WORD FORMING GAME

Abstract

The present invention is directed to a method of playing a word game for two or more players. A plurality of tiles is provided, which display at least one letter on a first side of each tile and indicate whether the letter displayed on the first side of the tile is a consonant or vowel on the second side of the tile. At least one die is also provided. The players place each of the tiles letter-side down and shuffle the tiles. They then roll the at least one die to determine how many consonant tiles are to be selected and how many vowel tiles are to be selected, and select those tiles. The tiles are then flipped over to display the letters to the players. Each player then writes down as many words as can be formed within a set timeframe and the game is scored based upon the number or difficulty of the words formed. Play continues until a set score has been reached or a set number of rounds has been played.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. §119(e) of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/178,291 filed May 14, 2009, the entirety of which is hereby incorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Field of the Invention

The present invention relates generally to a word forming game apparatus and a method of play.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Briefly, the present invention is directed, in an embodiment, to a method of playing a word game comprising providing, to a group of two or more players, a word game apparatus comprising: a plurality of tiles displaying at least one letter on a first side of each tile, wherein a second side of the tile indicates whether the letter displayed on the first side of the tile is a consonant or vowel; at least one die that indicates numbers on each of its sides; placing each of the tiles letter-side down and shuffling the tiles; rolling the at least one die to determine how many consonant tiles are to be selected, and selecting those tiles; rolling the at least one die to determine how many vowel tiles are to be selected, and selecting those tiles; flipping the selected consonant and vowel tiles over so that the letters are viewable by the players; having each player write down as many words as can be formed within a set timeframe; scoring the game based upon the number or difficulty of the words formed; and continuing play until a set score has been reached or a set number of rounds has been played.

In another embodiment, the invention is directed to a method of playing a word game comprising (a) providing, to a group of two or more players, a word game apparatus comprising: a plurality of tiles displaying at least one letter, which is a consonant or a vowel, on one side of each tile; at least one die that indicates numbers on each of its sides; (b) placing each of the consonant tiles into a container and placing each of the vowel tiles into a separate container; (c) rolling the at least one die to determine how many consonant tiles are to be selected, and selecting those tiles; (d) rolling the at least one die to determine how many vowel tiles are to be selected, and selecting those tiles; (e) placing the selected consonant and vowel tiles in front of the players such that the letters are viewable by the players; (f) having each player write down as many words as can be formed within a set timeframe; (g) scoring the game based upon the number or difficulty of the words formed; and (h) continuing play by repeating steps (b) through (g) until a set score has been reached or a set number of rounds has been played.

In yet another embodiment, the invention is directed to a game apparatus comprising a plurality of tiles displaying at least one letter on a first side of each tile, wherein a second side of the tile indicates whether the letter displayed on the first side of the tile is a consonant or vowel; at least one die that indicates numbers on each of its sides; a timer; and notepads.

In a still further embodiment, the invention is directed to a game apparatus comprising a plurality of tiles displaying at least one letter, which is a consonant or a vowel, on one side of each tile; a container for consonant tiles and a container for vowel tiles, wherein the container indicate whether they contain consonants or vowels; at least one die that indicates numbers on each of its sides; a timer; and notepads.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A full and enabling disclosure of the present invention, including the best mode thereof directed to one of ordinary skill in the art, is set forth in the specification, which refers to the appended figures, in which;

FIG. 1 illustrates a front view of an embodiment of a tile according to the invention;

FIG. 2 illustrates a side view of an embodiment of a tile according to the invention;

FIG. 3 illustrates a top view of an embodiment of a tile according to the invention;

FIG. 4 illustrates a front perspective view of an embodiment of a tile according to the invention;

FIG. 5 illustrates a front view of an embodiment of the tray according to the invention;

FIG. 6 illustrates a back view of an embodiment of the tray according to the invention;

FIG. 7 illustrates a front perspective view of an embodiment of the tray according to the invention;

FIG. 8 illustrates a top and side view of an embodiment of the tray according to the invention;

