Card game and method of playing

1. A method of playing a card game with n players, wherein n is greater than or equal to two, comprising:

providing each player with a set of cards, wherein each player's set of cards has indicia different from indicia of every other player's set of cards to indicate which cards belong to which player, and wherein each card of each player's set of cards has one of four different elements, a first element on the previously placed card corresponds to an ability to move the previously placed card one empty space on the grid, a second element included on the previously place card corresponds to an ability to move the previously placed card two empty spaces on the grid, a third element included on the previously placed card corresponds to an ability to move the previously placed card three empty spaces on the grid, and a fourth element included on the previously placed card corresponds to an ability to more the previously placed card four empty spaces on the grid; and

alternating turns among the n players, wherein each player's turn comprises one or more of (i) placing one or more cards of the player having the turn on an imaginary or visible grid in a manner that visually shows the indicia and element of the one or more placed cards and indicates to all n players that the one or more placed cards belong to the player having the turn, and (ii) moving one or more previously placed cards of the player having the turn to a different position on the grid, wherein moving the one or more previously placed cards comprises moving a previously placed card of the player having the turn a number of empty spaces on the grid, the number of empty spaces determined by the element included on the previously placed card, wherein after moving the previously placed card, the moved card is adjacent to at least one other previously placed card, wherein a first element included on the previously placed card corresponds to an ability to move the previously placed card one empty space on the grid, a second element included on the previously placed card corresponds to an ability to move the previously placed card two empty spaces on the grid, a third element included on the previously placed card corresponds to an ability to move the previously placed card three empty spaces on the grid, and a fourth element included on the previously placed card corresponds to an ability to move the previously placed card four empty spaces on the grid;

wherein a winner of the game is declared when one of the players forms two or more lines on the grid, wherein a line is defined by a horizontal or vertical line of four in a row of the same player's cards and each of the four cards in a row of the same player's cards forming each line has a different element from the other cards in the line.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein placing one or more cards comprises placing a card of the player having the turn into an empty space on the grid adjacent to at least one card previously placed on the grid in a manner that visually shows the indicia and element of the one or more placed cards of the player having the turn.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising, prior to alternating turns among the n players, forming an n×n matrix on the grid using n cards placed by each player in a manner that visually shows the indicia and element of the n cards placed by each player.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein each card of each player's set of cards has one of a plurality of powers.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein each player's set of cards comprises ten cards of a first element with consecutive powers from one to ten, ten cards of a second element with consecutive powers from one to ten, ten cards of a third element with consecutive powers from one to ten, and ten cards of a fourth element with consecutive powers from one to ten.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein a card having a power of one is deemed to have a higher power than a card having a power of ten.

7. The method of claim 4 , wherein moving one or more previously placed cards comprises attacking an attacked card with an attacking card, the attacked card being a card of another player previously placed on the grid, the attacking card being a card of the player having the turn previously placed on the grid and positioned adjacent to the attacked card, wherein the attacking card has either a higher power than the attacked card or, if the powers of the attacking card and the attacked card are the same, the attacking card includes an element designated to be a stronger element than the element of the attacked card, wherein the attacking card assumes the position on the grid of the attacked card and the attacked card is removed from the grid.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein if an attacking card has the same element and power as the attacked card, both the attacking card and the attacked card are removed from the grid.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the card game is played in a virtual environment and the steps of the method are executed by a video game application on a computing device.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein one of the n players is a computer player.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein on each player's turn, the player having the turn is provided with a subset of four cards to use forming the player's hand.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein n=2, and further comprising, prior to alternating turns among the 2 players:

forming a two-by-two matrix on the grid using two cards of a first player and two cards of a second player, wherein the two cards of the first player are placed in opposite corners of the matrix and the two cards of the second player are placed in different opposite corners of the matrix, wherein the two cards of each of the first player and the second player are selected from the respective player's set of cards, and wherein the two cards of each of the first player and the second player are placed in the matrix in a manner that visually shows to both the first and second players the indicia and element of the cards placed in the matrix and indicates which of the placed cards belong to which player;

