WO1997025116A1

WO1997025116A1 - Compositional poetic/sentential board game

Info

Publication number: WO1997025116A1
Application number: PCT/US1997/000052
Authority: WO
Inventors: Inc. Poetryslam; Martin Smith
Original assignee: Poetryslam Inc
Priority date: 1996-01-12
Filing date: 1997-01-08
Publication date: 1997-07-17
Also published as: AU1524697A

Abstract

A compositional poetic/sentential board game which may be played competitively by a number of individual players, including a game board (100) featuring a demarcated array of playing spaces (104) on each of which is selectively positionable one of a multiplicity of alternatively selectable playing pieces (120) from a population of game pieces. The game pieces bear visually observable indicia thereon including (i) formatives for creation of linearly displayable poetic/sentential lines on said game board and (ii) value-indicating indicia, so that upon formation of a poetic/sentential line on said game board the values indicated by the value-indicating indicia are summable to determine a correlative score for said poetic/sentential line. In play of the game, each player in turn places game piece(s) on the board to create a new linearly displayed poetic/sentential line which includes at least one formative on the game board from prior play. The winner of the game is established as the holder of the highest cumulative score among the players of the game.

Description

COMPOSITIONAL POETIC/SENTENTIAL BOARD

GAME

Field of the Invention

This invention relates to a compositional poetic/sentential board game which may be

played competitively by a number of individual players.

Description of the Relevant Art

In the art of conversation and vocal discourse of various types, including bantering,

debate, responsory singing and rap music, a common functional motif involves a

competitive interplay of "oneupsmanship." This interplay frequently features plays

on words, double entendres, punning, and the like, in which an expression of a first

individual becomes grist for the oral response of a succeeding individual, in a

continued and sequential manner.

With the advent of real-time on-line computer networks of a social and interactive

character, such verbal jousting has been transported to the realm of the written word

in cyberspace, and manifested there in competitive bouts of written witticisms.

Such communicational competition has an antecedent basis in the oral traditions of

the "beat generation" in post- World War II United States. In the 1950^'s coffee

houses replaced pubs and taverns as social venues for young sophisticates in American society exploring an expressionism echoing the literary and conversational

circles of the Victorian era and 1920^*s England and America.

In the 1950's, the coffee houses of the beat generation were places of linguistic

innovation. Readings of poetry, manifestos, and experimental fiction were common

in these establishments. In such environments, friendly games of poetic one-

upmanship were a frequent occurrence.

In the last years of the twentieth century, this oral tradition has resurfaced in coffee

bars, writer's workshops, performance art exhibitions, and interactive multimedia

events such as raves. In these venues and organized events, contemporary poets and

writers continue to evolve language to new levels of meaning, insight, and awareness.

It would be an advance in the art of such communicative pastimes, and accordingly is

an object of the present invention, to provide a board game playable by various

numbers of individuals, which captures the essence, aesthetics, and immediacy of the

verbal poetic sparring traditions.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention are apparent from the ensuing

disclosure. - SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a compositional poetic/sentential board game which

may be played competitively by a number of individual players, comprising a game

board featuring a demarcated array of playing spaces on each of which is selectively

positionable one of a multiplicity of altematively selectable playing pieces. The

game board preferably includes one or more starting play spaces, on which play may

be initiated by the first player, and the game board further preferably comprises a

number of bonus play spaces, which may be correspondingly demarcated to indicate

the bonus value when game pieces of the players are laid down on such spaces, as

hereinafter described in greater detail.

The playing pieces may be in the form of plaques, planchettes, tablets, tiles, or the

like, and have printed, scribed, or otherwise depicted or affixed thereon various

formatives for poetic and/or sentential construction, as well as scoring values for

such formative (altematively, scoring values could be indicated on the demarcated

playing spaces of the game board, so that play spaces have preassigned scoring

values, rather than the game pieces, but it generally is preferred in the broad practice

of the present invention to have the scoring values identified by the game pieces).

