A more challenging tic-tac-toe game is described. This game makes use of an apparatus comprising a grid of openings configured to receive multi-sided playing pieces that each have a symbol on one side that once the playing pieces are inserted into the grid openings with the symbol not visible to the players, each player must memorize their moves to successfully place symbol playing pieces adjacently in a row or obtain tic-tac-toe. This game can be played in several different modes, including electronic versions, with varying complexity. In this game, each move, of each player, is hidden from view once a move has been made and when a player believes they have formed tic-tac-toe, the game apparatus reveals the moves and whether a player has successfully formed tic-tac-toe or not. The methods of play combined with a game assembly that can shield moves from each player but also reveal past moves at the end of play or at other appropriate times provides a challenging game that utilizes a combination of strategic thinking and memory.

A teaching tile set with pictorial characters thereon includes a set of tiles with pictorial characters thereon and a first Chinese character tree diagram board. The first Chinese character tree diagram board has multiple first pictorial characters thereon and multiple derived relationships among the multiple first pictorial characters, and each first pictorial character is mapped to the pictorial character on one tile of the set of tiles. The pictorial characters on the set of tiles provide modern characters that pictorize Chinese characters to simulate initial forms of ancient Chinese characters. By collaborating the teaching tile set with group games to learn derived relationships of Chinese characters, recognize Chinese characters with the same root, and distinguish components of Chinese characters, the goal of facilitating learners' understanding of the way of composing Chinese characters can be realized.

A game having: a plurality of game pieces; a plurality of game cards, the plurality of game cards having a plurality of first cards, a plurality of second cards and a plurality of third cards, the plurality of first cards when played require an action to be performed and the plurality of second cards when played allow for one of the plurality of pieces to be possessed; and wherein when each one of the game pieces when possessed provides immunity to the action to be performed when one of the plurality of second cards is played.

The game is played by matching color and/or shape of adjacent game board pieces played within the spaces on a game board. Placement of a game piece on one of the game play affecting spaces can provide a player of that piece with one or more game play affecting actions. Similarly, placing a game piece in a manner that creates one or more specified game piece arrangements can provide a player of that piece with one or more game play affecting actions. A player can acquire and play a special affect game board piece that allows replacement of one or more previously played game board pieces.

An exemplary embodiment of a chess game variant comprises a game board and four sets of eighteen chess pieces each. The game board has an inner zone and four panel zones thereabout. The inner zone presents eighty-one playing positions in a nine-by-nine square array. Each panel zone presents twenty-seven playing positions arranged in a three-by-nine rectangular array. The board includes universal rows which adapt for chess-like play on an unbalanced board. Each set of game pieces include institutional pieces and citizen pieces. Most of the citizen pieces are matched in status with corresponding institutional pieces, and are subject to rules of promotion which are driven, in part, by these status relationships. Most of the game pieces include covert or overt markings, which also drive game play and strategy. In certain aspects of game play, a player may take control of the game pieces of one or more opposing players.

An exemplary embodiment of a chess game variant comprises a game board and four sets of eighteen chess pieces each. The game board has an inner zone and four panel zones thereabout. The inner zone presents eighty-one playing positions in a nine-by-nine square array. Each panel zone presents twenty-seven playing positions arranged in a three-by-nine rectangular array. The board includes universal rows which adapt for chess-like play on an unbalanced board. Each set of game pieces include institutional pieces and citizen pieces. Most of the citizen pieces are matched in status with corresponding institutional pieces, and are subject to rules of promotion which are driven, in part, by these status relationships. Most of the game pieces include covert or overt markings, which also drive game play and strategy. In certain aspects of game play, a player may take control of the game pieces of one or more opposing players.

A board game comprises a game board, a plurality of sets of standard game board pieces, at least one special game board piece, and a plurality of first configuration tokens. The game board has a playing surface with a plurality of game piece spaces disposed about a central position thereof and surrounded by an edge portion thereof. One or more of the game piece spaces is designated as game play affecting spaces. Each one of the standard game board pieces carries a respective set of game piece distinguishers. One of the game piece distinguishers of each one of the standard game board pieces is the same as one of the game piece distinguishers of at least one other set of the standard game board pieces. The at least one special game board piece is characterized in a manner distinguishing the at least one special game board piece from all of the standard game board pieces. Each one of the first configuration tokens is characterized in a manner allowing each of the first configuration tokens to be identified as being of a common configuration.

The invention is a board game in which players are to perform a scavenger quest by moving around the game board in an attempt to land on specific spaces that will allow them to collect a variety of objects in the form of items tokens, which they will then place on a card assigned to them containing a unique combination and pattern of potentially matching objects in an attempt to complete one of a number of prescribed geometric patterns using the item tokens, Other players of the game are potentially in competition for the same objects, and as such being the first player to successfully complete any of the geometric patterns on their card will deem them the winner of the game.