Method of Playing a Game

Abstract

A method for playing a game of strategy and skill in which players move hunter pieces on a playing surface having an array of playing spaces, with each player designating one playing space as a treasure space. On each turn, a player may move his hunter piece or place a bridge piece on the playing surface for defining movements allowed by the hunter pieces. The players alternate turns until victory is achieved by occupying an opponents treasure space or capturing an opponent's treasure space hunter piece.

1 . A method of playing a game having first and second players, the method comprising:
 a) establishing a playing surface having columns and rows, said rows being transverse to said columns, said playing surface defining:
 spots at intersections of said rows and columns, and 
 bridge sites between spots in adjacent columns; 
   b) placing a first player hunter piece on a first spot on said playing surface;   c) placing a second player hunter piece on a second spot on said playing surface;   d) placing a first player treasure piece on a third spot on said playing surface;   e) placing a second player treasure piece on a fourth spot on said playing surface;   f) the first player placing a first player bridge on a bridge site selected from among unoccupied ones of said bridge sites;   g) the second player placing a second player bridge on a bridge site selected from among unoccupied ones of said bridge sites;   h) alternately repeating steps f) and g) a predetermined number of times;   i) after step h), the first player performing as a further action one of:
 placing a further first player bridge on an unoccupied bridge site, and 
 moving said first player hunter piece; 
   j) after step h), the second player performing as a further action one of:
 placing a further second player bridge on an unoccupied bridge site, and 
 moving said second player hunter piece; 
   k) alternately performing steps i) and j), until a predetermined victory condition is achieved;   wherein hunter pieces may be moved along a column of spots until encountering a bridge;   wherein movement of a player's hunter piece to a spot adjacent to a bridge diverts said hunter piece to another column in accordance with predetermined movement rules; and   wherein movement of a player's hunter piece to a predetermined spot without achieving a victory condition causes that player's hunter piece to move to another predetermined spot.   
     
     
         2 . The method of playing a game of  claim 1 , wherein a player may take, as a further action in one of steps i) and j), moving a previously placed bridge to an unoccupied bridge site 
     
     
         3 . The method of playing a game of  claim 1 ,
 wherein said playing surface further defines
 a first plurality of territory islands at a first end of said columns for the first player, and 
 a second plurality of territory islands at a second end of said columns for the second player; and 
   wherein said third spot is one of said first plurality of territory islands, and said fourth spot is one of said second plurality of territory islands.   
     
     
         4 . The method of playing a game of  claim 1 ,
 wherein said playing surface further defines
 a first plurality of territory islands at a first end of said columns for the first player, and 
 a second plurality of territory islands at a second end of said columns for the second player; and 
   wherein said predetermined spot is one of an opponent's territory islands;   
     
     
         5 . The method of playing a game of  claim 1 ,
 wherein said playing surface further defines
 a first plurality of territory islands at a first end of said columns for the first player, and 
 a second plurality of territory islands at a second end of said columns for the second player; and 
   wherein said another predetermined spot is one of said territory islands of the player whose hunter piece failed to achieve a victory condition.   
     
     
         6 . The method of playing a game of  claim 1 , wherein in step h) said predetermined number is three. 
     
     
         7 . The method of playing a game of  claim 1 , wherein movement of a player's hunter piece to said another column permits that player to choose between stopping at the spot to which said player's hunter piece had been diverted or proceeding along said another column. 
     
     
         8 . The method of playing a game of  claim 1 , wherein a bridge may not be placed on a bridge site that is adjacent to, and in the same row as, an occupied bridge site. 
     
     
         9 . The method of playing a game of  claim 1 , wherein a bridge may not be placed on a bridge site that is adjacent to, and in the same row as, a spot occupied by any hunter piece. 
     
     
         10 . The method of playing a game of  claim 1 ,
 wherein said bridges are selected from first and second types of bridges; and   wherein each type of bridge defines a different movement rule.   
     
     
         11 . The method of playing a game of  claim 10 , wherein said type of bridge is represented by the shape of said bridge. 
     
     
         12 . The method of playing a game of  claim 10 , wherein the number of said first type of bridges is different than the number of said second type of bridges. 
     
     
         13 . The method of playing a game of  claim 10 , wherein a first of said movement rules is that movement caused by said bridge is movement over said bridge to the spot in the adjacent column. 
     
     
         14 . The method of playing a game of  claim 13 ,
 wherein movement caused by said first type of bridge follows said first movement rule; and   wherein a second of said movement rules is that the movement of said hunter piece caused by said second type of bridge is movement over said second type of bridge to the spot lying in the same row that is two columns over from the spot reached by said hunter piece before applying said second movement rule, provided that if said second type of bridge does not lie at least two columns from the boundary of said playing surface then said hunter piece is moved to the spot that lies in the same row and is one column over from the spot reached by said hunter piece before applying said second movement rule.   
     
     
         15 . The method of playing a game of  claim 14 ,
 wherein there is a third type of bridge; and   wherein a third of said movement rules is that the movement of said hunter piece caused by said third type of bridge is to move
 (i) over said third type of bridge to an adjacent column, then 
 (ii) two spots in that column irrespective of the presence of any other bridge, and then 
 (iii) to a spot in the same row in an adjacent column irrespective of the presence of any other bridge. 
   
     
     
         16 . The method of playing a game of  claim 1 , wherein a first of said movement rules is that the movement of said hunter piece caused by said second type of bridge is movement over said second type of bridge to the spot lying in the same row that is two columns over from the spot reached by said hunter piece before applying said second movement rule, provided that if said second type of bridge does not lie at least two columns from the boundary of said playing surface then said hunter piece is moved to the spot that lies in the same row and is one column over from the spot reached by said hunter piece before applying said second movement rule. 
     
     
         17 . The method of playing a game of  claim 16 , wherein there is a second type of bridge; and
 wherein a second of said movement rules is that the movement of said hunter piece caused by said second type of bridge is to move
 (i) over said second type of bridge to an adjacent column, then 
 (ii) two spots in that column irrespective of the presence of any other bridge, and then 
 (iii) to a spot in the same row in an adjacent column irrespective of the presence of any other bridge. 
   
     
     
         18 . The method of playing a game of  claim 1 , wherein said victory conditions include having a hunter piece land on either an opponent's hunter piece or an opponent's treasure piece. 
     
     
         19 . The method of playing a game of  claim 1 , wherein said first spot is one of said first plurality of territory islands and said second spot is one of said second plurality of territory islands. 
     
     
         20 . The method of playing a game of  claim 1 , wherein the first player, in performing step i), may not move one of the second player's bridges, and the second player, in performing step j), may not move one of the first player's bridges.