Child's game employing tiles w/animal-pictographs

Abstract

Apparatus and system for playing the childs game ANIMOES™, wherein after an initial drawing procedure to determine the first-player position, a matching-play procedure commences by the players in turn, to if possible matchingly arrange their tile/card-pieces in variously abutted relationship relative to a previously emplaced pictographic animal-caricature of tile/card-piece exhibiting a like symbol; -thus, the first player to expend their alloted tile/card-pieces wins the desired position of “Spinmaster”. The Spinmaster is thereby freed to merely activate a random-selection spinner-device (whereupon is exhibited each of the preferred eight animal-caricatures), to see by chance which one of the other player's aminal-pictographs is selected, that player being required to emulate the sound or action known to characterize that of the particular selected animal, -making for amusing interaction of the players. To give added educational/play-value to the game, at the Spinmaster's discretion, players can also be required (dependent upon age level) to endeavor spelling the word for that animal, according to the species-name shown accompanying the pictograph. Another generic-variant set forth is an edible embodiment, lending further commercial potential to the invention.

Description

I.) BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] 1. Field of Invention

[0002] This invention generally relates to the old game known as Dominos which employs rigid rectangular tiles having varied dot-matrix indicia thereon, requiring the players to abutt the tile playing-pieces in a manner whereby a matching of like symbols is entailed; and, it also pertains to various other types of child's games relating somewhat to Dominos by employing tiles or playing-cards bearing varied pictographic indicia thereon.

[0003] 2. Relevant Prior-Art

[0004] Background research discovery provides some prior patent-art regarded as germane to this disclosure, chronologically for example U.S. Pat. No. 599,767(filed: June 1897) shows a rather domino like set of twenty-eight tile pieces having rectangular 2:1-proportion, thereby enabling the upper-surface to be divided into two opposed spaces of equal surface-area, while exhibited thereon each tile is a different combination of the traditional “heart, diamond, club, spade” suits having the usual values of one-through-ten, plus jack, queen, king, and ace. Hence, the individually distinguished game-pieces are initially placed upon any convenient flat surface (table-top or floor) face-down, whereby they are shuffled about into randomly unknown condition, whereby the players draw their allotment of tiles from the “pool of pieces”, and whereupon players are in succession required to build-out a 2-dimensional field of variously abutted half-spaces. Accordingly, when “the lay” of playing-pieces is played-out until it becomes “blocked” whereby no one can play further, then the player having least number of remaining playing-pieces “wins”.

[0005] In U.S. Pat. No. 1,060,900(filed: July 1912) is shown a card-game comprised of twelve-books or suits of four-cards, making fourty-eight cards plus an “odd”-card; each suit bearing a different living species, a type of fruit or vegetable, or an inanimant object; the object being for a player to decide what suit upon which to build toward a set of four by calling-out for example “tiger” thereby compelling other players to give-up any holding of tiger-cards, and so forth until the wolf-card is drawn, upon which the drawer will cry-out “wolf”, at which point all play ceases and players compute their respective scores via the numeral-values indicated upon the card-faces to see who scores the highest!

[0006] In U.S. Pat. No. 1,165,984(filed: April 1915) is shown a somewhat Domino like card/tile-game, although instead of a dot-matrix, comprising a traditional four-suit assortment of hearts/diamonds/clubs/spades, each combined however in an usual way with the limited array of ace/king/queen/jack/& ten-value cards/tiles in a quasi-Pinochle manner; wherein a special assortment of twenty-eight uniquely designed card/tile-faces is exhibited in the disclosure.

[0007] In U.S. Pat. No. 1,558,229(filed: July 1925) is shown a preferred number of sixty playing-cards, half of which are so called “heads”-cards and the others are so-called “tails”-cards, representing those forward and aftward portions of various well known animals, such as a horse/moose/tiger/buffalo/camel/etc. although it is anticipated that birds and fish could be similarly employed. Inscribed above the heads or tails are respectively shown the first-half or second-half of the word identified with that animal; -that is, above the lion's-head portion is spelled “L-I”, while above the zebra's-tail portion is spelled “B-R-A”, hence when arranged side-to-side thereby appearing to spell the uniquely created animal-name of “LIBRA” for example. Another iteration of the game compells players to necessarily achieve combining of the traditional appearing and likewise traditional-spelling of the assembled animal half portions; while scoring values are represented upon the card-faces of both iterations.

[0008] In U.S. Pat. No. 2,072,799(filed: April 1930) is shown an animal associated card-game showing card faces upon which are individually represented deer/bear/rabbit,squirel/etc., with different scoring values associated thereto; plus, still other cards have faces individually representing a game-warden/hunting-license/deer-permit/game-preserve/open-season and closed-season, the game-warden being used to impose penalties against any player not in possession of a hunting-license card for example!

