Method of Game Play Providing For the Equitable Collecting of Certain Game Components

Abstract

Provided herein is a novel method of game play that provides for the fair and equitable exchange of certain game components occurring during game play, and more specifically, said method of game play that encompasses all variations of game play where the exchange of said game components occurs as the result of an auction or auction-like process. The present invention creates game play that allows for the acquisition of collectible game components, and more specifically, collectible cards, where ownership of said collectible game components is transferred from one player to another and is governed by rules that provide for the fair and equitable exchange of said components. Other novel features of the present invention include, among other things, infinite game length, game play without the determination of a winner, simultaneous game play, and the use and addition of an unlimited number of certain game components during game play.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows: 
     
         1 . A method of playing a game with game components, the method being suitable for games for two or more players and having rules for game play that provide for the exchange of ownership of certain game components between players as a result of game play, where said exchange is facilitated and governed by rules that provide for the equitable exchange of said game components. 
     
     
         2 . The method in  claim 1 , where certain game components are collectible, and are available in a reservoir of multiple copies of a plurality of said collectible components. 
     
     
         3 . The methods in  claims 1  and  2 , where whenever exchange of ownership of certain game components occurs as a result of game play, said the exchange is facilitated and governed by specific rules of game play, hereinafter called Fair Trade Collecting Rules™; where Fair Trade Collecting Rules™ require each player to submit a specified number of specific game components to game play, where the type and/or quality of said game component(s) to be submitted to game play may be specified, and where the requirements and method of acquiring said game components is specified, thereby providing a degree of equality to the number and type of said game components each player has the opportunity to acquire during game play; where any player who cannot meet the requirements of the Fair Trade Collecting Rules™ must relinquishes said game component(s) they have acquired through game play and return them to their original owner, to the extent that they comply with the requirements of the Fair Trade Collecting Rules™; and where Fair Trade Collecting Rules™ require that any said game component(s) held by a player, that is the property of another player and/or that has not been acquired in accordance with game rules, is returned to the owner of said game component(s) at the end of game play, or when the owner, or player holding said game component(s), leaves game play. 
     
     
         4 . The methods in  claims 1 ,  2  and  3 , with said methods being suitable for games for two or more players and having rules for game play, where said rules include an auction or auction-like process in which certain game components are acquired by game players. 
     
     
         5 . The methods in  claims 1 ,  2 ,  3  and  4 , with said methods being suitable for games for two or more players and having rules for game play that provide for the exchange of ownership of certain game components, where the exchange of ownership of collectible components between players occurs through an auction process, with the game having said collectible components available in a reservoir of multiple copies of a plurality of said collectible components, and being played in a method comprising the steps of: each player constructing their own collection or cache of collectible components by acquiring said collectible components from the reservoir of collectible components; with each player being able to select a number of collectible components from their cache to submit to the auction process, with said steps of executing a turn comprising:
 a) selecting one or more collectible components from the player's cache and bringing one or more collectible components into game play by submitting them to the auction process; and 
 b) auctioning each collectible component submitted to the auction process:
 (i) by selecting one or more collectible components; and 
 (ii) taking bids for the one or more collectible components until a winning bidder has been determined, with the winning bidder acquiring the collectible component(s) 
 (iii) where the winning bidder pays the bid amount, or a portion thereof, to the player who submitted the collectible component(s) to the auction, and any associated fees, 
 (iv) where when the winning bidder is the player who submitted the collectible component to the auction, payment is made as prescribed by game rules, where said rules may require said player to submit said payment, or a portion thereof, to a game cash pool; 
 