The formatives may include words of various grammatical types such as nouns,

verbs and adverbs, adjectives, and endings (e.g., -s, -es, -est, etc.) as well as

miscellaneous formatives such as conjunctions, pronouns, prepositions, and articles. In the play of the board game of the invention, a poetic or sentential line is

constructed by a player, using the formative-bearing game pieces which are selected

or dealt to the player at the begύming of play. Each of the players is initially dealt

or chooses a predetermined number of game pieces, preferably including a selected

number of game pieces bearing formatives from each of the aforementioned

categories of "Nouns," "Adjectives," "Adverbs/Verbs," "Miscellaneous"

(conjunctions, pronouns, prepositions, articles), "Endings." The first player's

sentence or poetic line must be constructed as a horizontally extending line, reading

from left to right, with the first game piece of the line positioned on a starting play

space. After construction of the line, the player constructing the line then determines

and records his or her score. The next player then must construct a poetic or

sentence line deriving from one or more of the previously laid down game pieces, and

the subsequent line must be either a horizontal continuation of a previous line

establishing a new or elaborated meaning, again reading from left to right, or a vertical

derivative line including a game piece and formative of a previous line, reading from

top to bottom. In all instances, the lines are read either from left to right in the case

of horizontal lines, or from top to bottom in the case of vertical lines. All lines must

be sensical, i.e., no nonsense lines are allowed. Additionally, as a fundamental rule

of construction governing the play of the board game, it is desirable to constrain each

line to contain at least one noun, pronoun or other "subject" formative, and at least

one verb. Each player during his or her rum is allowed to play up to a predetmined number of

game pieces, and each game piece may be independently utilized to construct a line,

so that multiple (horizontal and/or vertical) lines may be established during a

player's turn. Various play -regulating rules may be utilized to govern the play and

scoring, as hereinafter discussed in greater detail.

Play is continued until the player's formatives are exhausted, and no more

formatives can be added without breaking the rule prohibiting nonsense lines. At

that point, cumulative scores of all players are totalled and compared to determine a

winner of the game, as the individual player having the highest score.

In a preferred aspect of the invention, the game board is constructed of a material of

construction to which the game pieces are attractedly positionably secured by

simple placement of a game piece on a play space of the game board. By way of

example, the game pieces may be mechanically lockably secured to the game board in

a readily manually detachable manner, e.g., by cooperatively matable hook and loop

fastener elements on the game pieces and game board, respectively, or via other

securement means and/or method. As a preferred example, the game pieces may be

formed of a magnetic material, and the game board may be of a metal construction, so

that the game pieces are magnetically retained in position on the game board, but are

readily removed therefrom at the conclusion of play. In another aspect, the invention relates to a method of playing a compositional

poetic/sentential board game involving a number of individual players, comprising

providing a game board and game pieces as hereinabove described, and conducting

the game through sequential and repetitive play by each of the individual players in

turn, in accordance with the play rules set out above, and such additional rules as

may optionally be adopted by the players, until a point is reached at which no

additional formatives can be added to any poem or sentence on the game board

without breaking the no-nonsensical lines rule, whereupon the cumulative scores of

all players are totalled and compared to determine a winner of the game, as the

individual player having the highest score.

Other aspects, features and advantages of the invention will be more fully apparent

from the ensuing disclosure and appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Figure 1 is a schematic plan view of a game board according to one embodiment of

the invention.

Figure 2 is a schematic representation of a scoring sheet for entry of the scores of

players of the board game of the invention. Figure 3 is a depiction of game pieces of various types, as used in the play of the

board game.

Figure 4 is a depiction of a conformation of game pieces arranged on the game board,

showing the initial three moves of the game by sucessive players.

Figure 5 is a depiction of a conformation of game pieces arranged on the game board,

showing prohibited arrangements of the game pieces, according to rules of an

illustrative embodiment of the invention.

