GB2078118A - Trading Game - Google Patents

Abstract

A board game trading in commodities includes a map 10A, 10B with delineated trade routes to be followed by the players, a token for each player, a set of dice or a predetermined plan for determining maximum movement on any players turn, a series of commodity cards and a series of transport company cards. It may also include a series of trader information cards and transport situational cards. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Game Apparatus This invention relates to game apparatus, more particularly to game apparatus including a board having a stylized map of the world thereon and one or more decks of cards relating to commodity and transportational transactions.

Board games are well known. Such games include a board upon which certain indicia of play are shown including a designated pathway according to which tokens representing the players may move, the length of the movements frequently being determined by the throw of dice.

Decks of cards are utilized with such games, the individual cards of the deck providing further indicia of the play to be carried on. Such games relate to transactions in various fields of endeavour such as financial, energy, stock market, real estate and many others. Prior games have largely depended upon chance and while having both educational as well as entertainment features have not achieved the optimum of advantages in these areas.

Prior art games may be referred to in U.S.

Patent No. 1,132,403, March 16, 1915, Game Apparatus (Commodities); U.S. Patent No.

3,163,424, December 1964, Stock Market Game; U.S. Patent No. 3,892,408, July 1, 1975, Educational Game (Real Estate); and U.S. Patent No. 3,907,301, September 1975, Energy Crisis Game.

The game according to the invention which involves the buying and selling of commodities on world-wide market and transporting such commodities from one place to another upon various forms of transportation is largely a game of skill in the transaction while at the same time providing a maximum of enjoyment.

It is an object of the invention to provide an improved game apparatus of the character indicated wherein the buying and selling of commodities on world-wide markets is carried out.

It is a further object to provide an improved game of the character indicated which employs skill while at the same time giving enjoyment.

According to the present invention there is provided a game apparatus for a group of players to simulate trading in commodities at different locations, shipping such commodities along trade routes connecting such locations and ownership of the shipping agents identified with each route, the apparatus comprising, a game board having locational indicia for commodity trading transactions and indicia of one or more transport company routes connecting said locational indicia, said route indicia including incremental distance indicia; a player token for each player adapted to move incrementally along said route indicia according to a predetermined manner; a series of commodity location and price incidia; a series of transport company cards identifying route, company, shipping rate and transport transaction information indicia; and play money for dealing in commodity and transport transactions.

In one embodiment of the invention, the game board has map indicia and the locational indicia are geographical locations.

According to a further embodiment of the invention a series of transport transactional information indicia cards may be provided together with a series of transport situational cards providing transport instruction and investment indicia at said locations, a series of trader information situational cards may be provided for providing trading instruction and investment indicia at the locations, and the distance a particular player's token may move along trade routes may be determined by the casting of dice.

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figures 1 a and 1 b together form a stylized map of the world with trade routes, trade cities, and the commodities available at the trade cities indicated thereon; Figure 2 is a perspective view of dice which may be used in playing the game; Figure 3 represents player tokens, or pawns, to be moved on the map board, the pawns being cross hatched to indicate various colours; Figure 4 represents a series of cards indicating commodities available at a particular city, prices, etc.; Figure 5 represents a series of cards relating to the airline transportation companies; Figure 6 represents a series of cards relating to ocean surface transportation companies; Figure 7 represents a series of cards relating to railway transportation companies;; Figure 8 represents a series of cards relating to transportational situations; Figure 9 represents a series of cards relating to trader or commodity situational cards; and Figure 10 is a representation of play money.

Referring to the drawings, Figures 1 a and 1 b taken together comprise a game board upon which a stylized map of the world 1 0A, 1 OB is shown. The map, or map indicia, shows all of the world's continents and locates cities, geographical indicia, by name (32 cities of which 22 are trade cities, 9 are free ports and Zurich which is the international zone or start and finish of the game). Zurich is not a free port. All trade cities are shown by circles cross-hatched, commodity indicia, for particular colours which colours are keyed to the commodity traded at that city. In the lower left-hand corner of Figure 1 a there is shown the commodity key 11 comprising six circles cross-hatched or shaded respectively for gold, silver, oil, copper, wheat and sugar.