placing one card of the first player into an empty space on the grid adjacent to one side of a card in the two-by-two matrix in a manner that visually shows the indicia and element of the one placed card of the first player; and

placing two cards of the second player onto empty spaces on the grid, wherein each of the two cards placed by the second player is adjacent to at least one side of a card previously placed on the grid in a manner that visually shows the indicia and element of the two placed cards of the second player.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein in each player's turn, the player having the turn selects whether (i) to place one or more cards of the player having the turn, (ii) to move one or more previously placed cards of the player having the turn, or (iii) to both place one or more cards of the player having the turn and to move one or more previously placed cards of the player having the turn.

14. A method of playing a card game, comprising:

(a) providing a first player with a first set of cards and a second player with a second set of cards,

wherein each card of the first set of cards has a substantially square shape, a front surface, and a back surface, wherein the back surface of each card of the first set of cards has a same or similar first appearance and the front surface of each card of the first set of cards has a same or similar first color scheme to indicate that the first set of cards belongs to the first player, wherein the first set of cards comprises:

a first subset of cards each having on the front surface a same or similar first shape, wherein the first subset of the first set of cards are consecutively numbered from the number one to at least the number ten with numerical indicia on the front surface of the first subset of the first set of cards;

a second subset of cards each having on the front surface a same or similar second shape different from the first shape, wherein the second subset of the first set of cards are consecutively numbered from the number one to at least the number ten with numerical indicia on the front surface of the second subset of the first set of cards;

a third subset of cards each having on the front surface a same or similar third shape different from the first shape and the second shape, wherein the third subset of the first set of cards are consecutively numbered from the number one to at least the number ten with numerical indicia on the front surface of the third subset of the first set of cards; and

a fourth subset of cards each having on the front surface a same or similar fourth shape different from the first shape, the second shape and the third shape, wherein the fourth subset of the first set of cards are consecutively numbered from the number one to at least the number ten with numerical indicia on the front surface of the fourth subset of the first set of cards;

wherein the second set of cards is identical in number to the first set of cards and each card of the second set of cards has a substantially square shape, a front surface, and a back surface, wherein the back surface of each card of the second set of cards has a same or similar second appearance different from the first appearance and the front surface of each card of the second set of cards has a same or similar second color scheme different from the first color scheme to indicate that the second set of cards belongs to the second player, wherein the second set of cards comprises:

a first subset of cards each having on the front surface the same or similar first shape as the first subset of the first set of cards, wherein the first subset of the second set of cards are consecutively numbered from the number one to at least the number ten with numerical indicia on the front surface of the first subset of the second set of cards;

a second subset of cards each having on the front surface the same or similar second shape as the second subset of the first set of cards, wherein the second subset of the second set of cards are consecutively numbered from the number one to at least the number ten with numerical indicia on the front surface of the second subset of the second set of cards;

a third subset of cards each having on the front surface the same or similar third shape as the third subset of the first set of cards, wherein the third subset of the second set of cards are consecutively numbered from the number one to at least the number ten with numerical indicia on the front surface of the third subset of the second set of cards; and

a fourth subset of cards each having on the front surface the same or similar fourth shape as the fourth subset of the first set of cards, wherein the fourth subset of the second set of cards are consecutively numbered from the number one to at least the number ten with numerical indicia on the front surface of the fourth subset of the second set of cards;

(b) forming a two-by-two matrix on an imaginary or visible grid using two cards of the first player and two cards of the second player, wherein the two cards of the first player are placed in opposite corners of the matrix and the two cards of the second player are placed in different opposite corners of the matrix, wherein the two cards of each of the first player and the second player are selected from the respective player's set of cards, and wherein the two cards of each of the first player and the second player are placed in the matrix in a manner that visually shows to both the first and second players the front surfaces, the color schemes, the shapes, and the numerical indicia of the cards placed in the matrix and indicates which of the placed cards belong to which player;

(c) forming a hand of at least four cards for each of the two players, wherein the hand is formed by having each of the two players select four or more cards from that player's set of cards; and