[0009] In U.S. Design Pat. No. 133,863(filed: May 1942) is shown an array of twenty-eight tiles, each face of which being divided into halfs in the manner of Dominos, whereupon in each of the half-portions is depicted various graphic-indicia; however, no particular game-plan is set-forth as only the ornamental-design was being claimed.

[0010] In U.S. Pat. No. 3,773,327(filed: February 1972 from U.K. (including U.K.-Pat.#1,358,698/filed: February 1972) is shown a plurality of playing-tiles, the face of each tile being divided into half-portions; one half bearing so-called pips or Dominos like dot-matrix patterns of one to six pips, the other half bearing an animal-symbol; -plus, the perimeter-edges of the tiles incorporate both male and female engaging elements acting to limit how the players can juxtapose the various tile pieces.

[0011] In French Pat.#2,338,728(filed: January 1976) is shown an aggregation of both square and Isosceles-triangle shaped (two equal sides) tile type playing-pieces bearing various dot-matrix patterns; however, no animal likenesses are employed thereon.

[0012] In U.S. Pat. No. 4,369,976(filed: May 1981) is shown a preferred deck of fifty-two playing-cards divided into four-suits of thirteen cards, each of the cards within a suit baring a different alphabetical-indicia, the object of the game being to execute a so called “trump” of the other player which can comprise a word or words, or a pictograph, or a word or group of words and a matching picture.

[0013] In U.S. Pat. No. 5,108,113(filed: December 1990) is shown a phonics teaching card game especially designed for pre-schoolers, involving eight decks of cards including two-decks of upper-case letters, a deck of lower-case letters, a deck of short-vowel wording-cards, a deck of long-vowel wording-cards, as well as eighty-four capital-letter words for each letter of the alphabet, etc.; but involves no Dominoes like juxtapositioning of cards.

[0014] In U.S. Pat. No. 5,156,409(field: December 1990) is shown a large-scale tile-hopping ground or floor supported game, the active top-surfaces of which are to exhibit graphics such as numbers, letters, symbols (such as roadside traffic-signs), or even words, all of which eventually become increasingly familar to the young participants as they play; however, the players do not themselves arrange the large tiles, they merely are required to hop to a tile bearing indicia matching that of a randomly drawn object-card, then successfully hop back to their starting-base.

[0015] In U.S. Pat. No. 5,524,899(filed: May 1995) is shown an educational alphabet-based card-game for youngsters, wherein a fifty-two card deck is divided into four suits of thirteen cards each, and different alphabetic-clues are provided such as an “A for apple” or “Z for zebra” whereby players are urged to try and spell-out words from the cards being held in their hand, and while another iteration of the game provides that they may also place their cards upon cards laying in the field-columns somewhat in the manner of traditional Solitaire; however, no notion of play is set forth relating to the game of Dominos.

[0016] In U.S. Pat. No. 6,209,875(filed: January 1999) is shown a Domino playing-piece system devised to aid children in recognising and thereby learning both the use of numbers and counting of animal pictographs; however, no particularly novel game-plan of play is set forth

[0017] Therefore, in full consideration of the preceding patent review, there is determined a need for an improved form of gaming device to which these patents have been largely addressed. The instant inventor hereof believes their newly improved game relates addressed. The instant inventor hereof believes their newly improved game relates partially to traditional dominos, but is much easier for youngsters to grasp owing to the novel manner in which animal pictographs are employed, and is thus commercially referred to as “ANIMOES™”, currently being developed for production under auspices of Animoes-Mfg./Mkt.Co. of SanDiego County, Calif.; and exhibits certain other advantages, as shall be revealed in the subsequent portion of this instant disclosure.

