RING TOSS GAME WITH MOVABLE TARGETS

Abstract

A game can include: a first playing area; a plurality of pegs located within the first playing area; at least one movable offensive target for a first player and at least one movable offensive target for a second player positioned onto two of the plurality of pegs; and at least one ring for each of the first player and the second player, wherein the rings are capable of encircling one or more of the pegs. A method of playing the game can include tossing the at least one ring for the first player towards the first offensive target; and tossing the at least one ring for the second player towards the second offensive target.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

The technical field relates to an outdoor game, game for playing in the water, and board game and methods of play. The game can involve strategy and skill for winning.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

The patent or application file contains at least one drawing executed in color. Copies of this patent or patent application publication with color drawing(s) will be provided by the Office upon request and payment of the necessary fee. The features and advantages of certain embodiments will be more readily appreciated when considered in conjunction with the accompanying figures. The figures are not to be construed as limiting any of the preferred embodiments.

FIG. 1 is a top view of a game showing play for two players according to certain embodiments.

FIG. 2 is a top view of an offensive target for a first player.

FIG. 3 is a side perspective view of a tossing ring for a first player.

FIG. 4 is a side, cross-sectional view of a board according to certain embodiments.

FIG. 5 is a top view of a game including two sections, according to different embodiments.

FIG. 6 is a top view of a progress tracker board according to certain embodiments.

FIG. 7 is a top view of a morale board and a morale token for a first player according to certain embodiments.

FIG. 8 is a top view of point boards and a point token for a first and second player according to certain embodiments.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

There are many games that involve the use of strategy and skill in order to win. Generally, most games involve only strategy or skill, but not both. An example of a strategy game is MONOPOLY®. Examples of a skill game include ring toss or horseshoes. In a common ring toss game, pegs are inserted into recesses within a board or directly into the ground, whereby a player tosses a ring in an effort to encircle a particular peg to score points. The pegs are typically positioned on the board by a player in order to make it more difficult for an opponent to encircle a particular peg. In order to change the layout of objective targets to be aimed at, a player would have to remove the pegs from the board or ground and then re-insert the pegs into the new configuration. Thus, there is a need for an improved game that incorporates both strategy and skill and allows desired targets to be more easily configured and re-configured.

It has been discovered that a game can include pegs and targets that can be positioned onto a particular peg. The targets can be offensive targets and defensive targets. The offensive and defensive targets can be strategically positioned on the board or in the ground. A player can toss a ring into an opponent's target area, with an objective being to encircle the player's ring around a designated offensive target's peg and avoid pegs that are designated as defensive targets. Thus, skill can also be a component of the game. The game can be played on a board for indoor enjoyment, outside for outdoor enjoyment, or in the water, such as in a swimming pool or lake.

According to certain embodiments, a game comprises: a first playing area; a second playing area, wherein the second playing area is adjacent to the first playing area; a plurality of pegs located within the first and second playing areas; at least one movable offensive target positioned onto at least one peg in each of the first and second playing areas; at least one movable defensive target positioned onto at least one peg in each of the first and second playing areas; and at least one ring for each of a first player and a second player, wherein the rings are capable of encircling one or more of the pegs.

According to certain other embodiments, a method of playing the game comprises: providing a plurality of pegs, wherein the plurality of pegs are located within a first playing area and a second playing area located adjacent to each other; placing a first defensive target and a second offensive target onto two different pegs located within the first playing area by a first player; placing a second defensive target and a first offensive target onto two different pegs located within the second playing area by a second player; providing at least one ring for each of the first and second players; tossing the at least one ring for the first player towards the second playing area; and tossing the at least one ring for the second player towards the first playing area.

It is to be understood that any discussion of the various embodiments is intended to apply to the apparatus and methods.

Turning to the Figures, FIG. 1 is a top view of a game 100 according to certain embodiments. The game 100 includes at least one playing area. The game 100 can also include a first playing area 111 for a first player and a second playing area 113 for a second player. The first playing area 111 is adjacent to the second playing area 113. As used herein, the term “adjacent” means at least one perimeter of the playing areas are in direct contact with each other or in proximity to each other without touching. It is to be understood that there can also be teams of two, three, four, or five, for example, wherein a first team is synonymous with the first player and a second team is synonymous with the second player. Preferably, the number of players on each team is the same. If playing in teams, then any discussion regarding “a” player is intended to apply to each player of each team. By way of example, if the discussion pertains to at least one ring for the first player, then it is to be understood that each player of the first team receives at least one ring. Moreover, there can be more than two playing areas (not shown), wherein each player corresponds to a given playing area. Accordingly, there can be a third playing area for a third player (or third team), a fourth playing area for a fourth player, and so on. Each of the more than two playing areas can be located adjacent to each other.