 c) with the auction continuing until each collectible component submitted to the auction has been acquired or removed from the auction, with game play continuing indefinitely or until the game ends; where whenever change of ownership of collectible components occurs as a result of an auction process during game play, the acquisition of said collectible components is governed by Fair Trade Collecting Rules™, where Fair Trade Collecting Rules™ require each player to submit a minimum number of collectible components to the auction process, where the type and/or quality of said components may be specified, where any player who has not met the requirements of Fair Trade Collecting Rules™ for the number of collectible components needed to be submitted to game play at the time they leave a game or when a game ends, must relinquish a number of collectible components they have acquired from the other player(s) during the course of game play that is equal to the number of collectible components they are required to submit to game play minus the number of collectible components they have submitted to game play; where said relinquished collectible component(s) may be chosen by a majority of the other players, or the other player in a two person game, where said relinquished collectible component(s) may be returned to their original owner or reentered into game play, depending on the rules of game play, where any relinquished collectible component(s) resubmitted to said auction have the winning bid amount paid in accordance with game rules, which may or may not require remuneration be given to the player relinquishing said collectible component(s) or that the amount bid for said collectible component(s) be placed in a game cash pool, depending on the rules of game play and/or the decision of a majority of the other players; and where Fair Trade Collecting Rules™ require that any collectible component(s) held by a player, that is the property of another player and/or that has not been acquired in accordance with game rules, is returned to the owner of said collectible component(s) at the end of game play or when the owner or player holding said collectible component(s) leaves game play; where any game terminated before the prescribed mandates of the Fair Trade Collecting Rules™ have been met, requires the holding of a final auction, that will provide players access to collectible components and ensure that each player submits a minimum number of collectible components to the auction process as prescribed by game rules, thereby providing a degree of equality to the number of collectible components each player has the opportunity to acquire during game play, where the number of collectible components a player submits to the final auction, is determined by having said player subtract the number of collectible components they have submitted to all prior auctions from the minimum number of collectible components which must be submitted to the auction process for the entirety of the game, and submitting the difference to the final auction, where if that difference is zero or less than zero, no collectible components are submitted to the final auction, where a player may not submit duplicate collectible components to said final auction unless said duplicate is approved by a majority of those players participating in said final auction, or the second player in a two person game; where any player leaving a game where game play requires the completion of a minimum number of auctions, prior to the completion of the minimum number of auctions required, must submit a prescribed number of collectible components to the auction process as specified by the Fair Trade Collecting Rules™, where the number of collectible components a player leaving game play must submit to the auction process is determined by having the player subtract the number of collectible components they have submitted to all prior auctions from the minimum number of collectible components which must be submitted to the auction process for the entirety of the game, and submitting the difference to the auction process, where if that difference is zero or less than zero, no collectible components are submitted to the auction process, where a player may not submit duplicate collectible components to said auction process unless said duplicate is approved by a majority of those players participating in said final auction, and where the number of collectible components submitted to the auction process by a player or players leaving the game may be auctioned in a single auction, or over several auctions. 
 
     
     
         6 . The methods in  claims 1 ,  2 ,  3 ,  4  and  5 , where the collectible game components being exchanged are cards. 
     
     
         7 . The method in  claims 4 ,  5  and  6 , where the prescribed number of collectible components submitted to an auction is 2 per player, per turn, or an average of 2 per player, per turn over the course of game play; but where the number of collectible components submitted to an auction may also be 3 or 4 per player, per turn, or an average of 3 or 4, per player, per turn over the course of game play, and where said number may be determined by the number of auctions held during game play and/or the number of players, but where said number may also be a different number than 2, 3 or 4, and where said number may be:
 a) a fixed, mandatory number that remains constant throughout the course of game play, where the same specified number of collectible components must be submitted to the auction process for each game turn; 
 b) a variable, mandatory number that changes during the course of game play, where a specified number of collectible components must be submitted to the auction process for a given turn, but where that specified number may change for any given turn; 
 c) a fixed, non-mandatory number that remains constant throughout the course of game play, where a specified number of collectible components may be submitted to the auction process for each turn, but where the specified number is not mandatory, and where the number of collectible components submitted to an auction may be equal to or less than that specified number; 
 d) a non-fixed, non-mandatory number that varies during the course of game play, where a specified number of collectible components may be submitted to the auction process for a given turn, but where that specified number may change for any given turn, where that specified number is not mandatory, and where the number of collectible components submitted to the auction process may be equal to or less than that specified number; 
 e) an unrestricted number, where players can submit as many collectible components to the auction process as they like; where the number of game components submitted to any auction process may be determined by a designated auctioneer, where said auctioneer can be a player or someone not playing the game, where said auctioneer may be chosen by a majority of the players; or where the number of game components submitted to the auction process may be determined by consensus of a majority of the players; and where Fair Trade Collecting Rules™ require each player to submit a minimum number of collectible components to the auction process, where the preferred minimum number of collectible components a player must submit to the auction process is 12 or 18, but where the minimum number of collectible components a player must submit to the auction process may be a positive integer other than 12 or 18, and where Fair Trade Collecting Rules™ may require the holding of a minimum number of auctions, where the preferred minimum number of auctions that must be held is 6, but where the minimum number of auctions that must be held may be a positive integer other than 6. 
 
