As a gamer in general when I first saw Blokus I thought someone had finally made a
board game adaptation to Tetris. I thought that was weird but they’re coming out with a
movie adaptation of Battleship so I wouldn’t be surprised. When I finally played Blokus
I found it was nothing like Tetris. This is a good thing because Blokus is a great game.
Blokus is a simple yet deep with tons of strategy, replayability, and can support up to four
players. I especially like the four player aspect of Blokus as it seems like most abstract
games without chance support just two. Anyway, here is a rundown of Blokus.
Overview: Blokus is played on a large grid made up of small squares. The game is for
four players. Each player has 21 shapes made up of one or more squares. The object of
the game is to place as many of your shapes on the board as possible. The game ends
when no one can place a piece. If players are just playing a single game the player with
the least pieces at the end wins. If players are playing a series there is a way to calculate
points.
Mechanics Overview: Mechanically Bokus is very simple. It’s a game about strategy,
forethought, and planning. Good players will learn to seize as much of the board as
possible and position their pieces to prevent other players from coming onto their side of
the board and gumming up their position.
How is it played?: Again very simple (one of the elegant features of Blokus). On a
player’s turn they get to place one shape so that it touches another of their shapes
(starting their first turn in their corner). The catch to placing a piece is: the edges of your
pieces cannot touch, it must be the corners. This means players will have to be extra
careful about setting up their area or they may cut themselves off. It also means players
have to pay special attention to how they plan on blocking other players. Some shapes are
better then others for this purpose and using them early can hurt player’s efforts later.
The Downside?: Honestly I don’t see much of a downside to this game. If I had to name
something I’d say the game is very abstract so for gamers who want more immersion or
epicness in their games this might not be the best choice.
Conclusion: Blokus is just good. Whether or not you consider yourself a gamer or not
you owe it to yourself to check out this game. It’s is also an excellent gift for any age.
The game’s simplicity means even the very young can play it and enjoy it making it an
excellent learning game for the little ‘uns. I also appreciate how it can accommodate four
players making the game viable at any type of function. Bottom line: pick up Blokus. Do
it.
RescueRangerMatt signing off.
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