Video game with replaceable tiles having selectable physics

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9687729-B2
Application number	US-201514609971-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 30, 2015
Priority date	Feb 19, 2013
Publication date	Jun 27, 2017
Grant date	Jun 27, 2017

Abstract

A computer device has user interface configured to display user actuatable game elements and to detect user input when a user engages with a game element; and a processor configured to receive a detected user input and on detecting a match game condition to control the user interface to remove at least three game elements from the display and to provide on the user interface replacement user actuatable game elements, wherein the manner of providing each replacement game element has a graphical representation governed by a tile associated with each game element, wherein each tile has a selectable physics which controls at least one of (i) the direction in which it moves to replenish a vacancy left by the removed user game elements; and (ii) the speed at which it moves to replenish the vacancy.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A computer implemented method of controlling a user interface responsive to user input when a user engages with displayed game elements on the interface, the method comprising the following steps implemented by a processor of a computer device:
detecting a match condition of at least three game elements of the same type that form a chain on the game board responsive to the user input and controlling the user interface to remove the at least three game elements;
generating replacement game elements to be displayed, each game element associated with a tile;
selecting physics for each tile;
controlling a graphical representation on the user interface of replacing the game element based on the selected physics, wherein the tile physics controls at least one of (i) the direction in which it moves to replenish the vacancy left by the removed game elements' and (ii) the speed at which it moves to replenish the vacancy
wherein a game character is displayed on a tile having a first kind of physics, where a movement of that character over the game board is affected by the tile physics of the set of tiles surrounding the game character, program code causing a target row to be identified on the display, and wherein a game objective is to cause the game character to move up to the target row.

2. A method according to claim 1 , wherein selecting the physics for each tile is based on user input at the user interface.

3. A method according to claim 2 , wherein selecting the physics for each tile based is on the location on the display at which the at least three game elements are removed.

4. A method according to claim 1 , comprising supplying the graphical representation to the user interface in the form of a video sequence based on the physics of the tile.

5. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the selected physics controls a direction in any orientation in either the Cartesian or polar axes for replenishment of tiles from an outer portion of a game board to an inner portion of a game board.

6. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the user interface displays a game board of game elements in rows, and wherein there is a visual indication of the tile physics associated with each tile in a row, wherein all tiles in the same row have the same physics.

7. A method according to claim 1 , wherein tiles of the first physics move in a direction to replenish a vacancy downwards from an upper portion of the display, and tiles of a second physics move in the direction to replenish a vacancy upwards from a lower portion of the display.

8. A computer device having:
a user interface configured to generate a game board which displays user actuatable game elements and to detect user input when a user engages with a game element to cause a selected game element to switch places with an adjacent game element; and
a processor configured to control the user interface responsive to user input to remove from the display at least three game elements on detection of a match game condition in which the at least three game elements including one of the switched game elements are of the same type and form a chain on the game board and to provide replacement game elements on the display, wherein a portion of the game board is displayed, including the replacement game elements, the processor configured to execute program code which causes the portion of the game board which is displayed to change by a scrolling action whereby a new portion of the game board is newly displayed and a previously displayed portion of the game board is removed from the display;
the program code causing a target row to be identified on the display, and wherein a game objective is to cause a game character to move up to the target row wherein when a first portion of the game board is displayed on the display the target row is not visible to a player, and wherein when a second portion of the game board is displayed on the display as a result of said scrolling action, the target row is caused to come into a view of the player.

9. A computer device according to claim 8 , wherein tiles of a first physics move in a direction to replenish a vacancy downwards from an upper portion of the display, and tiles of a second physics move in the direction to replenish a vacancy upwards from a lower portion of the display.

10. A computer device according to claim 8 , wherein the user interface is controlled by the processor to sequentially apply a visual effect to sets of tiles, thereby indicating physics of the tiles.

11. A computer device according to claim 8 , wherein the number of replacement game elements is the same as the number of game elements in the match condition.

12. A computer device according to claim 8 wherein the portion of the game board which is displayed depends on the location of a predetermined or selectable tile on the game board.

13. A computer device according to claim 12 wherein the tile is selected by a user.

Assignees

• King Com Ltd
• King Com Ltd

Inventors

• Hansson Magnus
• Alftberg Niclas
• Nyblom Tobias
• Jaksch Rikard

Classifications

• A63F13/2145

  the surface being also a display device, e.g. touch screens · CPC title

• A63F13/52

  involving aspects of the displayed game scene · CPC title

• A63F2300/1075

  using a touch screen · CPC title

• A63F13/12

  Human Necessities · mapped topic

• G06F9/44

  Arrangements for executing specific programs · CPC title