Abstract A board game design on an ''''invention'''' scheme wherein the object is to amass the greatest amount of wealth in the form of simulated money. The game generally includes a gameboard having a playing surface thereon, a playing piece for each player of the game, simulated money, a main track defining a primary playing piece path of travel on the playing surface, a tributary track connected to the main track defining a secondary playing piece path of travel on the playing surface, and a chance device for determining the advancement of the playing piece along said tracks. The main track has a plurality of stations including investment stations having indicia thereon representative of an investment that a player may acquire by expending the simulated money. The main track also includes at least one entrance station and one exit station defining locations on the playing surface wherein a playing piece may be moved off the main track and onto the main track respectively. The tributary track has a plurality of stations overlapping with the entrance station wherein the tributary track commences and the exit station wherein the tributary track ends. The tributary track also includes cash stations having indicia thereon representative of a financial return on an acquired investment whereby a player acquires wealth in the form of simulated money.
A board game comprising: a gameboard having a playing surface thereon; a plurality of playing pieces; simulated money; a set of patent cards each having indicia representative of a patented invention and indicating the possible scope of protection in the form of the number of claims and the expected financial return of said patent in the form of its purchase price and royalties corresponding to and increasing with the number of claims; a set of protection cards each having indicia thereon which dictates how many claims a patented invention has, said protection cards being acquired during the course of the game; a plurality of stations defining a main playing piece path of travel including patent stations having indicia thereon representative of a patented invention corresponding to the patented inventions Represented by the patent cards, said patent cards being acquired by expending said simulated money should a player''s playing piece land on that particular patent station, and protection stations having indicia thereon which allow a player to pick a protection card should its playing piece land on a protection station, said main path also including at least one entrance station and at least one exit station defining stations where a playing piece may be moved on or off the main path; means defining a secondary playing piece path of travel on said playing surface connected to said main path, said secondary path comprising a plurality of stations including and overlapping with an entrance station wherein said secondary path begins and an exit station wherein said secondary path ends, whereby a playing piece may be able to move onto said secondary path only when it is advanced onto said entrance station, said secondary path also including cash stations having indicia thereon representative of a financial return on a patented invention, said financial return being the amount of royalties for the price indicated by a patent card corresponding to the number of claims obtained for that patent; and a chance device for determining how many stations a particular playing piece is to be advanced along said paths.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
11 words
The game of claim 1 wherein the main path is closed.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
85 words
The game of claim 1 including a plurality of sets of chance cards, one set of cards having indicia thereon representative of one of many advantages that one player may acquire relative to said patented inventions, another set of cards having indicia thereon representative of one of many hazards that may befall a player relative to said patented inventions, said main path including stations having indicia thereon instructing a player whose playing piece lands thereon to pick a card from a particular set of cards.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
31 words
The game of claim 3 including cards having indicia thereon allowing a player to buy into a patented invention and become a partner with another player who already owns that patent.