Game modification

Abstract

Familiar games are enhanced by modification equipment and/or rule changes which add strategic possibilities, player interactions, and twists not found in original game rules. Games suitable for pairing with modification equipment include board games, card games, dice games, tile games, and parlor games, for example. Game modification instructions function to alter one or more of: hand size, discards, draws, seating, turn count, turn order, rounds, scores, winning conditions, item ownership, item visibility, item possession, team membership, equipment in play, action targets, and other categories. Multiple games may be yoked together. Instructions modifying play may be followed at specified times, even after an original game ends, to determine an ultimate winner. Instructions may be embodied in cards, spinners, and/or software. Modification instructions may apply to all turn-based games, or to games in a particular category, or to a particular branded familiar game, for example.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . Game modification equipment for modifying how preexisting games are played by modifying aspects of play which are shared by various games, the game modification equipment comprising:
 at least one game modification instruction presentation apparatus, said instruction presentation apparatus embodying at least one game modification instruction which is functional to provide a modified game play experience by modifying game play of any of a plurality of games that include an original game or a prior modification of an original game;   wherein the plurality of original games includes a game having a bank, a game having event cards, and a game having play money;   wherein each said original game is also playable in an unmodified form with respective original game equipment which lacks said at least one game modification instruction and which has functionality defined according to original game rules;   wherein the game modification equipment includes a plurality of game modification instructions which modify functionality of the original game equipment of at least one of the original games by adding at least three of the following game play mechanisms which are not present in the unmodified form of the original game:
 the bank taking at least one event card out of play; 
 returning out-of-play event cards back into play; 
 the bank taking back half of a player's money on the basis of the game modification instruction; 
 the bank doubling a player's money on the basis of the game modification instruction; 
 the bank taking back a player's house or hotel on the basis of the game modification instruction; 
 limiting game play to a final round prior to determination of a winner in the original game; 
 letting one player take a turn in the original game in place of another player's turn; 
 doubling a player's dice roll for a turn; 
 tripling a player's dice roll for a turn; 
 taking a property card from another player on the basis of the game modification instruction, as opposed to on the basis of a deal or purchase; 
 giving a property card to another player on the basis of the game modification instruction, as opposed to on the basis of a deal or purchase; 
 taking at least one extra card from a pile of event cards; 
 a bankrupted player coming back into the game with startup cash from the bank; 
 a bankrupted player coming back into the game with a property they choose to take from a non-bankrupted player; 
 one player gives another player half their money on the basis of the game modification instruction, as opposed to on the basis of a deal or purchase; 
 one player moving another player to a jail space on a game board; 
 one player moving another player to a free parking space on a game board; 
 allowing a player to move to any property the player chooses and then buy it, on the basis of the game modification instruction as opposed to based on a dice roll; 
 letting one player view and use items of original game equipment of another player for one turn during game play; 
 letting one player view and use items of original game equipment of another player for one turn during game play without making any deals for the other player; 
 allowing or prohibiting deal-making between players, according to a game modification instruction card; 
 during game play returning an item of original game equipment to a location and a status which the item had at the beginning of game play. 
   
     
     
         2 . The game modification equipment of  claim 1 , wherein the game modification instruction presentation apparatus comprises at least one of the following: a game modification card in a deck of game modification cards, a region in a game modification spinner, standalone game modification software, or game-integrated game modification software. 
     
     
         3 . The game modification equipment of  claim 1 , in combination with the original game equipment of at least one of the plurality of original games. 
     
     
         4 . The game modification equipment of  claim 1 , wherein game modification instructions in the game modification equipment also modify functionality of original game equipment of an original board game by adding at least four game play mechanisms that are not present in the original board game, and wherein the original board game equipment includes a token for each player and a set of cards bearing indicia which function to direct player actions during game play. 
     
     
         5 . The game modification equipment of  claim 1 , wherein the game modification equipment embodies game modification instructions in at least two of the following categories: Item Ownership, Full Swap, Temporary Possession, Reveal/Hide, Time Jump, Turn Order, Winning Condition, Final Round, Item Count, Draw Pile, Hidden Hand, Hand Size, Scored Turns, or Sayings Card instructions. 
     
     
         6 . The game modification equipment of  claim 1 , wherein the game modification equipment embodies game modification instructions in at least three of the following categories: Item Ownership, Full Swap, Temporary Possession, Reveal/Hide, Time Jump, Turn Order, Winning Condition, Final Round, Item Count, Draw Pile, Hidden Hand, Hand Size, Scored Turns, or Sayings Card instructions. 
     
     
         7 . The game modification equipment of  claim 1 , wherein the game modification instructions which modify functionality of the original game equipment do so by adding at least seven of the game play mechanisms which are not present in the unmodified form of the original game. 
     
     
         8 . The game modification equipment of  claim 1 , wherein the game modification instructions which modify functionality of the original game equipment do so by adding at least ten of the game play mechanisms which are not present in the unmodified form of the original game. 
     
