Starship Chess

Abstract

A chess-like board game with a commercial name of Starship Chess provides a one-on-one or multiplayer (up to six player) tactical space combat game, like the game of chess between two versatile playing pieces or two teams of versatile playing pieces. The game is played by two-to-six players and each player has a fully maneuverable starship, complete with manageable resources, engines, weapons, and shields. Each player must navigate his starship in order to gain an advantage over the player's opponent with respect to direction and position. A starship can engage, withdraw, replenish, and reposition to plan out attacks. Players must learn to think ahead, predict opposing player's tactics, and outwit the opponent to win.

Claims

1. A chess-like board game comprising: a plurality of game pieces further comprising: a game board further comprising a defined chessboard area of sixty four squares; a console score board; two identifiable decks of playing cards; two identifiable playing pieces to represent starships; at least one dice further comprising six-sides; at least one, but no more than two coins.

2. The chess-like board game of claim 1, wherein the game board is placed diagonally between two players.

3. The chess-like board game of claim 1, wherein the at least one, but more than two coins further comprise two side, a heads side and a tails side.

4. The chess-like board game of claim 1, wherein the six starships are differently shaped and colored for each player.

5. The chess-like board game of claim 1, wherein each deck of playing cards is colored differently for each player.

6. The chess-like board game of claim 1, wherein the identifiable flat cardboard cutout of a starship corresponds to a player's starship.

7. The chess-like board game of claim 1, wherein the console score board corresponds to a starship's console.

8. The chess-like board game of claim 7, wherein the starship's console measures a starship's power point level and a starship's shield point level.

9. The chess-like board game of claim 1, wherein the 2 decks of playing cards, each deck further including a set of particular cards comprising: a set of three each of the following playing cards: forward 1, forward 2, forward 3, forward 4, stop, reverse 1, turn left, turn right, engineering.

10. The chess-like board game of claim 1, wherein the 6 decks of custom playing cards, each deck further including a set of particular cards comprising: a set of three each of the following playing cards: forward 1, forward 2, forward 3, forward 4, stop, reverse 1, turn left, turn right, engineering.

11. The chess-like board game of claim 11, wherein the set of three each of the following playing cards: forward 1, forward 2, forward 3, forward 4, stop, reverse 1, turn left, turn right, engineering correspond to navigation cards of the chess-like board game.

12. The chess-like board game of claim 10, wherein each player has four colored torpedo tokens, corresponding to the players color.

13. The chess-like board game of claim 10, wherein each player has one colored Engine Status Token, corresponding to the player's color, with an arrow on one side, and a stop-sign on the opposite side.

14. The chess-like board game of claim 1, wherein each player has one colored die, corresponding to the player's color, with numbers ranging from 1-3 twice on each die.

15. A method for playing a chess-like board game utilizing the chess-like board game of claim 1, comprising the steps of: providing a game board that includes a defined chessboard area of sixty four squares and an additional trim-board of two squares by two squares in an L shape to connect to the corner of the chess board to increase the board size to 100 squares when playing with more than three or four players; providing two-to-six players each with a set of game board pieces that include a console score board, one deck of 27 custom playing cards, one playing piece, one engine status token, four torpedo tokens, one die, and one coin-like chip; placing the game board in a diagonal position between two players or teams; playing with the game pieces on the game board, until one player defeats other player.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein the step of playing with the game pieces further comprising the step of: laying three navigation cards face-down around the game board by the two players; flipping each card over, one at a time, and playing out the results; moving a starship on the game board; attacking an opposing player's starship with torpedo tokens; attacking an opposing player's starship with laser points; rolling the one dice to randomly attack an opposing player's starship(s); damaging an opposing player's starship; defending player's own starship; repairing player's own starship; escaping danger by overdriving starship engines; restoring a player's single spent torpedo token; and destroying an opposing player's starship.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0086] FIG. 1 illustrates one embodiment the chess-like board game and a preferred embodiment of setup of the game; and