Figure 6 is a depiction of a conformation of game pieces arranged on the game board,

showing the additive character of a subsequent player's lay -down of game pieces,

following lay-down of game pieces by a prior player.

Figure 7 is a depiction of a conformation of game pieces arranged on the game board,

showing a bidirectionally (vertically and horizontally) additive character of a

subsequent player's lay-down of game pieces, following lay-down of game pieces

by a prior player.

Figure 8 is a depiction of a conformation of game pieces arranged on the game board,

showing a subsequent player's lay-down of game pieces, following lay-down of game pieces by a prior player, in which the second player's arrangement of game

pieces violates the vertical sensical meaning rule.

Figure 9 is a depiction of a conformation of game pieces arranged on the game board,

showing a subsequent player's lay-down of game pieces, following lay-down of

game pieces by a prior player, in which the second player's arrangement of game

pieces is a bonus points conformation of game pieces on the game board of Figure 1.

Figure 10 is a depiction of a conformation of game pieces arranged on the game

board, showing a subsequent player's lay -down of game pieces, following lay-down

of game pieces by a prior player, in which the second player has used an ending with

another formative to create a new line.

Figure 11 is a depiction of a game board according to another embodiment, for use in

playing a simpler version of the game, relative to the game board embodiment of

Figure 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION, AND PREFERRED

MODES OF CARRYING OUT THE SAME

Set out below is a description of the components of the board game of the present

invention in an illustrative embodiment thereof, it being understood that the game and its method of play may be widely varied, within the broad scope of the

invention as hereinafter claimed.

Figure 1 shows a plan view of the game board 100 according to one embodiment, in

which the board is imprinted with a grid 102 of rectangular play spaces 104

including a start space 106 bearing the legend, "start here," below which is a

directional arrow and the words, "first sentence goes this way," indicating the

direction of lay-out of game pieces during the first player's turn, as reading from left

to right.

The game board also includes play spaces 108 bearing the legend, "double sentence

score," play spaces 110 bearing the legend, "triple sentence score," and bonus point

play spaces 112 bearing the legend, "25 point bonus."

Figure 2 is a schematic representation of a scoring sheet 116 for entry of the scores

of players of the board game of the invention, for up to four players ("player 1 ",

"player 2", "player 3", and "player 4"). The scoring sheet includes for each player a

number of vertically spaced-apart lines 118 for entry of the scores of the player

during successive turns during play of the game.

The play of the board game of the invention, utilizing the board of Figure 1 and

optionally the scoring sheet of Figure 2 will now be described. Objective of the Game

The board game of the invention is played by creating poetic lines or sentences with

game pieces (hereafter referred to as "word tiles") and placing them on the game

board. The ensuing description will be directed to the play of the game involving the

construction of poetic lines, it being understood that the lines could also or

altematively be sentential (i.e., sentence-forming) in character and constitute prose

sentences. The ensuing description will also be directed to the use of magnetic tiles

as the game piece elements of the board game which are selected and put down in

desired conformation by the player drawing, dealt or otherwise possessing same.

In this illustrative embodiment, poems are scored by totaling individual magnetic

word tiles and adding any bonus points. The board game of the invention is a

continuous game wherein each player must build on the efforts of previous players.

The only exception to this rule is the player who creates the first poem (poetic line).

Word Tiles

Figure 3 is a depiction of game pieces 120 of various types, as used in the play of

the board game. In a preferred embodiment, the board game of the invention is

played with colored word tiles of differing color, including in Figure 3 noun tile 122,

verb tile 124, adjective tile 126, miscellaneous tile 128, and ending tile 130. In one

embodiment comprising an illustrative color scheme, noun tiles (n) are blue, verb tiles (v) and adverb tiles (adv) are red, adjective tiles (adj) are green, and

miscellaneous tiles and endings tiles are black. In another embodiment, the tiles are

constructed with black letters on a white background with the inidicia indicating

word type and numeric value in color. Each tile contains a letter indicating word

type (n for nouns, for example) and a numeric value based on how difficult it will be

to use the formative on that tile. Ending tiles containing endings such as s, es and est

are also provided to assist play. Endings are used by placing them on top of any

appropriate word tile. The tiles may be formed of any suitable material of

construction. When the tiles are magnetic in character, the tiles may be formed of a

rubber-like material containing magnetic material particles or magnetic material filings

therein, to facilitate affixation and detachment of the tile to the metal game board.

The game board is generally of flat planar character and may be provided in a

circumscribing frame or other support or deployment structure, or altematively, the

board may be formed in a seamed or otherwise compactible conformation to

facilitate its transport and storage.

An illustrative tile color scheme is set out below, consistent with the foregoing

description, with an elaboration of the miscellaneous tiles. noun tile verb tile adjective tile miscellaneous tiles and endings tiles

(blue) (red) (green) (black) conjunctions (c), pronouns (p) prepositions (prp). articles (a) are all considered miscellaneous tiles

Starting the Game

The tiles may be provided in a preformed array of unitary character, in which the

initial users of the game break apart the constituent tiles from the unitary array of

tiles.

Once the tiles are separated, the tiles are placed face down (with the formatives and

printing thereon hidden). The game is begun by selecting words and endings. Each

player should randomly select 40 words and endings in the following sequence:

Adverbs

Nouns Adjectives Verbs Miscellaneous Endings

10 10 10

where the number appearing below the category reflects the number of tiles to be

selected. The selection process can be facilitated by maintaining the formatives in face-down forma in "category" piles (of collections in the respective categories

identified above.

Players should retain 40 words and word endings throughout the game. Words (used

here as inclusive of both words per se and endings) should be replenished by each

player after every turn.

Taking turns

Players should choose who goes first. The first player's sentence must be a

horizontal poem/sentence with at least one word in the "start here" square. After

creating a poem/sentence, the player should write down the total score on his/her

scoring pad.

The next player must create a poem that includes at least one word from a previous

player's poem. Players create a new poem by utilizing words from any poem or

poems on the board.

showing the initial three moves of the game by sucessive players. Player #1 (turn

#1) lays down tiles creating the line, "he pretends to like school." The score for

Player #1 for this line is 10 points. Player #2 then lays down tiles vertically to

create the poetic line, "he speaks perfect passive blue soft music." The score for this line (turn #2) is 22Tpoints. Player #3 (turn #3) then lays down tiles to form the line,

"sometime school demands curious boys," for a point total of 14 points. In each

case the tiles of the created (or augmeted) line are summed to yield the total points

scored; in such manner, the preceding play provides a field of lines for elaboration or

augmentation in subsequent play.

The lines constituting the poems/sentences can only validly go (in readable form)

vertically down and from the left to the right. They cannot go vertically upwardly

or from the right to the left. Figure 5 is a depiction of a conformation of game pieces

arranged on the game board, showing prohibited arrangements of the game pieces,

according to such rules of play in this illustrative embodiment of the invention.

Rules of Play

Set out below are various additional rules which may be employed to govern the

play of the game. In the broad practice of the invention, the rules described herein

may be utilized in various permutations, combinations, and sub-combinations

thereof, so that in a given embodiment, only a portion of such rules may be

employed in the play of the game.

Rule 1 : It Doesn't Have to Rhyme Rule

Under this rule, a primary purpose of the game is to challenge players to find new

ways to express themselves. Like many contemporary poems, the lines of the

poems/sentences under this rule do not have to rhyme. Rule 2: Slip Of Meaning Rule .

There must be some meaning to the word combinations players create. The

connections can be slight, but nonsense sentences are not allowed. The other

players may as a group constitute judges of when a poem/sentence meets or fails the

Slip of Meaning mle, or another player other than the one laying down the tiles in

question may be the judge by consensus or convention of the players; altematively,

a non-player judge may be employed for such purpose.

Rule 3: Noun and Verb Rule

Each line of the poem/sentence must include at least 1 noun (or pronoun) and verb.

Players do not have to use a word as it is defined. Verbs can be used as nouns and

nouns verbs, but each poem/sentence must include at least 1 noun and at least 1

verb.

Rule 4: Adding Endings Rule

Players can't simply add an ending like s, or es to an existing sentence and claim the

entire sentence's score. The only exception to this mle is when such an addition

significantly changes the meaning of the existing sentence. The play judge (other

players as a group, or another player other than the one laying down the tiles in

question, or a non-player judge) must judge if the change is significant enough to

allow an exception. Rule 5: No More than 6 Word Rule

Players can use a maximum of 6 words per turn. Players can only add 6 words per

turn, but should score all words used in their poetic or sentence line(s). Note how

the formative "he" is included in Player #2's (rum #2's) score in Figure 4.

Rule 6: Words & Endings Trading Rule

Players can swap words or endings. A player can also exchange up to 1/2 of his or

her total words for new words, but exchanging counts as a turn.

Scoring

Players calculate scores by adding the numeric values of all words used during a turn.

Players include words that came from previous players' turns. In Figure 6, which is

a depiction of a conformation of game pieces arranged on the game board, showing

the additive character of a subsequent player's lay-down of game pieces, following

lay-down of game pieces by a prior player, the words "is" and "tops" are added for

a score of 5.

It is possible for a player to score by adding words to multiple existing sentences or

poetic lines. Such an addition must pass the slip of meaning rule in all valid

directions, in relation to the lines affected. Figure 7 is a depicfion of a conformation of game pieces arranged on the game board,

showing a bidirectionally (vertically and horizontally) additive character of a

subsequent player's lay -down of game pieces, following lay-down of game pieces

by a prior player. By adding "she", "he" and "magic", this subsequent player gets

credit for 2 poetic lines: "she pretends magic" with a score of 7 and "he speaks

magic" with a score of 7, for a total score of 14.

showing a subsequent player's lay-down of game pieces, following lay -down of

game pieces by a prior player, in which the second player's arrangement of game

pieces violates the vertical sensical meaning mle. More specifically, this example

does not meet the slip of meaning criteria in all directions because it works (is

sensical) from left to right but does not work from top to bottom: "pretends

modem" and "to magic" do not make sense.

Bonus Points

Bonus points are earned when a player lays down the first word to be placed on a

bonus rectangle play space on the game board. There are 3 types of bonuses

applicable to the game board as shown in Figure 1 : a triple sentence score (which

may be shown on a play space of a first distinctive color, e.g., blue), a double

sentence score (which may be shown on a play space of a second distinctive color,

e.g., green), and a 25 point bonus score (which may be shown on a play space of another distinctive^{^} or composite color, e.g., blue and green). Bonuses can only be

earned by the first line to be placed by a player on a bonus play space. Any add¬

ons (subsequently added lines deriving from the first line placed on the bonus play

space) will not earn a bonus. Additionally, only one bonus score can be earned per

poem sentence.

showing a subsequent player's lay-down of game pieces, following lay -down of

game pieces by a prior player, in which the second player's arrangement of game

pieces is a bonus points conformation of game pieces (on the game board of Figure

1). In this conformation, the score for "he speaks perfect silence" is 13 points for

the line per se plus a 25 point bonus, for a total score of 38.

Figure 10 is a depiction of a conformation of game pieces arranged on the game

board, showing a subsequent player's lay-down of game pieces, following lay-down

another formative to create a new line. Endings, particularly the letter "s", help

create poems. Applying the letter "s" to a noun like "love" is acceptable, even

though the addition of the letter "s" to "love" transforms the usage of the latter

formative from a noun to a verb. Such usage permits the creation of an increased

number of words with the same number of formatives and encourages creativity on

the part of the game players. The use of a dictionary when playing the board game of the invention may be

allowed in the play of the board game of the invention, to enhance the creative

efforts of the players.

Conclusion of the Game

A game ends when words cannot be added to any poem/sentence on the board

without breaking the slip of meaning mle. At that point, players total their scores,

with the winner being the player with the highest score.

The board game of the invention may include any suitable number of word

formatives, e.g., on the order of 500 words, and the types of words employed may

be widely varied in the broad practice of the invention to include or predominantly

or exclusively constitute a specific lexicon, e.g., terms of art in a specialty field or

profession, or other subject matter area. Such specific lexicon formatives may be of

different color(s) than the color(s) of a concurrently provided set of "general" lexicon

formatives, or altematively, the specific lexicon formatives may be of the same color

scheme and word tile layout as the concurrently provided "general" lexicon

formatives. Examples of specific lexicon fields include business, geography, natural

science, the arts, sociology, psychology, contemporary slang, prehistoric animals,

economics, politics, philosophy, etc. Thus, the population of formatives furnished

for the playing of the board game of the invention may be widely varied within the scope of the invention, to accomodate the specific interests of a particular player

group, or target audience (when the board game is conducted in a performance format

by players before an audience).

playing a simpler version of the game, relative to the game board embodiment of

Figure 1. As is apparent from a comparison of Figures 1 and 11, the game board

shown in the latter drawing is of a simpler form, and may be used with game tiles of

a correspondingly simplified (in respect of the words employed) and larger-size

character, as appropriate for younger juvenile players of the game of the invention.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY OF THE INVENTION

The compositional poetic/sentential board game of the invention may be played

competitively by a number of individual players, as an intellectually challenging

leisure time activity, to assist in development of linguistic (phonetic, grammatic,

etc.) capabilities, and to enhance communication skills and ability.

Claims

THE CLAIMS

1. A compositional poetic/sentential board game which may be played competitively

by a number of individual players, comprising:

a game board featuring a demarcated array of playing spaces on each of which is

selectively positionable one of a multiplicity of altematively selectable playing

pieces from a population of same; and

a population of game pieces comprising game pieces bearing visually observable

indicia thereon including (i) formatives for creation of linearly displayable

poetic/sentential lines on said game board and (ii) value-indicating indicia, so that

upon formation of a poetic/sentential line on said game board the values indicated by

the value-indicating indicia are summable to determine a correlative score for said

poetic/sentential line.

2. A compositional poetic/sentential board game according to claim 1 , wherein said

demarcated array of playing spaces includes a starting play space, on which play is

initiatable.

3. A compositional poetic/sentential board game according to claim 1 , wherein said

demarcated array of playing spaces includes at least one bonus scoring play space.

4. A compositional poetic/sentential board game according to claim 1, wherein said

demarcated array of playing spaces includes at least one bonus scoring play space

selected from the group consisting of: double score play spaces; triple score play

spaces; and fixed value bonus points play spaces.

5. A compositional poetic/sentential board game according to claim 1, wherein said

game pieces are affinitively removably affixable to said game board.

6. A compositional poetic/sentential board game according to claim 1, wherein said

game pieces are magnetically detachably affixable to said game board.

7. A compositional poetic/sentential board game according to claim 1, wherein said

game pieces comprise a magnetic material of construction, and said game board

comprises a metallic material of construction.

8. A compositional poetic/sentential board game according to claim 1, wherein said

formatives visually observable on said game pieces comprise formatives selected

from the group consisting of: nouns; pronouns; verbs; adverbs; conjunctions;

prepositions; articles; and endings.

9. A compositional poetic/sentential board game according to claim 1, wherein each

of said game pieces comprises a single formative visually observable thereon.

10. A compositional poetic/sentential board game according to claim 1, wherein each

of said game pieces comprising a single formative word visually observable thereon

also comprises a visually observable indicium thereon indicative of the functional

usage of the single formative word.