     
         9 . The game modification equipment of  claim 1 , wherein the game modification equipment embodies game modification instructions which are collectively characterized by at least two of the following time segments: Now, Later, or Anytime. 
     
     
         10 . Game modification equipment comprising:
 at least one game modification instruction presentation apparatus, said instruction presentation apparatus embodying at least one game modification instruction which is functional to provide a modified game play experience by modifying game play of any of a plurality of original games or previously modified original games;   wherein each said original game is also playable in an unmodified form with respective original game equipment which lacks said at least one game modification instruction and which has functionality defined according to original game rules;   wherein the plurality of original games includes a game having event cards, a game having play money, and a multiplayer property trading game having original game equipment which includes a board with spaces marked with property names;   wherein the game modification equipment includes a plurality of game modification instructions which modify functionality of the original game equipment of each of the original games by adding at least two of the following game play mechanisms which are not present in the unmodified form of the original game:
 taking at least one event card out of play; 
 returning out-of-play event cards back into play; 
 taking half of a player's money on the basis of the game modification instruction; 
 doubling a player's money on the basis of the game modification instruction; 
 taking a player's house or hotel on the basis of the game modification instruction; 
 limiting game play to a final round prior to determination of a winner in the original game; 
 letting one player take a turn in the original game in place of another player's turn; 
 doubling a player's dice roll for a turn; 
 tripling a player's dice roll for a turn; 
 taking a property card from another player on the basis of the game modification instruction, as opposed to on the basis of a deal or purchase; 
 giving a property card to another player on the basis of the game modification instruction, as opposed to on the basis of a deal or purchase; 
 taking at least one extra card from a pile of event cards; 
 an eliminated player coming back into the game with startup resources; 
 one player gives another player half their money on the basis of the game modification instruction, as opposed to on the basis of a deal or purchase; 
 one player moving another player to a jail space on a game board; 
 one player moving another player to a free parking space on a game board; 
 allowing a player to move to any property the player chooses and then buy it, on the basis of the game modification instruction as opposed to based on a dice roll; 
 letting one player view and use items of original game equipment of another player for one turn during game play; 
 letting one player view and use items of original game equipment of another player for one turn during game play without making any deals for the other player; 
 allowing or prohibiting deal-making between players, according to a game modification instruction card; 
 during game play returning an item of original game equipment to a location and a status which the item had at the beginning of game play. 
   
     
     
         11 . The game modification equipment of  claim 10 , wherein game modification instructions in the game modification equipment also modify functionality of original game equipment of an original dice game by adding at least four game play mechanisms that are not present in the original dice game, and wherein the original board game equipment includes at least one die bearing indicia which function to direct player actions during game play. 
     
     
         12 . The game modification equipment of  claim 10 , wherein the game modification equipment embodies game modification instructions in at least three of the following categories: Item Ownership, Full Swap, Temporary Possession, Reveal/Hide, Time Jump, In/Out of Play, Turn Order, Winning Condition, Final Round, Merge Team, Seating, Item Count, Draw Pile, Hidden Hand, Hand Size, Scored Turns. 
     
     
         13 . The game modification equipment of  claim 10 , wherein the game modification equipment embodies game modification instructions in at least five of the following categories: Item Ownership, Full Swap, Temporary Possession, Reveal/Hide, Time Jump, In/Out of Play, Turn Order, Winning Condition, Final Round, Merge Team, Seating, Item Count, Draw Pile, Hidden Hand, Hand Size, Scored Turns. 
     
     
         14 . The game modification equipment of  claim 10 , wherein the game modification equipment embodies game modification instructions which are collectively characterized by at least two of the following time segments: Now, Later, or Anytime. 
     
     
         15 . The game modification equipment of  claim 10 , wherein the game modification instructions which modify functionality of the original game equipment do so by adding at least four of the game play mechanisms which are not present in the unmodified form of the original game. 
     
     
         16 . The game modification equipment of  claim 10 , wherein the game modification instructions which modify functionality of the original game equipment do so by adding at least seven of the game play mechanisms which are not present in the unmodified form of the original game. 
     
     
         17 . The game modification equipment of  claim 10 , wherein the game modification instructions which modify functionality of the original game equipment do so by adding at least nine of the game play mechanisms which are not present in the unmodified form of the original game. 
     
     
         18 . The game modification equipment of  claim 10 , wherein the game modification instructions which modify functionality of the original game equipment do so by adding at least thirteen of the game play mechanisms which are not present in the unmodified form of the original game. 
     
     
         19 . The game modification equipment of  claim 10 , wherein the game modification equipment also embodies a game modification instruction which is specific to the multiplayer property trading game in that the game modification instruction identifies an item of original game equipment which is part of the multiplayer property trading game's equipment and is not part of the original game equipment of any of the other listed original games. 
     
     
         20 . The game modification equipment of  claim 10 , wherein the game modification equipment also embodies a game modification instruction which is specific to the multiplayer property trading game in that the game modification instruction identifies an event card which is part of the multiplayer property trading game's original equipment.