[0087] FIGS. 2A and 2B illustrate gameplay charts on how to calculate damage in the chess-like board game.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL EMBODIMENTS

[0088] FIG. 1 illustrates a preferred embodiment of the current chess-like board game, specifically the preferred setup of the game between two players. FIG. 1 is a reference that depicts how the game should be set up. All of the items are placed in specific locations and although a preferred setup, these locations are not mandatory and may be subject to change depending on the playing space available to the players and also subject to players' preferences. Starship chess 10 depicts a chess board 6 setup diagonally between two players. The players must place the starships 22 in the depicted mandatory position. For the sake of minimizing confusion, the navigation cards 18 are kept together somewhere in front of each player. The Engine Status Tokens 16 should be kept close to the navigation cards since both cards relate to one another. The players want to keep the stack of engine status cards 16 somewhere directly in front of the player so that the player does not forget to adjust them accordingly during gameplay. Engine status cards 16 must be kept sideways to differentiate them, but they may be tucked under a corner or side of the chess board if a player prefers.

[0089] The Torpedo Tokens 12 should always be grouped together face-up and spread out slightly so that the players can easily see how many torpedo tokens are remaining. It is a preferred embodiment, that the torpedo tokens 12 are generally half-tucked under the chessboard 6 if possible. The player's coins 20 and the player's individual die 14 can be stored anywhere during gameplay, and used when necessary. The console score board 8 is generally stored to one side of the chessboard 6, but can be located anywhere if space is limited. The playing deck, or “hand” is usually kept in the player's hand, or face-down on the table somewhere (not shown since preferable embodiment is in player's hand). Discarded cards by the players should be kept separated from cards in play. For example, discarded cards can be tucked under the console score board.

[0090] The console score board 8 also contains the pegs 5. The console score board is also known as the Starship Console during the game. In FIG. 1, the pegs 5 are in a starting position for the beginning of the game. In another embodiment the pegs may be customized. One peg may contain a lightning bolt on the top circle of the peg to symbolize energy and symbolize the starship's “Power Bar.” Another peg may contain a plus sign (+) on the top circle of the peg to symbolize health and symbolize the starship's “Shield Bar.”

[0091] FIG. 1 also depicts how movement is achieved when the starships 22 move off the edge of the chessboard 6, and reemerge on the other side. It depicts the three different possibilities of these moves, each with a different format of dotted lines to differentiate them from one another. Each set of dotted lines 7 has a matching set on the opposite side the chessboard 8. This should help players understand on which square their starships will land when it exists the edge of the chessboard. This dynamic will be referred to as a “wraparound effect” and allows the chessboard to be boundless, thus simulating infinite space. No starship 22 can be backed into a corner, and may continually move in any direction with unhindered movement.

[0092] FIGS. 2A and 2B illustrate charts depicting ultimately how damage will be calculated in the game for both starship weapon types: lasers and torpedoes.

[0093] FIG. 2A specifically depicts the Laser Damage chart 30 depicts a player's starship 32 in the center. The lines emanating from the starship represent the starship's laser beams. The explosions in the squares at the end of each line depict the amount of damage to an opposing player's starship will take if located on a respective square in relation to the original player's starship.

[0094] FIG. 2B specifically depicts the Torpedo Damage chart 40, wherein the opposing player's starship 42 is in the center with the crosshairs of a target reticle over it. The surrounding squares depict an attacking player's torpedoes soaring toward the opposing player's starship. The damage the torpedoes would cause to the opposing player's starship is depicted by where the torpedoes are fired from in a respective square. In this figure, the torpedo bonus damage of plus two has already been added to the total, in order to save players the trouble of having to count while using the chart.

[0095] Both FIGS. 2A and 2B are charts intended to be used as a reference for players to make gameplay quicker and easier. These charts are not necessary or required for gameplay if the players can memorize and utilize the counting methods.