Board game relating to the covid-19 pandemic

Abstract

A board game which creates an entertaining playing and learning environment pertaining to the Covid-19 pandemic, comprises a game board with spaces thereon corresponding to geographical locations or places which have significance to the novel coronavirus pandemic, game pieces for each player to move around the board, dice to be rolled to advance game pieces along the board, currency, various learning elements including information cards and said locations or places, all working together to create a fun and learning environment.

Claims

1. A game for one or more players, said game, comprising: a surface with spaces thereon; a game piece; means for delineating where the piece is to be moved; wherein at least one of the spaces on said surface is a location of significance to the novel coronavirus pandemic.

2. The game of claim 1, wherein said surface is electronic.

3. The game of claim 1, wherein said surface is a substrate.

4. The game of claim 3, wherein said substrate is substantially rectangular.

5. The game of claim 4, wherein said substrate is square shaped.

6. The game of claim 5, wherein said substrate is foldable.

7. The game of claim 6, wherein said locations are arranged by indicia into set groups.

8. The game of claim 7, wherein landing on certain spaces lead to learning of additional information.

9. The game of claim 8, wherein said additional information also relates to the novel coronavirus pandemic.

10. The game of claim 9, wherein said additional information are on cards.

11. The game of claim 10, wherein clinics and hospitals may be purchased when one player owns every location of a set group of locations.

12. A game for one or more players, said game, comprising: a substantially square substrate with spaces thereon; a game piece; means for delineating where the piece is to be moved; wherein a plurality of the spaces on the substrate represent locations having significance to the novel coronavirus pandemic and wherein said locations are arranged in groupings; and wherein another plurality of spaces allows player to draw cards from which additional information may be learned about the novel coronavirus pandemic.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] The invention will be better understood with reference to the Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiment, with reference to the drawing, of which:

[0022] FIG. 1 is a plan view of a Covidopoly 19 game board;

[0023] FIG. 2 is an enlarged plan view of several example locations from the board of FIG. 1;

[0024] FIG. 3 is an enlarged plan view of the board of FIG. 1, showing an example of a tax or penalty space;

[0025] FIG. 4 shows examples of “Mask” cards from the Covidopoly 19 game;

[0026] FIG. 5 shows examples of “Ventilator” cards from the Covidopoly 19 game;

[0027] FIG. 6 shows an example of a game piece from the Covidopoly 19 game; and

[0028] FIG. 7 is an example of the currency used in the Covidopoly 19 game.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

[0029] The Board Game comprises a preferably square game board 1, preferably about 16″×16″ and which may be foldable to be stored and shipped in a smaller game box. Of course different dimension board may be used or the board could be electronic and the game played electronically as well. The game board 1 preferably has 40 spaces hereon, comprising 24 geographical locations or places in colored groupings of threes. The geographical locations or places have some significance in the novel coronavirus 2019-2020 pandemic. As an example (see FIG. 2), one color grouping includes Navajo Nation 2, Haiti 3, and Riker's Island 4, all of which have suffered greatly during the pandemic. (As have numerous other places around the world). Other spaces include four leading hospitals of the world, including, the Mayo Clinic 5, the Cleveland clinic 6, The Johns Hopkins Hospital 7 and Singapore General Hospital 8. Two other spaces include a Mobile Testing Unit 9 and a Telemedicine Call Center in India 10.

[0030] There are four tax or penalty spaces 11, 12, 13, 14 (see FIG. 2) which address examples of economic loss suffered in different ways during the pandemic, including (1) rent money lost by a person who returned to live with parents, (2) loss of insurance coverage over a telemedicine visit, (3) loss from use of ineffective immunity test kits and (4) loss of a bed and breakfast deposit.

[0031] The four corner spaces of the Board 1 are a Begin Journey space 15, Go Into ICU Quarantine space 16, In Qurantine/Only Visiting space 17 and an Obtain Stimulus Funds space 18.

[0032] An important educational and sometimes amusing aspect of the game are the “Mask” and “Ventilator” cards (see examples in FIGS. 4 and 5 respectively). Some of the cards are meant to be funny. For example “You keep overeating during the lockdown. Your belly is the curve that needs to be flattened. Pay $100.” But most are meant to be educational—for instance: “You are displaying neurological symptoms of the novel coronoavirus, including dizziness, headaches, anosmia, tiredness and muscle pain. Pay $300.”

[0033] The game is played with two or more players and the setup includes placing the mask and ventilator cards (face down) in the respective rectangles 19, 20 on the game board 1. Each player selects a game piece (see an example of a game piece in FIG. 6—although most any type of piece may be used) and places it on the Begin Journey space 15. Each player is distributed $20,000 to start the game.

[0034] FIG. 7 shows an example of the currency used. Of course a different amount may be chosen to be distributed. One player is designated as the “banker” and holds all the undistributed money. Another player preferably is designated the location manager and hold the location deeds, clinics and hospitals.

[0035] To begin the game, a player roll three dice and moves his/her game piece according to the combined total. If a player lands on a colored location, hospital 5, 6, 7 or 8, mobile testing unit 9 or the telemedicine call center 10, he/she has the option of purchasing the same, for which he/she must pay the price indicated on the board, to the Bank. In exchange, he/she will receive the deed to the location and receives rent when another player lands thereon. The amount of rent to be paid is listed on each deed. A player who owns all of the locations in a color group may purchase clinics and hospitals for the locations according to the game rules.

[0036] A player who lands on a location, for which a single player owns that location and all other locations within that color group and where no clinics exist on the property landed upon, must pay to the bank one-and-a-half times the rent indicated on the card.

[0037] A player rolling a “triple” i.e., three identical amounts on each dice (for instance, all ones or all twos . . . or all sixes) receives another turn and rolls again. A player rolling a “ladder” of three consecutive numbers among the dice rolled (for instance 1, 2 and 3 or 2, 3 and 4 . . . or 4, 5 and 6) receives another turn and rolls again.

[0038] A location may be “mortgaged” back to the bank upon payment to the bank of the indicated mortgage value listed on the deed. (For example, Riker's Island 4 may be mortgaged for $300). When mortgaged, the deed should be flipped over, but held by the player who owned the location. Any other player landing on the location will not be assessed rent while the property is mortgaged. The property may be unmortgage by the owner paying to the bank 75% of the location sale price. For example, once mortgaged, Riker's Island 4 may be unmortgaged for $450.

[0039] A player owning a complete set of locations of one color (for example Navajo Nation 2, Haiti 3 and Riker's Island 4) may purchase clinics to place on his/her location and will receive increased rent as shown on each location deed. Clinics (not shown) purchased must be divided as evenly as possible. (For example, one may not place two clinics on Navajo Nation 2 and none on Riker's Island 4 and Haiti 3). Once there are four clinics on every location within a particular color group, the owner may purchase a hospital (not shown) in place of the four clinics for the price as indicated on the deed. Purchased clinics and hospitals may not be moved from one location to another. No clinics or hospitals are placeable on the Mobile Testing Unit 9, the Telemedicine Call Center 10 or on any of the hospitals (the Mayo Clinic 5, Cleveland Clinic 6, Johns Hopkins Hospital 7 or Singapore General Hospital 8).

[0040] A player may propose a potential transaction to another player when it is the proposing player's turn.

[0041] A player is out of the game if he/she runs out of money and has no property to mortgage back to the bank.

[0042] While the preferred embodiments of the invention have been depicted in detail, it will be understood that modifications, adaptions, additions, or omissions may be made, without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, as delineated in the following claims: