Interactive challenge game systems and methods

A method of competitive game play for play participants, the method comprising:

• receiving substantially simultaneous access by at least a first play participant and a second play participant to a play system, wherein the play system comprises:
• at least a first game input and a second game input;
• a plurality of discrete play media;
• and
• at least one desired destination for the discrete play media;
• receiving a first control signal from the first game input to affect the transport of a first portion of the plurality of discrete play media through a first predetermined path of a first plurality of predetermined paths of the play system to the at least one desired destination;
• receiving a second control signal from the second game input to affect the transport of a second portion of the plurality of discrete play media through a second predetermined path of a second plurality of predetermined paths of the play system to the at least one desired destination;
• and
• determining a success of the first play participant based on an amount of the first portion of the plurality of discrete play media transported to the at least one desired destination and a success of the second play participant based on an amount of the second portion of the plurality of discrete play media transported to the at least one desired destination, said determining comprising wirelessly reading electronic identification information associated with each of the first and second portions of the plurality of discrete play media.

A method of competitive game play for play participants, the method comprising:

• accessing a play system, wherein the play system comprises:
• a plurality of discrete play media, each of the plurality of discrete play media comprising identification information;
• and
• at least one game input configured to enable a plurality of players to substantially simultaneously selectively control transport of the plurality of discrete play media through at least one of a plurality of preconfigured paths of the play structure to at least one desired destination;
• utilizing the at least one game input to selectively control the transport of the plurality of discrete play media to the at least one desired destination;
• electronically reading the identification information from each of the plurality of discrete play media at or near the at least one desired destination;
• and
• associating, based on said electronically reading, a first amount of a first portion of the plurality of discrete play media with a first player of the plurality of players;
• and
• associating, based on said electronically reading, a second amount of a second portion of the plurality of discrete play media with a second player of the plurality of players.