FIG. 9 illustrates a front perspective view of an embodiment of the tray according to the invention;

FIG. 10 illustrates a bottom and side view of an embodiment of the tray according to the invention;

FIG. 11 illustrates a top perspective view of an embodiment of the tray according to the invention; and

FIG. 12 illustrates a top view of an embodiment of the tray according to the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Reference now will be made in detail to the embodiments of the invention, one or more examples of which are set forth below. Each example is provided by way of explanation of the invention, not a limitation of the invention. In fact, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made in the present invention without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention. For instance, features illustrated or described as part of one embodiment, can be used on another embodiment to yield a still further embodiment.

Thus, it is intended that the present invention covers such modifications and variations as come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents. Other objects, features and aspects of the present invention are disclosed in or are obvious from the following detailed description. It is to be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art that the present discussion is a description of exemplary embodiments only, and is not intended as limiting the broader aspects of the present invention.

The invention is generally directed to a game in which letters are chosen by chance and displayed for players. The players must then form as many words as possible, within a given timeframe, from the randomly selected letters. Once a player reaches a predetermined score, that player is declared the winner of the game.

In an embodiment, the game apparatus comprises a series of tiles having at least two sides. The tiles may be square, circular, rectangular, triangular, or any shape known in the art. At least one side of the tile may display a letter or character. The letters or characters may be from the alphabet of any language, such as English or Spanish. In an embodiment, one side of each of the tiles may display a common ornamental design such that the tiles are indistinguishable when that side of the tile is facing upward. In another embodiment, both sides of the tile contain the same letter or character. In a particular embodiment in which the tile is rectangular in shape, a line or other designation may divide its face into two square ends. Each square end may display the same letter or character such that the letter or character is properly readable from either side of the tile. Embodiments of a tile are illustrated in FIGS. 1-4.

In an embodiment in which the English language is displayed on the tiles, the consonants and vowels may be displayed in different colors. For example, consonants may be displayed in red and vowels may be displayed in blue. Any color combination known in the art may be utilized in this embodiment. In another embodiment, the ornamental design on the back of the tiles may indicate whether the tile displays a consonant or vowel on its face.

In some embodiments, the selection of letters in the tile pool is based upon the usage frequency of the letters in conversation. In a particular embodiment, the selection of letters in the tile pool is based upon the usage frequency of common words in conversation so that players have a greater chance during the course of the game to form words.

In some embodiments, the tiles may be stored in a pouch or other container during game play. If stored in a pouch, the pouch may have a drawstring closure. In a particular embodiment, the tiles are stored in at least one fabric pouch. The tiles may be separated into two pouches in some embodiments. For example, consonants may be stored in a pouch matching the color of the letters displayed on the tiles contained therein and vowels may be stored in a separate pouch matching the color of the letters displayed on the tiles contained therein. As a particular example, consonants may be displayed on the tiles in red and may be stored in a red fabric pouch. Similarly, vowels may be displayed on the tiles in blue and may be stored in a blue fabric pouch. Such storage of the tiles prevents the players from observing the letters or characters thereon.

In another embodiment, the tiles may be spread out blank or ornamental side up so that the letters or characters are not visible until the tile is overturned. In this embodiment, an ornamental design on the back of the tiles may indicate whether the tile displays a consonant or vowel on its face. Alternatively, the color of the tile itself may indicate whether the tile displays a consonant or vowel on its face.

The tiles themselves may be made out of any material that is known in the art. In one embodiment, the tiles may be made from wood. In a particular embodiment, the tiles are made of a plastic material. In one embodiment, the tiles may be resin-based. The tiles may be sized such that the letters or characters displayed thereon area easily readable. In an embodiment, the tiles are approximately 2 inches long, 1 inch wide and inch in height.

