Movement Based Partner Card Game

Abstract

Techniques are disclosed for performing a movement-based partner card game. In one example, a method for playing the game includes selecting an activity card from a deck of cards and dealing the activity card to a pair of players. The deck of cards may be physically or digitally represented (e.g., in an electronic or audio format). The pair of players determines a plan for performing a particular non-verbal activity in accordance with the instructions of the activity card. The pair of players then performs the particular non-verbal activity for a predetermined time interval. A score is determined for the performance of the particular non-verbal activity based on a number of linkages formed, a quality of linkage formed, and/or a number of times that a linkage is determined to be broken. The method then includes determining whether the pair of players wins the card game based in part on the score.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for playing a card game, comprising:
 selecting an activity card from a deck of cards, the activity card indicating instructions for performing a particular non-verbal activity by a pair of players of the card game, the performance of the particular non-verbal activity forming a connection between the pair of players, the connection including at least one type of linkage;   dealing the activity card to the pair of players;   determining a predefined time interval during which the particular non-verbal activity is to be performed by the pair of players;   performing, by the pair of players, the particular non-verbal activity during the predefined time interval;   determining a score for the performance of the particular non-verbal activity based at least in part on at least one of: (I) a number of linkages formed during the performance, (II) a quality of linkage formed, or (III) a number of times that a linkage is determined to be broken; and   determining whether the pair of players wins the card game based at least in part on the score.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the pair of players is a first pair of players of the card game, the method further comprising:
 performing, by a second pair of players of the card game, the particular non-verbal activity for the predefined time interval, the instructions of the activity card being applicable to respective performances of both the first pair of players and the second pair of players during the predefined time interval;   determining a second score for the performance of the particular non-verbal activity by the second pair of players; and   determining whether the first pair of players wins the card game based at least in part on determining whether the score is greater than the second score.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 selecting an audio accompaniment that is to be performed for the predefined time interval during performance of the particular non-verbal activity by the pair of players, the audio accompaniment being associated with the particular non-verbal activity, a duration of the audio accompaniment defining the predefined time interval; and   determining, by the pair of players, a plan for performing the particular non-verbal activity in accordance with the instructions.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one type of linkage of the connection is a tactile type or a spatial type. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein a tactile type of linkage of the connection is associated with at least one of: (I) fingertip contact between the pair of players, (II) palm-to-palm contact, (III) holding forearms, (IV) holding upper arms, (V) holding shoulders, (VI) a placement of hands in a chest region, (VII) back-to-back contact, or (VIII) hugging. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the deck of cards contains a plurality of activity cards, each activity card indicating instructions for performing a unique non-verbal activity that forms a connection between at least two players. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the pair of players is a first pair of players, the method further comprising:
 selecting a second activity card from the deck of cards, the second activity card indicating second instructions for performing a second non-verbal activity, the second non-verbal activity forming a second connection between a second pair of players;   dealing the second activity card to the second pair of players;   determining, by the second pair of players, a plan for performing the second non-verbal activity in accordance with the second instructions to form the second connection between the second pair of players;   performing, by the second pair of players, the second non-verbal activity in accordance with the plan;   determining a second score for the performance of the second non-verbal activity; and   determining that the first pair of players wins the card game based at least in part on determining that the score for the first pair of players is greater than the second score for the second pair of players.   
     
     
         8 . A deck of cards, comprising:
 a plurality of activity cards, an activity card of the plurality of activity cards indicating (I) a particular non-verbal activity, and (II) instructions for a performance of the particular non-verbal activity by a pair of players of a card game, the performance of the particular non-verbal activity forming a particular connection between the pair of players, the particular connection being associated with at least one linkage having a particular linkage type, and wherein the card game is played according to a method, comprising:   
       selecting the activity card from the plurality of activity cards;
 dealing the activity card to the pair of players; 
 performing, by the pair of players, the particular non-verbal activity in accordance with the instructions of the activity card; 
 determining a score for the performance of the particular non-verbal activity based at least in part on the at least one linkage of the particular connection detected during the performance of the particular non-verbal activity; and 
 determining whether the pair of players wins the card game based at least in part on the score. 
 