Each of the playing areas (e.g., the first playing area 111 and the second playing area 113) include a plurality of pegs 116. The game 100 can be an indoor game, designed to be played on a table top or other surface; an outdoor game, designed to be played on ground; or an outdoor game, designed to be played in the water (e.g., a pool or lake). For an indoor game or water game, the game 100 can further include a board 110. The board 110 can be made from a variety of materials and have a variety of dimensions and shapes. For an indoor game, the board 110 can be made from a rigid to semi-rigid material to be placed on a table top or other surface, or mounted on a wall. If the board is mounted on a wall, the pegs can be angled, for example, at a 45° angle to a plane of the earth's surface, such that the ring(s) remain on any encircled pegs after a toss. The material can include, without limitation, cardboard, paper products, wood pulp products, celluloses, modified celluloses, plastics, and combinations thereof. The material can include some or all of a recycled material. For an outdoor water game, the board 110 can be made from a material that has a sufficient buoyancy to allow the board to float on the surface of the water. By way of example, the material for a water game can include, without limitation, Styrofoam products, plastics (e.g., polyvinyl chloride “PVC”) containing an air reservoir and a valve, and polymers, such as high-density polyethylene or poly ethylene-vinyl acetate. For an outdoor game to be played on the ground, a board may not be necessary because the pegs 116 can be inserted directly into the ground.

The board 110 can include separate playing areas that are positioned adjacent to one another. By way of another example, the playing areas can be marked on a single board piece. The single board piece can include folding scores to allow the single board piece to be folded into two or more sections for easier storing in a container. The dimensions of each playing area or the board can vary and can have a diameter, length, or width in the range from about 6 in to about 72 in. The thickness or depth of the board 110 can range from about 0.125 in to about 6 in.

As shown in FIG. 1, a portion or all of the board 110 making up the first and second playing areas 111/113 can be colored. For example, the first playing area 111 for the first player can be yellow in color and the second playing area 113 for the second player can be green in color.

The pegs 116 can have a geometric shape selected from circular, triangular, hexagonal, pentagonal, or square cross-sectional shape. The pegs 116 can have dimensions ranging from a height of about 1 inch (in) to about 12 in and an outer diameter or outer perimeter from about 1/16 in to about 4 in. The pegs 116 can be made from a variety of materials, including, but not limited to, wood, plastics, metals, and metal alloys.

The board 110 can include a plurality of holes 115, as shown in FIG. 4. The holes 115 can descend from a top surface of the board 110 partially or wholly into or through the height of the board 110. As shown in FIG. 4, the hole 115 descends partially into the height of the board 110. The pegs 116 can be permanently or removably inserted into the holes 115 (or into the ground). The shape and dimensions of the holes 115 can be selected such that the pegs 116 are capable of being inserted into the holes 115. According to certain embodiments, the perimeter of the holes 115 is just slightly larger than the outer diameter (OD) or outer perimeter of the pegs 116. In this manner, once inserted, the pegs 116 do not become dislodged from the holes 115 during play. According to certain other embodiments, as shown in FIG. 4, a fitting 117, such as a plastic fitting, can be positioned at the bottom and around the OD of the peg and inside the hole. The fitting 117 can ensure a tighter fit of the peg within the hole and prevent the peg from becoming dislodged during play. According to certain other embodiments, the pegs 116 and the holes 115 can include a locking mechanism (not shown), such as a key locking mechanism wherein the pegs 116 include a protrusion located at the bottom of the peg that fits inside a matching void section that extends from the OD of the hole 115 on the board 110. The pegs 116 can be turned clockwise or counter-clockwise after insertion into the holes 115 to lock the pegs 116 to the board 110.

The game 100 also includes at least one offensive target 122/132 positioned onto at least one peg 116 in each of the first and second playing areas 111/113. As shown in FIG. 1, an offensive target 122 for a first player is positioned onto a peg in the second playing area 113 and an offensive target 132 for a second player is positioned onto a peg in the first playing area 111. The first player, can thus, aim for the peg 116 with the offensive target 122; and the second player can aim for the peg 116 with the offensive target 132.

