Strategic memory games

Abstract

A game of strategy includes a game board, pieces which are movable on the board after placement, and pieces which are not movable during a game once placed on the board. The identity of some pieces is hidden from some players, and may be revealed temporarily and then hidden again.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An article of manufacture, namely, game equipment, comprising:
 a game board; and   game pieces which include at least two fleets, each fleet containing at least two ships, each ship having a front side with indicia indicating an identity of the ship and a back side free of identity indicia, all ship back sides having a sufficiently similar appearance to hide the identity of the ships when only the back sides of ships placed on the board are visible.   
     
     
         2 . The game equipment of  claim 1 , wherein the game pieces also include at least one orb piece. 
     
     
         3 . The game equipment of  claim 1 , wherein the game pieces also include at least one wormhole piece. 
     
     
         4 . The game equipment of  claim 1 , wherein the game pieces also include at least one space rip piece. 
     
     
         5 . The game equipment of  claim 1 , wherein the game board has at least one wormhole entrance designated thereon. 
     
     
         6 . The game equipment of  claim 1 , wherein the game board and game pieces are implemented in digital form using a computer processor, and the equipment includes code executable by the processor to move the pieces on the board. 
     
     
         7 . The game equipment of  claim 1 , wherein the game board and game pieces are non-digital and the pieces can be moved on the board during a game without using a computer processor. 
     
     
         8 . A process of playing a game, the process comprising:
 emitting from a first piece on a game board onto a first location of the game board a barrier piece which according to game rules (a) cannot subsequently be moved and (b) prevents all other game pieces from occupying the first location during a game; and   a second piece moving to a game board location which is not occupied by the barrier piece.   
     
     
         9 . The game play process of  claim 8 , further comprising placing a plurality of ship pieces and orb pieces face down on the board. 
     
     
         10 . The game play process of  claim 8 , further comprising placing a plurality of mine field pieces face down on the board. 
     
     
         11 . The game play process of  claim 8 , further comprising challenging one hidden piece with another hidden piece. 
     
     
         12 . The game play process of  claim 8 , further comprising consulting a table to determine a result of a challenge based on the identity of the pieces involved in the challenge. 
     
     
         13 . A process of playing a game with a game board and game pieces, the process comprising at least two of the following acts:
 moving one or more identity-revealed game pieces a total number of spaces up to a specified number;   moving a game piece into and through an opening of a wormhole to an unoccupied space adjacent to another opening of the wormhole;   challenging an adjacent piece (revealed or hidden) using an identity-revealed piece;   ripping an unoccupied space that is adjacent to a revealed ripper piece;   peeking at a hidden piece, and revealing an identity of that piece to another player;   peeking at a hidden piece, and leaving an identity of that piece hidden from another player;   restoring a vanquished piece into play by trading at least one collected orb piece for the vanquished piece; or   emitting from a piece on a game board onto a location of the game board a barrier piece which according to game rules (a) cannot subsequently be moved and (b) prevents all other game pieces from occupying the location during a game.   
     
     
         14 . The game play process of  claim 13 , comprising at least three of the listed acts. 
     
     
         15 . The game play process of  claim 13 , comprising at least four of the listed acts. 
     
     
         16 . The game play process of  claim 13 , comprising at least five of the listed acts. 
     
     
         17 . The game play process of  claim 13 , further comprising controlling a region of the game board. 
     
     
         18 . The game play process of  claim 13 , comprising flinging a piece to a location on the game board. 
     
     
         19 . The game play process of  claim 13 , comprising trapping a piece. 
     
     
         20 . The game play process of  claim 13 , comprising winning the game by collecting a predetermined number of orb pieces.