II.) SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0018] A.) In view of the foregoing discussion about the earlier invention art, it is therefore important to make it pellucid to others interested in the art that the general object of this invention is to provide a user-friendly multi-player mildly competitive game particularly suitable for pre-school and grammar-school aged children, by providing a new way of using Domino shaped playing-tiles (or alternatively, -the generally less costly albeit less durable use of imprinted playing-cards will suffice), involving the usual right-angle juxtapositioning of playing-pieces having a rectangular parallelpied shape, whereby their width is approximately half of their length (ie: -twice as as long as it is wide) is further augmented by elimination of the confusingly (to young minds) varied dot-matrix indicia pattern in favor of a visually simpler mere matching of more stimulatingly appealing graphic-caricatures pictograph preferably representing eight different familiar animals. The frontal display-surface is thus divided into two equal areas, that is into half portions, each of which exhibit a random pictograph of an animal thereon. Accordingly, unlike Dominoes type of games, the indicia of my playing pieces does not appear in the form of a repetitive dot or pix matrix pattern (which represent different values), in my game players are merely required for example to match-up like animal pictographs, by for instance abutingly interfacing an “elephant” symbol shown upon one of their tiles (hereinafter meaning in effect, -either tiles or cards, according to manufacturering design preference) edgingly adjacent another “elephant”-imprinting (ie: -via either silkscreen, lithograph, decal, adhesive-label, or intaglio like blind-embossed engraving image for example), in an either train like end-to-end manner, or medially at a right-angle thereto, dependent upon the type of play-piece as shall be explained. Furthermore, and it is preferred for educational purposes that the name of the animal be spelled-out immediately adjacent each graphic-image caricature (pictograph), thereby exposing the child to a familarizing appearance of the printed-word relative to the animal pictured. Moreover, it is preferred that the tiles be human-engineered to an approximate dimensional size of about 2-inches×4-inches (2″×4″× about ⅛″-¼″-thickness) as to thereby obviate any possibility of a young-child managing to swallow a playing-tile embodiment.

[0019] B.) Another object of this invention disclosure is to set forth a mildly competitive game generally involving a plurality of modularly sized rectangular tile playing-pieces (that is, all preferably shaped and dimensioned alike), wherein is set forth a preferred game-plan involving three or more players and an eventual Spinmaster to be chosen from among the players. The preferred game-plan is best understood when set forth in two stages identified as Phase-I and Phase-II . . .

[0020] INITIAL-PHASE I: -As with dominoes the game begins by randomly mixing the preferred thirty-six playing-pieces around face-down (the Animoes logo on the backsides of the playing-pieces thus facing upward), whereupon each player is to receive an equal number of playing-pieces until they are all given out still face-down, if an odd-number of players one of the playing-pieces will remain. Players then look to see who has the playing-piece showing a “double-lion”-pictograph, as that player must then place their double-lion playing-piece out upon the common field-area for initial play by the player to their immediate left (if the extra double-lion playing-piece happens to be the remaining/playing-piece, then it is simply placed out upon the field here called the table-top or just “table”). The first “to one's left”-player (ie: moving around clock-wise as viewed from above) having a playing-piece showing just a single lion then interfacingly tables the matching single lion end so as to abut the side of the double lion-pictographs at a right-angle, or otherwise just abutting in an end-to-end manner. Note that there are included likewise double-pictograph playing-pieces of all the different animals depicted, but I prefer that the double-lion playing-piece be the only one used to initiate the game by being the only playing-piece which can be abutted at any of its four sides so as to be connected with a like lion of another “combination” playing-piece (ie: a playing-piece having only a single lion-pictograph combined with some other animal likeness). Players who do not at the moment hold a matchable playing-piece must thus pass their play-turn on to the the player at their left, and so on; whereby the player to playout all of their playing-pieces first via the described connect-a-picture procedure, thus becomes winning Spinmaster of the final stage of game-play . . .

[0021] FINAL-PHASE II: -begins with the Spinmaster activating the spinner to select an animal pictograph represented thereon; thus according to where the spinner randomly stops, the player happening to be sitting to the “right” of the Spinmaster is told to emulate (try to act like) that animal depicted in the spinner-selected pictograph. For example: a duck is known to “quack” when it talks, “waddle” when it walks, shakes its body and flaps it wings to settle its feathers and dry-off, and “smacks” its beak together when it drinks; -so any one or all of these amusing (for a human to do) emulations would constitute an acting-out requirement! This phase of game-play can continue around to successively engage each player in performing the Spinmaster's selected animal act; or, the game can end at the end of the one player's performance, and commence once again with a scrambling of the bottoms-up (faces hidden to insure a good scrambling and thus random allotment selection by players) playing-pieces.

[0022] C.) Another object of this invention disclosure is to set forth a childs game wherein is preferably employed a simple random-selector device, preferably in the form of a spinner having a pointer set upon an axis with a medial axial spinner-knob thereto, in combination with an encircling-panel exhibiting in azimuth an array of different animal-chricature pictographs corresponding to those pictograph images represented upon the different playing-pieces; and thereby enabling a Spinmaster player to preside over its operation, and monitor the successive procedural interplay of one or more players.

