Security-enhanced documents and methods of forming security-enhanced documents having indicia under a Scratch-Off Coating (SOC), and more particularly including digitally imaging video frames onto the display area and/or back of the documents. In certain embodiments, portions of digitally imaged video frames are also utilized as game play variable indicia.

A three-dimensional puzzle has a monitoring puzzle piece and multiple monitored puzzle pieces. For puzzle pattern determination, the monitoring puzzle piece is equipped with sensors, a processor, a wireless transceiver, and optionally a gyroscope sensor. The monitored puzzle pieces are rotatably connected to each other and to the monitoring puzzle piece to form the puzzle. The sensors, together with the processor or alternatively with an external client, track the monitored puzzle piece rotating relative to the monitoring puzzle piece. The external client may provide feedback to a user of the puzzle. The system enables the competitions between the user and users of other puzzles without requiring the physical proximity of the competitors.

Methods and apparatus are described for preserving and improving board games by changing the game board from a passive cardboard board to a dynamic computer controlled board while keeping the other tangible parts of the game unchanged—dice, game pieces, etc. The inherent values of board games are preserved, while improving the attractiveness of board games by using computing systems and advanced technologies.

An apparatus, which is configured for external operation of a computer program or application installed into a computerized device, includes a reader tray and a plurality of tag modules. The reader tray, having a plurality of identification areas, includes a reader module and a communication module for communicatively connecting to the computerized device that stores and executes the computer program or application. Each of the tag modules stores one or more predetermined tag information, wherein when the tag modules are selectively placed on the identification areas, the reader module reads the tag information of the tag modules to generate an output signal in response to a location sequence of the tag modules for operating the computer program or application through the communication module.

A customizable board game, including a game board, including a plurality of board locations to removably connect to each other, and a plurality of board fields disposed on at least a portion of each of the plurality of board locations, a plurality of removable tokens, each of the plurality of removable tokens to removably connect within at least one of the plurality of board fields, and a plurality of figurines to move around the plurality of board locations and represent a position of at least one player on the game board.

A kit of parts for playing a capture the flag game in low-light conditions is disclosed herein. The kit can include a number of flags, each of the flags carrying one or more light emitting diodes (LEDs) operable to provide a visual signal; a number of territory markers, each of the territory markers carrying one or more LEDs operable to provide a visual signal; and a number of jail markers, each of the jail markers carrying one or more LEDs operable to provide a visual signal. The flags, the territory markers, and the jail markers are configured to be selectively disposable upon or attachable to the terrain.

A method for and system for guiding a user in creating a craft. At least a portion of a selected crafting challenge is displayed on a portion of a display surface which is visible through a crafting surface. A composite guide element is shown on the display surface visible next to the display surface part which is visible through the specific crafting surface and a further composite guide element is also provided at a receptacle corresponding to the displayed composite guide element. It is ensured that the composite guide element and the further composite guide element provide at least two mutually independent instruction components.

Embodiments of the present disclosure disclose an apparatus and method for playing modified chess game. The apparatus includes an expandable game to operate between a conventional mode and a powered mode. The apparatus further includes two sets of playing pieces, visually distinguished from each other are configured to operate in the conventional mode. The at least two bishops, the at least two knights, the at least two rooks, and the at least eight pawns of at least one set of the two sets of playing pieces are provided with a toggle switch. The toggle switch is adapted to form corresponding powered playing pieces during the modified chess game. The powered playing pieces are operated based on a set of powered rules. The apparatus further includes a power zone provided on a portion of the expandable game board to regulate movement of the powered playing pieces in the powered mode.

An interactive group-specific player board game method comprising the steps of drawing a grid and labeling a plurality of blocks in a sequential process from 1 to n, wherein n depends on the size of the grid, rolling a dice by each player sequentially and recording a number on the dice until each box on the grid has a unique number, establishing a set of at least 6 rules by the group-specific players, each rule corresponding to a unique action to be performed by the players, rolling the dice by at least one player, moving the number of blocks on the board game corresponding to the number on the dice, receiving the action to be performed by the player based on the unique number on the grid established by the set of rules, determining the completion of the action by the remaining group-specific players.

This disclosure describes a tabletop game assistant system configured to ingest and guide tangible games (such as board games, card games, etc.) using natural language interaction and image capture/visual display components. The system can include features enabling a game developer to “teach” the system the rules of a game using natural language, such as written instructions, to reduce or eliminate the need for writing dedicated code. The system may process images of a game board and/or tokens such as game pieces and/or cards to further generate game data in the form of a logical game model. The system can use the game data to guide human players of the game and, in some cases, participate as a player itself. The system may further be configured to observe a game and detect invalid actions, answer questions regarding the rules, and suggest moves. The system may provide additional utilities such as generating a random output (e.g., rolling virtual dice) and learning to recognize new game pieces.