters of a set of words or phrases belonging to a given category, then being apprised of additional letters of the words or phrases until the category is guessed. 
   
   
       4 . A method for a player or players to guess members of a category, by being apprised of only the first letter of each of a set of words or phrases, by then being gradually apprised of second, third, and fourth letters of each word or phrase, and so on, until the player guesses some or all the words or phrases, the letters being presented to the player in the form of a simultaneous revelation of additional letters from all the words or phrases. 
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 4 , comprising the further step of apprising the player or players of the category to which the words or phrases belong. 
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the name of the category to which the words belong is revealed letter by letter, beginning with a single letter which is followed by the revelation of additional letters. 
   
   
       7 . The apparatus described in  claim 1 , wherein the concealing means is a portion of the playing means which is folded so as initially to conceal then gradually to reveal he words or phrases. 
   
   
       8 . The apparatus described in  claim 1 , wherein the concealing means is a separate device in which the playing means is placed, the device comprising a playing-means-holding component and a cover component. 
   
   
       9 . The apparatus described in  claim 8 , wherein the device comprises a cover control component which automatically manipulates the cover component so as to reveal a greater portion of the playing means over timed intervals. 
   
   
       10 . The apparatus described in  claim 1 , wherein the words or phrases on the playing means are arranged in a vertical list, the printing of the words on the playing means being justified to the left margin of the playing means and successive letters of each word or phrase being evenly spaced such that the second, third, fourth, etc., letters of ach word or phrase appear directly above or below each other. 
   
   
       11 . The apparatus described in  claim 9 , wherein the playing means is a playing card. 
   
   
       12 . The apparatus described in  claim 1 , wherein the category to which the words or phrases belong is also printed on the playing means. 
   
   
       13 . The method described in  claim 2 , wherein one player writes down a list of words or phrases belonging to a category, such words and category being of the layer's own choosing. 
   
   
       14 . The method described in  claim 2 , comprising the further step of tabulating points based on the number of letters which are revealed at the time a player correctly guesses the category. 
   
   
       15 . The method described in  claim 2 , comprising the further steps of assembling a plurality of players, choosing a starting player or team to begin a round of play, designating another player or team as the “judging player,” said judging player drawing a randomly selected playing means from a general pool of playing means each of which displays a set of words or phrases belonging to a category, such judging player causing the words or phrases displayed on the playing means to be initially concealed and then gradually exposed, while the starting player seeks to guess the category to which the words or phrases belong, such judging player evaluating whether the starting player's guess or guesses is correct, and such judging player stopping play when the starting player has correctly guessed the category. 
   
   
       16 . The method described in  claim 2 , comprising the further step of assembling a plurality of players, such players selecting a playing means from a general pool of playing means each of which displays a set of words or phrases belonging to a category as well as the name of the category, no player initially observing either the words or phrases or the category name, the players competing to guess the category, and play ending when a player first guesses a category or first guesses the answer category correctly. 
   
   
       17 . The method described in  claim 14 , comprising the further step of moving playing pieces assigned to each player on a game board, such movement being dictated by the number of points each player has accumulated during rounds of the game. 
   
   
       18 . The method described in  claim 2 , comprising the further step of employing a computer program to store a plurality of sets of words or phrases along with the associated categories, to retrieve from the database a set or words or phrases along with the given category name, to display to a player or players of the initial letters of the words or phrases, to gradually display additional letters of the words or phrases, to accept player input consisting of guesses concerning the name of the given category, to compare player input against the stored name of the given category, and to apprise the player or players whether the guesses are correct.