Playing Surface With Answers in First Field Providing Answer in Second Field

The present invention is directed to a game, particularly a game of skill. While the game is applicable to use as a contest between two or more players, it is most advantageously employed as a promotional game in the field of consumer sales.

Contest games have often been used in the retail sales area, and in a variety of ways. Games are used, for example, in the fast food industry as an inducement to prospective customers to patronize a particular establishment or chain of establishments. In such a use, the prizes awarded are generally the products purveyed by the particular establishment, as well as, or in addition to, cash, trips, or other merchandise.

Similarly, games of skill have frequently been used in the promotion of consumer products, either to increase the sales of a particular brand because of the inducement provided by the prizes available through successful completion of the game, or as a means to introduce a new product in, essentially, the same way.

For example, in U. S. Pat. No. 4,466,614, Bachman et al, a game is described with a playing surface having first indicia defining a plurality of game symbols and second indicia on the playing surface defining a plurality of game categories, the second indicia being arranged so that the symbols are in spaced relationship with the categories. Third indicia are provided on the surface to define a plurality of playing areas, and each area is in spaced register with one of the symbols and one of the categories. A desired combination of selected symbols is associated with each category and, in an apparently preferred embodiment, all of the symbols are used.

In order to attract the attention of the consuming public, new forms of games must constantly be developed.

In accordance with the present invention, a playing surface is provided having two fields of play. In the first field of play, a plurality of multiple choice questions are provided. Each of the choices for each of the questions is identified by a symbol. When the correct selections are made from the several choices, the symbols identified, as associated with each choice, can be combined to provide the answer to a question in a second field of play provided on the playing surface. In a preferred embodiment, incorrect choices can be made in the first field of play which will identify symbols and when those symbols are combined, an answer is also provided which answers a question in the second field of play; however, the answer is incorrect, since the answers selected in the first field of play were incorrect.

The symbols which are designated by selection of an answer are, preferably, letters. In that case, the letters are employed in the second field of play to spell out the word which is, generally, a synonym for another word. When the symbols are letters, the answer provided in the second field of play, while being a synonym for the other word given, may be an incorrect answer because the answers given in the first field of play were incorrect.

When the symbols are letters, the letters provided by the correct answers to the multiple choice questions will answer the "pay off question," and can either be in the correct order, or may be scrambled, to add yet another element of skill to the game. A particular value is assigned to each correctly completed playing surface or card. If desired, all playing surfaces or cards can be given the same value, or those of increased difficulty may have increased point values. Players accumulating the most total points, by whichever system is used, are designated the winners.

In the accompanying drawings:

FIG. 1 is a representation of a playing surface or card as received by a player; and

FIG. 2 is a representation of the playing surface or card of FIG. 1 completed with the correct answers, both to the multiple choice questions and to the "pay off question."

Referring to the accompanying drawings, and particularly, FIG. 1, a playing surface or card 1 is provided with two fields of play, a first field 10 on which are printed a plurality of multiple choice questions, with several answers, and a second field 11, which is provided with a "pay off question" to be answered based upon the information obtained from a correct solution of the questions in the first area.

As illustrated in FIG. 1, four multiple choice questions are provided. If desired, the number of questions provided can be more, or less, depending upon the length of the answer to be provided in the "pay off question." Obviously, the more multiple choice questions provided in the first area, the more difficult is the ultimate solution of the "pay off question."

Again, referring to FIG. 1, the first question 20, "top selling single of 1973," is provided with four possible answers, 21 through 24; as will be appreciated, each of the possible answers is preceded by a letter. Selection of the correct answer provides the player with the proper letter to be used in solving the "pay off question" in the second field. As will be seen in FIG. 2, the first answer, "Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Old Oak Tree," has been selected as the appropriate answer to question 20, so that the letter B, 31, has been provided as the appropriate letter from the first question.

In the same manner, the second question 40 is answered with the third possible selection to provide the letter E, 41; the proper answer to the third question 50 provides the letter E 51; and the proper answer to the fourth question 60 provides the letter F, 61.

The "pay off question" provided in the second area of play 11 is for a four letter synonym for "grumble." The fact that four letters are required for the answer is shown by the provision of four lines in the portion 70 of the playing field. The letters 31, 41, 51, and 61, provided by the correct answers to the questions in the first field of play are placed onto the blanks in the area 70 to provide the proper synonym for "grumble," in this case, "beef." The playing surface or card is now complete and an appropriate point score is awarded for it.

As illustrated in the accompanying figures, the letters obtained by correct answering of the multiple choice questions in the first field appear in the same order as they should appear in the area 70 in the second field. Obviously, to add another dimension of skill to the game, the letters may be "scrambled," so that, in addition to selecting the proper answers, the letters must be unscrambled to provide the answer to the "pay off question." Further, in addition to the relative ease or difficulty of the particular questions, or to the ease or difficulty of the synonym provided in the "pay off question," the entire game may be rendered easier by providing only a three letter answer to the "pay off question," while increased difficulty can be accomplished by providing five or more questions with the corresponding number of correct answers and letters to be used in solving the "pay off question."

As indicated, in a preferred embodiment, answers could be selected on the first field of play which would also provide an acceptable answer to the "pay-off question" in the second field of play, but where the answers in the first field of play would be incorrect. In that regard, and referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, if answer 22 were selected from the first question, the letter "C" would be obtained. Similarly, if 42 were selected as the answer to the second question, 52 as the answer to the third question, and 62 as the answer to the fourth question, then the combined letters would spell "Crab," which would be an acceptable answer to the "pay-off question," "Grumble." However, since the answers 22, 42, 52, and 62 are incorrect, the answer to the "pay-off question" would also be incorrect. Obviously, the provision of a possible second set of answers, but answers which are incorrect, adds yet another level of skill to the game.

The description of the preferred embodiment has obviously described that embodiment where the symbols indicated by selection of an answer are letters. It will be appreciated, without changing the concept of the game or the playing surface, that those letters may be other symbols, such as numbers, pictures, etc. Merely as an example, the symbols could be such that they would identify the four seasons of the year in appropriate order, a sequence of symbols which would illustrate a rising sun, etc. Similarly, the symbol could be numbers and insertion of the numbers in the second field of play could be the answer to some mathematical problem.

When the game surfaces of the present invention are to be employed in a promotional type of game, obviously, they will be single use type of playing surfaces; i.e., the playing surface is submitted to some agency who collects and tabulates the scores. On the other hand, if the playing surfaces or cards are to be used in a contestant type of game, then it may be desirable to form the cards of a washable type of surface, so that, once the answers and scores are tabulated, the answers can be wiped off of the card, and the card reused.

Obviously, whichever type of game the playing surfaces or cards are employed in, there will be a plurality of such cards, each containing different questions and "pay off questions," and, as indicated, the degree of difficulty can be varied.

While specific embodiments of the invention have been shown and described, the invention should not be considered as so limited, but only as limited by the appended claims.