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Game profile: Blokus
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Blokus is that rare example of a hobby store board game that has found a mainstream audience. Not since Apples to Apples have I seen a game enjoy crossover success to this degree.
Blokus is deceptively simple. Four players are each issued 21 pieces of translucent jewel-colored plastic. One person plays red, another yellow, another blue, and the fourth green. Based on half inch squares, the pieces vary in size and shape. Imagine Tetris pieces, only with a greater variety of shapes. Each player takes turns building their tiles out from one of the four corners. The player who is able to fit the greatest number of their 21 pieces on the 400 square game grid wins.
Blokus is a mellow game. Yes, you are competing for board space and the game play moves along at a quick pace, but I’ve found that laying the tiles has a communal feel. It’s more like building a puzzle together than a game of area capture and control. And while the game board starts out as a shiny gray grid, with each turn the board turns into a beautiful mosaic of color. It’s as much a pleasure to look at as it is to play.
Blokus does lend itself to two player and solitaire variations, but I have found that it is the most fun with four players.
Since its first publication in 2000, Blokus has garnered a ton of prestigious awards from around the world. No wonder retailers from hobby shops to Amazon.com to Target all carry it. Because of this success and recognition, the basic concept of Blokus has been ported to other versions. Travel Blokus (aka Blokus Duo) resembles its bigger brother with the exception of its smaller size and two-player focus. Blokus Trigon on the other hand, maintains the original’s four player design, but bases the board and pieces on triangles rather than squares. This gives the board a unique hexagon shape and distinctive game play. Finally there’s Blokus 3D (aka Rumis) where each player has 11 blocks which are built onto each other. The player with the most blocks visible from above at the end of the game wins.
I enjoy Blokus. It is easy to learn, fun to play, and done in 20 minutes. Those three features make Blokus a great “warm-up” game for your next board game night, or a quick game to play with your kids right before putting them to bed. My friends and family enjoy Blokus, and I bet you will too.
For more info: Go to the Blokus website or read the write-up at the Board Game Geek.
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