Name: Blokus
Publisher: Mattel Games
Designer: Bernard Tavitian
Players: 2-4
Ages: 5+
Playing Time: 20-30 Minutes
Download Rules
Enjoy putting your spacial relationship skills to the test in the challenging and rewarding game of Blokus. Aggressively build your territory by blocking your opponents and claiming the most space for yourself. Make the most of your own space using abstract thinking to order your pieces in the way that is most efficient. Occupy the most territory with your own pieces to take first place!
Blokus can be played with two, three, or four players. The board consists of a large empty grid, and each player begins with 21 abstract shapes which they place on it in turn. No two pieces are quite the same shape, so careful planning is required to ensure success. A player's pieces may touch only on the corners, but never the sides, so they must carefully structure their placements in the most effective manner while blocking their opponents from doing the same. As the board fills up, every precious square matters, since it is very difficult to make room on the board for all one's pieces. In the end, the player who can fill the most area is the winner.
Blokus has very a high skill ceiling, much like chess, but can be enjoyed by all levels. Children as young as five are fully up to the challenge of putting these clever shapes to use. There is learning to be had by everyone! The game is short in length, typically just 20 to 30 minutes, making it a wonderful choice for many occasions. You can even play it in an online community for free! For a truly strategic game, I recommend the two-player version, since the four-player free-for-all has a lot of variability.I am not a puzzle-loving person in any sense of the word. In fact, quite to the contrary, I feel like I was born lacking the basic skills that pertain to spacial relationships. Such things simply make my brain hurt. The different twists and turns and every possibility are far beyond my ability to grasp, let alone enjoy! My husband, on the other hand, can think of nothing more enjoyable than a good puzzle. I bought this game for his enjoyment, but I must admit that it has gradually grown on me as well. In the beginning, I did all I could to avoid the humiliating experience of Blokus. It truly brought out the worst in me. “You're new to this,” my husband would say. “It takes time.” I wanted nothing to do with it. One night, however, I decided to replace my defeatist mindset with an honest effort and a better attitude, and... Voilà! The challenge of the game won me over. In fact, I am almost always up for a game now, and have actually improved immensely in my ability to work with shapes. Although I have never won a game to this day, I am encouraged by the progress I have made. I have come to view it as an excellent learning tool and opportunity to improve on those skills that I inherently lack. The progress I have made really is empowering!
Blokus is more than just a game; it is also a great learning tool. I have benefited from playing it, and can testify to personal improvement in the mental department. It is very versatile, and its length makes it an attractive game choice in many settings. I recommend Blokus as a valuable game for the whole family. It really is a classic!
