Three dimensional cubic strategy game

Abstract

Embodiments relate to a three-dimensional (3D) strategy game in which various-shaped pieces are stacked upon a playing surface according to certain rules. The game pieces are 3D shapes formed by a combination of cubic units. Each cubic unit is a standard six-faced cube. Embodiments of the strategy game require at least two players, but these players need not all be human players. As players take turns placing pieces on the grid according to certain rules, the square cells become occupied by pieces and the players begin to place pieces on top of previously placed pieces, thus building a vertical “tower” out of the game pieces over the course of the game. After a certain condition is met, such as a player not being able to make another move according to the rules, the game is over and a winner and/or a loser are declared.

1 . A method of playing a game, comprising:
 a) providing a first player with a first plurality of game pieces;   b) providing a second player with a second plurality of game pieces, wherein each game piece of the first plurality of game pieces and each game piece of the second plurality of game pieces is either a single cubic unit piece or a composite piece, wherein each composite piece is comprised of two or more cubic units, wherein a cubic unit is defined as a cube where each edge of the cube has a length of a cubic unit length, wherein each composite piece has a length, width, and height each less than or equal to N cubic unit lengths;   c) placing an initial game piece from the first plurality of game pieces onto a playing surface by the first player according to a set of rules;   d) placing a subsequent game piece from the second plurality of game pieces onto the playing surface by the second player according to the set of rules;   e) placing a subsequent game piece from the first plurality of game pieces onto the playing surface by the first player according to the set of rules; and   f) repeating d) and e) until an end-of-game condition is met according to the set of rules.   
     
     
         2 . The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 selecting the first player, wherein the first player places the initial game piece.   
     
     
         3 . The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 declaring a winning player.   
     
     
         4 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the set of rules comprises:
 the initial game piece is placed by the first player such that the first player chooses the placement of the initial game piece and such that no portion of the initial game piece hangs over the playing surface to create a void, and wherein the initial game piece is a composite piece comprised of three or more cubic units; and   the subsequent game pieces are placed such that at least one face of one of the cubic units of the subsequent game piece is aligned to a face of a cubic unit of at least one previously placed game piece that the subsequent game piece is placed immediately adjacent to and/or directly on top of, and no portion of the subsequent game piece hangs over the playing surface or a previously placed game piece to create a void.   
     
     
         5 . The method according to  claim 2 , wherein the set of rules further comprises:
 the subsequent game piece is placed such that the subsequent game piece is immediately adjacent to and/or directly on top of at least one previously placed game piece that was placed by the opposing player.   
     
     
         6 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the set of rules further comprises:
 the end-of-game condition is that the first player or second player cannot place a subsequent game piece according to the rules.   
     
     
         7 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the set of rules further comprises:
 wherein when the end-of-game condition is triggered assigning a winning player points based on pieces remaining unplayed by a losing player, playing additional games until either the first player or the second player is assigned points totaling above a predetermined number.   
     
     
         8 . The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 providing a playing surface.   
     
     
         9 . The method according to  claim 8 , wherein the playing surface comprises:
 a grid, wherein the grid is comprised of a plurality of square cells wherein each side of each cubic unit length, of square cells of the plurality of square cells has a length of one cubic unit length, wherein an outer boundary of the grid is rectangular, wherein the outer boundary of the grid has dimensions of L and M cubic unit lengths, where L≧2N and M≧2N.   
     
     
         10 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein N=2. 
     
     
         11 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein N=3. 
     
     
         12 . The method according to  claim 9 , where L=5 and M=5. 
     
     
         13 . The method according to  claim 9 , wherein N=2, L=4, and M=4. 
     
     
         14 . The method according to  claim 4 , wherein the set of rules further comprises:
 after a predetermined number of subsequent pieces have been placed, each subsequent game piece placed thereafter is immediately adjacent to and/or directly on top of at least two previously placed game pieces.   
     
     
         15 . The method according to  claim 14 , wherein the predetermined number of subsequent pieces is three, wherein the at least two previously placed game pieces are two of the subsequent pieces placed by the other player. 
     
     
         16 . The method according to  claim 14 , wherein the at least two previously placed game pieces were not all placed by the first player and were not all placed by the second player. 
     
     
         17 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein all pieces of the first plurality of game pieces have a first identifying feature, wherein all pieces of the second plurality of game pieces have a second identifying feature, wherein the first identifying feature and the second identifying feature are selected from the group consisting of color, composite material, at least one letter, at least one number, at least one word, opacity, luminosity, at least one symbol, at least one logo, and at least one artwork. 
     
     
         18 . The method according to  claim 4 , wherein the set of rules further comprises:
 the initial game piece is a predetermined piece of a first plurality of pieces and/or is placed on a predetermined location on the playing surface.   
     
     
         19 . The method according to  claim 4 , wherein the set of rules further comprises:
 subsequent game pieces are placed such that the subsequent game piece does not extend above a height of a predetermined number of cubic units lengths.   
     