The game 100 also includes at least one defensive target 123/133 positioned onto at least one peg 116 in each of the first and second playing areas 111/113. As shown in FIG. 1, a defensive target 123 for a first player is positioned onto a peg in the first playing area 111 and a defensive target 133 for a second player is positioned onto a peg in the second playing area 113. The first player can thus try to avoid the peg 116 with the defensive target 133; and the second player can try to avoid the peg 116 with the defensive target 123.

According to certain other embodiments, the game can begin with no targets placed on the pegs. The players can toss their rings towards the playing area. Any pegs that are encircled with a ring can dictate which peg that player positions his or her offensive target onto. According to this embodiment of the game, there may not be defensive targets. The movable offensive targets can be repeatedly moved around the playing area as each player successfully encircles an empty peg. Encircling a peg with that player's offensive target can earn that player points. Conversely, a player that encircles an opponent's peg containing the opponent's offensive target can require the opponent to remove that target from the playing area. Multiple offensive targets for each player can thus, be added to, moved around, and removed from the playing area as the game progresses.

According to certain other embodiments, the game can begin with a first player positioning the second player's offensive targets within the first playing area and a second player positioning the first player's offensive targets within the second playing area. Strategy can be involved in placement of the opponent's offensive targets. The first and second players can toss their rings towards the playing areas. The objective of the game according to this embodiment is to encircle all pegs containing that player's offensive targets first. In other words, the player to successfully encircle all of their pegs containing his or her targets before the opponent wins the game.

As shown in FIG. 2, the target 120 (e.g., an offensive or defensive target) can include an opening 121 that forms an inner diameter (ID) of the target 120. The ID of the target 120 is preferably sized such that the target 120 is capable of being positioned onto one of the pegs 116. Accordingly, the ID of the target 120 can be larger than the OD of the pegs 116. The target 120 can be circular, triangular, or square in shape, for example, to match the shape of the peg. The OD of the target 120 can be less than the spaces between the plurality of pegs 116 in order for the target 120 to be positioned onto the peg 116, for example, as shown in FIG. 4.

As shown in FIG. 2, the targets 120 can be color-coded. The targets 120 can include symbols, numbers, or words in addition to color(s) or in place of color(s) to distinguish the type of target. The targets 120 can include two colors on each target. The colors can correspond to colors on the board 110 for the different players. The target 120 shown has a yellow center to correspond to the first player from FIG. 1. A second color on the targets 120 can correspond to whether the target is an offensive or defensive target. In this manner, it is easier for a player to identify which peg(s) to aim for and which peg(s) to try and avoid. The target 120 shown has a pink color border to identify that target as an offensive target 122 for the first player. As shown in FIG. 1, the player colors (yellow and green for the first and second players, respectively) are on the inside portion of the targets, while the target colors (pink and blue for offensive and defensive targets, respectively) create a border on the targets. Accordingly, the second player, for example, would want to aim for the peg with the green/pink target (offensive target for player 2) on it and try to avoid the peg with the yellow/blue target (defensive target for player 1) on it.

According to certain embodiments, the colors selected to distinguish offensive targets from defensive targets are consistent between different player's targets and are different from each other. For example, if offensive targets are color-coded in pink or red and defensive targets are color-coded blue, then all offensive targets (regardless of the player number) have a pink or red border or interior and all defensive targets (regardless of the player number) have a blue border or interior. Also, no other game piece, for example, to denote the player number should have the exact shade of pink or red or blue as the color. Additionally, each player or team of players should have unique colored game pieces that are different from the other players or teams and different from the colors selected to distinguish offensive versus defensive targets. Targets other than offensive and defensive targets can also be included in the game 100. These other targets can be positioned onto a peg in the playing area. The other targets can be additional targets to aim for during play, such as a “capture the flag” target, that earns the player extra points or other rewards for successfully encircling that peg with a ring. The other targets can include one or more colors, symbols, or words to distinguish them from other targets located in the playing areas.

The game 100 also includes at least one ring 124 for the first player and at least one ring 134 for the second player. Each player can also receive more than one ring. As shown in FIG. 3, all or a portion of the rings can be colored—colored in yellow to show that ring belongs to the first player. The rings can also be numbered, for example, from 1 to 5. Numbering of the rings can help determine the sequence of throws by a player to verify whether that player or another player is entitled to earn points. The rings can be made from a variety of materials, including, but not limited to, plastics, rubbers, metals, metal alloys, and wood. The size and shape of the ring should be selected such that the ring is capable of encircling at least one peg 116 and also capable of landing between pegs 116—either onto the board 110 or the ground.