These commodities are available at the cities on the map wherein the corresponding colour crosshatching exists. Thus, gold as a commodity is available for trading at London, Tokyo and Capetown; silver is available for trading at Mexico City, Montreal and Instanbul; oil is available for trading at Caracas, Anchorage, Algiers and Tehran; copper is available for trading at Lima, Vancouver, Leningrad and Sydney; wheat is available for trading at Chicago, Naples, Moscow and Shanghai; and sugar is available for trading at San Juan, Rio de Janeiro, Bombay and Honolulu.

The freeport cities, at which only certain transactions can take place are shown by the legend, or indicia, at the lower left-hand corner of Figure la as a double circle with vertical crosshatching are Tahiti, San Francisco, New York, Panama, Buenos Aires, Casablanca, Cairo, Copenhagen and Hong Kong.

Every city is connected by three types of transportation routes, namely air routes, sea routes and rail routes, air routes being identified by blank circles connected by a solid line, sea routes being identified by blank circles connected by a dot dash line and rail routes being identified by solid circles connected by a dash line all as indicated by the travel route legend, or indicia 12, 1 3 at the lower left-hand portion of Figure 1 a. The dots or circles of the travel routes are spaced uniformly in order to define increments of distance to be travelled as will be more fully described. Other indicia and more or less routes and increments may, of course, be used.

The map board has been divided into the six continents plus Greenland which has no destination shown thereon. The map is stylized for easy utilization in the course of the game, the lands mass having been compressed, or spread out, as in the case may be in order to be able to maintain the configuration of the world while at the same time providing space thereon for various geographical and travel indicia. Thus, Alaska and Canada, for example, are distorted and compressed because there is little commercial activity insofar as the game is concerned taking place there. Similarly, the continent of Asia has been compressed in order to enable more land mass to be available for western Europe because of the larger number of cities there and the greater degree of commercial activity.The map board may be of a fictional space or of the universe so long as it has locational indicia at which transaction can occur.

The object of the game is to earn a predetermined sum of money, for example, $100,000 by (1) buying and selling commodities at a profit as traders and (2) receiving freight charges from transportation companies owned by the players which may generically be referred to as freighters. Starting from Zurich players move along a trade route from dot to dot according to a predetermined plan to be more fully described or if desired, according to the roll of dice shown by the reference character 1 3A in Figure 2. When a player reaches a trade city he may buy the commodity available there at the cost price, for example, San Juan sugar at $2,000. Since the commodity can only be sold in other trade cities or free ports, the player must travel to those destinations to sell his goods.Depending on the difficulty of the route to be travelled, the player will reap a greater profit. In the course of travel, he may have to pay freight rate charges if he uses a travel route by another player. If no player owns the route, no freight rate will be due or collected.

When landing on a free port or throwing doubles, a player must draw from certain card decks to be described and follow special instructions. After a player has earned the required amount he returns to Zurich and declares his deposit of $100,000 or more into a Swiss Bank Account which makes him the winner as will be more fully described.

As may be seen from Figures 1 a and 1 b combined there are four airline companies, or indicia, interconnecting certain cities, Global Air, Western Continental, Air Africa and Pacific Air.

Also as shown on these Figures there are five ship companies, or indicia, interconnecting various cities, Victoria Princess, Poseidon, Queen Atlantis, Nordic and Star of India. Similarly, there are four railroad companies, or indicia, interconnecting certain cities, Can-Am, Eurorail, Rio Revas and Trans-Asian.

The individual player participants of the game are represented by tokens, or pawns, shown by the reference character 14 in Figure 3, the tokens being shown with various cross-hatching to distinguish them from each other as is well understood. Such tokens may be made of any material, for example, any of the various synthetics and may be coloured for easy differentiation. Each player is assigned one of the tokens and in that players turn his token moves along some trade route, or indicia, in steps according to the increments indicated by the circles 1 3. The transactions in commodities are represented by a series of cards 1 5 shown as a deck in Figure 4.Each card represents an indicia of one commodity purchaseable at a particular geographical location at an indicated price and the price at which that commodity may be sold at various other cities along the trade route including a forced sale value. Thus as shown in Figure 4, card number 16 represents CHICAGO WHEAT purchaseable at a cost price of $3,000 and may be sold at Shanghai for $6,500, at Naples for $7,500, at Moscow for $9,000, at a Freeport for $4,000, and at a Forced Sale for $1,500. It will be understood, of course, that other values or locations (indicia) may be placed upon the various items if desired.

