WO2003000363A1

WO2003000363A1 - A word game

Info

Publication number: WO2003000363A1
Application number: PCT/AU2002/000832
Authority: WO
Inventors: John Aloysius Tubridy
Original assignee: TUBRIDY ANNE CHRISTINA; TUBRIDY BENJAMIN JOSEPH; TUBRIDY REBECCA ANNE; TUBRIDY SEAN LESLIE
Current assignee: TUBRIDY ANNE CHRISTINA; TUBRIDY BENJAMIN JOSEPH; TUBRIDY REBECCA ANNE; TUBRIDY SEAN LESLIE
Priority date: 2001-06-26
Filing date: 2002-06-26
Publication date: 2003-01-03
Anticipated expiration: 2003-12-26
Also published as: AUPR593701A0

Abstract

An apparatus for playing a word game wherein the players compete by forming on a board, with consecutive turns, a set of homonyms from an equal number of letters made randomly available to each of the players, and conferring a score to each player forming a set of homonyms according to a predetermined scoring formula, said apparatus comprising a plurality of letters, and a board displaying a grid of spaces adapted for receiving the letters.

Description

FIELD OF INVENTION

The present invention relates to a word game played on a board by two or more players and, in particular, to a word game whose objective is for individual players to score the most points by forming on the board, with consecutive turns, a set of homonyms from an equal number of letters displayed on tiles made randomly available to each of the players and having a score based on the number of letters used in making up the set multiplied by the number of homonyms formed in the set.

BACKGROUND ART

Word games played on a board are known, such as SCRABBLE and UPWORDS, but these are not designed to reward a player's knowledge of homonyms.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Therefore, according to the broadest form of the present invention, there is provided an apparatus for playing a word game wherein the players compete by forming on a board, with consecutive turns, a set of homonyms from an equal number of letters made randomly available to each of the players, and conferring a score to each player forming a set of homonyms according to a predetermined scoring formula, said apparatus comprising a plurality of letters, and a board displaying a grid of spaces adapted for receiving the letters.

Further objectives and preferred features of the word game of the present invention will become apparent upon reference to the following description in the specification. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In order that the present invention may be readily understood and put into practical effect, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, in which:-

Fig 1 is a plan view of a board on which the word game of the invention may be played, and Fig 2 is a plan view of a board upon which has been placed a plurality of letters forming sets of homonyms in accordance with the preferred rules of the word game of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE

INVENTION

The preferred word game of the present invention may be played by 2 to 4 players on a board which displays a grid of spaces (see Fig 1). According to the preferred game, homonyms (also sometimes referred to as homophones) are formed with letters displayed on tiles (i.e. letter tiles) laid across the board commencing at the top left corner and proceeding in a straight line across the board.

The words can run from one line to the next underlying line, working from left to right. The minimum number of words required to form a set of homonyms is 2. As each player completes their turn, the score is calculated and a tick (-/) placed at the end of the set.

A tick is not required when the set of homonyms is completed with the last letter occupying the last space on the line with the next turn to commence on the next underlying line. In brief, a tick will never appear in the most left hand column of the board. The object of the game is to complete the board, which measures 15 letter spaces across by 15 letter spaces down (see Fig 1), or such number of letter spaces down as is required to exhaust the supply of letter tiles, or as is required to prevent the construction of a set of homonyms, with the winner being the player who accumulates the highest score (see the completed board of Fig 2).

To start the game, the letter tiles are placed in two containers, one for vowels (red) and one for consonants (black), with one player being chosen to keep the score.

A handful of consonants are spread face down and each player selects one to determine who will start the game. The player with the consonant closest to "B" will, after the handful of consonants are returned to their correct container, blindly select 15 consonants and 15 vowels and will, after the other players have made their selection, commence play. At the end of each turn, the player's score must be announced and the number of letter tiles that have been used must be blindly extracted by the player from the two containers so as to replenish that player's supply.

A player may miss a turn if the player chooses to replace some or all of the letter tiles held. This is done by selecting the letter tiles the player wishes to exchange and placing them face down next to the appropriate containers. After blindly selecting the same number of replacements from the container(s), the unwanted letter tiles are mixed into their correct containers.

Once a player has swapped unwanted letter tiles for fresh letter tiles, the player may select a Cue Card from a face down pile. For example, the Cue Card may show on its face a golfer who has hit a ball towards another person and is yelling to warn that person, as well as showing a 3 to indicate the number of homonyms involved. A player may hold only one Cue Card at any one time and it must be displayed by the player face up so that the other players know that the player has obtained sole rights to that set of homonyms. However, that player is restricted to placing on the board the number of homonyms for the word symbolized on the Cue Card corresponding to the number shown on the Cue Card, and so cannot place fewer than that number of homonyms on the board. The player can choose to place the required number of homonyms for the word symbolized on the Cue Card (should all the necessary letters be supplied to the player, of course) at a time of their choosing, so long as it is their turn. If the word symbolized on the Cue Card is already on the board, the player must return the Cue Card face down to the bottom of the pile and select another from the top of the pile.