The number of pegs 116 and the spacing of the pegs 116 in each of the playing areas can vary. The spacing of the pegs can vary depending on the dimensions of the playing areas. For example, according to certain embodiments, the pegs 116 are spaced approximately 1 inch apart from each other. According to certain other embodiments, the number of pegs and the spacing is selected such that a ring can encircle one, two, or three pegs and also capable of landing between pegs. Preferably, the number and spacing of the pegs are the same for each of the playing areas. The size of the rings can also be selected such that the ring is capable of encircling one, two, or three pegs 116.

As shown in FIG. 5, the first and second playing areas 111/113 can include more than one section. The first playing area 111 can further include a second section 112, and the second playing area 113 can further include a second section 114. The number and spacing of the pegs 116 can be the same or different for each section. By way of example, the number and spacing of the pegs 116 in the first playing area 111 can be selected such that the ring 134 is capable of encircling up to three pegs; whereas the number and spacing of the pegs 116 in the second section 112 can be selected such that the ring 134 is only capable of encircling up to two pegs. Accordingly, the number of pegs can be decreased in the second section 112 or the spacing between the pegs can be increased.

For game play, in the most basic form, the game can begin wherein each player determines the color scheme they wish to have (i.e., yellow, green, etc.). It should be understood that the following discussion pertains to individual first and second players, but the discussion can apply equally to multiple players forming a team and more than two players or teams. The first player receives at least one offensive target 122 and at least one defensive target 123. The second player also receives at least one offensive target 132 and at least one defensive target 133. The first player and second player then exchange each other's offensive targets 123/133. The methods include placing a first defensive target and a second offensive target onto two different pegs located within the first playing area by a first player, and placing a second defensive target and a first offensive target onto two different pegs located within the second playing area by a second player. Accordingly, the first player can place the first player's own defensive target 123 onto a peg 116 within the first playing area 111 and the second player's offensive target 132 onto a different peg 116 within the first playing area 111; and the second player can place the second player's own defensive target 133 onto a peg 116 within the second playing area 113 and the first player's offensive target 122 onto a different peg 116 within the second playing area 113. Strategy can be involved to determine which pegs 116 each player places the offensive and defensive targets.

The first player is also provided at least one ring 124, and the second player is also provided at least one ring 134. The methods also include tossing the at least one ring for the first player towards the second playing area 113; and tossing the at least one ring for the second player towards the first playing area 111. The objective for the first player is to encircle a peg without an offensive or defensive target with the ring, or encircle the peg 116 with the first player's offensive target 122 with the ring 124 and try to avoid encircling the peg with the second player's defensive target 133 with the ring 124. Likewise, the objective for the second player is to encircle a peg without an offensive or defensive target with the ring, or encircle the peg 116 with the second player's offensive target 132 with the ring 134 and try to avoid encircling the peg with the first player's defensive target 123 with the ring 134. Each player can also receive more than one ring. Each player can toss each of the rings towards the other player's playing area in order to try and meet the stated objectives. A successful toss occurs when a player encircles a peg without any targets or encircles a peg with that player's offensive target. In this instance, the successful toss can earn that player a specific number of points (e.g., 1, 2, or 5 points). Conversely, an unsuccessful toss occurs when a player encircles a peg with the opponent's defensive target. In this instance, the unsuccessful toss can earn that opponent a specific number of points (e.g., 1, 2, or 5 points). Moreover, a miss can occur when that player's ring encircles an empty peg (i.e., a peg that does not have either an offensive or a defensive target).

The players can take turns tossing their rings or the rings can be tossed at the same time. The game can be played until any of the players or teams earns a specified number of points, for example, 10, 20, or 50 points. The accrual of points can also be used to purchase additional offensive targets, defensive targets, morale tokens, and/or rings. The additional defensive targets can be placed on that player's playing area and the additional offensive targets can be placed on the opponent's playing area, while the original offensive and defensive targets remain in place on the pegs. The additional offensive and defensive targets, as well as the original offensive and defensive targets can be moved around the playing area(s) during play onto different pegs, or only some or all of the targets can remain in place after being positioned onto a particular peg.

Turning to FIG. 5, the game can further include more than one section per playing area. According to this embodiment, the game can further include the objective of tossing the at least one ring toward a first section before tossing the same or different ring towards the second section. By way of example, a first player can toss a ring towards the second player's first section (shown as the wall 113). When the first player earns a specified number of points or other objective, then the first player can then toss a ring towards the second player's second section (shown as the tower 114). In this manner, a player can advance to other sections of the board or playing sections. The methods can include a penalty for a player tossing a ring out of order—that is, tossing a ring into the second section prior to the requisite number of points being earned or other objective being met in the first section.