In an embodiment of the game apparatus, the tiles contain English letters. In this embodiment, the frequency of the letters may correlate with the frequency of those letters in common words. In one embodiment, each letter of the English alphabet is displayed on at least one tile in the game apparatus. In an embodiment, the following letters may be displayed on only one tile in the game apparatus: B, C, F, G, H, J, K, Q, V, W, X, Y, Z, and U. In an embodiment, the “Q” tile may be replaced with a “Qu” tile, which may act as the single letter “Q” or the combination “Qu.” In another embodiment, the following letters may be displayed on at least two tiles in the game apparatus: D, L, M, N, P, A, I, and O. In yet another embodiment, the following letters may be displayed on at least three tiles in the game apparatus: R, S, T, and E. In a particular embodiment, the letter E may be displayed on at least four tiles in the game apparatus.

The apparatus of the invention may also comprise a set of dice. Each die may be 6-sided in an embodiment. Other die shapes are also contemplated in this embodiment. The die may contain numbers on each of its sides. Any configuration of numbers is acceptable in this embodiment. In a particular embodiment, a die may contain numbers from 3 to 8. In another embodiment, a die may contain numbers from 2 to 4. In an embodiment, the dice may be colored or the numbers on the dice may be colored. For example, a die or its numbers may be colored red to correspond with red consonant tiles or a die or its numbers may be colored blue to correspond with blue vowel tiles. In an embodiment, a particular die corresponds to consonants and another die corresponds to vowels. In this embodiment, the consonant die may be numbered from 3 to 8. The vowel die may be numbered from 2 to 4 (each number presented twice).

In lieu of dice, any random selection means, such as a deck of cards, a spinner, a computer, etc., may be used to generate the number of tiles to be drawn. In a particular embodiment, the dice or other random selection means may have a ‘wild’ selection, in which the player may choose as many vowels or consonants, within the game limitations, as he or she wishes.

The apparatus of the invention may comprise a timer. The timer may be audible or may be a sand timer. It may have settings for 2 minutes, 2.5 minutes, and 3 minutes. In an embodiment, the timer may provide some audible sound during its time period. In this embodiment, the last 15 seconds of the remaining time period may be marked by an audible sound having a quicker pace than that during the previous portion of the time. In an embodiment, a buzzer may sound at the end of the time period. In yet another embodiment, the game apparatus may not include a timing mechanism such that the players are responsible for keeping time themselves by using a personal watch, clock, or other suitable method.

The game apparatus of the invention may comprise one or more trays to contain the tiles. The trays may be made of any suitable material, such as wood, a plastic material, or sturdy cardboard. In an embodiment, the trays may be color-coded to match the color of the letters displayed on the tiles. For example, the consonant tray may be red and the vowel tray may be blue. The tile tray(s) may contain spaces for numerous tiles. In an embodiment, the tray(s) may hold 5 to 20 tiles. In another embodiment, the tray(s) may hold 7 to 15 tiles. In a particular embodiment, a consonant tray may hold 8 tiles and a vowel tray may hold 4 tiles.

In an embodiment, the tray(s) may have one transparent side and one opaque side. The trays(s) may have one or more slots that are each sized to hold one tile. The tray(s) may have a securing mechanism to ensure that the tiles stay in the tray(s). Embodiments of the tray are set forth in FIGS. 5-12.

As shown in FIGS. 5-12, the tray 50 may have a front face 10, a rear face 18, a first sidewall 20, a second sidewall 24, and a bottom wall 26. In this embodiment, the front face 10 may be transparent and the rear face 18 may be opaque. The tray 50 may have a series of slots which allow a tile to be inserted therein. Each slot may be separated from the adjacent slot by a divider.

The game apparatus may further comprise a set of individual notepads and writing utensils for recording words formed during play. The notepad may contain a header or footer that provides a space for round number, points accumulated during current round, and total points accumulated.

During play, a notepad and writing utensil are distributed to each player. The tiles are configured such that the letters or characters displayed thereon are not visible to the players. This may be accomplished by placing the tiles in pouches, bags, or containers. This may also be accomplished by placing the tiles face-down such that the letters or characters displayed thereon are not visible. The tiles should then be shuffled.

