Board Game

Abstract

A board game comprises a game board, a plurality of sets of standard game board pieces, at least one special game board piece, and a plurality of first configuration tokens. The game board has a playing surface with a plurality of game piece spaces disposed about a central position thereof and surrounded by an edge portion thereof. One or more of the game piece spaces is designated as game play affecting spaces. Each one of the standard game board pieces carries a respective set of game piece distinguishers. One of the game piece distinguishers of each one of the standard game board pieces is the same as one of the game piece distinguishers of at least one other set of the standard game board pieces. The at least one special game board piece is characterized in a manner distinguishing the at least one special game board piece from all of the standard game board pieces. Each one of the first configuration tokens is characterized in a manner allowing each of the first configuration tokens to be identified as being of a common configuration.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A board game, comprising:
 a game board having a playing surface with a plurality of game piece spaces disposed about a central position thereof and surrounded by an edge portion thereof, wherein a portion of the game piece spaces are designated as game play affecting spaces;   a plurality of sets of standard game board pieces each carrying a respective set of game piece distinguishers, wherein one of the game piece distinguishers of each one of the standard game board pieces is the same as one of the game piece distinguishers of at least one other set of the standard game board pieces;   at least one special game board piece characterized in a manner distinguishing the at least one special game board piece from all of the standard game board pieces; and   a plurality of first configuration tokens each characterized in a manner allowing each of the first configuration tokens to be identified as being of a common configuration.   
     
     
         2 . The board game of  claim 1  wherein a quantity of the game play affecting spaces adjacent to the edge portion of the playing surface is greater than a quantity of the game play affecting spaces adjacent to the central position of the playing surface. 
     
     
         3 . The board game of  claim 2  wherein the game play affecting spaces are uniformly distributed with respect to the central position of the playing surface. 
     
     
         4 . The board game of  claim 1  wherein:
 all of the standard game board pieces and the at least one special game board piece are substantially flat, are of a common size, and are substantially square in shape; and 
 all of the game piece spaces are substantially the same shape and slightly larger in size than the standard game board pieces and the at least one special game board piece. 
 
     
     
         5 . The board game of  claim 1  wherein the respective set of game piece distinguishers of each one of the standard game board pieces includes at least one shape and at least one color. 
     
     
         6 . The board game of  claim 1  wherein the respective set of game piece distinguishers of each one of the standard game board pieces includes one of:
 at least one shape and at least one color; 
 a first shape and a second shape; and 
 a first color and a second color 
 
     
     
         7 . The board game of  claim 6  wherein a quantity of the game play affecting spaces adjacent to the edge portion of the playing surface is greater than a quantity of the game play affecting spaces adjacent to the central position of the playing surface. 
     
     
         8 . The board game of  claim 1  wherein all of the game play affecting spaces are designated by a common indicia. 
     
     
         9 . The board game of  claim 8  wherein the respective set of game piece distinguishers of each one of the standard game board pieces includes at least one shape and at least one color. 
     
     
         10 . The board game of  claim 9  wherein:
 a quantity of the game play affecting spaces adjacent to the edge portion of the playing surface is greater than a quantity of the game play affecting spaces adjacent to the central position of the playing surface; and 
 the game play affecting spaces are uniformly distributed with respect to the central position of the playing surface. 
 
     
     
         11 . The board game of  claim 9  wherein:
 all of the standard game board pieces and the at least one special game board piece are substantially flat, are of a common size, and are substantially square in shape; and 
 all of the game piece spaces are substantially the same shape and slightly larger in size than the standard game board pieces and the at least one special game board piece. 
 