A second card in the deck 1 5 which is incompletely shown is card 1 7 representing CARACAS OIL. CARACAS OIL may be purchased at Caracas at a cost price of $5,000 and may be sold at Algiers for $9,000, at Anchorage for $ 10,000, at Tehran for $ 12,000, at a Freeport for $6,000, and at a Forced Sale for $3,000.

The remaining commodity cards, indicia, according to one form of the invention may be identified as follows: CAPETOWN GOLD: Cost price $7,000; sale price in London $12,000, in Tokyo $15,000, at a Freeport $9,000, and at a Forced Sale $4,000. LONDON GOLD: Cost price $7,000: sale price in Capeton $12,000, in Tokyo $1 5,000, at a Freeport $9,000 and at a Forced Sale $4,000. TOKYO GOLD: Cost price $7,000, sale price in London $12,000, in Capetown $15,000, at a Freeport $9,000, and at a Forced Sale $4,000. MEXICO CITY SILVER: Cost price $6,000; sale price in Montreal $10,000, in Istanbul $13,000, at a Freeport $7,500, and a Forced Sale $3,500. MONTREAL SILVER: Cost price $6,000; sale price in Mexico City $10,000, in Istanbul $13,000, at a Freeport $7,500, and at a Forced Sale $3,500.ISTANBUL SILVER: Cost price $6,000; sale price in Montreal $10,000, in Mexico City $ 13,000, at a Freeport $7,500, and at a Forced Sale $3,500. The CARACAS OIL card has already been described. TEHRAN OIL: Cost price $5,000; sale price in Algiers $9,000, in Anchorage $10,000, in Caracas $12,000, at a Freeport $6,000, and at a Forced Sale $3,000.

ALASKAN OIL (Anchorage): Cost price $5,000, sale price in Tehran $9,000, in Caracas $10,000, in Algiers $12,000, at a Freeport $6,000, and at a Forced Sale $3,000. ALGERIAN OIL: Cost price $5,000; sale price in Tehran $9,000, in Caracas $10,000, in Anchorage $12,000, at a Freeport $6,000, and at a Forced Sale $3,000.

LENINGRAD COPPER: Cost price $4,000; sale price in Vancouver $7,500, in Sydney $8,500, in Lima $ 10,000, in a Freeport $5,000, and art a Forced Sale $2,000. LIMA COPPER: Cost price $4,000; sale price in Sydney $7,500, in Vancouver $8,500, in Leningrad $10,000, in a Freeport $5,000, and at a Forced Sale $2,000.

VANCOUVER COPPER: Cost price $4,000; sale price in Lima $7,500, in Leningrad $8,500, in Sydney $10,000, in a Freeport $5,000, and a Forced Sale $2,000. SYDNEY COPPER: Cost price $4,000; sale price in Lima $7,500, in Vancouver $8,500, in Leningrad $10,000, in a Freeport $5,000, and at a Forced Sale $2,000. CHICAGO WHEAT: Cost price $3,000; sale price in Shanghai $6,500, in Naples $7,500, in Moscow $9,000, in a Freeport $4,000, and at a Forced Sale $1,500. MOSCOW WHEAT: Cost price $3,000; sale price in Shanghai $6,500, in Naples $7,500, in Chicago, $9,000, at a Freeport $4,000, and at a Forced Sale $1,500. SHANGHAI WHEAT: Cost price $3,000; sale price in Chicago $6,500, in Naples $7,500, in Moscow $9,000, at a Freeport $4,000, and at a Forced Sale $1,500.NAPLES WHEAT: Cost price $3,000; sale price in Moscow $6,500, in Shanghai $7,500, in Chicago $9,000, at a Freeport $4,000, and at a Forced Sale $1,500.

BOMBAY SUGAR: Cost price $2,000; sale price in San Juan $5,000, in Honolulu $6,000, in Rio $7,000, in a Freeport $2,500, and at a Forced Sale $1,000. SAN JUAN SUGAR: Cost price $2,000; sale price in Honolulu $5,000, in Rio $6,000, in Bombay $7,000, in a Freeport $2,500, and at a Forced Sale $1,000. HONOLULU SUGAR: Cost price $2,000; sale price in San Juan $5,000, in Rio $6,000, in Bombay $7,000; at a Freeport $2,500, and at a Forced Sale $1,000.