As shown in FIG. 6, the game 100 can further include a progress tracker. The progress tracker can include a tracker board 140 and a plurality of progress cards 142a-e. The progress cards 142a-e can include wording, such as the round or siege number, Melee, Brawl, Show Down, or Last Stand, and a description for when that round is over. For example, Round 1 can end when any player earns 2 points and a Show Down can end when any player earns 12 points. The progress cards 142a-e allow the players to predetermine how many rounds will be played, the order of the rounds, and exactly which rounds are to be played. By way of example, as shown in FIG. 6, the players may predetermine an order as follows: Round 1, Round 2, Brawl, Round 3, and Show Down. There can be multiple cards for playing multiple rounds. The variety of cards allows the players to customize the game.

The progress cards 142a-e can be removably affixed to the tracker board 140. According to certain embodiments, the tracker board 140 includes a strip of one part of an affixing material 141, such as VELCRO®, while a portion of the backs of the progress cards 142a-e includes the other part of the affixing material 143. The back of the progress cards 142a-e can then be positioned in any sequence onto the tracker board 140 prior to play. According to certain other embodiments, the progress cards 142a-e and the tracker board 140 can include a magnetic material of different poles to removably affix the cards to the board. For example, the top surface of the board can include a positive magnetic material and the backs of the cards can include a negative magnetic material. After each round is over, that progress card can be removed from the board so all players can track the progression of the game.

As shown in FIG. 7, the game 100 can further include a morale board 150 and a morale token 151. The morale board 150 can include a color that is associated with a particular player. The morale board 150 shown in FIG. 7 has a yellow color at the top of the board to associate that board with the first player. Moreover, the morale token 151 can also include the color associated with a particular player. The morale board 150 can include multiple, numbered sections (e.g., 2-10 sections). The morale token 151 can be placed by the player on a specified section number prior to the beginning of play. By way of example, each player can place his or her own morale token 151 on the highest numbered section on the morale board 150. The highest numbered section in FIG. 7 is 6. At the end of each round, the morale board 150 owner can reduce his or her morale by moving the morale token 151 to a lower numbered section on the board. Morale can be reduced by one unit for each opponent's ring(s) that encircle any pegs on that player's playing area that do not contain that player's defensive targets. If a player reduces his or her morale to zero during a round, then that player must pay all other players who contributed to the reduction in morale one victory point.

As shown in FIG. 8, the game 100 can further include a victory token board for the first player 160, a victory token board for the second player 161, and a plurality of victory tokens 162. In its simplest form, the victory tokens 162 can be used as points to determine which player wins the game by earning the most number of points after all rounds have been played; or when playing to a specified number of points, the victory tokens can be used to determine which player earns the specified number of points. If playing multiple rounds, then each player can determine how many victory tokens 162 are owed at the end of each round. Each player can receive the number of victory tokens 162 owed and place the tokens onto a first section of the victory token board (labeled as “hand”). After all players have been paid the victory tokens owed, then each player can move their tokens to a second section of the victory token board (labeled as “stash”). The victory tokens 162 can also be used to purchase additional offensive targets, defensive targets, morale tokens, and/or rings. By contrast, at the end of each round, players can receive one, two, three, or four selections from additional offensive targets, defensive targets, morale tokens, and/or rings.

The following is an example of rules of game play according to certain embodiments. It is to be understood that multiple different embodiments can be utilized within the various embodiments disclosed herein and is not to be construed as limiting the various embodiments.

In one embodiment, there are no alliances and each player plays against all other players. Free-for-All—single players, for up to 6 players. In another embodiment, players may choose to ally themselves with other players (“kingdoms”) to form realms. Players may populate realms in two's, three's, four's, or five's. Pairing Up-Alliances are formed in pairs, up to 4 pairs, for up to 8 players. Triforce-Alliances are formed in groups of three, up to 3 groups, for up to 9 players. Quadmasters-Alliances are formed in groups of four, up to 2 groups, for up to 8 players. Pentaposse-Alliances are formed in groups of five, up to 2 groups, for up to 10 players.

The Kingdom board can be divided into two sections: the Wall and the Tower. The Wall can include 21 pegs, uniformly spaced so that one ring can encircle up to 3 pegs in one toss. The Tower can have 26 pegs that are spaced in such a way that one ring can encircle up to 2 pegs in one toss. As added protection, the Tower can also include voids or spaces where rings can land flat without encircling any pegs.