     
     
         8 . The method in  claims 4 ,  5 ,  6  and  7 , where the steps of executing a turn consist of the auction process as described therein, followed by an interactive event phase or Open; where during the Open players may, inter alia:
 a) interact with other players to acquire or relinquish game components, 
 b) interact with other players to exercise or activate the abilities of game components, 
 c) exercise or activate the abilities of game components in their possession, 
 d) construct agreements or barter deals with other players, in accordance with the rules of the game, 
 e) bring additional game components into game play, 
 f) exercise or activate features of game play specified in the rules, and/or 
 g) change the parameters of game play as allowed within the rules of game play. 
 
     
     
         9 . The method in  claims 1 ,  2 ,  3 ,  4 ,  5 ,  6 ,  7  and  8 , where players may purchase collectible components by using game currency; where when game play includes an auction process, any player(s) with game currency in game play can acquire said collectible components through an auction or final auction, and where when only one player has the ability to acquire said collectible components in an auction, said player is allowed to do so as long as said player distributes their purchases evenly among the other players, so that they purchase no more than one additional said collectible component from any player(s) than they purchase from the other player(s); where the amount of game currency a player has in game play may be added to, in accordance with the rules of game play; where game rules may provide that said additional currency may be added to game play by one or more players; where when game players receive game currency for the value of certain game components they possess in game play, the amount of remuneration said players receive for said components may be restricted and/or limited; and where a player leaving game play is entitled to any compensation they would normally receive from the auctioning of their said collectible component(s), so long as they have complied with the mandates of Fair Trade Collecting Rules™, where said player may need not be present to receive said compensation; but where if a player has not complied with Fair Trade Collecting Rules™ said compensation for said player is distributed in accordance with game rules. 
     
     
         10 . The method in  claim 9 , where before the start of game play, all players create a game bank, with each player submitting a specified amount of game currency to the game bank; where said bank collects fees from and distributes compensation to players, where a banker may be chosen by majority vote of the players, to collect and distribute funds from the bank; where when an auction is part of game play, the banker may also be the auctioneer, or where the auctioneer may be another person chosen by a majority of the players, where the banker and/or auctioneer need not be a game player, where when the banker is a player, the banker plays the game just as any other player and is subject to the rules of game play, where the banker may be changed during game play, and where the functions of the banker and/or auctioneer may be automated; where during an auction, the player who is the winning bidder may pay an auction fee to the bank; where the auction fee paid to the bank maybe 10 percent of the purchase price, but where the auction fee may be an amount other than 10 percent, as designated by the banker and/or game rules, and where when the winning bidder is the same player that submitted the game component to the auction, that player may pay the said winning bid amount to the bank; where the amount of game currency held by the bank in game play may be added to, in accordance with the rules of game play, which may provide that said additional currency may be added to game play by one or more game players; where when the bank runs out of game cash to pay game players per the rules of game play, additional game currency may be required to be added to the bank by one or more game players; where when game players receive game currency for the value of certain game components they possess in game play, the amount of remuneration said players receive for said components may be restricted and/or limited. 
     
     
         11 . The method in  claims 1 ,  2 ,  3 ,  4 ,  5 ,  6 ,  7 ,  8 ,  9  and  10 , where the number of certain game components a player can use for game play, or a player's cache, can be of any size, and where additional game components may be added to a player's cache at any time; and where when game currency is a part of game play the amount of game currency in game play may be increased either communally or by an individual player or players, where the amount of game currency said player(s) may have in game play may be unlimited, and where the ability of said player(s) to add game currency either to a communal currency reservoir and/or to said player(s)'s wealth may be unlimited and/or unrestricted. 
     
     
         12 . The method in  claims 1 ,  2 ,  3 ,  4 ,  5 ,  6 ,  7 ,  8 ,  9 ,  10  and  11 , where a game can be of any length in duration, and may be played indefinitely, so long as the requirements of Fair Trade Collecting Rules™ are met. 
     
     
         13 . The method in  claims 1 ,  2 ,  3 ,  4 ,  5 ,  6 ,  7 ,  8 ,  9 ,  10 ,  11  and  12 , where the result of game play does not provide for, or require the determination of a winner; and where players may not be eliminated from game play, and where the interactions of players may be non-violent as pertaining to game play, and where the object of game play may be, inter alia, the collection of certain game components, and/or educational, and/or participation in group social interactions. 
     
