Entertainment method and device involving a board game

Abstract

A game playing method and a device for providing an entertainment diversion are provided. The device includes a number of areas, each area being associated with a tally group, each area having a value associated therewith, and the values of a given set of areas are associated with a respective tally group that is tallied according to a tally heuristic rule. The device also provides sets of tokens, each token being disposable in a player dedicated disposition in which the value of a respective area in which the token has been associated is taken into account during a tallying of the values of a given set of areas according to a role and a limited use disposition in which the value of a respective set of areas with which the token has been associated is taken into account according to a further rule.

1 . A method of providing an entertainment diversion comprising:
 operating a play advancing mechanism such that the play advancing mechanism reveals an initial range of possible player moves, the play advancing mechanism being operated by a first player;   indicating an acceptance of one of the possible player moves in the initial range of possible player moves revealed by the play advancing mechanism, the indication being provided by the first player and the step of indicating an acceptance of the respective player move resulting in a marker being attributed to the first player;   operating the play advancing mechanism such that the play advancing mechanism reveals a further range of possible player moves, the play advancing mechanism being operated by a second player;   indicating an acceptance of one the further possible player movies in the further range of possible player moves revealed by the play advancing mechanism, the indication being provided by the second player and the step of indicating an acceptance of the respective player move resulting in a marker being attributed to the second player; and   performing successive rounds of play in which, in each round of play, a respective one of the first and second players operates the play advancing mechanism to reveal a respective range of possible player moves and thereafter indicates acceptance of one of the possible player moves in the respective range of possible player moves revealed by the play advancing mechanism with respective markers attributed to the first and second players as a result of such acceptance indications, wherein (a) when a collection of markers having a predetermined tally relationship to one another have been attributed to a respective player, the respective player is credited with a tally credit, (b) the attribution of a marker to a player results in that marker being the respective final marker that places a collection of markers into the status of being in a predetermined tally relationship to one another is deemed to be a recognized tally credit attribution, and (c) two or more markers attributed to a respective player that do not have a predetermined tally relationship to one another but could, with the addition of a further marker or markers, eventually be comprised in a collection of markers having a predetermined tally relationship to one another, are deemed to be in a latent tally credit relationship with one another and the game play includes at least one decision juncture at which a player may indicate an acceptance of a possible player move via a selected one of a pair of acceptance protocols, one acceptance protocol being an indication by the player that a marker is to be attributed to the player as a non-released marker and the other acceptance protocol being an indication by the player that a marker is to be attributed to the player as a shared credit marker, wherein a selection by the player at this decision juncture via the one acceptance protocol such that a marker is to be attributed to the player as a non-released marker does not operate to create a recognized tally credit attribution but may create a latent tally credit relationship and, alternatively, a selection by a player at this decision juncture via the other acceptance protocol such that a marker is to be attributed to the player as a shared credit marker results in a recognized tally credit attribution in which the marker is a respective final marker that places a collection of markers into the status of being in a predetermined tally relationship to one another.   
     
     
         2 . The method according to  claim 1  and further comprising the step of determining a status of the performance of the first and second players relative to one another, the status determining step including tallying the values of the markers associated with each respective player. 
     
     
         3 . The method according to  claim 2 , wherein each of the steps of operating a play advancing mechanism such that the play advancing mechanism reveals an initial range of possible player moves and operating a play advancing mechanism such that the play advancing mechanism reveals a further range of possible player moves includes rolling a pair of dice such that, upon cessation of the rolling motion, each of the die of the pair of dice reveals a respective dot pattern comprised of a single dot or a specific number of multiple dots totaling between two dots up to and including six dots. 
     
     
         4 . The method according to  claim 3 , wherein each of the shape of indicating an acceptance of one of the possible player moves in the initial range of possible player moves revealed by the play advancing mechanism and indicating an acceptance of one of the possible player moves in the further range of possible player moves revealed by the play advancing mechanism includes a step of a player placing a tagging element on a selected one of a plurality of tiles of a layout of sectors with the tagging element being placed on a tile that does not already have a tagging element disposed thereon. 
     
     
         5 . A device for providing an entertainment diversion, the device comprising:
 a plurality of areas, each area being associated with a tally group, each area having a value associated therewith, and the values of a given set of areas associated with a respective tally group being tallied according to a tally heuristic rule;   a first set of tokens, each token being disposable in a player dedicated disposition in which the value of a respective area in which the token has been associated is taken into account during a tallying of the values of a given set of areas according to a rule and a limited use disposition in which the value of a respective set of areas with which the token has been associated is taken into account according to a further rule; and   a second set of tokens, each token being disposable in a player dedicated disposition in which the value of a respective area with which the token has been associated is taken into account during a tallying of the values of a given set of areas according to a rule and a limited use disposition in which the value of a respective set of areas with which the token has been associated is taken into account according to a further rule.   
     
     
         6 . The device for providing an entertainment diversion according to  claim 5 , wherein the plurality of areas are provided on a display having an overall octagon shape. 
     
     
         7 . The device for providing an entertainment diversion according to  claim 6  and further comprising a chance variable element such as dice.