The Blokus Game!

Name: Blokus game

Number of players: between 2 to 4

Recommended ages: 7 and over

Average playing time: 15 to 20 minutes

Overview

Four versions of the Blokus game are available so that they might engage the different skills and interests. While most versions of Blokus can accommodate up to four players but there is one version that only allows two people to compete which is the Blokus Duo board game. Because the average game lasts such a short time, it is likely that your kids are going to want to keep on playing.

This is the original game and the 400 square board with 84 pieces can accommodate two to four players. It is easy to understand but the Blokus game requires strategic thinking and careful planning, both of which are great concepts for children to learn at a young age.

• To begin the game, each player has to start at a corner of the board, with blue going first, than yellow, red, and green.
• During each turn, you must place a new piece on the board but it can only touch the corner, never the side, of another piece of the same color.
• If a player becomes blocked, they lose a turn and when everyone is blocked or out of pieces, the game is over.

To determine the winner of the game, you must calculate the points of each player. If you managed to get all 21 of your pieces on the board, you receive a 15 to 20 point bonus depending on when and where you placed the blocks. For every square that is not on the board, you receive a single negative point. The player with the highest score wins.

This Blokus game allows two players to participate instead of four and consists of a 196 squares on the board and only 42 pieces. The concept of the game is the same as Blokus Classic but the colors and order of play are different as orange goes before violet.

Players begin the game at a marked space on the board instead of a corner and the game ends when a player is blocked, not when they run out of pieces. Calculating the final score is the same and the object of the game is to place as many of your 21 blocks on the board, if not all of them.

The most original of the Blokus game, the Trigon consists of a hexagonal board and almost 500 triangular squares upon which all of the games 88 pieces, in four different colors and shapes, fit perfectly. The object of this game is to get all 22, not 21, of your pieces on the board by touching only the corners of your other pieces. The blue, yellow, red, and green pieces all start at a marked space, not a corner, and play in this order. Just like in the classic edition, a blocked player skips a turn but the game ends when all of the players are blocked or out of pieces.

Blokus 3D allows each player 11, three-dimensional square pieces of the same color but of different shapes. To win this game, you must make the most of your color blocks visible from the top of the board. All of your placement options are easily visible since the board rotates to show you each side of the block pile. This game is great for developing motor skills since it requires construction and placement as well as critical thinking skills as each player must develop their own winning strategy.

Final Thoughts

The Blokus game has a universal appeal since it is challenging on different levels to different age groups. The games don’t last too long so younger players won’t lose interest. Forming a plan is a key ingredient of the game and can help children learn to strategize.

Remember to have fun!

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