Players must first decide how many rounds (Siege and/or Hand-to-Hand) they will be playing and assemble the Progress Tracker accordingly. Players will be playing with up to 5 siege rounds. Players may also choose to play a “Hand-to-Hand” round (i.e., “Melee,” “Brawl,” “Show Down,” etc.) after they complete a particular siege round.

Players will then each pick the Kingdom Color they want to be for the duration of the game. After picking their color, each player will receive that color's: kingdom board; morale board; 3 morale tokens, all placed on the fourth section of the morale board; victory point board; victory point tokens; offensive targets based on number of opponents (5 targets for 1 to 2 opponents, 8 targets for 3 to 4 opponents, and 11 targets for 5 to 6 opponents); 3 rings; and 5 defensive targets.

Players distribute their own offensive targets to their opponents, and when attacking the opponent, aim for these targets to earn victory points. Players receive their total allotment of offensive targets for the entire game, and distribute all offensive targets before the first round begins. Once received, the opponent keeps those targets for the remainder of the game. Players then place their own defensive targets on their own Kingdom Board. At the beginning of the game, all defensive targets are positioned onto pegs on the Wall. More than one defensive target may also be stacked onto a particular peg as the board owner chooses. Once placed, all targets remain on each peg for the duration of the round. Targets can be relocated (following placement rules) between rounds by the board owner.

Players must actually “toss” their rings during game play. To qualify as a “toss,” the ring must leave a player's hand by forward movement caused by that player. A ring must never be placed, or dropped directly, onto an opponent's board. Rules from where to throw the rings from are left up to the players, but it is important to establish these rules before beginning the first round. By way of example, when tossing, a player's hand can never leave the edge of the table or can never pass the edge of that player's own kingdom board. Generally, each player should throw their rings in sequential order of the ring numbers. This helps players identify whether each throw is a miss or successful hit. Players can take turns to throw at opponents or all players can throw at the same time to create general anarchy. All thrown rings are to remain on the kingdom boards or playing surface untouched during the throwing round.

During play, a ring is considered a “miss” and no reduction in morale is issued to an opponent if: the ring fails to land on a kingdom board; the ring lands on an opponent's defensive target; an attack against the Tower before the Wall has been breached in a siege round; and an attack against the Wall in a Hand-to-Hand round. The ring tossing phase is complete when all players have tossed all of their rings. At the end of each ring tossing phase, each player tallies up the number of victory tokens owed to his or her opponents. There can be multiple ring tossing and scoring phases per round.

Siege round target placement—defensive targets may be placed as the board owner sees fit anywhere on the Wall, occupying any Peg that isn't occupied by opponent or ally targets. Defensive targets are not allowed on the Tower during the siege round. A board owner must place 1 of each opponent's offensive target on the Wall. All other opponent's offensive targets must be placed on the Tower. There are no restrictions on the number of offensive targets or where offensive targets may be placed on the Tower.

Hand-to-Hand round target placement—all defensive targets are placed on the Tower, and all opponent's offensive targets are placed on the Tower. For siege rounds and Hand-to-Hand rounds, a board owner may stack targets from the same player together onto one peg. However, the board owner may not stack targets from different players together nor stack offensive and defensive targets together.

Siege rounds are battles that occur against both the Wall and Tower. Players must first attack the Wall before progressing to the Tower. There can be multiple siege rounds before the Tower is under attack in hand-to-hand combat. Siege rounds are sequentially positioned on the progress tracker board based on the number of victory points needed to advance to the next round. A Player must first “Breach the Wall” before unlocking, or progressing, to the Tower, which will have few, if any, of the board owner's defensive targets. A breach of the Wall occurs when a player obtains a hit (i.e., lands on any peg without a defensive target) within the same ring tossing phase. This will require players to have, at a minimum, one ring that is a hit on the Wall before the Tower can be attacked in a Tossing Phase. Any rings that land on the Tower before the Wall has been “breached” is considered a miss, or failed attack. This is another reason that it is important to throw rings in their numbered order, as it is possible for a Player to hit the Tower, but for it to nevertheless be a “miss” because it occurred before the Wall was breached.

Hand-to-Hand rounds are battles that take place only on a player's Tower. The order of Hand-to-Hand rounds based on the number of victory points needed to advance to the next Round is “Melee,” “Brawl,” “Showdown,” and “Last Stand.”

