Many games are known in which players must utilize their knowledge of each other for tactical purposes in anticipating the reactions of other players. However, such games are usually played for amusement only, and have limited value for revealing qualitative information about the players' lives, personal habits, and preferences.
Psychological assessment games are also known in which players untrained in the disciplines of psychology make personality assessments of themselves and other players based on preferences expressed as part of the game play. Thus in these games, players are labeled with certain personality descriptions as a result of playing a game in which, presumably, none of the players are professionally qualified to make such assessments.
Games are also known in which players compare responses to situational questions for the purpose of determining emotional relationship compatibility. U.S. Pat. No. 5,775,700 to Hornia et al. (1998) discloses a partnering game apparatus and method of play in which male and female players determine whether a player of their liking also likes them in some manner. However, such partnering games are normally restricted to male and female players who have either a prior relationship or a potential interest in pursuing a future partnering relationship, and may not be appropriate for a broader group of friends. Further, the types of questions posed in partnering games often solicit responses that may be considered highly personal or emotionally sensitive by some players.
Similarly, with regard to questions of a personal nature, games are known in which players are asked to reveal how they would respond in a variety of situations charged with ethical issues. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,635,939 to Makow (1987), a question and answer game apparatus and method is disclosed in which players must reveal their responses to moral dilemmas, and they are also required to make character assessments of the other players. While this form of game play may be enjoyable to some people, others may find the subject matter to be too sensitive or intrusive.
An imbalance of player participation is also a factor in many known games. U.S. Pat. No. 5,657,992 to Bellizzi (1997) discloses a game device and method for a group of people to entertain themselves by producing a story. However, one player is designated the "director" of a story development, and thus has a significantly different and more controlling role in the game than the other players. Similarly, many board games focus on a single player at a time--when it is their "turn" to make a move. Thus, while one player takes a turn in such games, the other players are often left idle while they wait for their turn to come.
Role-playing games are known in which players assume identities of characters other than themselves. Thus, participants act out behaviors of fictitious characters, but may fail to reveal anything significant about themselves. Similarly, games are known such as that disclosed by Bellizzi '992 in which participants collaborate to create a fictional story. Again, such games may be amusing, but do little to reveal personal information about the players' own lives, habits and preferences.
Games are also known that allow or even encourage players to be untruthful or to bluff. In one form of a game disclosed by Makow '939, players may secretly choose to not respond honestly, and other players may then challenge that player's credibility. While such ploys may add an element of amusement to a game, they also allow players to practice being insincere, to conceal information about themselves, and to even benefit from a successful deception.
Although board games are generally designed to serve as social entertainment and to be uplifting, games are known that incorporate negative reinforcement based on a player's action. As just one example, Makow's '939 assigns a penalty to a player for failing to respond within a specified time. Thus, while playing a game to be entertained, participants in such games may also find themselves facing social reproof when penalties are assigned.
Mental skill and scholastic knowledge lead to success in many known question and answer games. Although very popular, factually-based games such as Trivial Pursuit.RTM. which require correct responses to a wide variety of questions can also be personally intimidating to some participants. For example, rather than feeling good at the end of a game, a player who fails to correctly answer many or all of the game's questions may become embarrassed or feel educationally inadequate. Additionally, one measure of the continued success of a game is its ability to be played numerous times, with each new game play presenting unique challenges and information. However, games with a finite number of factual questions and answers can soon become uninteresting when the players become familiar with the correct response to each of the questions posed.
Many games are known in which selecting a player to take the first turn is determined by a random method such as the roll of dice. While this is certainly an efficient and fair way to decide, it does little to entertain the players or reveal any interesting information about them.
Games are also known in which an apparatus is needed to secretly record answers of players. Krane '561 describes an "answer wheel" which serves the purpose of indicating whether a player's response to a given question is "yes, no, A, B, C, or D." Inner and outer discs rotate about a rivet axis to expose the selected answer of a player. While this device serves its intended purpose, it requires some manner of assembly in manufacturing. Further, due to its size, the answer exposed by the window in the wheel may be difficult to read at a distance, and the wheel may potentially slip and alter the intended answer as the apparatus is handled.