Board Game Apparatus with Variable Game Surface and Method of Play

Abstract

An apparatus and method for playing a board game which includes at least two distinguishable sets of playing pieces, each set being assigned to one player of the game, a game surface set by the players from assigned surface tiles, and dice, a pair being assigned to each player of the game. Players set up the game surface, and thereafter playing pieces, in an order determined by each player rolling a pair of dice. Setup is thereby varied each game to provide a new challenge. Players, in order, act by moving playing pieces, jumping over opposing playing pieces and removing them, and attacking opposing playing pieces. Winning an attack involves having the highest score on a roll of the dice and the winner's piece remains on the game surface. A player wins if they are the only one with pieces remaining on the game surface.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for playing a game, the method comprising the steps of:
 providing a game apparatus including sets of distinguishable playing pieces with gates and stones, surface tiles with marks disposed thereupon, and dice;   assigning each player one of said sets of playing pieces, a number of surface tiles, and dice;   forming a game surface from placement of said surface tiles in a pattern, wherein said pattern is established for each game by each player, in rotation, placing one of said surface tiles on flat surface;   setting up an arrangement of said playing pieces, wherein said arrangement is established for each game by each player, in rotation, placing one of said playing pieces upon said marks of said surface tiles forming said game surface;   playing by each respective player in rotation performing one of a number of acts selected from the group consisting of moving one of said playing pieces to an empty mark on said surface tiles, jumping over and removing at least one playing piece of another player with a playing piece of said respective player, and attacking another player's playing piece with a respective player's playing piece wherein one of said playing pieces of the respective player or another player loses and is removed from said game surface; and   ending the game based on a condition, wherein said condition is selected from the group consisting of only a winning player's playing pieces remaining on said game surface, a draw where playing pieces of each player are able to continually move away from each other, and a winning player having a higher total score based upon prescribed values assigned each of said gates and stones at the end of a prescribed time period.   
     
     
         2 . The method for playing a game of  claim 1 , wherein said playing pieces of another player during a jumping act consist of said stones. 
     
     
         3 . The method for playing a game of  claim 1 , wherein jumping further comprises said playing piece of said respective player beginning each jump upon a mark adjacent each of said playing pieces jumped over and completing each jump upon a mark adjacent each of said playing pieces jumped over. 
     
     
         4 . The method for playing a game of  claim 1 , wherein said moving playing piece consists of a stone of said respective player. 
     
     
         5 . The method for playing a game of  claim 1 , wherein said losing playing piece is determined by each player rolling a number of said dice. 
     
     
         6 . The method for playing a game of  claim 5 , wherein said number of dice rolled by said respective and another player to determine said losing piece is based upon the rank of each of the playing pieces. 
     
     
         7 . The method for playing a game of  claim 1 , wherein said attacking act further comprises:
 determining whether said losing playing piece is a gate, whether the playing piece remaining upon said game surface is a stone, and whether any removed playing piece of said respective player is a gate;   promoting said playing piece remaining upon said game surface to a gate based upon said losing playing piece being a gate, said playing piece remaining upon said game surface being a stone, and one of said removed playing pieces of said respective player being a gate.   
     
     
         8 . The method for playing a game of  claim 1 , wherein said surface tiles include those of a first set having four marks and second set having three marks. 
     
     
         9 . The method for playing a game of  claim 8 , wherein said number of said surface tiles assigned each player consists of four of said first set and four of said second set. 
     
     
         10 . The method for playing a game of  claim 8 , wherein said number of said surface tiles assigned each player consists of four of said first set and three of said second set. 
     
     
         11 . The method for playing a game of  claim 1 , wherein said sets of playing pieces each include five of said gates and eleven of said stones. 
     
     
         12 . The method for playing a game of  claim 1 , wherein said sets of playing pieces each include six of said gates and sixteen of said stones. 
     
     
         13 . A method for playing a game, the method comprising the steps of:
 providing a game apparatus including sets of distinguishable playing pieces with gates and stones, surface tiles with marks disposed thereupon, and dice;   assigning each player one of said sets of playing pieces, a number of surface tiles, and dice;   forming a game surface from placement of said surface tiles in a pattern, wherein said pattern is established for each game by each player, in rotation, placing one of said surface tiles on flat surface;   setting up an arrangement of said playing pieces, wherein said arrangement is established for each game by each player, in rotation, placing one of said playing pieces upon said marks of said surface tiles forming said game surface;   playing by each respective player in rotation performing one of a number of acts selected from the group consisting of moving one of said playing pieces to an empty mark on said surface tiles, jumping over and removing at least one playing piece of another player with a playing piece of said respective player, attacking another player's playing piece with a respective player's playing piece wherein as a result of the attack one of said playing pieces of the respective player or another player loses and is removed from said game surface, building a built gate by combining two adjacently located stones of said respective player, and breaking one of said built gates by separating one of said stones of said respective player onto an adjacent empty mark; and   ending the game based on a condition, wherein said condition is selected from the group consisting of only a winning player's playing pieces remaining on said game surface, a draw where playing pieces of each player are able to continually move away from each other, and a winning player having a higher total score based upon prescribed values assigned each of said gates and stones at the end of a prescribed time period.   
     
     
         14 . A game apparatus comprising:
 at least two distinguishable sets of playing pieces including gates and stones;   at least two sets of surface tiles with marks disposed in a square matrix thereupon for establishing a player created game surface and wherein said sets of surface tiles include those of a first set having four marks and those of a second set having three marks and a blank space; and   at least two pairs of dice for determining which player initiates creating said game surface and which player's piece remains on said game surface during particular turns.   
     
     
         15 . The game apparatus of  claim 14 , further including a game surface comprised of said surface tiles placed so each of said surface tiles has at least one edge adjacent another of said surface tiles. 
     
     
         16 . The game apparatus of  claim 15 , wherein said surface tiles of said game surface are placed so at least one of said marks on each of said surface tiles is non-diagonally adjacent one of said marks on another one of said surface tiles. 
     
     
         17 . The game apparatus of  claim 14 , wherein said playing pieces are cylindrical shaped and said stones are generally half the length of said gates. 
     
     
         18 . The game apparatus of  claim 14 , wherein said marks on said surface tiles include a circular first mark circular of a first color and a circular second mark of a second color. 
     
     
         19 . The game apparatus of  claim 18 , wherein said first and second marks are generally the size and shape of an end of said playing pieces.