For each peg “hit” during a successful attack, the board owner reduces his morale by one point. A player is defeated when his morale has been reduced to zero. The defeated player must pay 1 victory point to any player(s) contributing to his defeat that round. The board owner also pays 1 victory point to all offensive target owners who successfully ring the peg with their offensive target. If a player lands on another player's defensive target, then the ring owner pays the defensive target owner 1 victory point as a ransom to get the ring back.

Victory point tokens are first paid to the “Hand” section of a player's victory point board. When all players have verified that the victory points have been paid, the victory point tokens are shifted to the “Stash” section, where they will remain until the end of the round. After all victory points have been shifted to the Stash, all players should verify that they do not have more than the number of victory points needed to end the Round.

A sample point scoring scheme for the end of siege round #5 is as follows: Free-for-All—1 player earns 9+ victory points; Pairing up—1 team earns 14+ victory points; Triforce—1 team earns 9+ victory points; Quadmasters—1 team earns 22+ victory points; and Pentaposse—1 team earns 26+ victory points.

The game is over when the final round has been played. Players tally all victory points earned during the game. For Free-for-All, the player with the most victory points wins. When playing in teams, the team with the most victory points wins.

The game 100 can also include other components, such as character cards, that are used during game play. The other components can be used in conjunction with the morale board and victory point board to trigger an event.

Therefore, the present invention is well adapted to attain the ends and advantages mentioned as well as those that are inherent therein. The particular embodiments disclosed above are illustrative only, as the present invention may be modified and practiced in different but equivalent manners apparent to those skilled in the art having the benefit of the teachings herein. Furthermore, no limitations are intended to the details of construction or design herein shown, other than as described in the claims below. It is, therefore, evident that the particular illustrative embodiments disclosed above may be altered or modified and all such variations are considered within the scope and spirit of the present invention.

As used herein, the words “comprise,” “have,” “include,” and all grammatical variations thereof are each intended to have an open, non-limiting meaning that does not exclude additional elements or steps. While devices, systems, and methods are described in terms of “comprising,” “containing,” or “including” various components or steps, the compositions, systems, and methods also can “consist essentially of” or “consist of” the various components and steps. It should also be understood that, as used herein, “first,” “second,” and “third,” are assigned arbitrarily and are merely intended to differentiate between two or more playing areas, rings, targets, etc., as the case may be, and does not indicate any sequence. Furthermore, it is to be understood that the mere use of the word “first” does not require that there be any “second,” and the mere use of the word “second” does not require that there be any “third,” etc.

Whenever a numerical range with a lower limit and an upper limit is disclosed, any number and any included range falling within the range is specifically disclosed. In particular, every range of values (of the form, “from about a to about b,” or, equivalently, “from approximately a to b,” or, equivalently, “from approximately a-b”) disclosed herein is to be understood to set forth every number and range encompassed within the broader range of values. Also, the terms in the claims have their plain, ordinary meaning unless otherwise explicitly and clearly defined by the patentee. Moreover, the indefinite articles “a” or “an,” as used in the claims, are defined herein to mean one or more than one of the element that it introduces. If there is any conflict in the usages of a word or term in this specification and one or more patent(s) or other documents that may be incorporated herein by reference, the definitions that are consistent with this specification should be adopted.

Claims

1. A game comprising:

a first playing area;

a plurality of pegs located within the first playing area;

at least one movable offensive target for a first player and at least one movable offensive target for a second player positioned onto two of the plurality of pegs; and

at least one ring for each of the first player and the second player, wherein the rings are capable of encircling one or more of the pegs.

2. The game according to claim 1, further comprising a board, wherein the board comprises a plurality of holes for receiving the plurality of pegs.

3. The game according to claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of offensive targets for the first and second players; and

a plurality of rings for the first and second players, wherein the plurality of targets and rings for the first player are distinguishable from the plurality of targets and rings for the second player.

4. The game according to claim 3, wherein the plurality of targets and the plurality of rings are distinguishable from each other based on color, wording, numbers, symbols, or a combination thereof.

5. The game according to claim 1, wherein the size of the at least one ring for the first and second player, the number of pegs, and the spacing of the pegs are selected such that the rings are capable of encircling one or more of the pegs.

6. A game comprising:

a first playing area;

a second playing area, wherein the second playing area is adjacent to the first playing area;

a plurality of pegs located within the first and second playing areas;

at least one movable offensive target positioned onto at least one peg in each of the first and second playing areas;

at least one movable defensive target positioned onto at least one peg in each of the first and second playing areas; and

at least one ring for each of a first player and a second player, wherein the rings are capable of encircling one or more of the pegs.