     
         14 . The method in  claim 8 , where when an auction process is a part of game play, said auction process may be suspended for a given turn or turns, or held at regular intervals other than once per turn; or where the interactive event phase or Open portion of a turn may be suspended for a given turn or turns, or held at regular intervals other than once per turn. 
     
     
         15 . The method in  claims 4 ,  5 ,  6 ,  7 ,  8 ,  9 ,  10 ,  11 ,  12 ,  13  and  14 , where an auction process is part of game play, and where game rules provide that a player may choose not to participate in a given auction process, either fully or partially, by not submitting collectible components to said auction process, said player may be restricted in their abilities to participate in game play, where certain aspects of game play may be unavailable to said player whenever they do not fully or partially participate in said auction process, with said aspects being, inter alia: the ability to acquire certain game components in the auction process, and/or the ability to permanently keep certain game components that have been acquired from other players during game play. 
     
     
         16 . The method in  claims 1 ,  2 ,  3 ,  4 ,  5 ,  6 ,  7 ,  8 ,  9 ,  10 ,  11 ,  12 ,  13 ,  14  and  15 , where players may be added or removed from game play; where the addition or removal of said players is negligible with regard to the fluidity, consistency and/or state of game play. 
     
     
         17 . The method in  claims 1 ,  2 ,  3 ,  4 ,  5 ,  6 ,  7 ,  8 ,  9 ,  10 ,  11 ,  12 ,  13 ,  14 ,  15  and  16 , where the abilities of certain game components may be determined and/or activated by, inter alia: the roll of a die, a random number generating device, a device that generates random results, or by other game components. 
     
     
         18 . The method in  claims 1 ,  2 ,  3 ,  4 ,  5 ,  6 ,  7 ,  8 ,  9 ,  10 ,  11 ,  12 ,  13 ,  14 ,  15 ,  16  and  17 , where a data recording method and/or device is used in game play to, inter alia:
 a) record the number, type and/or name of certain game components a player posses, 
 b) record the value of certain game components within game play, 
 c) record information which is indicated on the game components, 
 d) track, monitor and/or manage game components, 
 e) track and/or monitor the progress and/or flow of game play, 
 f) track and/or monitor the abilities and/or functionality of certain game components during game play, and/or 
 g) provide a way to determine compensation for players as prescribed by game play; 
 
       where said data recording method and/or device may be, inter alia, an electronic device with a form containing data receptacles, a printed form with data receptacles, a computer generated form with data receptacles or a software program that can generate a form with data receptacles; where the use of a data recording method and/or device allows for suspension and resumption of game play. 
     