     
     
         12 . A method of playing a board game, comprising the steps of:
 placing a randomly selected one of a plurality of standard game board pieces within a designated one of a plurality of game piece spaces of a game board;   providing a designated quantity of randomly selected game board pieces to each one of a plurality of players, wherein the designated quantity of randomly selected game board pieces are provided from a collection of game board pieces each having a respective set of game piece distinguishers; and   in a round of play starting with a first one of the players and proceeding in a designated order to each other one of the players, each one of the players taking a turn at attempting to place one of the game board pieces thereof within an unoccupied one of the game piece spaces immediately adjacent one or more of the game piece spaces already occupied by a previously-placed game board piece, wherein allowed placement of the game board piece attempting to be placed requires at least one of the respective set of game piece distinguishers thereof to match at least one of the respective set of game piece distinguishers of all previously-placed game board piece already occupying the immediately adjacent one or more of the game piece spaces.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising:
 issuing a designated quantity of a first configuration token to a player during a turn thereof in response to said allowed placement of the game board piece thereof resulting in the game board piece being placed on one of the game piece spaces that is designated as a game play affecting space; and   allowing the player to exchange one or more of the first configuration tokens for one of:
 enabling the player to place more than one game board piece during the turn thereof; and 
 enabling the player to move a previously placed game board piece from a currently occupied game board space to a different game board space. 
   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13  wherein allowing the player to exchange one or more of the first configuration tokens for enabling the player to move the previously placed game board piece from the currently occupied game board space to the different game board space includes providing the player with a special game board piece. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising:
 allowing a player during a turn thereof to exchange a special game board piece thereof for enabling the player to move a previously-placed game board piece from a currently occupied game board space to an immediately adjacent game board space thereto that is not already occupied with a game board piece.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 issuing a designated quantity of a first configuration token to a player during a turn thereof in response to said allowed placement of the game board piece thereof resulting in the game board piece being placed on one of the game piece spaces that is designated as a game play affecting space; and   allowing the player to exchange one or more of the first configuration tokens for one of:
 enabling the player to place more than one game board piece during the turn thereof; and 
 enabling the player to move a previously placed game board piece from a currently occupied game board space to a different game board space. 
   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 issuing a designated quantity of a first configuration token to a player during a turn thereof in response to said allowed placement of the game board piece thereof resulting in the game board piece being placed on one of the game piece spaces that is designated as a game play affecting space;   issuing a designated quantity of a second configuration token to the player during the turn thereof in response to said allowed placement of the game board piece thereof resulting in the game board piece being placed on a game piece space having a plurality of previously-placed game board pieces each occupying a respective game board space immediately adjacent thereto;   allowing the player to exchange one or more of the first configuration tokens for taking an additional turn immediately after the turn thereof; and   allowing the player to exchange one or more of the second configuration tokens for receiving a special game board piece during the turn thereof, wherein the special game board piece enables a previously-placed game board piece to be moved from a currently occupied game board space to an immediately adjacent game board space thereto that is not already occupied with a game board piece.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 issuing a designated quantity of a designated configuration of token during a turn thereof in response to said allowed placement of the game board piece thereof resulting in the game board piece being placed on a game piece space having two previously-placed game board pieces each occupying a respective game board space immediately adjacent thereto;   issuing a designated quantity of a designated configuration of token during the turn thereof in response to said allowed placement of the game board piece thereof resulting in the game board piece being placed on a game piece space having three previously-placed game board pieces each occupying a respective game board space immediately adjacent thereto; and   issuing a designated quantity of a designated configuration of token during the turn thereof in response to said allowed placement of the game board piece thereof resulting in the game board piece being placed on a game piece space having four previously-placed game board pieces each occupying a respective game board space immediately adjacent thereto.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , further comprising:
 allowing the player to exchange one or more tokens of a first designated configuration for taking an additional turn immediately after the turn thereof; and   allowing the player to exchange one or more tokens of a second designated configuration for receiving a special game board piece during the turn thereof, wherein the special game board piece enables the player to move a previously placed game board piece from a currently occupied game board space to a different game board space.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , further comprising:
 allowing the player during the turn thereof to exchange the special game board piece thereof for enabling the player to move a previously-placed game board piece from its current game board space to any immediately adjacent game board space thereto that is not already occupied with a game board piece.