If a tray is utilized during play, the tray should be set up such that the tiles can be placed therein without viewing the letters or characters displayed thereon.

To begin play, a player must be selected to choose tiles. The players may roll the dice and the player with the highest combined roll may select the tiles during the first round. In subsequent rounds, the player to the left, or in some embodiments, to the right, of the previous player who selected tiles may select tiles for that round.

In play, the dice are rolled. In an embodiment, one die corresponds to consonants and the other die corresponds to vowels. The player that rolled the dice selects the number of consonant tiles which corresponds to the number rolled on the consonant die. That player then selects the number of vowel tiles which corresponds to the number rolled on the vowel die.

If a tray(s) is used, the tiles may be placed into the tray. The tray(s) may then be altered to reveal the faces of the tiles, which display the letters or characters.

In an embodiment, the selected tiles may be placed face-up on a flat surface such that all players can view the letters or characters thereon. The timer is started upon viewing of the tile faces.

In the method of playing the game, each player may then write down as many words as he or she can form from the letters available. In an embodiment, each letter can only be used as many times as it appears in the tiles. Thus, if there is only one particular letter showing, it may not be duplicated in a single word. For example, if only one ‘L’ has been drawn, the word CALL is not valid.

Players cease writing once time runs out. Each player takes turns announcing his or her words to the group and is scored accordingly.

In an embodiment, the object of the game is to accumulate, or earn, a sufficient amount of points to win the game. Points may be awarded based upon the number of words formed by each player. The player having the highest number of points at the end of a series of rounds or the player first reaching a point limit may be declared the winner. In particular embodiments, points may be awarded based upon the length or uniqueness of the words formed. In some embodiments, words that are spelled incorrectly or use letters other than those displayed on the tiles cause the player to receive a point penalty.

In a different embodiment, words that are formed by more than one player will not be scored. For example, after the allotted time period has expired, the players may read aloud the words that they have formed. If any word is formed by more than one player, no points are awarded for that word.

In yet another embodiment, particular letters may be in play during every round. For example, the letters R, S, T, L, N, and E may be in play during every round and additional letters may be selected based upon the rolling of the dice. In still another embodiment, certain letters may be eliminated from the round. For example, tiles containing the letters E, S, and D may be removed from the game.

In a further embodiment, the dice may be eliminated from a round and the players may preselect the number of consonants and vowels to draw for each round.

In still another embodiment, the game apparatus may include one or more blank tiles. The player drawing a blank tile may be permitted to choose any single letter for use during that round of play.

After completion of a round, the letter tiles are reconfigured such that the letters or characters displayed thereon are not visible to the players. The game may continue with subsequent rounds until a winner is declared.

In an embodiment, the game may be played with an unlimited number of players. In another embodiment, the game may be played with 2 to 8 players.

While the present invention is described as using physical tiles and trays, the game may also be played as a computer game.

The following example describes an embodiment of the present invention. Other embodiments within the scope of the claims herein will be apparent to one skilled in the art from consideration of the specification or practice of the invention as disclosed herein. It is intended that the specification, together with the examples, be considered to be exemplary only, with the scope and spirit of the invention being indicated by the claims which follow the examples.

Example 1

This example illustrates an embodiment of the present invention.

Premise:

Jumble Tumble is a word jumble game involving letters chosen by chance. Players must record as many words as they can form from a set of letters that are selected at random each round. Once a player reaches a predetermined score, he/she is declared the winner.

Materials:

1 white 6-sided cube die with red markings. Die numbers are 3 to 8.

1 white 6-sided cube die with blue markings. Die numbers are 2 to 4 (each number twice).

2 tile bags; 1 red and 1 blue. Bags are made of fabric, measuring 4 inches by 5 inches with a drawstring closure.

Letter Tiles: white domino-like tiles with red markings for consonants and blue markings for vowels. Tiles are resin-based and measure approximately 2 inches long, 1 inch wide, and ¼ inch high. Each tile side is marked with a letter in 2 directions (see FIG. 1).