III.) DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT DRAWINGS

[0023] The foregoing and still other objects of this invention will become fully apparent, along with various advantages and features of novelty residing in the present embodiments, from study of the following description of the variant generic species embodiments and study of the ensuing description of these embodiments. Wherein indicia of reference are shown to match related matter stated in the text, as well as the Claims section annexed hereto; and accordingly, a better understanding of the invention and the variant uses is intended, by reference to the drawings, which are considered as primarily exemplary and not to be therefore construed as restrictive in nature; wherein:

[0024] FIG.-1, is an upper/plan-view showing an inventory of thirty-six playing-pieces arranged in a logical order of eight tiered rows beginning with eight across at the top first-row, second-row having seven playing-pieces across, third-row down having six playing-pieces across, forth-row down having five playing-pieces across, fifth-row down having four playing-pieces across, sixth-row down having three playing-pieces, seventh-row down having two playing-pieces, and the eighth-row down having only one playing-piece;

[0025] FIG.-2A, is an oblique perspective-view showing a basic preferred playing-piece structural embodiment, here using the master-doublet as an example (albeit structurally typical of all thirty-six playing-pieces of this type), and which is thus initially placed face-up as shown, and is to thereby be played to adjoiningly;

[0026] FIG.-2B, is an oblique perspective-view showing an alternate generic-variant embodiment thereof by way of direct comparison with FIG.-2A;

[0027] FIG.-2C, is an oblique perspective-view showing another alternate generic-variant structural embodiment thereof;

[0028] FIG.-3, is an upper/plan-view showing how other animal playing-pieces are abuttedly adjoined relative to the master-doublet;

[0029] FIG.-4, is an upper/plan-view showing my preferred random-selector device;

[0030] FIG.-5, shows a player emulating an animal selected by random-selector device;

[0031] FIG.-6, is an illustration of a youngster eating an Animoes™ playing-pieces.

IV.) ITEMIZED NOMENCLATURE REFERENCES

[0032] 1′/1″—Lion/Cow playing-piece

[0033] 2′/2″—Lion/Frog playing-piece

[0034] 3′/3″—Lion/horse playing-piece

[0035] 4′/4″—Lion/Elephant playing-piece

[0036] 5′/5″—Lion/Dog playing-piece

[0037] 6′/6″—Lion/Duck playing-piece

[0038] 7′/7″—Lion/Cat playing-piece

[0039] 8′/8″—Lion/Lion Master-doublet playing-piece

[0040] 9′/9″—Cat/Cow playing-piece

[0041] 10′/10″—Cat/Frog playing-piece

[0042] 11′/11″—Cat/Horse playing-piece

[0043] 12′/12″—Cat/Elephant playing-piece

[0044] 13′/13″—Cat/Dog playing-piece

[0045] 14′/14″—Cat/Duck playing-piece

[0046] 15′/15″—Cat/Cat dublet playing-piece

[0047] 16′/16″—Duck/Cow playing-piece

[0048] 17′/17″—Duck/Frog playing-piece

[0049] 18′/18″—Duck/Horse playing-piece

[0050] 19′/19″—Duck/Elephant playing-piece

[0051] 20′/20″—Duck/Dog playing-piece

[0052] 21′/21″—Duck/Duck dublet playing-piece

[0053] 22′/22″—Dog/Cow playing-piece

[0054] 23′/23″—Dog/Frog playing-piece

[0055] 24′/24″—Dog/Horse playing-piece

[0056] 25′/25″—Dog/Elephant playing-piece

[0057] 26′/26″—Dog/Dog doublet playing-piece

[0058] 27′/27″—Elephant/Cow playing-piece

[0059] 28′/28″—Elephant/Frog playing-piece

[0060] 29′/29″—Elephant/Horse playing-piece

[0061] 30′/30″—Elephant/Elephant doublet playing-piece

[0062] 31′/31″—Horse/Cow playing-piece

[0063] 32′/32″—Horse/Frog playing-piece

[0064] 33′/33″—Horse/Horse doublet playing-piece

[0065] 34′/34″—Frog/Cow playing-piece

[0066] 35′/35″—FrogFrog doublet playing-piece

[0067] 36′/36″—Cow/Cow doublet playing-piece

[0068] 37—A planar playing-field surface

[0069] 38—spinner-plate

[0070] 39—spinner-axis

[0071] 40,40′,40″—spin-pointer, pointer-tip, spin-knob

[0072] 41/41′/41″/41″b-general tile/card/cookie/broken-cookie

[0073] 42—face or front-side

[0074] 43—back or rear-side

[0075] 44—exemplified cookie/cracker box

[0076] 45′/45″—boy/girl -players

[0077] 46—spelled-word

[0078] 47—pictograph (general ref. to any)

