According to Article 25 of the Patent Law, "No patent right shall be granted for the following items: (1) Scientific discovery; (2) rules and methods of intellectual activities; (3) Methods of diagnosis and treatment of diseases; (4) Species of animals and plants; (5) substances obtained by nuclear transformation. " The rules of the new game belong to the rules and methods of intellectual activities and should not be patented. Therefore, the correct answer to this question is C.