Letters to be used:

1 each: B, C, F, G, H, J, K, Qu*, V, W, X, Y, Z, U

2 each: D, L, M, N, P, A, I, 0

3 each: R, S, T, E

*The Qu tile is intended to functionally allow for the letter Q. This tile may act as the single letter Q or as the combination Qu. However, the “u” component of the “Qu” tile may only be used in conjunction with the letter Q; it may not be used as a separate vowel. The tile should count as 2 letters during scoring.

Audible timer: settings for 2, 2.5, and 3 minutes. Last 15 seconds should be marked by a quicker pace, and a buzzer sounds at the end of the preset time.

Tumble Trays: 1 red consonant tray and 1 blue vowel tray. The consonant tray holds 8 tiles, and the vowel tray holds 4 tiles. Trays will have one transparent side and one opaque (colored) side. Each tile cavity will be sized to hold one letter tile.

Individual notepads and pencils (8) for recording words. Each page should have the following header:

ROUND______ POINTS: THIS ROUND______ TOTAL______

Game Setup:

Distribute a notepad and pencil to each player.

Place all of the consonants in the red bag and all of the vowels in the blue bag (color coded).

Place the Tumble Trays so that the opaque side is facing up (transparent side is facing down).

To begin play, each player rolls both dice. The player with the highest combined roll will be the Roller for the first round. In subsequent rounds, the new Roller will be the player to the left of the previous Roller.

Round Play.

The Roller rolls both dice. The red die corresponds to the number of consonants in play, and the blue die corresponds to the number of vowels in play.

The Roller draws the consonants from the red bag and the vowels from the blue bag without looking at the letters on the tiles. Consonants are placed into the red Tumble Tray, and vowels are placed into the blue Tumble Tray. Blank tiles will be used to fill-in the entire tray, e.g. if the player rolls a 2 for vowels, then two vowel tiles will be selected and two blank tiles will be available for filling purposes.

The Roller initiates play by ‘tumbling’ both trays to expose the letters. The timer is started simultaneously for one of three predetermined time settings.

As play begins, each player writes down as many words as he/she can form from the letters available. Note: if there is only one particular letter showing, it may not be duplicated in a single word. For example, if only one ‘L’ has been drawn, the word CALL is not valid.

Players cease writing once time runs out (timer will buzz). Each player calls out his/her words and is scored accordingly.

After completion of a round, return letter tiles to their respective bags. Continue with subsequent rounds until a winner is declared (see Scoring).

Scoring:

Only unique words earn points. Words that appear on more than one player's list should not be scored.

Words comprised of 2 or 3 letters earn 1 point.

Words comprised of 4 or 5 letters earn 2 points.

Words comprised of 6 to 8 letters earn 3 points.

Words comprised of 9 or more letters earn 4 points.

Any word using all available letters earns double word points.

Incorrect words (spelled incorrectly or nonexistent words) earn a penalty of −2 points.

Players may challenge words from another player's list when a particular word is in question. In the event that the challenged word is deemed invalid (per an agreed-upon reference), the player must strike the word from his/her list and incur a penalty of −2 points. However, if the challenged word is deemed valid, the player may add the appropriate number of points to his/her score while the challenger incurs a penalty of −2 points.

Round play continues until a player reaches 50 points and is declared the winner.

Alternative Play:

(1) Easy: The letters R, S, T, L, N, and E, are always in play. Those selected during normal round play are in addition to the ‘key’ letters. Standard scoring.

(2) Difficult: Eliminate the letters E, S, and D, from play. Standard scoring.

(3) Preset Rounds: Instead of rolling dice each round, players will select the number of consonants and vowels according to preset stages.

Round 1: 3 consonants, 2 vowels

Round 2: 4 consonants, 2 vowels Round 3: 6 consonants, 3 vowels

Round 4: 7 consonants, 3 vowels

Round 5: 8 consonants, 4 vowels

The player with the highest score at the end of the fifth round is declared the winner.