[0079] 48—indicia spatial demarcation-line

[0080] 49—potential tile implacement

[0081] 50′,50″—T-bone abutment, train abutment

V.) DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0082] Initial reference is given by way of FIG.-1, wherein is exhibited a reference repository of my preferred allotment of playing-pieces (tiles or cards), from which is set forth the following eight-row inventory of playing-pieces commencing with uppermost row-1 showing the following:

[0083] eight lion-based playing-pieces (ref.nos. 1-8), including one exhibiting double-lions (preferably regarded as the master-doublet) the other lion pieces being combined individually with just seven of the other animals;

[0084] seven cat-based playing-pieces (ref.nos. 9-15), including a doublet exhibiting double-cats, the other cat pieces being combined individually with just six of the other animals;

[0085] six duck-based playing-pieces (ref.nos. 16-21), including a doublet exhibiting double-ducks, the other duck pieces being combined individually with just five of the other animals;

[0086] five dog-based playing-pieces (ref.nos. 22-26), including a doublet exhibiting double-dogs, the other dog pieces being combined individually with just four of the other animals;

[0087] four elephant-based playing-pieces (ref.nos. 27-30), including a doublet exhibiting double-elephants, the other elephant pieces being combined individually with just three of the other animals;

[0088] three horse-based playing-pieces (ref.nos. 31-33), including a doublet exhibiting double-horses, the other horse pieces being combined individually with just two of the other animals;

[0089] two frog-based playing-pieces (ref.nos. 34-35), including a doublet exhibiting double-frogs, the other piece being combined with just one of the other animals;

[0090] one cow-based playing-piece (ref.no. 36) which is a doublet exhibiting double-cows.

[0091] Accordingly in all, using the preceding example there are therefore preferably eight playing-pieces exhibiting nine (one being a doublet) images of the lion-pictograph, eight playing-pieces exhibiting nine images of the cat-pictograph; eight playing-pieces exhibiting nine images of the duck-pictograph, eight playing-pieces exhibiting nine images of the dog-pictograph, eight playing-pieces exhibiting nine images of the elephant-pictograph, eight playing-pieces exhibiting nine images of the horse-pictograph, eight playing-pieces nine images of the frog-pictograph, and eight playing-pieces exhibiting nine images of the cow-pictograph; hence, thirty-six playing-pieces exhibiting seventy-two animal-pictographs in all. This novel stair-stepped inventory format revealed in FIG.-1 plan-view is therefore described as comprising eight vertically-tiered horizontal-rows of playing-pieces, wherein the top-row contains only one playing-piece, and wherein each consecutively descending row of such members increases by an additional playing-piece, whereby the bottom-row thereby contains eight-members; -thereby characterized as presenting a vertically-aligned left-margin in combination with a laterally stair-stepped right-margin. This format embodiment is thus regarded as uniquely inherent to my particular game-plan; although obviously it is not critical as to exactly how these animal-pictographs become graphically arranged within the format, nor is the choice of animals being herein depicted as my preference regarded as critically germane to the game I have set forth.

[0092] There remain subtle, however vital other differences which are to become herein more evident and understood as important improvements. For example, FIG.-2 serves to primarily show the physical difference between the generally preferred rigid tile type playing-pieces 41 and the alternate flexile card playing-pieces 41′; plus the optional rigid oven-baked type of playing-piece 41″ (hence playing-pieces 41/41′/41″ are for purposes of game procedure, -regarded as interchangable). Owing that this game is primarily directed toward pre-school and grammer-school aged children who may still be teething, I prefer for oral-safety reasons that the playing-pieces be made approximately 2-inches X 4-inches in plan-view (hence, giving it a length-to-width ratio of 2:1), so as to thereby obviate any hazardous oral-ingestion which could cause a youngster to choke. Moreover, the tile like playing-piece 41 exemplified in FIG.-2A is preferably made of a rigid plastic about ⅛th-inch to ¼th-inch in thickness; while alternately in FIG.-2B, the preferably flexile card iteration 41′ of the same exemplified doublet playing-piece is made according to that characterized by conventional playing-cards having a plastic-coating substrate upon both sides thereof (ie: face-side 42 and back-side 43). Additionally, in FIG.-2C is shown a generic-variant tile like playing-piece 41″ optionally made of a conventional cracker (or cookie) like edible bakers-composition; -instead of inedible plastic, wood, or cardboard. Whereby a generous cookie/cracker-box 44 (ref. FIG.-6) of my Animoes™ can be produced by an duly licensed national-distributor such as FamousAmos®Company, for convenient purchase by the public at their nearby neighborhood grocery-store. Taken home, the recloseable carton 44 can thus be readily opened by the youngsters and initially sorted-out on the kitchen-table according to a FIG.-1 like guide preferably appearing upon back of the box 44, then gently scrambled and otherwise played in accordance with the procedures outlined elsewhere hereto. The faces of the playing-piece cookies/crackers are simply blind-embossed with the intaglio design of the various animals as is exemplified in FIG.-1, and when factory-baked thereby become permanently so configured. Therefore, once the kids have fetched the included plastic spinner (similar to that of FIG.-4) or similar cardboard-cutout from the box, and carefully set aside the requisite inventory of playing-pieces, they can proceed to play the game as is herein prescribed while proceeding to eat the many others from the box as they merrily play the game! What fun, and if a cookie playing-piece becomes broken, it can simply be eaten FIG.-6 and replaced by a fresh whole one from the box; -and eventually, they will all become eaten, so that another box full has to be purchased from the grocer, as is desired for continued commercial success.