RIO SUGAR: Cost price $2,000; sale price in San Juan $5,000, in Honolulu $6,000, in Bombay $7,000, in a Freeport $2,500, and at a Forced Sale $1,000.

In moving across the transport routes, indicia, on the map, the players pay charges to use the facilities of the transport companies owned by others and are free of those charges when the particular player is moving on his own transport company line. Transport companies may be acquired, and the freight rates specified, according to the transport company indicia disposed on the cards comprising the transport company deck 18 illustrated in part in Figure 5.

Deck 18 is composed of a series of cards, one each of which applies to each air transport company. For example, in Figure 5 card 19 applies to GLOBAL AIRWAYS and shows a cost price, for purchase, of $9,000, a Two City Freight Rate of $ 1,000, a Final Cash Value of $ 12,000 and a Forced Sale Value of $7,500. The Cost Price represents the price a player has to pay to acquire the transport company. The Two City Freight Rate is a charged that the owner of the GLOBAL AIRWAYS can assess against any other player utilizing the GLOBAL AIRWAYS route between two cities located on the map. The Final Cash Value is that amount which the player receives when he reduces his assets to cash. The Forced Sale Value is that amount the owner of the GLOBAL AIRWAYS acquires when the conditions of the game, as will be more fully described, force him to sell the facility.The remaining cards 21 of the deck relating to the air transport companies may be described as follows: WESTERN CONTINENTAL AIR: Cost Price $10,000; Two City Freight Rate $1,000, (Holder Exempt); Final Cash Value $13,000; and Forced Sale Value $8,500.

PACIFIC AIR TRANSFER: Cost Price $1 1,000; Two City Freight Rate $1,000, (Holder Exempt); Final Cash Value $14,000; and Forced Sale Value $9,000.

AIR AFRICA CARGO: Cost Price $9,500; Two City Freight Rate $1,000; Final Cash Value $12,500; and Forced Sale Value $8,000.

The ocean transport company indicia are shown by a deck of cards 22 in Figure 6. The cards shown is for: NORDIC OCEAN TRANSPORT: Cost Price $7,000; Two City Freight Rate $700; final Cash Value $9,500; and Forced Sale Value $5,500.

Similarly for the other lines, thus: QUEEN ATLANTIS LINES: Cost Price $8,500; Two City Freight Rate $700, (Holder Exempt); Final Cash Value $1 1,000; and Forced Sale Value $6,500.

STAR OF INDIA FREIGHT COMPANY: Cost Price $6,500; Two City Freight Rate $700, (Holder Exempt); Final Cash Value $9,000; and Forced Sale Value $5,000.

POSEIDON CARGO COMPANY: Cost Price $7,500; Two City Freight Rate $700, (Holder Exempt); Final Cash Value $10,000; and Forced Sale Value $6,000.

VICTORIA PRINCESS LINES: Cost Price $8,000; Two City Freight Rate $700, (Holder Exempt), Final Cash Value $10,500, and Forced Sale Value $6,500.

The railway transport company indicia are shown by the reference character 23, for example, in Figure 7, the CAN AM RAILWAY card showing a Cost Price $6,500; Two City Freight Rate $500, (Holder Exempt); Final Cash Value $9,000; and Forced Sale Value $5,000. The remaining railway company indicia cards may be described as follows: TRANS-ASIAN EXPRESS: Cost Price $5,500; Two City Freight Rate $500, (Holder Exempt); Final Cash Value $8,000; and Forced Sale Value $3,500.

EURORAIL: Cost Price $5,000; Two City Freight Rate $500, (Holder Exempt); Final Cash Value $7,500; and Forced Sale Value $3,000.

RIO REVAS RAILROAD: Cost Price $6,000; Two City Freight Rate $500, (Holder Exempt); Final Cash Value $8,500; Forced Sale Value $4,000.

It will be evident that additional transport companies indicia may be provided if desired and the Cost Price, the Freight Rate, the Final Cash Value, and the Forced Sale Value may be altered as desired for other versions of the same game.