7. The game according to claim 6, further comprising a board, wherein the board comprises a plurality of holes for receiving the plurality of pegs.

8. The game according to claim 6, wherein:

at least one movable offensive target for the first player is positioned onto a peg in the second playing area;

at least one movable offensive target for the second player is positioned onto a peg in the first playing area;

at least one movable defensive target for the first player is positioned onto a peg in the first playing area; and

at least one movable defensive target for the second player is positioned onto a peg in the second playing area.

9. The game according to claim 6, wherein the offensive targets, defensive targets, and rings for the first and second players are distinguishable from each other based on color, wording, numbers, symbols, or a combination thereof.

10. The game according to claim 9, further comprising a plurality of offensive targets, defensive targets, and rings for the first and second players.

11. The game according to claim 6, further comprising one or more of the following:

a progress tracker, wherein the progress tracker comprises a progress tracker board and a plurality of cards;

a morale board and morale tokens for each of the first and second players; and

a victory point board and victory point tokens for each of the first and second players.

12. The game according to claim 6, wherein the first playing area comprises a first section and a second section, wherein the second playing area comprises a first section and a second section, and wherein each of the first and second sections of the first and second playing areas are located adjacent to each other.

13. A method of playing a game comprising:

providing a plurality of pegs, wherein the plurality of pegs are located within a playing area;

placing a first offensive target for a first player and a second offensive target for a second player onto two different pegs of the plurality of pegs;

providing at least one ring for each of the first and second players;

tossing the at least one ring for the first player towards the first offensive target; and

tossing the at least one ring for the second player towards the second offensive target.

14. The method according to claim 13, further comprising:

tossing the at least one ring for the first player towards the playing area prior to the step of placing;

tossing the at least one ring for the second player towards the playing area prior to the step of placing, wherein the first offensive target is placed onto the peg where the ring for the first player encircles after tossing and the second offensive target is placed onto the peg where the ring for the second player encircles after tossing; and then

tossing the at least one ring for the first player towards the first offensive target and tossing the at least one ring for the second player towards the second offensive target, wherein the first player earns a specified number of points or tokens if the ring for the first player encircles the peg containing the first offensive target, and wherein the second player earns a specified number of points or tokens if the ring for the second player encircles the peg containing the second offensive target.

15. The method according to claim 13, wherein the playing area is a first playing area and further comprising:

a second playing area located adjacent to the first playing area, wherein the second playing area comprises a plurality of pegs;

placing a first defensive target and the second offensive target onto two different pegs located within the first playing area by the first player; and

placing a second defensive target and the first offensive target onto two different pegs located within the second playing area by the second player, wherein the offensive targets, defensive targets, and rings for the first and second players are distinguishable from each other based on color, wording, numbers, symbols, or a combination thereof.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein the first player earns a specified number of points or tokens if the ring for the first player encircles an empty peg in the second playing area or a peg containing the first offensive target, or if the ring for the second player encircles a peg containing the first defensive target; and wherein the second player earns a specified number of points or tokens if the ring for the second player encircles an empty peg in the first playing area or a peg containing the second offensive target, or if the ring for the first player encircles a peg containing the second defensive target.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein the first playing area comprises a first section and a second section, wherein the second playing area comprises a first section and a second section, and wherein each of the first and second sections of the first and second playing areas are located adjacent to each other.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein the ring for the first player must first encircle the peg containing the first offensive target located in the first section of the second playing area prior to movement of the first offensive target onto a peg located within the second section of the second playing area, and wherein the ring for the second player must first encircle the peg containing the second offensive target located in the first section of the first playing area prior to movement of the second offensive target onto a peg located within the second section of the first playing area.

19. The method according to claim 17, wherein the ring for the first player must first encircle the peg containing the first offensive target located in the first section of the second playing area prior to placement of a third offensive target for the first player onto a peg located within the second section of the second playing area, and wherein the ring for the second player must first encircle the peg containing the second offensive target located in the first section of the first playing area prior to placement of a fourth offensive target for the second player onto a peg located within the second section of the first playing area.

20. The method according to claim 19, further comprising:

providing a plurality of: offensive targets; defensive targets; and rings for the first player; and

providing a plurality of: offensive targets; defensive targets; and rings for the second player, wherein the rings for the first player are tossed sequentially and then the rings for the second player are tossed sequentially.