11. A compositional poetic/sentential board game according to claim 1 , wherein said

visually observable indicium indicative of the functional usage of the single formative

word comprises an abbreviation for the part of speech of said single formative word.

12. A compositional poetic/sentential board game according to claim 1, wherein said

value-indicating indicia visually observable on said game pieces comprise numerical

value-indicating indicia.

13. A compositional poetic/sentential board game according to claim 1, wherein each

of said game pieces comprises a single value-indicating indicium visually observable

thereon.

14. A compositional poetic/sentential board game according to claim 1, further

comprising a scoring sheet for cumulatively determining scores of said individual

players.

15. A method of competively playing a compositional poetic/sentential game

involving a number of players, comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a compositional poetic/sentential board game including:

(i) a game board featuring a demarcated array of playing spaces on each of

which is selectively positionable one of a multiplicity of altematively

selectable playing pieces from a population of same; and

(ii) a population of game pieces comprising game pieces bearing visually

observable indicia thereon including (i) formatives for creation of linearly

displayable poetic/sentential lines on said game board and (ii) value-indicating

indicia, so that upon formation of a poetic/sentential line on said game board

the values indicated by the value-indicating indicia are summable to determine

a correlative score for said poetic/sentential line;

(b) initiating play by a first player placing a number up to a predetermined number

of player-selected game pieces on the game board to create a linearly displayed

poetic/sentential line on said game board; (c) continuing play in sequence by each of the remaining players and thereafter

repetitively and sequentially by each player in rum, wherein each player in each turn

of continuing play places up to said predetermined number of game pieces on the

board to create a new linearly displayed poetic/sentential line on said game board

which includes at least one formative on the game board from prior play;

(d) scoring the turns of the players by summation of the value-indicating indicia of

individual game pieces in the poetic/sentential line placed on said game board by a

player during the player's turn, to yield a score for said rum;

(e) concluding the turns of the players when no additional creation of a new linearly

displayed poetic/sentential line on said game board can be effected by any of said

players; and

(f) determining s cumulative score for each player as the sum of all turn scores of

that player in the game, to establish a winner of said game, as the holder of a highest

cumulative score among the players of said game.

16. A method according to claim 15, wherein said population of game pieces

comprises game pieces bearing visually observable formatives in categories selected

from the group consisting of "Nouns," "Adjectives," "Adverbs/Verbs," "Miscellaneous" selected from- the group consisting of conjunctions, pronouns,

prepositions, and articles), and "Endings."

17. A method according to claim 15, wherein each linearly displayed

poetic/sentential line created on said game board subsequent to the first linearly

displayed poetic/sentential line is constrained to be either horizontally extending and

readable from left to right on the game board, or vertically extending and

downwardly readable on the game board.

18. A method according to claim 15, wherein play of the game is constrained by at

least one of the rules selected from the group of rules consisting of the following:

Rule 1 : It Doesn't Have to Rhyme Rule, pursuant to which successive

poetic/sentential lines do not have to rhyme;

Rule 2: Slip Of Meaning Rule, pursuant to which poetic/sentential lines must be

sensical in character;

Rule 3: Noun and Verb Rule, pursuant to which each poetic/sentential line must

contain at least one noun, and at least one verb;

Rule 4: Adding Endings Rule, pursuant to which an existing poetic/sentential line

cannot be modified in a subsequent player's turn by only adding an ending to an

existing poetic/sentential line unless by independent judgement such an addition

significantly changes the meaning of the existing poetic/sentential line; Rule 5: No More^{^}than 6 Word Rule, pursuant to which each player can use a

maximum of 6 game pieces per turn; and

Rule 6: Words & Endings Trading Rule, pursuant to which each player can exchange

up to a predetermined fraction of the player's game pieces for an equal number of

other game pieces, subject to loss by said player of a normal turn for each said

exchange.