US20110233862A1

US20110233862A1 - Dice game

Info

Publication number: US20110233862A1
Application number: US13/073,852
Authority: US
Inventors: Ron Ozaki
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2010-03-26
Filing date: 2011-03-28
Publication date: 2011-09-29

Abstract

A dice game configured to play the game of rock, paper, and scissors. The game provides a manner to eliminate any human planning or strategy by providing a pair of dice with depictions of a rock and paper and scissors thereon. Each of two players rolls one of the pair of dice and according to a set of rules one prevails based on the depiction rolled by that player, or a rule based manner to break a tie. Colorized dice provide a manner to determine which player rolled which depiction in the event the dice are thrown out of the view of either or both players.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Field of the Invention

This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application number 61/318181, filed Mar. 26, 2010, which is included herein in its entirety by reference. The invention herein disclosed relates generally to dice games. More particularly it relates to a dice game providing playing pieces for players to embark in the playing of the hand game, rock, paper, and scissors which changes it from a game of possible strategy to one of complete chance and alternately provides a means to break a tie.

PRIOR ART

Background of the Invention

The playing of the game rock, paper, and scissors, has long been a favorite amongst children to settle a dispute or as a contest between participants to win some reward or item they both want in the near future. For instance if two children wish to sit in the front seat of a car, they may settle who gets the privilege through the game or rock, paper, and scissors.
In playing the game, each player hides their hands, or maintains them in a neutral visible position while thinking about which hand configuration they will display when asked. On a count, they both change from a neutral position to one of three different configurations. Those three are a rock, a flat piece of paper, or the formation of a scissors looking hand.
In scoring, a rock will crush and therefor defeat scissors. A piece of paper is cut and defeated by scissors, but can cover and therefor defeat the rock. The scissors can, as noted, cut and defeat the paper, but are crushed by and defeated by the rock. As such, each of the three will defeat another and none is safe. In cases where both parties form the same shape, say a rock, it is considered a draw and the parties play again.
While working well for children of about the same age in homes and schools, the game is not well adapted to adults in adult venues such as a bar or nightclub, nor does it work well between children of large age differences, such as siblings. In a venue such as a bar, the game would work well to settle a bet, or to compete for a round of drinks. However, in the close quarters of many bars, which are packed with people, it can be hard for game participants to effectively use their hands to make the various shapes. The close quarters can cause players to hit adjacent patrons with their hands which can result in less than successful guest relations or even arguments.
Further, in close quarters, or perhaps after bar patrons have been imbibing over an evening, their dexterity may suffer or as imbibing patrons can do at times, the use of hands and delayed reactions can cause accusations of cheating. Still further, because of the potential for a tie, and the potential for disagreements from such, the game, using hands in adult venues, is not currently well received.
In a setting where children are involved, while the game may work well with children of close proximately in age, it does not always work well when one player is a child a few years older then the other. Because the game as played with the hands, involves strategy and anticipating the choice of the other player, it can be easy for older players to “read” or determine a flaw in the other player's strategy and anticipate such. In such instances an older child may determine that the younger one is going to play a certain “hand” by seeing a reflection in a window or mirror of hidden hands or by determining the younger child has some sort of pattern about playing. Thus, the older child will take advantage of the younger one and play hand gestures anticipated to win more often then they should.
Further, whether dealing with children at home or school, or adults in adult venues, the possibility of a tie is ever present without a pre-determinable means to break such a tie. This can lead to countless replays and eventual arguments.
As such, there exists an unmet need, for a device and method to allow adult players in adult venues such as bars and nightclubs, and children in school or at home, to play the game of rock, paper, scissors in a manner determined by chance rather than strategy where one player may cheat or take advantage of the other. Such a device should allow for players to use game pieces instead of moving their arms and hands to eliminate the potential for accidentally striking an adjacent patrons where in a crowded venue. The employment of game pieces will also allow for the game to be played in close quarters when players might not do so due to all the other patrons around.
Further, such a game should provide game pieces and score sheets to eliminate any arguments over the actual outcome, especially if the set involves multiple plays by the players such as a “two out of three” approach. Finally, such a game should endeavor to end the potential for ties such as when both players form the same shape with their hand, and there is no outcome by providing a pre-determinable means to break the tie should it occur, and do so in a fair manner not prone to cheating.