For additional amusement and skill in playing the game, according to the invention, a deck of trader information situational cards, or indicia, 24, as well as a deck 25 of transport situational cards, or indicia, may be provided shown respectively, for example, in Figures 8 and 9.

The trader situational cards (Figure 9) are drawn during various parts of the game, as will be more particularly described and provide specific instruction and investment indicia or information that may apply to any and all of the players at the time of drawing. Thus, the card 26 shown in Figure 9, is designated as an INSIDER CARD and provides that "An insider represented by the bank will buy the shipments from any player at the specified price of BOMBAY SUGAR at $4,700; LENINGRAD COPPER at $7,100; and TOKYO GOLD at $16,000". In this instance as the indicia indicates, the transaction is voluntary and anyone holding the assets indicated need not sell them unless he so desires.Other cards forming part of the deck 24 and designated as trader situational cards, or indicia, may include cards one each of which includes one of the following; OPTION CARD: This option card gives you the right to buy one sugar shipment from any player at the Freeport price if you buy now.

INSIDER CARD: An Insider represented by the Bank will buy these shipments from ANY PLAYER now. MOSCOW WHEAT at $6,100; ALGERIAN OIL at $9,400; CAPETOWN GOLD at $13,500.

MARKET NEWS: Bumper wheat crop causes lower prices. Any players holding wheat must sell now at the Forced Sale Value.

MARKET NEWS: Major copper producers announce large over-supply from production. If you hold any copper you must sell it now at the Forced Sale Value.

TRADER BULLETIN: Your diplomatic status has called you to Tokyo-Free Passage-but right away. Now that you've arrived you can buy Tokyo Gold for only $4,000 if you have the "yen" for it now. If Tokyo is occupied-stay hear and pay Poseidon owner $500 for a cancelled trip.

INSIDER CARD: An Insider represented by the Bank will buy these shipments from ANY PLAYER now. VANCOUVER COPPER at $7,700; HONOLULU SUGAR at $8,500; MEXICO CITY SILVER at $14,000.

TRADER BULLETIN: The international Bank in Zurich just balanced your account and discovered it owes you one free Gold shipment of your choice now or when you surrender this card. You may not take Gold owned by another player.

OPTION CARD: This option card gives you the right to buy one wheat shipment from the International Bank at Cost if you buy now.

TRADER BULLETIN: You have just received the approval to buy one Transport Company from any player at the cost price if you buy now.

TRADER BULLETIN: Your reputation as a Fair Trader has won you the FTA (Fair Traders Award).

In your honour, fellow Traders will contribute $500 each to cover any travelling expenses for the ceremony.

MARKET NEWS: Two oil tankers transporting Alaskan and Algerian Oil have collided off the coast of Panama. International Traders law requires any owner to surrender either shipment at Freeport prices.

OPTION CARD: This option card gives you the right to buy one copper shipment from the International Bank at Cost if you buy now.

MARKET NEWS: Prices of all commodities, except gold and silver, were up this past year. If you can deliver 2 or more shipments of the same commodity, you may sell now at 3 times the Cost price. If you hold gold or silver - - - Sorry.

OPTION CARD: This option card gives you the right to buy one silver shipment from any player at the Forced Sale Value if you buy now.

INSIDER CARD: An Insider represented by the Bank will buy these shipments now. SHANGHAI WHEAT at $8,200; LONDON GOLD at $10,500; ALASKAN OIL at $13,300.

MARKET NEWS: Sugar price has soared on news of Hawaiian Islands hurricane damaging crops. Add $5,000 to the Freeport price for each sugar shipment you sell now.

INSIDER CARD: An Insider represented by the Bank will buy these shipments from you now.

SAN JUAN SUGAR at $5,400; LIMA COPPER at $9,600; MONTREAL SILVER at $ 12,200.

TRADER BULLETIN: Some of your recent activities have been investigated by the Authorities. Fines total $1 ,200 to be paid to the Bank or $300 to each of your fellow Traders who filed the complaint against you.

INSIDER CARD: An Insider represented by the Bank will buy these shipments from you now. RIO SUGAR at $6,500; CHICAGO WHEAT at $9,300; SYDNEY COPPER at $1 1,800.

