Game assemblies with launching game pieces

Abstract

A game assembly for forming words with letters. Players take turns launching a chip onto a lettered tile on a game surface or into a receiving portion of tower, in which case the player may select a desired letter. The first player to spell out a word based on the letters corresponding to lettered tiles bearing chips and the player's letter selection, collects all of the chips corresponding to the lettered tiles used to form the word. The last player with all of the chips wins the game. The game assembly includes chips, chip launchers, a game surface, and a tower placed on the game surface. The tower comprises receiving and discharging portions. The receiving portion comprises a cavity formed within the tower and the discharging portion comprises a sliding surface surrounding the cavity and angled downwardly toward the game surface to discharge a chip onto the game surface.

1 . A game assembly comprising:
 a plurality of game pieces;   a game surface comprising a plurality of demarcated target areas each comprising an identifying indicium;   a randomizer comprising a randomizer receiving portion and a randomizer discharging portion, the randomizer discharging portion being elevated above the game surface, wherein the randomizer discharging portion is disposed peripherally around the randomizer receiving portion and wherein the randomizer discharging portion comprises a sliding surface angled downwardly from the randomizer receiving portion toward the game surface;   a plurality of guides coupled to the sliding surface, the plurality of guides being spaced apart at a distance that is greater than a largest width of each one of the plurality of game pieces; and   a game piece launcher operable to launch one of the plurality of game pieces to initially land on one of the game surface, the randomizer receiving portion or the randomizer discharging portion;   wherein when one of the plurality of game pieces initially lands on the randomizer discharging portion, the game piece is discharged from the randomizer and onto the game surface.   
     
     
         2 . The game assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the identifying indicium is at least one of an alphanumeric letter or number. 
     
     
         3 . The game assembly of  claim 1 , wherein when the game piece initially lands on the randomizer receiving portion, the game piece is retained within the randomizer. 
     
     
         4 . The game assembly of  claim 3 , wherein the randomizer receiving portion is a cavity disposed centrally of the randomizer. 
     
     
         5 . (canceled) 
     
     
         6 . (canceled) 
     
     
         7 . (canceled) 
     
     
         8 . (canceled) 
     
     
         9 . A game assembly comprising:
 a plurality of game pieces;   a game surface that is a flat, contiguous and planar surface; and   a randomizer comprising a randomizer receiving portion and a randomizer discharging portion elevated above the game surface, wherein the randomizer receiving portion comprises a cavity formed within the randomizer and the randomizer discharging portion comprises a sliding surface surrounding the cavity and angled downwardly toward the game surface.   
     
     
         10 . The game assembly of  claim 9 , further comprising a game piece launcher operable to launch one of the plurality of game pieces to initially land on one of the game surface, the randomizer receiving portion or the randomizer discharging portion. 
     
     
         11 . The game assembly of  claim 10 , wherein when the game piece initially lands on the randomizer receiving portion, the game piece is retained within the cavity. 
     
     
         12 . The game assembly of  claim 10 , wherein when the game piece initially lands on the randomizer discharging portion, the game piece slides downwardly toward the game surface and lands on the game surface. 
     
     
         13 . The game assembly of  claim 9 , wherein the game surface comprises a plurality of demarcated sections each comprising an identifying indicium and wherein the identifying indicium includes an alphanumeric character. 
     
     
         14 . (canceled) 
     
     
         15 . The game assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the game surface has a circular outer periphery and fold lines along first and second diameters that intersect at the center at a 90° angle, wherein the game surface is cut along at least a first half of one of the first and second diameters. 
     
     
         16 . A game assembly comprising:
 a plurality of round chips each having flat opposing surfaces and a diameter;   a planar game surface comprising a center and a plurality of rings surrounding the center, the plurality of rings each comprising a plurality of separate and demarcated target areas;   a tower configured to be placed at center of the game surface, the tower comprising a receiving portion and a discharging portion elevated above the game surface, wherein the receiving portion comprises a cavity formed within the tower and the discharging portion comprises a sliding surface surrounding the cavity and angled downwardly toward the game surface; and   a chip launcher operable to launch one of the plurality of game pieces to initially land on one of the game surface, the tower receiving portion or the tower discharging portion.   
     
     
         17 . The game assembly of  claim 16 , further comprising a plurality of guides coupled to the sliding surface, the plurality of guides being spaced apart at a distance that is greater than the diameter of the round chips. 
     
     
         18 . The game assembly of  claim 16 , wherein the randomizer receiving portion includes a surface parallel to the game surface. 
     
     
         19 . The game assembly of  claim 16 , wherein the target areas each comprise one letter. 
     
     
         20 . The game assembly of  claim 19 , wherein the game surface further comprises a plurality of penalty areas and wherein the penalty areas each include an indicium comprising a numerical value.