With respect to the above, before explaining at least one preferred embodiment of the game invention in detail or in general, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangement of the game pieces or components or the steps set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The various apparatus and methods of the invention are capable of other embodiments, and of being practiced and carried out in various ways, all of which will be obvious to those skilled in the art, once the information herein is reviewed. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.
As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception upon which this disclosure is based may readily be utilized as a basis for designing other modes of using game pieces and scoring to effectuate the play of rock, paper, scissors, without the need to move the user's arms or hands, and for carrying out the several purposes of the present disclosed device and method. It is important therefore that the embodiments, objects and claims herein be regarded as including such equivalent construction and methodology insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The disclosed system herein, provides a novel system for the playing of the game rock, paper, scissors, which eliminates the need for users to use their hands and arms in the formation of the various figures, from a neutral starting point. Additionally, it removes any strategy that might allow one player to take advantage of the other due to their age or other reasons by rendering the game a game of chance. In one particularly preferred mode it also provides a means to pre-ensure there are no tie games, in the event the players roll the same shape, such as a rock and a rock.
The game features a plurality of dice having six sides. On two sides of each respective dice, is an image of a rock, a piece of paper, and a pair of scissors. Thus each player has two chances of rolling one of the three shapes on their individual die.
In use, each player would roll their die on a playing surface and allow one side to rise to the top to signify the symbol they are playing. In the actual game using hands, the players think about, and then form the individual hand symbols, with their hand, from a neutral or first position, sometimes hidden behind their back. Employing the dice herein, the game becomes a game of chance, and requires no planning on the player's part, and also eliminates any allegations of cheating which is especially preferred when children of a major age difference are playing. A score sheet may also be provided to keep track of multiple rolls where the player with the most wins prevails.
In another particularly preferred mode of the device and method, one or both dice may be colorized. This colorizing serves two purposes. First, the individual color from the two colors of the pair of dice, will allow the players or a third party monitoring a match from a distance, to track the dice of each player when they are rolled simultaneously. Otherwise, when rolled together on the same surface, the dice might get confused when a player loses sight of them. Thus in a crowded bar or in a living room where the dice roll on the floor, the outcome for each user can still be determined with certainty once the visually lost dice are found again. Another purpose of the two colors may be for a tie breaker.
In that case, the player with one of the colored dice, in advance, will be the agreed winner in case of a tie roll where both dice end up with the same figure on the top planar surface once the dice stop moving. A third party may be allowed to pick the color of the die that will be the winner in advance of a roll so that there is no argument or the players may choose themselves or draw from a hidden container. This choice may be done prior to allowing the players to pick a die to roll, or preferably, the dice will be placed in the container where they cannot be seen, a winning color of the two will be agreed upon or chosen by a third party, and then the players will pick a die from the container without viewing it. The users could trade dice after a tie which is decided by color, to allow the other user the advantage if such occurred. Alternatively, the tie breaker could also be simply rolling until one player wins the roll in a sudden-death determination by raising the number of rolls and allowing the player with the majority of wins to triumph.
When score sheets are employed, colorizing the dice differently allows for multiple sets of rolling by a pair of players, or more than two players may play in a tournament where the last two players in the game have beaten out all of the others. The sheets will allow for tracking of such play to the end, and colorizing the dice allow for the players to remain anonymous and just be identified by the color of the die that won a particular match.
It is an object of this invention to provide a means to encourage play or settlement of disputes using the rock, paper, scissors game.
It is another object of this invention to provide a system for playing rock, paper, scissors that takes it from a game where players mentally calculate the possible outcome of each session and pick a hand signal to portray, to one of chance, where the dice decide the outcome based on a roll.
It is a further object of this invention, to provide the game as a game of chance to eliminate an older player or sibling's ability to take advantage of a younger one.
Yet another object of the device and method herein is to allow adult players in adult venues to play rock, paper, scissors, to settle disputes or allow them to wager for a determined prize, such as a round of drinks.
Finally it is an object of this invention to eliminate the chance of cheating at a game of rock paper and scissors and to provide a predetermined means to determine a winner in a tie.
These together with other objects and advantages which become subsequently apparent reside in the details of the rock, paper, scissors gaming system herein as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part thereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWING FIGURE

