Blokus

Blokus - A family game of fun and strategy

Blokus is a fun game for the whole family. It is simple to learn, different each time you play and challenging enough to engage young and old alike.

The plastic Blokus board has a 20 x 20 grid measured out on it. The sides of the board and the walls of each square on the board are raised so that the pieces stay in place once played. The board is an opaque white color.

The plastic pieces are green, blue, red and yellow, and are more transparent than the board. Each player will get 21 pieces and the pieces are already preshaped. In the image to the left the blue Z is one piece, the green piece that looks like a backwards C is one piece, the green piece that looks like a sideways L is one piece, etc. You will have to consider the shapes as you are playing and planning your strategy. Each of the 21 pieces is a different shape and each player gets the same set of shapes, just different colors.
 

Each player gets 21 different shapes.

If you would like to read about Blokus Junior, a beginners game to teach Blokus using game mats, click here. 

All pieces of a single color can only come into contact with each other at their corners.

Object:
Have the highest score at the end by playing the most or the biggest pieces.

Set up:
Each player chooses a color and takes all pieces of that color. Place the empty board in the middle of the players.

Play: 
Taking turns, each player places one piece at a time on the plastic playing board. A piece can only be played if it comes into contact with another piece of the same color at a corner. Pieces of a same color can only come into contact with other pieces of the same color at the corners. Try to spread out so that you have a lot of options for laying pieces while trying to block your opponent(s) into a limited space. Players keep playing until everyone is blocked or until all pieces have been played. If you run out of places to play (blocked), you are out of the game. To score, either count the number of pieces each person succeeded in playing on the board or else count the number of squares that make up those pieces. Highest number wins.

Try this:

• Play alone with one color to get used to placing the pieces corner to corner.
• Play a game and count the number of corners that are touched.
• Play a game as the individual observes. Think out loud as you play so that they can learn how to use strategy.
• Ask the person to turn the piece in-hand if it needs to be adjusted for orientation.
• Play alone. Place one color on the board, then place another color, then another. Can you place them all?
• Work on spatial relations, visual closure, visual discrimination, manual dexterity, in-hand manipulation, process skills, executive functioning skills, socialization skills, play and leisure exploration and participation

In the box: 1 plastic grid playing board, 21 pieces per color, four colors (84 total pieces)
Ages 7+, 2-4 players

If you are interested in purchasing this game or just want more information, click on the image below.