     
     
         9 . The deck of cards of  claim 8 , further comprising:
 a connection options card that indicates a plurality of linkage types of potential linkages of a connection, a linkage type corresponding to at least one of a tactile type or a spatial type; and   a guidelines card that indicates instructions for performing the method for playing the card game, the instructions instructing the pair of players to perform the particular non-verbal activity to form at least one linkage type on the activity card or one of the plurality of linkage types of potential linkages indicated by the connection options card.   
     
     
         10 . The deck of cards of  claim 8 , wherein the method for playing the card game further comprises:
 setting a timer device for a predefined time interval, the predefined time interval defining a duration of the performance of the particular non-verbal activity by the pair of players; and   determining, by the pair of players, a plan for performing the particular non-verbal activity in accordance with at least one of the instructions and/or the selected audio accompaniment.   
     
     
         11 . The deck of cards of  claim 8 , wherein the pair of players includes a first player and a second player, and wherein determining the score further comprises:
 observing, by the first player, a first number of times that at least one type of connection linkage of the particular connection is broken during the performance of the particular non-verbal activity;   observing, by the second player, a second number of times that at least one type of connection linkage of the particular connection is broken during the performance of the particular non-verbal activity;   determining an average between the first number and the second number; and   adjusting the score based at least in part on the average.   
     
     
         12 . The deck of cards of  claim 8 , wherein the pair of players includes a first player and a second player, and wherein determining the score further comprises:
 observing, by the first player, a first number of times that at least one type of connection linkage of the particular connection is broken during the performance of the particular non-verbal activity;   observing, by the second player, a second number of times that at least one type of connection linkage of the particular connection is broken during the performance of the particular non-verbal activity;   determining a difference between the first number and the second number, the difference associated with a level of synchronicity of observations between the first player and the second player; and   adjusting the score based at least in part on the difference.   
     
     
         13 . The deck of cards of  claim 8 , wherein the instructions of the activity card instruct the pair of players to perform the particular non-verbal activity to form at least one of a plurality of types of potential linkages. 
     
     
         14 . The deck of cards of  claim 8 , wherein the score is determined by the pair of players or a game facilitator that is positioned to observe connection linkages formed and/or broken during the performance of the particular non-verbal activity. 
     
     
         15 . The deck of cards of  claim 8 , wherein the activity card is associated with at least one of: (I) a challenge level, (II) a type of connection, or (III) a type of event for playing the card game. 
     
     
         16 . The deck of cards of  claim 8 , wherein a plurality of pairs of players are respectively dealt an activity card, and wherein each pair of players performs a respective non-verbal activity indicated by the respective activity card dealt to the pair of players. 
     
     
         17 . The deck of cards of  claim 8 , wherein the method further comprises:
 shuffling the plurality of activity cards to form a shuffled deck of cards;   determining a number of rounds of play for a particular game, a performance of a non-verbal activity corresponding to a round of play;   selecting a first card from the shuffled deck of cards;   dealing the first card to a first pair of players;   selecting a second card from a remainder of the shuffled deck of cards;   dealing the second card to a second pair of players; and   repeating the selecting and dealing of cards, respectively, to the first pair of players and the second pair of players, until a number of cards have been dealt to each pair of players that matches the number of rounds of play for the particular game.   
     
     
         18 . The deck of cards of  claim 8 , wherein the card game includes a plurality of rounds of play, and wherein a different audio accompaniment is selected to be performed during each round of the plurality of rounds of play. 
     
     
         19 . A method for playing a card game, comprising:
 selecting an activity card from a deck of activity cards, the activity card indicating instructions for performing a non-verbal activity during a predefined time interval;   determining, by a first pair of players of the card game, a first plan for performing the non-verbal activity as a first performance during the predefined time interval, the first plan being associated with forming a first connection between the first pair of players during the first performance;   determining, by a second pair of players of the card game, a second plan for performing the non-verbal activity as a second performance during the predefined time interval, the second plan being associated with forming a second connection between the second pair of players during the second performance;   performing, by the first pair of players, the first performance;   performing, by the second pair of players, the second performance;   determining a first score for the first pair of players based at least in part on connection linkages of the first connection that are formed or broken during the first performance by the first pair of players;   determining a second score for the second pair of players based at least in part on connection linkages of the second connection that are formed or broken during the second performance by the second pair of players; and   determining that the first pair of players wins the card game based at least in part on determining that the first score is greater than the second score.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the first connection includes at least one type of linkage that is at least one of a tactile type or a spatial type.