INSIDER CARD: An Insider represented by the Bank will buy these shipments from you now.

NAPLES WHEAT at SHANGHAI prices; ISTANBUL SILVER at $9,200; CARACAS OIL at $10,800.

MARKET NEWS: Industrial demand for silver reaches new highs. Any player holding silver may now sell at $1 1,000 per shipment.

TRADER BULLETIN: The Traders Bank of England is holding $4,200 in your account.

Surrender this card when you get to London and pick up every pound.

TRADER BULLETIN: You have been so busy becoming a World Trader you forgot to pay an old freight bill to Pacific Air Transfer. It's only $1,1 00 but must be paid now.

It will be obvious that in various versions of the game according to the invention more or less cards in the decks 24 and 25 with other indicia of trader situations may be supplied as desired.

The transport situational cards (Figure 8) are drawn during various parts of the game, as will be more particularly described and provide transport instructional and investment indicia or information that may apply to any and all of the players at the time of drawing. Thus, the card 27 provides: A Pacific Air flight from Shanghai was forced to land in the Gobi Desert. Recovery operations will cost Pacific Air owner $900 due the Bank.

Other cards forming part of the deck 25 and designated as transport situational cards, or indicia, may include cards one each of which includes one of the following legends or indicia; All players travelling on Western Continental flights must be delayed one turn due to a strike of Western's ground personnel.- - Peso Petroleum is building another oil refinery.

Rio Revas will get the Peso business and $1,500 in advance to prove it.

Your Passport and Invoices are not in order.

Customs officials insist you stay in this Freeport one more turn.- FREE PASSAGE: Your South American longtime friend just became Presidente of a small Republic. When you visit him in Rio use this free Rio Revas Rail Pass good only between Rio and Beunos Aires. SURRENDER UPON USE.- If you own any Air Cargo compnay renewal of Charter 8 License Fees must be paid now at $500 per company.- A European company has just made an offer for the Queen Atlantis Line. The price is Final Cash Value plus $4,000 paid through the International Bank. The owner of Queen Atlantis must decide immediately.- The South African diamond King, I. C. Karat, has just offered to buy Air Africa Cargo from any player.The price is Final Cash Value of Air Africa plus $2,500 paid through the International Bank.- The Tahitian government has just awarded Poseidon Cargo a contract to ship in needed provisions from Sydney. Poseidon owner earns $ 1,300 for the lucky haul.- Heavy monsoon rains require emergency relief supplies to Bombay. Star of India Freight gets $1,700 for the quick haul.- FREE PASSAGE: Your GLOBAL adventure is paid for but it's no trip around the world. Use this ticket when you travel between Casablanca and San Juan. SURRENDER UPON USE. An American resource Company represented by the bank has just made a bid for the Nordic Ocean Transport. They seek the large bulk carriers owned by Nordic and will pay Final Cash Value plus $5,500 if Nordic owner accepts now.- All players now on Trans-Asian routes are delayed one turn due to severe winter storms.

You can avoid the delay if you pay the Trans Asian owner $300 right away.- This may be a FREEPORT but the Local Terminal has got your number. Pay $400 storage for each shipment of goods you are carrying.- When you arrive at the next Freeport exchange this Secret Account card for some extra travelling money, $800. SURRENDER UPON USE.- Your man in this Port just reminded you of the $4,000 you both hold in a bank vault here. With a revolution in the wind, split it 50/50 and take it now. Your man is owner of Air Africa Cargo. If Air Africa is unowned by another player or owned by you-you get all the cash.- An earthquake in the Istanbul area forces emergency shipment of food and medical supplies.Eurorail gets the job done and $2,000 in freight revenues paid from the Bank.- The l.F.C. (International Freighters Commission) has just ok'd the sale of one of your Transport Companies at Final Cash Value. You must decide now.- The Freighter News service has just reported a minor rail accident involving Can-Am Railway. No one was hurt but track repairs will cost Can-Am owner $700.- Word has just come to you that the Traders 8 Freighters Insurance Company is settling your damaged cargo claim for $1400.00.- - A secret source in Naples has just told you that the Victoria Princess is facing bankruptcy.

