Hindu-themed board game

Abstract

A Hindu-themed board game and method of playing the board game is provided. The game board is designed as a Mandala, with the avaranam arranged as concentric circles around a central point representing the Bindu. Players move along numbered positions on the avaranam, symbolizing achieving progressively higher levels of awareness, until they reach the Bindu, which represents total self-awareness. The distance moved by each player is determined by how much awareness that player has accumulated, as acquired by the players by playing awareness cards. Various other cards are provided which allow the players to interact, such as by taking cards from other players. The board game provides an entertaining past time, while simultaneously exposing players to aspects of Hindu culture, which may be of benefit to both Hindus and non-Hindus.

I/We claim: 
     
         1 . A Hindu-themed board game comprising:
 a game board comprising a path of numbered positions, the path passing through eight avaranams sequentially and terminating at a central Bindu, the first avaranam arranged as a set of rectilinear tracks at corners of the game board, the second to eighth avaranams in the form of progressively concentric rings as they near the Bindu;   a plurality of playing cards comprising:
 a plurality of “Awareness” cards, each having an action cost, indicating least one awareness point value, and indicating of the number of matching “Awareness” cards needed for each of the at least one awareness point value; 
 a plurality of “Command” cards, each having an action cost and a text command; and 
 a plurality of “Play Anytime” cards, each having a text command; 
   a plurality of playing pieces;   a plurality of unlocked avaranam indicators; and   an 8-sided die.   
     
     
         2 . The Hindu-themed board game of  claim 1  wherein the unlocked avaranam indicators each comprise:
 eight avaranam tokens, each uniquely identifying a different one of the avaranams on the game board; and 
 one identifying the Bindu. 
 
     
     
         3 . A method of playing the Hindu-themed board game of  claim 1 , comprising:
 setting up the board game by assigning one of the playing pieces to each of a plurality of players, having each player set the first avaranam as being unlocked using the unlocked avaranam indicators, dealing five of the playing cards to each player to be placed in the player's hand, dealing four of the playing cards face up as display cards, placing the remaining playing cards face down, and selecting a starting player;   beginning with the starting player and continuing repeatedly cycling through the players until one of the players moves his or her playing piece to the Bindu, for the player whose turn it is:
 drawing either one of the display cards or two of the face down cards, at the player's choice, and if the player chose to draw one of the display cards then replacing the display card from the face down cards; 
 playing, at the player's choice, zero or more cards from the player's hand, such that the action cost of cards played does not exceed three; 
 executing the text command of any “Command” cards played by the player; 
 adjusting the unlocked avaranam indicator of the player if at least one avaranam is indicated on any cards played by the player so as to indicate that the corresponding at least one avaranam is unlocked by that player; 
 moving the playing piece of the player along the path a number of positions equal to the number of awareness points showing on any “Awareness” cards that have played by the player at any time throughout the game, subject to not being able to move the playing piece into an avaranam which has not been unlocked by the player as indicated by the unlocked avaranam indicator of the player; 
 rolling the 8-sided die once for every ten awareness points showing on any “Awareness” cards that have been played by the player at any time throughout the game, if the player was unable to move the full number of positions equal to the number of awareness points showing on any “Awareness” cards that have played by the player at any time throughout the game and the any of the at least one die roll shows a number corresponding to the avaranam into which the player was prevented from moving, then adjusting the unlocked avaranam indicator of the player so as to indicate that the corresponding avaranam is unlocked by that player; 
 if at least one 8-sided die was rolled by the player, then moving the playing piece of the player along the path a number of positions equal to the total of the at least one number shown on the at least one rolled die, subject to not being able to move the playing piece into an avaranam which has not been unlocked by the player as indicated by the unlocked avaranam indicator of the player; 
 if the player is able to move his or her playing piece and the playing piece ends on the same numbered position as the playing piece of another player, then sending the playing piece of the other player back to the start of the path; and 
 placing any “Command” cards played by the player face down in a discard pile, and discarding any cards in the player's hand in excess of seven, the cards to discard being at the choice of the player, face down in the discard pile; and 
   at any time, any player optionally playing a “Play Anytime” card from that player's hand and executing the text command printed thereon.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the unlocked avaranam indicators each comprise eight avaranam tokens, each uniquely identifying a different one of the avaranams on the game board, and one identifying the Bindu, and wherein:
 adjusting the unlocked avaranam indicator of the player in both the adjusting step and in the rolling step comprises drawing by the player an avaranam token corresponding to each of the at least one avaranams unlocked by the player.