[0093] In FIG.-3 is exemplified the general manner in which my various Animoes™ playing-pieces (of FIG.-1) are to be routinely assembled relative to the preferred Lion (as “king of the beasts”) master-doublet playing-piece integral portions 8′/8″; although it can be understood by way of this illustrated example that the other individual doublet playing-pieces 15′/15″, 26′/26″, 35′/35″, 30′/30″, are to be played and played-to in likewise systematic fashion always involving abutted matching of like animal pictographics 47, wherein the playing-pieces of mixed animal pictographs can only be abutted in a train like end-to-end manner (example 50″), while the doublets are preferably laid into crosswise in T-bone manner (example 50′) as is clearly demonstrated in FIG.-3. Accordingly, it can readily be understood how a domino type grouping of playing-pieces becomes sequentially assembled until at some point there are no more possible such matches.

[0094] In FIG.-4 is exemplified the preferred sort of random-selector device, here having a circular spinner-plate 38 (although the spinner-plate can just as well be octagonal or even square if preferred), supporting a central vertical spinner-axis 39 upon which is freely mounted a spin-pointer 40 having a pointer-tip 41′ and preferably fitted with a co-rotating spinner-knob portion 40″ affixed centrally thereto for thumb and forefinger spinning in either a CW or CCW direction. However, to commence the game, I prefer that the thirty-six playing-pieces (ref. FIG.-1 ) be turned face-down and thoroughly mixed around (the card versions can be easily “shuffled”, but for kids it is usually easier for them to likewise just swish the cards around face-down) as to be randomly mixed; whereupon each player successively takes or is given a a playing-piece (which they then turn face-up) until all of the playing-pieces are doled-out (in event of an odd number of players, the playing-piece remaining will thus be allocated to the first player who cannot make a matching play from their hand of playing-pieces). The game is preferably begun by the player receiving the Lion-doublet playing-piece 8′/8″, who thus places that piece in the playing-field area 37, whereupon the player to their left sees if they have a matchable playing-piece such as the Lion/Duck (6′/6″), Lion/Cat (7′/7″), Lion/Elephant (4′/4″), or Lion/Horse (3′/3″) examples demonstrated in FIG.-3. However, if no player holds the master/Lion-doublet playing-piece (8′/8″), then it must be the as yet unissued odd one, so the first-player thus becomes the person to realize the situation and thus quickly snatch-up the unused playing-piece 8′/8″ and place it face-up in the common allocated playing-field area 37, whereupon the 2nd-player is likewise preferably the person to their immediate left, the 3rd-player is to the left of the 2nd-player and so forth. Thus, the first player to abuttingly place their hand of playing-pieces becomes winner of the first-segment phase round of play, therefore automatically assuming temporary possession of the random-selector 38 as Spinmaster, until completion of the second-segment phase of game play. The temporary Spinmaster proceeds to actuate the random-selector's spin-pointer 40, so as to determine without bias which animal the player seated to the immediate right of the Spinmaster is to perform in some manner; -such as by emulating the sound or gestures of the spinner selected animal, or by having to try to spell the name of the animal; -or, any one or all three such performances may be required at the Spinmaster's discretion. By way of example, if the spin-pointer lands on the pictograph of a Duck, the Spinmaster thus turns to the player to their right and exclaims “BE A DUCK”, at which command the selected player has to act out the four well known things characterizing that particular animal: thus as is illustrated in FIG.-5 the player will probably crouch-down on their haunches, and try to walk the duck waddle while perhaps tucking their hands under their arm-pits to raise-and-lower their folded-arms as to emulate the action of a duck's wings, all the while saying- “quack, quack, quack”; -at which point they may also have to spell the word- “D-U-C-K” correctly. Or perhaps more appropriately, the Spinmaster may first demand of the selected player: “Spell the word DUCK”, and if successful at spelling the word, the player may retire from further demands by the Spinmaster for that segment. However, if spelled incorrectly (by reference to the spelled word 46 appearing proximal the selected animal's pictograph 47) then as punishment, the selected player is required to perform as described above; -all of which is preferably entirely at the discretion of the Spinmaster.