You can buy the Victoria Line from her owner now at Forced Sale Value. This is a "deal" just for you .- - All passengers now on Global Air routes must pay $800 to Global for a rate increase just approved by the l.F.C. (International Freighters Commission).- FIRE PASSAGE: Narkos Omikos says one good turn deserves another. Take a free ride on a Liberian tanker (Nordic). SURRENDER UPON USE.- FREE PASSAGE: Your the "Star of India" when it takes you on a free Maiden voyage between Hong Kong and Shanghai. Enjoy the free vacation.

SURRENDER UPON USE.- It will be obvious that in various versions of the game according to the invention more or less cards in the deck 25 with other indicia of freighter situations may be supplied as desired.

In Figure 10 there is shown three denominations of play money: $100, $500 and $1,000. Other denominations may be supplied as needed, particularly amounts of $50, $5,000 and $ 10,000. The play money is designated by the reference character 28.

Further structure of the game and the manner of playing it will now be described.

The object of the game is to earn $100,000 by (1) buying and selling commodities at a profit, "traders", and (2) receiving freight charges from transportation companies owned, "freighters".

Starting from Zurich, players move along trade routes from dot to dot 1 3 according to the roll of the dice 13A. Instead of rolling the dice, it may be a rule of the game that a player can move any number of dots up to a maximum, for example, eight. He need not move all eight dots on each occasion of his turn, but he can move any number between one and eight or, for that matter, elect to stay put. In effect the game can be played according to some predetermined plan of the maximum number of dots movable by a player in each turn instead of relying upon the roll of the dice to determine this number. One element of pure luck is thus eliminatable from the play of the game. Even if dice are used, the number obtained may give the maximum number of dots moved. A lesser number may be moved.

When a player reaches a trade city he may buy the commodity available there at the cost price (Example: San Juan Sugar $2,000). He then acquires that card. Since the commodity can only be sold in other trade cities or other freeports, the player must travel to those destinations to sell his goods. Depending upon the difficulty of the route to be travelled, the player will reap a greater profit. In the course of travel, he may have to pay freight rate charges if he uses a travel route owned by another player. If no player owns the route, no freight rate will be due or collected.

When landing in a freeport or throwing doubles on the dice, a player must draw from the traders situational indicia cards and transport situational indicia card decks 24 and 25 and follow special instructions. Prior to the start of the game, the trading indicia situational cards 24 are shuffled as are the transport indicia situational cards 25.

After such shuffling each player upon the occasion appropriate to him draws the top card off of the deck.

It will also be clear that the trader and transport situational card decks may be eliminated without altering the structure and principles of the game.

After a player has earned the required amount, he returns to Zurich and declares his deposit of $100,000 or more into a Swiss bank account which makes him the winner.

The game is started by each player being given cash by the player chosen to be the International Banker. The amount to be given each player may be as follows: Two-three players, $20,000; four six players, $35,000. Players roll the dice to see who goes first and the high roller starts with play proceeding in a clockwise direction. Obviously, some other method of selecting the player to move first may be chosen. The first player leaves Zurich in any one of six directions shown on Figure 1 OB with others following a different route intially. Following another player is permitted during the game, but not at the start of the game.

In moving on the board, a player may move in any one direction on his turn to the number of dots he has rolled on the dice or selected by the predetermined plan of the game. He may move less than the number rolled or the maximum selected but not more than the number rolled. If a player when rolling dice rolls doubles he may not move again as will be subsequently expiained.

Passing of another player is not permitted, but movement can be made just short of where another player is located. On each turn some movement must be made (if possible) unless the trader or transport card requires a delay. Passing another player is not allowed even if the player is located in a trade city or freeport. If a player does not wish to stop at a city, he may move right through as long as he counts the city as a dot in his roll.

In buying and selling commodities, that is to say acting as traders, the players proceed according to the information on the commodity card previously described (deck 1 5 of Figure 4).

Each card has a commodity description and trade city on it according to a key colour or crosshatching used on the board. The cost price and selling price for delivery at the designated cities and any freeport are also shown. A forced sale value is indicated for cashing in at the bank to pay for debts or emergency purchases. The trading or transport situational card 24 and 25 may also refer to the forced sale value during the game.

When buying and selling commodities (acting as traders) a player may buy a commodity card (also known as a shipment) for the trade city he lands on if it is available when he arrives. No commodities may be purchased at freeports. A player may sell his commodity to the bank upon arrival at a trade city designated on his commodity card which may include any freeport.