Although particular embodiments of the invention have been described using specific terms, devices, and methods, such description is for illustrative purposes only. The words used are words of description rather than of limitation. It is to be understood that changes and variations may be made by those of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the spirit or the scope of the present invention, which is set forth in the following claims. In addition, it should be understood that aspects of the various embodiments may be interchanged both in whole or in part. Therefore, the spirit and scope of the appended claims should not be limited to the description of the preferred versions contained therein.

Claims

1. A method of playing a word game comprising:

a. providing, to a group of two or more players, a word game apparatus comprising a plurality of tiles displaying at least one letter on a first side of each tile, wherein a second side of the tile indicates whether the letter displayed on the first side of the tile is a consonant or vowel;

b. placing each of the tiles letter-side down and shuffling the tiles;

c. selecting at least one consonant tile and at least one vowel tile;

d. flipping the selected consonant and vowel tiles over so that the letters are viewable by the players;

e. having each player write down as many words as can be formed within a set timeframe;

f. scoring the game based upon the number or difficulty of the words formed; and

g. continuing play by repeating steps (b) through (f) until a predetermined score has been reached or a predetermined number of rounds has been played.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the number of consonant tiles and vowel tiles selected is determined by a roll of at least one die.

3. The method of claim 2 comprising a first die which corresponds to consonants and a second die which corresponds to vowels.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the consonant die displays the numbers 3 through 8.

5. The method of claim 3 wherein the vowel die displays the numbers 2 through 4.

6. The method of claim 1 additionally comprising declaring a winner based upon scoring or rounds.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the tiles are rectangular in shape.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the tiles are comprised of a plastic material.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the first side of the tile displays the same letter in opposite directions such that it is properly readable from either direction.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the letter distribution comprises:

a. the following letters displayed on one tile each: B, C, F, G, H, J, K, Q or Qu, V, W, X, Y, Z, and U;

b. the following letters displayed on at least two tiles each: D, L, M, N, P, A, I, and O;

c. the following letters displayed on at least three tiles each: R, S, T, and E.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the word game apparatus additionally comprises a timer.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the word game apparatus additionally comprises writing utensils and notepads.

13. A method of playing a word game comprising:

a. providing, to a group of two or more players, a word game apparatus comprising: i. a plurality of tiles displaying at least one letter, which is a consonant or a vowel, on one side of each tile; ii. a container for consonant tiles and a container for vowel tiles;

b. placing each of the consonant tiles into the consonant container and placing each of the vowel tiles into the vowel container;

c. selecting at least one consonant tile and at least one vowel tile from the containers;

d. placing the selected consonant and vowel tiles in front of the players such that the letters are viewable by the players;

e. having each player write down as many words as can be formed within a set timeframe;

f. scoring the game based upon the number or difficulty of the words formed; and

g. continuing play by repeating steps (b) through (f) until a set score has been reached or a set number of rounds has been played.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the containers are fabric pouches.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein the container indicates whether it contains consonants or vowels.

16. The method of claim 13 wherein step (d) comprises placing the tiles into at least one tray which displays the letters for the players.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the tiles can be placed within the tray such that the letters are not viewable and the tray can then be altered to reveal the letters on the tiles.

18. A game apparatus comprising:

a. a plurality of tiles displaying at least one letter on a first side of each tile, wherein a second side of the tile indicates whether the letter displayed on the first side of the tile is a consonant or vowel;

b. a mechanism for selecting the number of tiles for play;

c. a timing mechanism; and

d. a scoring mechanism.

19. A game apparatus comprising:

a. a plurality of tiles displaying at least one letter, which is a consonant or a vowel, on one side of each tile;

b. a container for consonant tiles and a container for vowel tiles, wherein the container indicate whether they contain consonants or vowels;

c. a mechanism for selecting the number of tiles for play;

d. a timing mechanism; and

e. a scoring mechanism.

20. The game apparatus of claim 19 additionally comprising a tray for displaying the tiles.