[0095] If a game becomes tentatively “locked-up” whereby players cannot make a matching play with their hand of playing-pieces, then the player with the least amount of remaining playing-pieces becomes the Spinmaster. However, if a game becomes occasionally “locked-up” whereby the players each have the same number of remaining pieces in hand, then the first-segment of game play is settled by a “SpinOff”. The SpinOff-situation is initiated without delay by the players pooling their remaining pieces face-down for a good scrambling, then each of the players pulls a playing-piece from the face-down group of mixed-up playing-pieces; while the last player commencing the LockUp situation also spins the random-selector's spin-pointer 40 to select an animal pictograph from the spinner-plate 38, whereupon the players all turn their selected playing-piece face-up to see whose playing-piece has a match to the spinner selected animal pictograph. If necessary this simple spin-and-compare procedure is repeated until only ONE-player has a matching playing-piece pictograph; -that player thereby winning the coveted position of Spinmaster for that play round.

[0096] Thus, it is readily understood how the preferred and generic-variant embodiments of this invention contemplate performing functions in a novel way not heretofore available nor realized. It is implicit that the utility of the foregoing adaptations of this invention are not necessarily dependent upon any prevailing invention patent; and, while the present invention has been well described hereinbefore by way of certain illustrated embodiments, it is to be expected that various changes, alterations, rearrangements, and obvious modifications may be resorted to by those skilled in the art to which it relates, without substantially departing from the implied spirit and scope of the instant invention. Therefore, the invention has been disclosed herein by way of example, and not as imposed limitation, while the appended Claims set out the scope of the invention sought, and are to be construed as broadly as the terminology therein employed permits, reckoning that the invention verily comprehends every use of which it is susceptible. Accordingly, the embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or proprietary privilege is claimed, are defined as follows.

Claims

1.) A child's connect-a-picture game of competitively matching elements; said game apparatus comprising:

a plurality of four-sided parallelpied playing-pieces each having a planar display-surface divided into half portions both of which exhibit an individual animal pictograph thereon and including doublet playing-pieces thereto, whereby three or more players are each issued a like amount of said playing pieces which are played upon a common playing-field whereto each said pictograph is sequentially adjoined by a said playing-piece half portion bearing a common pictographic likeness; whereby first player to matchingly arrange their allotment of said playing pieces thus wins position as Spinmaster for that play-segment in charge of operating a manually activated random-selector means exhibiting all of said different pictographs, the pictograph selected by said random-selector thus determines which kind of animal one of the other player's in turn is to emulate.

2.) The childs connect-a-picture game according to claim-1, wherein the collective inventory of aggregate said playing-pieces constitutes a unique format configuration comprising eight vertically-tiered horizontal-rows of playing-pieces, wherein the top-row contains only one playing-piece, and wherein each consecutively descending row is increased by an additional playing-piece, and accordingly whereby the said eighth of bottom-row thereby contains eight playing-pieces; and including a vertically-aligned left-margin in combination with a laterally stair-stepped right-margin.

3.) The childs connect-a-picture game according to claim-1, wherein said plurality constitutes thirty-six playing-pieces.

4.) The childs connect-a-picture game according to claim-1, wherein said playing-pieces comprise thirty-six rigid rectangular tiles dimensioned as to provide a nominal 2:1 length-to-width proportional relationship.

5.) The childs playing-pieces according to claim-4, wherein for oral-safety said tiles measure approximately 4-inches×2-inches.

6.) The childs connect-a-picture game according to claim-1, wherein said playing-pieces comprise thirty-six flexile rectangular cards dimensioned as to provide a nominal 2:1 length-to-width proportional relationship.

7.) The childs playing-pieces according to claim-6, wherein for oral-safety said cards measure approximately 4-inches×2-inches.

8.) The childs connect-a-picture game according to claim-1, wherein all said playing-pieces are randomly-scrambled prior to being delt-out to players, and one of said doublet playing-pieces is predetermined to be the key/playing-piece which must be sorted-out from among randomly scrambled playing-pieces and initially laid-down upon said playing-field as the master abutting member upon commencement of game play.

9. ) The childs connect-a-picture game according to claim-1, wherein said random-selector means is a spinner having a pointer set upon an axis and including a manually actuated spinner-knob thereto, plus an encircling-panel displaying an azimuth array of different animal-caricature pictographs thereon corresponding to those said pictograph images represented upon said playing-pieces.

