Systems and methods for providing an interactive game

An interactive game for entertaining or amusing a plurality of play participants, said interactive game comprising:

• a plurality of game items configured to be provided to a corresponding plurality of play participants, each said game item comprising a non-volatile programmable memory and machine-readable code that uniquely identifies each said corresponding play participant within an interactive game, and wherein at least one of said game items comprises a selected portion of game-relevant information required to complete said interactive game and wherein said plurality of game items collectively comprise selected portions of game-relevant information sufficient to complete said interactive game;
• at least one electronic reader device configured to read the machine-readable code from each said game item when said game item is provided within readable proximity to said reader device to thereby uniquely identify a corresponding play participant associated with said game item;
• and
• at least one game devices configured to selectively reveal or provide to each said play participant who provides a corresponding game item within readable proximity to said reader device a selected portion of game-relevant information and wherein said selected portion of game-relevant information is revealed or provided based at least in part on each of said play participant's successful completion of one or more selected game challenges, and wherein said at least one game device is further configured to generate an authenticating passcode based on the successful completion of said one or more game challenges and wherein said authenticating passcode is unique to each said play participant and each said one or more completed game challenges;
• at least one writer device adapted to communicate with said plurality of game items over said readable proximity, said at least one writer device configured to cause said authenticating passcode to be stored in said non-volatile programmable memory of each of said corresponding game items provided within said readable proximity upon the successful completion of the corresponding game challenges;
• wherein said interactive game enables said plurality of play participants to play and progress in said interactive game and wherein the progress of each said play participant in said interactive game can be individually tracked and authenticated in accordance with said authenticating passcode.

A method for playing an interactive game carried out within a virtual play environment using one or more physical gaming items and two or more different gaming platforms, said method comprising:

• configuring a first gaming platform to generate a virtual play environment comprising one or more computer-animated effects in accordance with a game;
• providing a plurality of physical gaming items each representing a specific character in said game, each said gaming item comprising a passive radio frequency identification (RFID) tag comprising a short-range radio-frequency (RF) transceiver, non-volatile programmable memory and a unique identification number uniquely identifying each said corresponding gaming item;
• electrically coupling an RFID reader device to said first gaming platform and configuring said RFID reader device to wirelessly power and provide two-way wireless communication with each said RFID tag over a limited communication range less than 60 cm;
• selecting at least one of said plurality of physical gaming items to be played in said game and bringing said selected gaming item within said limited communication range of said RFID reader device;
• causing said RFID reader device to ascertain at least said corresponding unique identification number of said selected gaming item;
• using said selected gaming item to progress in said game by completing one or more game challenges or puzzles presented by said first gaming platform;
• causing an encryption algorithm to generate an encrypted code that communicates or authenticates said game progress, wherein said encrypted code is unique to each said gaming item and each said one or more completed game challenges or puzzles;
• and
• storing said encrypted code in said non-volatile programmable memory of said selected gaming item;
• and
• using said encrypted code to communicate or authenticate said game progress to a second gaming platform that is different from said first gaming platform.