Selling at a freeport will bring quick cash, but a modest profit lower than that that could be earned if the shipment were delivered to a trade city. Upon arrival in a trade city a player may sell and then buy what is available there. (Example: player arrives in Honolulu and sells San Juan sugar for $5,000 and then buys Honolulu sugar for $2,000, keeping the Honolulu sugar and $3,000 in cash from the bank).

When buying and profiting with transport companies that is to say acting as freighters, transport companies may only be purchased (the card acquired) at the nine freeports. No more than, one company may be purchased at one stop in a freeport. The player may leave the freeport on one turn and return again on a subsequent turn if he wishes to buy another transport company. A player cannot own a transport company until he has become a commodity owner, that is to say a trader. A player becomes a commodity owner or trader as soon as he has purchased at least one commodity card. The benefit of owning a transport company is that ownership entitles the player to collect the freight rate from other players who travel his controlled route from any two directly connected sites.Other benefits of owning transport companies are: (1) being exempt from freight charges when travelling the player's own route; (2) the final cash value is greater than that which the player paid when he cashes in; (3) if a player needs money during the game, he may stop at a freeport and surrender his ownership for quick cash at the forced sale value; (4) if a number of interconnected routes are owned, the player may be able to control a trade area or specific form of transportation.

Whenever a player rolls doubles on the dice he may move up to the number of dots on the dice and then must immediately draw a card from the trade situational deck 24. Only after following the instructions on each card may the player then transact business in the usual game rules manner.

These cards may have consequences for some or all of the players and must always be read aloud.

If a player rolls double, he may not roll again.

When a player stops at a freeport, he, or she, must immediately draw a freighter card. Only after following the instructions on each card may a player transact business in the usual game rules manner. If a player arrives at a freeport by rolling doubles to get there, then the player must draw either a trader or transport situational card namely from the decks 24 and 25. These situational cards will provide problems and benefits and fun for all. Every card drawn must be read aloud.

No loans can be taken from the bank or any player. A player can buy and sell transport companies owned by another player if he has the skill to arrange it quietly. Buying or trading commodities with other players is not permitted.

Experienced traders and transporters may extend or shorten the game by increasing or reducing the amount required to win the game.

The game ends when one player is the first to return to Zurich with $100,000 in cash and transport company cards, incidia. Commodity cards do not have any value in Zurich or when cashing in at the end of the game. The fact that another player has the same or greater amount does not change the winner. First in time is the first and right to win. If a player declares winning and miscalculates his fortune he is out of the game.

Other rules may be adopted without departing from the scope of the invention.

Claims (8)

Claims

1. A game apparatus for a group of players to simulate trading in commodities at different locations, shipping such commodities along trade routes connecting such locations and ownership of the shipping agents identified with each route, the apparatus comprising, a game board having locational indicia for commodity trading transactions and indicia of one or more transport company routes connecting said locational indicia, said route indicia including incremental distance indicia; a player token for each player adapted to move incrementally along said route indicia according to a predetermined manner; a series of commodity location and price indicia; a series of transport company cards identifying route, company, shipping rate and transport transaction information indicia; and play money for dealing in commodity and transport transactions.

2. An apparatus according to Claim 1, wherein the game board has map indicia and the locational indicia are of geographical locations.

3. An apparatus according to Claim 2, wherein the map indicia on the game board are stylized to encompass a large geographical area including low activity level and small geographical area including high activity level.

4. An apparatus according to Claim 1,2 or 3, wherein the transport transaction information indicia comprises purchase, sale and surrender information indicia and wherein commodity and transport transactions comprise one or more payments for commodities purchased, payments for transport companies purchased and payments for transport routes used.

5. An apparatus according to any preceding claim including a series of transport situational cards providing transport instruction and investment indicia at said locations upon a player's token arriving thereat.

6. An apparatus according to any preceding claim, including a series of trader information situational cards providing trading instruction and investment indicia at said locations upon a player's token arriving thereat.

7. An apparatus according to any preceding claim, including at least one die and said predetermined manner includes increments according to the number of dots shown on a cast die.

8. A game apparatus for a group of players substantially as herein described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.