     
         19 . A method of playing a collectible card game, the method being suitable for card games having rules of play and multiple copies of a plurality of cards, with the rules of play including instructions, inter alia, on the use of game components, the objective of game play and instructions on executing turns; with players collecting cards from the multiple copies of a plurality of cards, by purchasing or trading cards, or as a result of acquiring cards through game play, to create a cache of cards and using said cache to play the game; where a player's cache of cards may be of any size and where additional cards can be added to a player's cache at any time; and having all players create a game bank before the start of game play and selecting a banker by majority vote of said players, where the banker collects and distributes funds from the bank and runs the auction process, where said banker may be replaced at anytime by a majority vote of the players; and by executing turns in accordance with the rules of play, with the execution of a turn comprising:
 a) submitting cards to an auction by having players select one or more cards from their cache of cards and placing those cards on the playing surface in front of them, and   b) having one or more cards auctioned, and   c) taking bids for the card(s) being auctioned until a winning bidder is determined, with the winning bidder acquiring the card(s) being auctioned,   d) where the high bidder pays the bid amount to the player who submitted the card(s) to the auction,   e) where if the high bidder is the player who submitted the card(s) to the auction, the bid amount is paid to the bank;   
       and continuing the auction until all the cards submitted to the auction have been auctioned; with players purchasing game components with game cash; with game play continuing for an indefinite period of time or until the game ends; where Fair Trade Collecting Rules™ govern the change of ownership of cards as a result of game play, where said Fair Trade Collecting Rules™ require each player submit a minimum number of cards to the auction process and game length be a minimum number of auctions, where the minimum number of collectible cards a player must submit to the auction process during game play is 12 and where the minimum number of auctions is 6; where any game terminated before the prescribed mandates of the Fair Trade Collecting Rules™ have been met, must hold a final auction, to ensure each player submits an equal number of cards to the auction process during the game; and where whenever a final auction is held, the number of cards a player submits to the final auction is determined by subtracting the number of cards said player has submitted to the auction process, from the required number of cards that must be submitted to the auction process by a player, with the difference being the number of cards said player submits to the final auction, where any player with a difference that is zero or less than zero, does not submit any cards to the final auction; where a player may not submit duplicate collectible components to said final auction unless said duplicate is approved by a majority of those players participating in said final auction; further, any player leaving game play before the prescribed mandates of the Fair Trade Collecting Rules™ have been met, is required to give the banker the number of cards needed for said player to reach the minimum number of cards which must be submitted to the auction process by a player; where said player determines the number of cards they must give the banker by subtracting the number of cards said player has submitted to the auction process, from the required number of cards that must be submitted to the auction process by a player, with the difference being the number of cards said player must give the banker, where a difference that is zero or less than zero, means said player does not give any cards to the banker; and where a player leaving a game may not give duplicate cards to the banker, unless said duplicate is approved by a majority of those players participating in the game, and where cards received by the banker from a player or players leaving the game can be auctioned in a single auction, or over several auctions, at the discretion of the banker; and where a player leaving a game is entitled to any compensation said player would normally receive from the auctioning of their cards, with said player not needing to be present to receive said compensation; where any player who cannot meet the mandates of the Fair Trade Collecting Rules™, must relinquishes cards they have acquired through the auction process, to the extent that they comply with the mandates of the Fair Trade Collecting Rules™; where any player(s) with game currency can acquire cards through an auction or final auction, but when only one player has the ability to acquire cards, said player is allowed to do so only as long as said player distributes their purchases evenly among the other players, so that they purchase no more than one additional card from any player(s) than they purchase from the other player(s); and where Fair Trade Collecting Rules™ require that any card held by a player, that is on loan from another player and/or that has not been acquired in accordance with game rules, is returned to the owner of said card at the end of game play or when the owner leaves game play; where any player who has not met the requirements of Fair Trade Collecting Rules™ for the number of collectible cards needed to be submitted to game play, at the time they leave a game or when a game ends, must relinquish a number of collectible cards they have acquired from the other player(s) during the course of game play, that is equal to the number of collectible cards they are required to submit to game play minus the number of collectible cards they have submitted to game play; where the type of any collectible cards relinquished by a player may be chosen by a majority of the other players, or the other player in a two person game, where said relinquished collectible cards may be returned to their original owner or reentered into game play, depending on the rules of game play, where, when any relinquished collectible cards are resubmitted to the auction, the winning bid amount is paid to the bank, where remuneration may or may not be awarded the player relinquishing said collectible cards, depending on the rules of game play and/or the decision of a majority of the other players; where the steps of executing a turn consist of the auction process followed by an interactive event phase or Open, where during an Open players may, inter alia:
 a) interact with other players to acquire or relinquish cards or other game components, 
 b) interact with other players to exercise or activate the abilities of cards or other game components, 
 c) exercise or activate the abilities of their cards or other game components, 
 d) construct agreements or barter deals with other players, in accordance with the rules of the game, and 
 e) bring additional cards or other game components into game play as a result of:
 (i) interactions between cards and/or other game components, 
 (ii) the activation and/or usage of the abilities of cards, 
 (iii) the need to replenish game components, or 
 (iii) the allowance and/or requirements of the rules of play; 
 
 
       where the preferred number of cards a player submits to an auction is 2, but where the number of cards submitted to an auction may be:
 a) a fixed, mandatory number that remains constant throughout the course of game play, wherein the same specified number of cards must be submitted to the auction process for each game turn; 
 b) a variable, mandatory number that changes during the course of game play, wherein a specified number of cards must be submitted to the auction process for a given turn, but where that specified number may change for any given game turn; 
 c) a fixed, non-mandatory number that remains constant throughout the course of game play, wherein a specified number of cards may be submitted to the auction process for each turn, but where the specified number is not mandatory, and where the number of cards submitted to the auction process may be equal to or less than that specified number; 
 d) a non-fixed, non-mandatory number that varies during the course of game play, wherein a specified number of cards may be submitted to the auction process for a given turn, but where that specified number may change for any given game turn, and where that specified number is not mandatory, and where the number of cards submitted to the auction process may be equal to or less than that specified number; 
 e) an unrestricted number, where players can submit as many cards to the auction process as they like; where the number of cards submitted to an auction is determined by the game banker; where in certain versions of game play, a player may choose not to participate in a given auction by not submitting cards to an auction, or where a player may choose to submit a number of cards to the auction that is less than a specified number or is less than the minimum number required, where certain aspects of game play may be unavailable to players who do not submit a specified minimum or required number of cards to the auction, with those aspects of game play being, inter alia: the ability to acquire cards in the auction and the ability to permanently keep cards that have been acquired from other players during game play; where the collectible game cards may have the following information, inter alia: 
 