(d) alternating turns of the first player and the second player, wherein in each player's turn, the player is provided with a number of units of currency, and the player having the turn utilizes the currency to perform one or more of:

(i) placing one or more cards selected from the hand of the player having the turn into an empty space or empty spaces on the grid adjacent to at least one side of a card previously placed on the grid, wherein placing each card costs the player having the turn a designated number of units of the currency, and wherein each of the one or more placed cards selected from the hand of the player having the turn is placed in a manner that visually shows to both the first and second players the front surface, the color scheme, the shape and the numerical indicia of the one or more cards being placed and indicates that the one or more placed cards belong to the player having the turn;

(ii) moving one or more previously placed cards showing the color scheme of the set of cards of the player having the turn a number of empty spaces on the grid, the number of empty spaces to move determined by the shape included on the previously placed card, wherein after moving the previously placed card, each moved card is adjacent to at least one side of a card previously placed on the grid, wherein moving each previously placed card costs the player having the turn a designated number of units of the currency; and

(iii) attacking an attacked card with an attacking card, the attacked card being a card of another player previously placed on the grid, the attacking card being a card of the player having the turn previously placed on the grid and positioned adjacent to the attacked card, wherein the attacking card has either a higher numerical indicia than the attacked card or, if the numerical indicia of the attacking card and the attacked card are the same, the attacking card includes a shape designated to be a stronger shape than the shape of the attacked card, wherein the attacking card assumes the position on the grid of the attacked card and the attacked card is removed from the grid, wherein each attack costs the player having the turn a designated number of units of the currency;

wherein a winner of the game is declared when one of the players forms two lines on the grid, wherein a line is defined by a horizontal or vertical line of four in a row of the same player's cards, wherein each of the four cards in the horizontal or vertical line has a different shape and has the color scheme to indicate that all four cards in the row of the line belong to the same player.

15. The method of claim 14 ,

wherein the first subset of the first set of cards are consecutively numbered from the number one to at least the number ten with numerical indicia on the front surface of the first subset of the first set of cards provided by the number of the same or similar first shapes provided on the front surface;

wherein the second subset of the first set of cards are consecutively numbered from the number one to at least the number ten with numerical indicia on the front surface of the second subset of the first set of cards provided by the number of the same or similar second shapes provided on the front surface;

wherein the third subset of the first set of cards are consecutively numbered from the number one to at least the number ten with numerical indicia on the front surface of the third subset of the first set of cards provided by the number of the same or similar third shapes provided on the front surface; and

wherein the fourth subset of the first set of cards are consecutively numbered from the number one to at least the number ten with numerical indicia on the front surface of the fourth subset of the first set of cards provided by the number of the same or similar fourth shapes provided on the front surface; and

wherein the first subset of the second set of cards are consecutively numbered from the number one to at least the number ten with numerical indicia on the front surface of the first subset of the second set of cards provided by the number of the same or similar first shapes provided on the front surface;

wherein the second subset of the second set of cards are consecutively numbered from the number one to at least the number ten with numerical indicia on the front surface of the second subset of the second set of cards provided by the number of the same or similar second shapes provided on the front surface;

wherein the third subset of the second set of cards are consecutively numbered from the number one to at least the number ten with numerical indicia on the front surface of the third subset of the second set of cards provided by the number of the same or similar third shapes provided on the front surface; and

wherein the fourth subset of the second set of cards are consecutively numbered from the number one to at least the number ten with numerical indicia on the front surface of the fourth subset of the second set of cards provided by the number of the same or similar fourth shapes provided on the front surface.

16. The method of claim 14 , wherein the game is played in a virtual environment and the steps of the method are executed by a video game application on a computing device.

17. The method of claim 14 , wherein in each player's turn, the player having the turn selects whether (i) to place one or more cards selected from the hand of the player having the turn, (ii) to move one or more previously placed cards showing the color scheme of the set of cards of the player having the turn, and/or (iii) to attack an attacked card with an attacking card.