     
         20 . The method according to  claim 10 , each player is assigned a plurality of game pieces that form the player's set. In a specific embodiment, each player's set is composed of a number “o” of the single cubic unit piece, as shown in  FIGS. 1-2 , a number “p” of the double cubic unit piece, as shown in  FIGS. 3-4 , a number “q” of the triple cubic unit piece, as shown in  FIGS. 5-6 , a number “r” of the quadruple cubic unit piece A, as shown in  FIGS. 7-9 , a number “s” of the quadruple cubic unit piece B, as shown in  FIGS. 10-11 , a number “t” of the quadruple cubic unit piece C, as shown in  FIGS. 12-16 , a number “u” of the quadruple cubic unit piece D, as shown in  FIGS. 17-21 , a number “v” of the quintuple cubic unit piece A, as shown in  FIGS. 22-25 , a number “w” of the quintuple cubic unit piece B, as shown in  FIGS. 26-30 , a number “x” of the sextuple cubic unit piece A, as shown in  FIGS. 31-33 , a number “y” of the sextuple cubic unit piece B, as shown in  FIGS. 34-38 , and a number “z” of the sextuple cubic unit piece C, as shown in  FIGS. 39-44 , where o=1, p=3, q=3, r=2, s=1, t=1, u=1, v=1, w=1, x=1, y=1, and z=1. 
     
     
         21 . A non-transitory media storage device having machine-readable instructions stored thereon for performing a method of playing a game between two or more players, the method comprising:
 a) providing a first player with a first plurality of game pieces;   b) providing a second player with a second plurality of game pieces, wherein each game piece of the first plurality of game pieces and each game piece of the second plurality of game pieces is either a single cubic unit piece or a composite piece, wherein each composite piece is comprised of two or more cubic units, wherein a cubic unit is defined as a cube where each edge of the cube has a length of a cubic unit length, wherein each composite piece has a length, width, and height each less than or equal to N cubic unit lengths;   c) placing an initial game piece from the first plurality of game pieces onto a playing surface by the first player according to a set of rules;   d) placing a subsequent game piece from the second plurality of game pieces onto the playing surface by the second player according to the set of rules;   e) placing a subsequent game piece from the first plurality of game pieces onto the playing surface by the first player according to the set of rules; and   f) repeating d) and e) until an end-of-game condition is met according to the set of rules.   
     
     
         22 . The media storage device according to  claim 16 , wherein the set of rules comprises:
 the initial game piece is placed by the first player such that the first player chooses the placement of the initial game piece and such that no portion of the initial game piece hangs over the playing surface to create a void, and wherein the initial game piece is a composite piece comprised of three or more cubic units; and   the subsequent game pieces are placed such that at least one face of one of the cubic units of the subsequent game piece is aligned to a face of a cubic unit of at least one previously placed game piece that the subsequent game piece is placed immediately adjacent to and/or directly on top of, and no portion of the subsequent game piece hangs over the playing surface or a previously placed game piece to create a void.   
     
     
         23 . The media storage device according to  claim 21 , wherein the first player is a computer controlled and the second player is human or the second player is computer controlled and the first player is human 
     
     
         24 . A gaming apparatus, comprising:
 a first plurality of game pieces;   a second plurality of game pieces, wherein each game piece of the first plurality of game pieces and each game piece of the second plurality of game pieces is either a single cubic unit piece or a composite piece, wherein each composite piece is comprised of two or more cubic units, wherein cubic unit is defined as a cube where each edge of the cube has a length of cubic unit length, wherein each composite piece has a length, width, and height each less than or equal to N cubic unit lengths.   
     
     
         25 . The gaming apparatus according to  claim 24 , further comprises a set of rules, wherein the set of rules comprises:
 the initial game piece is placed by the first player such that the first player chooses the placement of the initial game piece and such that no portion of the initial game piece hangs over the playing surface to create a void, and wherein the initial game piece is a composite piece comprised of three or more cubic units; and   the subsequent game pieces are placed such that at least one face of one of the cubic units of the subsequent game piece is aligned to a face of a cubic unit of at least one previously placed game piece that the subsequent game piece is placed immediately adjacent to and/or directly on top of, and no portion of the subsequent game piece hangs over the playing surface or a previously placed game piece to create a void.   
     
     
         26 . The gaming apparatus according to  claim 24 , further comprising:
 a playing surface, wherein game pieces from the first plurality of game pieces and game pieces from the second plurality of game pieces are configured to be placed on the playing surface in order to play a game.   
     
     
         27 . The gaming apparatus according to  claim 25 , further comprising:
 a playing surface, wherein game pieces from the first plurality of game pieces and game pieces from the second plurality of game pieces are configured to be placed on the playing surface in order to play a game.   
     
     
         28 . The gaming apparatus according to  claim 25 , wherein the set of rules comprises:
 after a predetermined number of subsequent pieces have been placed, each subsequent game piece placed thereafter is immediately adjacent to and/or directly on top of at least two previously placed game pieces.   
     
     
         29 . The gaming apparatus according to  claim 28 , wherein the predetermined number of subsequent pieces is three, wherein the at least two previously placed game pieces are two of the subsequent pieces placed by the other player.