       a) a picture; 
       b) a value rating that determines the monetary value of a card in game play; 
       c) nomenclature pertaining to said picture; 
       d) informational data pertaining to said picture; 
       e) card production information, which may include, inter alia, an identification number, a collection name, rarity, production run and/or chronological dating; 
       where the abilities of certain game cards may be determined and/or activated by the roll of a die and/or other game cards; 
       where a data recording sheet is used in game play to, inter alia:
 a) record and track the cards a player posses, 
 b) record the nomenclature pertaining to the picture on the card, 
 c) record the value rating of cards, 
 d) record monetary aspects of game play, including monetary compensation for players during game play, 
 e) record informational data listed on cards, 
 f) record associations and interactions between cards, 
 g) record the condition or state of cards as pertaining to game play, 
 h) record card acquisitions and losses, 
 i) monitor game play, 
 j) provide for suspension and resumption of game play; 
 
       where when the rules of game play provide for remuneration for game cards in a player's possession, said remuneration is paid said player from the game bank; where when the bank runs out of currency one or more game players may be required to add additional game currency to game play, either to the bank or through payment to themselves using game currency that they had added to game play; where the number of game cards for which a player receives remuneration or the specific amount of remuneration a player receives may be restricted and/or limited, where said restriction and/or limit may be adjusted during game play; where the auction process may be suspended for a given turn or turns, or held at regular intervals other than once per turn; where the auction portion of a turn may consist of two parts, where the first part consists of a method by which a player can acquire one of the cards they have submitted to the auction portion of the turn, which will not be offered for auction, but is purchased by said player by paying a fee to the bank, where that fee may be 10 times the value of the card or as specified by game rules, and where a player purchasing a card through the first part of the auction is required to submit two cards to the second part of the auction, where the second part of the auction portion of a turn is an auction where all players may bid on cards submitted to said auction, where the minimum bid that can be placed for a card may be the value of the card or as specified by game rules, where if no bid is received for the card at the required minimum amount, the player who submitted the card to the auction must purchased said card at the minimum bid amount and pay said amount to the bank, where an auction fee is paid to the bank for any card sold at auction, where the auction fee is 10 percent of the purchase price; where the auction fee is paid by the winning bidder; where players may execute their turns simultaneously; where the number of cards a player submits to an auction is 2; where any card purchased during the auction portion of a turn by a player is listed on said player's data recording sheet; where any card acquired during the Open portion of a turn by a player is listed on said player's data recording sheet; where in certain situations when a player may add a card to the cards they have in game play, but said card is not available, said player may add the remuneration value of said card to their data recording sheet, along with other pertinent information needed, as if they possessed said card; where certain aspects of game play require a player to exchange a card in game play for a card that is in said player's cache; where certain aspects of game play require a player to remove a card in game play and place said card in said player's cache; where players may be added or removed from game play; where when game play ends any money in the bank is distributed evenly among the players; where a winner may not be determined as a result of game play; where certain elements of game play may be withheld from basic or Elementary Rules of game play, but where said elements are available to players through the use of additional or Advanced Rules rules, where players can choose to expand the scope and capabilities of game play by adding one, several or all of the additional or Advanced Rules rules. 
     
     
         20 . The method in  claims 1 ,  2 ,  3 ,  4 ,  5 ,  6 ,  7 ,  8 ,  9 ,  10 ,  11 ,  12 ,  13 ,  14 ,  15 ,  16 ,  17 ,  18  and  19 , where certain game components are designed for educational purposes, and where the use of said components may be accompanied by teaching materials, instructions and/or information; where the educational aspects of the present invention may be in the presentation of informative data and/or through the practicing of skills such as, but not limited to, mathematics, inter-personal relations abilities, financial management, data collection and conservation.