Multi-player game

Abstract

Methods and systems are provided herein for playing a multi-player game. Players select words related to a seed word and place or write the selected words in spaces on a game board. In some embodiments, the related words are synonyms, while in other embodiments they are one of antonyms, homophones, or homonyms. Each of the words, when placed in the spaces on the game board, shares at least one letter with a word previously placed on the game board. A score is determined for each player in the multi-player game by summing a point value assigned to each letter in each word placed by the player on the game board.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system for playing a game between a plurality of players, said system comprising:
 a game board comprising a playing surface marked with a grid pattern of spaces sized and shaped to accommodate a written representation of a character or a game piece;   at least one die having a plurality of surfaces, each of the plurality of surfaces having a unique identifier displayed thereon; and   a plurality of cards, each of the cards having a predefined number of seed words printed thereon, each of the words on a single card assigned to a different one of the unique identifiers.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the unique identifiers are indicia representative of numerals. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the unique identifiers are graphical symbols. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the game board has a surface configured such that marks made thereon by a writing element are non-permanent. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1  further comprising a plurality of game pieces having a single letter of the alphabet displayed thereon. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 5  wherein the game pieces are sized and shaped such that a single game piece is positionable within a single space in the grid pattern on the playing surface. 
     
     
         7 . A method of playing a game between a plurality of players, said method comprising:
 (a) providing a game board comprising a playing surface marked with a grid pattern of spaces sized and shaped to accommodate a written representation of a character;   (b) rolling, by a first player, a die having a plurality of surfaces, each of the plurality of surfaces having a different number of indicia displayed thereon;   (c) selecting, by the first player, a single card from a plurality of cards, each of the plurality of cards having a plurality of seed words displayed thereon, each of the seed words on one of the plurality of cards associated with the different numbers of indicia displayed on the plurality of surfaces of the die;   (d) writing, by the first player, letters of a first word in adjoining spaces in the grid pattern on the game board playing surface, the first word being a synonym of a first seed word on the selected card corresponding to the number of indicia shown on an upward-facing surface of the rolled die;   (e) repeating steps (b) and (c) for a second player; and   (f) writing, by the second player, at least one letter of a second word in adjoining spaces in the playing surface, the second word being a synonym of a second seed word on the card selected by the second player corresponding to the number of indicia shown on an upward-facing surface of the die rolled by the second player, the second word comprising at least one letter in the first word written by the first player in one of the spaces on the playing surface.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7  further comprising repeating steps (b) and (c) for a third player. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8  further comprising writing, by the third player, at least one letter of a third word in adjoining spaces on the playing surface, the third word being a synonym of a third seed word on the card selected by the third player corresponding to the number of indicia shown on an upward-facing surface of the die rolled by the third player, the third word comprising at least one letter in either the first word or the second word in one of the spaces on the playing surface. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 7  further comprising rolling the die by each of the players prior to step (b) to determine which of the plurality of the players is the first player. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10  further comprising determining which of the plurality of players is the first player by comparing the number of indicia shown on the upward-facing surface of the die after each player rolls the die and assigning one of the plurality of players, who had the lowest number of indicia shown on the upward-facing surface of the die after rolling the die, to be the first player. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 7  further comprising repeating steps (b) through (f) until both the first player and the second player are not able to place a word that is a synonym of a respective seed word on the card selected by the player corresponding to the number of indicia shown on an upward-facing surface of the die rolled by the respective player that uses at least one letter in a word previously written in one of the spaces in the grid pattern on the playing surface of the game board. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 7  further comprising determining a score for each of the players by adding a point value of each letter used in words written by each respective player on the game board playing surface. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13  wherein the point value of at least one letter is different than the point value of another letter. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 13  wherein the point value of each letter is one point. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 13  further comprising challenging, by consulting a reference source, at least one of the spelling of a word written by another player on the playing surface or whether the word written by another player is a proper synonym and the respective word on the other player's selected card corresponding to the numeral shown on an upward-facing surface of the die rolled by the other player. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16  further comprising;
 at least one of deducting a first predetermined number of points from a challenging player's score when the challenged word was correctly spelled and adding a second predetermined number of points to the score of the player who wrote the challenged word; and 
 at least one of adding the first predetermined number of points to a challenging player's score when the challenged word was incorrectly spelled and deducting the second predetermined number of points to the score of the player who wrote the challenged word. 
 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16  further comprising;
 at least one of deducting a first predetermined number of points from a challenging player's score when the challenged word was a proper synonym and adding a second predetermined number of points to the score of the player who wrote the challenged word; and 
 at least one of adding the first predetermined number of points to a challenging player's score when the challenged word was not a proper synonym and deducting the second predetermined number to the score of the player who wrote the challenged word. 
 
     
     
         19 . A method of playing a game between a plurality of players using at least one computing device, said method comprising:
 (a) outputting a first seed word to at least a first player;   (b) receiving, from the first player, a synonym of the first seed word and a location for placement of the synonym of the first seed word on a representation of a playing surface having a plurality of spaces each sized for placement of at least one letter therein;   (c) outputting a second seed word to at least a second player; and   (d) receiving, from the second player, a synonym of the second seed word and a location for placement of the synonym of the second seed word on the representation of the playing surface, wherein the location of at least one letter in the synonym of the second seed word has the same location as at least one letter in the synonym of the first seed word.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19  further comprising repeating steps (a) through (d) until both the first player and the second player are not able to place a word that is a synonym of the respective seed word output to the user on the representation of the playing surface such that the synonym uses at least one letter in a synonym previously placed on the playing surface by one of the players.