10.) The childs connect-a-picture game according to claim-1, wherein said playing-pieces are rigid albeit edible cookies or crackers which may be played or eaten.

11.) The childs connect-a-picture game according to claim-1, wherein upon said animal selection via said random-selector, a player also must try to make sounds or physical gestures emulating that particular selected animal.

12.) The childs connect-a-picture game according to claim-1, wherein upon said animal selection via said random-selector, a player also must try to spell the word for that selected animal as is verified by a species-name accompanying the pictograph.

13.) A child's connect-a-picture game of competitively matching elements; said game apparatus comprising:

Phase-I: a set of thirty-six planar four-sided parallelpied playing-pieces each including a display-surface divided into contiguous halves, each said half exhibiting a random pictograph likeness of an animal in combination with an imprinted word thereto identifying said animal by its name, and including doublet playing-pieces thereto for each animal representation; plus a playing-field means whereto is laid a predetermined master-doublet playing-piece to which said playing-pieces are successively assembled by the players via matching of pictograph likeness in their hand, the winner of the segment involving rounds of play being the first player to play-out their dealt issue of playing-pieces;

Phase-II: a position of Spinmaster is attained by said winner of phase-I, whereby said Spinmaster presides over operation of a random-selector device exhibiting discrete azimuth indicia corresponding to the same said animal pictographs exhibited upon said playing-pieces, thereby enabling selection of an animal-pictograph to be in some manner emulated by a player to right of said Spinmaster.

14.) The childs connect-a-picture game according to claim-13, wherein each said playing-piece means is a rigid tile or a flexile card configured approximately twice as long as it is wide.

15.) The childs connect-a-picture game according to claim-13, wherein the collective inventory of aggregate said playing-pieces constitutes a unique format configuration comprising eight vertically-tiered horizontal-rows of playing-pieces, wherein the top-row contains only one playing-piece, and wherein each consecutively descending row is increased by an additional playing-piece, and accordingly whereby the said eighth of bottom-row thereby contains eight playing-pieces; and including a vertically-aligned left-margin in combination with a laterally stair-stepped right-margin.

16.) The childs connect-a-picture game according to claim-13, wherein aggregate said playing-pieces constitute a unique collective format described as comprising eight vertically-tiered horizontal-rows of playing-pieces, wherein the top-row contains only one playing-piece, and wherein each consecutively descending row increased by an additional playing-piece, whereby the bottom-row thereby contains eight playing-pieces; and including a vertically-aligned left-margin in combination with a laterally stair-stepped right-margin.

17.) The childs connect-a-picture game according to claim-13, wherein said random-selector means is a spinner having a pointer set upon an axis and including a manually actuated spinner-knob thereto, plus an encircling-panel displaying an azimuth array of different animal-caricature pictographs thereon corresponding to those said pictograph images represented upon said playing-pieces; thereby determining what animal a player must try to to emulate via execution of physical movements or sounds or both, and/or must try to correctly spell according to identifying word inscribed proximal said animal-pictograph.

18.) A child's connect-a-picture game of competitively matching elements; said game system comprising:

providing a set of thirty-six four-sided parallelpied planar playing-pieces each including a display-surface divided into contiguous half portions both of which exhibit an animal pictograph thereon and including a doublet playing-piece for each of the eight different animal pictographs, said playing-pieces initially being randomly scrambled bottoms-up, whereupon three or more players are each issued a like amount of said playing pieces, and including a common playing-field whereto a predetermined master-doublet playing-piece is found and initially placed face-up, and whereto the matching animal-pictograph end portions of other said playing-pieces are abutted in turn by each said player moving in a clockwise manner as viewed from above; whereby first said player to thus expend their allotment of said playing-pieces thus wins position as Spinmaster for that play-segment in charge of operating a manually activated random-selector means exhibiting all of said different pictographs, hence the pictograph selected by said random-selector thus determines which kind of animal the player's to said Spinmaster's right is to emulate.

19.) The childs game system according to claim-18, wherein said random-selector means is a spinner having a pointer on an axis and a manually actuated spinner-knob thereto, including an encircling-panel bearing an array of different animal-caricature pictographs thereon corresponding to those said pictograph images represented upon said playing-pieces.

20.) The childs game system according to claim-18, wherein upon said animal selection via said random-selector, a player also must try to spell the word for that selected animal as is verified by a species-name accompanying the pictograph; or alternatively; a player must try to execute physical movements or sounds or both movements and sounds emulating that particularly selected animal.