Puzzle game

Abstract

A game having a playing surface with a first and second grid spaced a distance apart. Each grid has a plurality of fields arranged as a series of rows and columns that form one or more boxes, and each field of the first grid is linked to one field of the second grid that is in the same row and column as the field in the first grid. Fields are populated with images selected from image sets for each grid. Each row, column and box of each grid cannot contain identical images. Each image of the first set corresponds to only one image of the second set, and each field of the first and second grids is populated by one image of their respective image sets whereby each image inserted into each field of one grid has its corresponding image inserted into the linked field of the other grid.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A game comprising:
 a playing surface with a first grid and a second grid spaced a distance apart, each grid having a plurality of fields arranged as a series of rows and columns that form one or more boxes;   a first set of images wherein each one in the first set is configured to be inserted into separate fields within the first grid and whereby each row, column and box of the first grid cannot contain identical images; and   a second set of images wherein each one in the second set is configured to be inserted into separate fields within the second grid and whereby each row, column and box of the second grid cannot contain identical images,   wherein each field of the first grid is linked to one field of the second grid that is in the same row and column as the field in the first grid, the amount of images in the first and second sets are equal and each image of the first set corresponds to only one image of the second set,   wherein each field of the first and second grids is populated by one image of their respective first and second sets and whereby each of the images inserted into each field of one grid has its corresponding image inserted into the linked field of the other grid.   
     
     
         2 . The game of  claim 1  further including one or more additional grids each having a plurality of fields arranged as a series of rows and columns that form one or more boxes, each additional grid having its own set of images that corresponds to only one image of the first set that corresponds to one image of the second set, wherein each field of each additional grids is linked to one field for each of the first, second and other additional grids that is in the same row and column. 
     
     
         3 . The game of  claim 1 , wherein one or more of the fields in each grid are pre-populated with one of the images in its respective set of images. 
     
     
         4 . The game of  claim 3 , wherein the fields prepopulated in the first grid are not prepopulated in the fields in the second grid having the same rows and columns as the fields in the first grid. 
     
     
         5 . The game of  claim 3 , wherein one or more of the fields prepopulated in the first grid are prepopulated in the fields in the second grid having the same rows and columns as the fields in the first grid. 
     
     
         6 . The game of  claim 1 , wherein the first and second sets of images are each independently selected from the group comprising letters, numbers, symbols, words, phrases, equations and pictures. 
     
     
         7 . The game of  claim 6 , wherein the first set of images is a set of words in a first language and the second set of images is a set of words in a second language. 
     
     
         8 . The game of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of fields for each grid is equal to 81 to form a 9×9 grid having nine boxes, each box comprising nine fields arranged as three rows by three columns. 
     
     
         9 . The game of  claim 8 , wherein the set of images for each grid is equal to 81 and a number of unique images within the set is nine. 
     
     
         10 . The game of  claim 1 , wherein the playing surface is presented on an electronic display. 
     
     
         11 . A method for playing a game comprising:
 providing a playing surface with a first grid and a second grid spaced a distance apart, each grid having a plurality of fields arranged as a series of rows and columns that form one or more boxes, each field of the first grid linked to one field of the second grid that is in the same row and column as the field in the first grid;   populating each field of the first grid with one image selected from a first set of images having a number of images equal to a number of fields on the first grid, whereby each row, column and box of the first grid cannot contain identical images;   populating each field of the second grid with one image selected from a second set of images having a number of images equal to a number of fields on the second grid, whereby each row, column and box of the second grid cannot contain identical images;   wherein the number of images in the first and second sets are equal and each image of the first set corresponds to only one image of the second set, and   wherein each field of the first and second grids is populated by one image of their respective first and second sets and whereby each of the images inserted into each field of one grid has its corresponding image inserted into the linked field of the other grid.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11  further including providing one or more clues in one or more grids, wherein one or more images are pre-populated in the fields of the one or more grids. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12  further including populating the one or more fields in one grid using the one or more clues provided in another grid. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the method is implemented on a computing device. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 11 , further including
 providing one or more additional grids on the playing surface spaced a distance apart from the first grid and the second grid, each additional grid having a plurality of fields arranged as a series of rows and columns that form one or more boxes, each field of each additional grid linked to one field of the first grid and to one field of the second grid that is in the same row and column as the field in each additional grid;   populating each field of each additional grid with one image selected from one or more additional sets of images having a number of images equal to a number of fields on the one or more additional grids, whereby each row, column and box of the one or more additional grids cannot contain identical images;   wherein the number of images in each additional grid are equal to the number of images in the first and second sets and each image of the one or more additional sets of images corresponds to only one image of the first set and only one image of the second set, and   wherein each field of the one or more additional grids is populated by one image of its respective set of images and whereby each of the images inserted into each field of each additional grid has its corresponding image inserted into the other linked fields.