FIG. 1 depicts a graphic depiction of the dice employed with the system herein to allow the play of rock, paper, scissors without hand formation of the figures.

FIG. 2 shows the rules sheet as it may be provided.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

Referring now to the FIGS. 1-2, showing the game device 10 and rules 11 herein, each player would be given the choice of one die 12 from the pair of dice. Each of the dice 12 have pairs of the same hand position figures 14 in the same positions on the six sides of each respective die 12. Thus, two sides of each respective die 12, will have the same hand position figure 14 from a plurality of three hand position figures 14. Thus, for every roll, there is a one in three chance of one of the hand position figures 14 being rolled.
In use, the players will roll their die 12 on a surface 18 and allow one side of each die to rise to be the determining surface 20 for the roll, which is the top surface, substantially parallel to the support surface 18 once the dice 12 stop moving on the support surface 18. This hand position figure 14 arriving at this determining surface 20 signifies the hand position figure 14 played on the respective player's behalf.
Once both of the pair of dice 12 are rolled and stop in a position to reveal a respective determining surface 20 upward, each player may view the respective die 12 of themself and the other player, and ascertain the pair of determining surfaces 20 have the same or different hand position figure 14 from the plurality of hand position figures 14 upon the dice 12. If both respective figures 14 are different, the players will use the rules 11 of FIG. 2 to determine who wins the match.
In the preferred mode of the game, if the hand position figures 14 are the same, a plurality of means to determine a ultimate winner of the individual roll of the dice is provided.
As indicated in the rules, the players may roll again, or may use the provided alternative means for determining a winner.
One provided such alternative is the pre-choosing a color 22 of the respective die 12 which will win, should both players roll and have the determining surface 20 for each respective die 12 coming up with identical hand position figures 14. This choosing may be done by the players or a third party.
Optionally but preferred, the players will pick their individual die 12 at the beginning of the game where the pre-chosen winning color 22 is determined. This may be done by agreement, or as indicated in the rules, from a container which places the dice 12 out of sight during a choosing which is done by players placing a hand into the container to choose the hidden die 12 of the color 22 they choose.
By employing two dice 12 with each having different colors 22, each player is associated with one identifiable die 12. Consequently the colorized dice provide both a means to determine the winner of a roll, in the event of the same figure being rolled by both players, and, a means to ascertain the outcome of a player's roll of the die 12, should the dice 12 both fall from an elevated playing surface, or otherwise fall out of sight of the players momentarily during a roll, or should they just get mixed up on the playing surface 18.
Further, the game provides a means to make the game of rock, paper, scissors, a game of chance, rather than a game where user's might employ some type of strategy and choose in advance which hand symbol will be their choice. Consequently, instead of an individual match between players being determined in advance, by a choosing which symbol each player determines to reveal, the outcome is determined by the chance roll of both dice 12 which cannot be controlled by either player. Because the hand position figures 14 are imprinted on the dice 12, there can be no chance of cheating and older players may not take advantage of younger players which frequently occurs when playing the game using hands.
Finally, while all of the fundamental characteristics and features of the rock paper scissors game, using dice, method and employment thereof have been shown and described herein, with reference to particular embodiments thereof, a latitude of modification, various changes and substitutions are intended in the foregoing disclosure and it will be apparent that in some instances, some features of the invention may be employed without a corresponding use of other features without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth. It should also be understood that various substitutions, modifications, and variations may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Consequently, all such modifications and variations and substitutions are included within the scope of the disclosed dice game as defined by the following claims.

Claims

1. A dice game comprising:

a pair of dice, each of said pair having six sides;

a representation of a human hand in a scissor position on two of said six sides of each of said pair of dice;

a representation of a human hand in a planar paper position on two of said six sides of each of said pair of dice;

a representation of a human hand in a fisted rock position on two of each of said six sides of each of said pair of dice;

each one of said pair of dice being assigned to a respective player;

said rules providing a plurality of individual determinations as to which respective player wins in a roll of said dice upon a playing surface;

said rules providing a first determination that one of said players rolling one of said dice to yield said human hand in said scissor position prevails over the other of said players rolling the other of said dice to yield said hand in said planar paper position;

said rules providing a second determination that one of said players rolling one of said dice to yield said human hand in said planar paper position prevails over the other of said players rolling the other of said dice to yield said hand in said fisted rock position;

said rules providing a third determination that one of said players rolling one of said dice to yield said human hand in said fisted rock position prevails over the other of said players rolling the other of said dice to yield said hand in said scissor position;

said rules providing a fourth determination that a tie occurs when a rolling of said dice by both players yields an identical outcome with both of said dice having the same one of said hand depictions from the group of hand depictions including said scissor position, said fisted rock position, and said planar paper position;

said rules providing means to break said tie; and

whereby said two dice provide a means to play a game of rock, paper, scissors, with an outcome determined by chance.

2. The dice game of claim 1 wherein said means to break a tie provided by said rules is one or a plurality of additional rolls of said dice by said players wherein the one of said player winning on a majority of said additional roles is the winner.

3. The dice game of claim 1 wherein said means to break a tie comprises:

each of said pair of dice having a different one of two colors;

said rules allowing a choosing of a winning color from said two colors, prior to said rolling of said dice, in the event of said tie upon said rolling of said dice, whereby a possibility of a said tie occurring upon said roll of said dice is eliminated in advance of said rolling of said dice; and

each of said dice having one of said two colors providing means to determine which of said two players rolled which of said hand depictions subsequent to said rolling of said dice upon said playing surface or should said two dice become separated from a view by one or both of said two players during said rolling of said dice.

4. The dice game of claim 3 additionally comprising:

said rules requiring said choosing of said winning color of said two colors by a grasping of one of said dice by one of said players; and

said container preventing a viewing of said dice by said player prior to said grasping of said one of said dice by said player from said container, whereby said player performing said grasping of said dice provides a chance means of a designation of one of said two colors to each of said two players thereby providing a determination of which one of said two colors each respective one of said two players will employ during a said rolling of said dice.

5. A method of playing the dice game of claim 1 employing the steps of:

allowing each of two players to roll one of said two dice in a concurrent rolling of said dice upon said playing surface;

ascertaining which of said hand depictions from said group of hand depictions, each respective one of said dice rolled;

determining if a said tie has occurred or if a winner from said two players is determinable based on said rules concerning said hand depictions;

if a said tie occurs, repeating said process for an additional number of rolls of said two dice until an odd plurality of rolls of dice occurs;

ascertaining a said winner as being the one of said two players winning on a majority of said plurality of rolls.

6. The method of playing a dice game of claim 5 comprising the additional steps of:

employing a different of two colors on each of said pair of said dice;

prior to said rolling of said dice, determining which of said two colors prevails in the event of a tie upon a rolling of said dice; and

instead of said repeating said process for said additional number of rolls, determining said winner as said player having the one of pair of dice having said color determined to prevail prior to said rolling.