SCORING

Each set of homonyms will score points based on the number of letters used in making up the set multiplied by the number of homonyms formed in the set. e.g. TOTOOTWO^ 8 letters x 3 words = 24

FORFOREFOURv' 11 letters x 3 words = 33 ATEEIGHT^ 8 letters x 2 words = 16

Note that no spaces are left between the words forming the set, and the tick (^■ ) symbol displayed on specific tiles (i.e. tick tiles) is placed in a letter space between sets of homonyms, with the aforementioned proviso that it never appear in the most left hand column of the board.

If a player fails to place on the board all possible homonyms of a set, another player may place on the board the missing homonym or homonyms needed to extend or complete the set when it is that other player's turn. That other player receives a score based on what the score would have been had all the homonyms needed to extend or complete the set been placed on the board by the earlier player. e.g. Player A places FORFOUR-^ = 7 letters x 2 words = 14

Player B places FORE^ = (7 letters + 4 letters)x(2 words + 1 word) = 11 x 3 = 33 The score would be increased in the same manner for any further homonyms left out by the earlier players and placed on the board by a following player. Preferably, a player may score 50 points irrespective of the number of letter tiles used, if that player can place on the board a phrase, clause or sentence of four or more words consisting entirely of different sounding homonyms. The rule of requiring identical sounding homonyms to form a set does not apply, and a homonym already on the board can be used. No words can be added to the phrase, clause or sentence by a following player. The words must make sense to the ear, but not to the eye. e.g. KNOW WON SORE HYMN THEIR is acceptable because none of the words make contextual sense to the eye.

NO ONE SAW HIM THERE is not acceptable because all the words make contextual sense to the eye.

KNOW WON SAW HIM THEIR is not acceptable because some of the words make contextual sense to the eye.

On the board, ten letter spaces are coloured and marked WILD. If a player is able to place a set of homonyms over an area which includes a coloured space marked WILD, that player is awarded a "wild tile". "Wild tiles" awarded in this way are extra tiles separate to the supply of letter tiles contained in the two aforementioned containers for vowels and consonants. Such "wild tiles" may substitute for any letter tile depending on the choice of the player.

Once a "wild tile" has been placed on the board, any player, when it is that player's turn, may replace the tile with the letter it represents. The player retains the "wild tile" for future use. The player does not forfeit a turn for this action. The number of each letter displayed on tiles and the number of "wild tiles" which are placed in the two containers for vowels and consonants for playing the game are as follows:-

A=12; B=10; C=10; D=10; E=12; F=10; G=10; H=10; 1=12; J=7; K=10; L=10; M=10; N=10; O=12; P=10; Q=3; R=10; S=10; T=10; U=3; V=7; W=10; X=6;

Y=10; Z=5; WILD = 6 TOTAL = 245

Each "wild tile" used on the board contributes to the score obtained when a set of homonyms is formed as if it were a letter tile in that set. Various modifications may be made in details of the rules, and the design and construction of the board and playing pieces without departing from the scope and ambit of the invention.

For instance, there may be a "junior" version of the word game suitable for playing by children. As well as being played on a three dimensional board, the word game may be played electronically on a simulated board with simulated pieces (ie tiles etc) displayed on a screen via the Internet, digital television or other interactive medium.

Claims

1. An apparatus for playing a word game wherein the players compete by forming on a board, with consecutive turns, a set of homonyms from an equal number of letters made randomly available to each of the players, and conferring a score to each player forming a set of homonyms according to a predetermined scoring formula, said apparatus comprising a plurality of letters, and a board displaying a grid of spaces adapted for receiving the letters.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the letters are displayed on letter tiles.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the letter tiles are laid by the players, at each player's turn, in respective grid spaces across the board commencing at a top left hand end of the board and proceeding in a line across the board, and wherein a word included in a set of homonyms may run from a right hand end of the board to a left hand end of an underlying line of the board.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the minimum number of words required to form a set of homonyms is two.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a plurality of ticks, wherein the ticks are displayed on tick tiles and a tick tile is laid by a player who has formed a set of homonyms on the board in the grid space immediately following the set of homonyms, with the proviso that, where a set of homonyms ends on a last grid space at a right hand end of the board, no tick tile needs to be laid on the next grid space at a left hand end of an underlying line of the board.

6. The apparatus of claim 2 further comprising two containers, wherein, prior to starting the game, the letter tiles are placed in the two containers, one container being for vowels and one container being for consonants.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein a player, who is randomly chosen to start the game, blindly selects a predetermined number of tiles from the consonant container and a predetermined number of tiles from the vowel container, and wherein the or each other player also selects the same number of tiles from the containers in turn.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein each player may, if that player cannot form a set of homonyms with the letter tiles they have blindly selected, miss a turn at forming a set of homonyms and replace some or all of those letter tiles from an equal number of letter tiles from the containers, each of the replaced letter tiles being placed back in its appropriate container.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 further comprising a plurality of cue cards, wherein the cue cards display pictorially a word that can be included in a set of homonyms, and a player who misses a turn may also select a cue card from the top of a face down pile of cue cards, each player being allowed to hold only one cue card at any one time during the game and being required to show the or each other player the pictorial display on that cue card, whereby the player holding that cue card has a sole right to forming that set of homonyms but can only exercise that right, at a turn of the player's choosing, if the player can form a set of homonyms comprising a predetermined number of words, the number being indicated on that cue card.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein, if the word displayed pictorically of the cue card selected by the player is already on the board, the player must return that cue card face down to the bottom of the pile and select another cue card from the top of the pile.