Most of my gaming is pretty thematic. I like games with stories, characters, choices, things that really make you feel invested and engaged in the game. On Valentine's Day I had the chance to fall back in a love with a very theme-less game: Blokus. I took my daughter to a local cafe and they had a copy for us to play. It was a good reminder that if you're not playing a solo board game, the theme might not matter as much if you have someone great to play it with. This inspired me to do a little review for Blokus and hopefully expose new gamers to the game or help some of you veterans to fall in love again as well.
What is Blokus? Basically, it's a block laying game. You have a variety of different sized blocks (very Tetris-like) that you are trying to play on the board. Your opponents are attempting the same thing. The catch - there isn't enough room on the board for everyone. Also, you cannot play one of your pieces in a way that any edges touch the edge of another of your pieces. However, you must play it so it is touching at least on diagonal of another of your pieces. So you need to try and find ways to fit your pieces in close to yours and between your opponents.
What is Blokus? Basically, it's a block laying game. You have a variety of different sized blocks (very Tetris-like) that you are trying to play on the board. Your opponents are attempting the same thing. The catch - there isn't enough room on the board for everyone. Also, you cannot play one of your pieces in a way that any edges touch the edge of another of your pieces. However, you must play it so it is touching at least on diagonal of another of your pieces. So you need to try and find ways to fit your pieces in close to yours and between your opponents.
TOTAL PLAYS: 30+
COMPONENTS
This is a very simple game, so there isn't much in the way of components. Visually, everything in the rulebook and on the box are pleasing and easy to follow. The block pieces are slightly transparent, which looks cool, and they feel nice and sturdy. The board is made in such a way that the pieces sit on them easily and aren't easily bumped (unlike classic Scrabble). Overall, simple and straightforward. 4/5
RULES
The rules are simple to learn and simple to follow. You really wish you could break the rules when you're trying to get your last few pieces on the board and you just can't do it. The "theme" of this game is simplicity and the rules are no different. 4/5
GAMEPLAY
Play moves relatively fast, especially in the beginning, because you only play one piece per turn. Near the end of the game, things do tend to slow down because you're desperately trying to find some tiny or odd-shaped space to fit your last blocks into. It's ok if it's not your turn because you are either (a) desperately trying to find a similar space for your upcoming turn, (b) praying they don't take the exact space that you need, or (c) trying to find a spot they could've used so if they don't use it you can laugh at them mercilessly. Pace of the game is pretty fast and it's easy to play a few games in a row. It's a light game and there is not a lot to it in terms of complexity, but there are still a lot of choices and strategy involved.
As a teacher, I also really appreciate the geometric and spatial reasoning aspect of the game. You could tie it into all sorts of learning about shapes, area, perimeter, etc. 4/5
REPLAYABILITY
This is the kind of game that you could pull out every single game night for a game or two. You're doing the same thing each time (so if you don't like that thing, you won't play it), but there is enough variety in block placement and strategy that each game is different. Even if you have the same strategy every game, it all depends on what your opponents do. There are no expansions coming out, no legacy versions for this game to improve replayability. It's not doing anything incredibly innovative (although its been out for 20 years now, so maybe it WAS innovative back then...). It's just a solid, light, gateway game. 3/5
FUN
I have other light games in my collection that I find more fun: 5 Minute Dungeon, Kingdomino, Sushi Go, and so on. They all have a little bit of theme that increases the fun factor for me. Blokus is a solid game with no theme. And that's ok! It's a fun challenge that can also be a gateway for great conversations with a beautiful daughter (that's what it was for me!). I'm guessing the fun score depends a lot on who you're playing with. 7/10
TOTAL SCORE - 22/30
If you don't have any geometric games on your shelf, this is a solid one to pick up. It's easy to learn, good for all ages, and really challenges your brain's ability to work with shapes. It's got a quick but calm pace to it, so it's perfect for playing while having a lovely chat.
If you want more information on my review system, check out the full description here.
COMPONENTS
This is a very simple game, so there isn't much in the way of components. Visually, everything in the rulebook and on the box are pleasing and easy to follow. The block pieces are slightly transparent, which looks cool, and they feel nice and sturdy. The board is made in such a way that the pieces sit on them easily and aren't easily bumped (unlike classic Scrabble). Overall, simple and straightforward. 4/5
RULES
The rules are simple to learn and simple to follow. You really wish you could break the rules when you're trying to get your last few pieces on the board and you just can't do it. The "theme" of this game is simplicity and the rules are no different. 4/5
GAMEPLAY
As a teacher, I also really appreciate the geometric and spatial reasoning aspect of the game. You could tie it into all sorts of learning about shapes, area, perimeter, etc. 4/5
REPLAYABILITY
This is the kind of game that you could pull out every single game night for a game or two. You're doing the same thing each time (so if you don't like that thing, you won't play it), but there is enough variety in block placement and strategy that each game is different. Even if you have the same strategy every game, it all depends on what your opponents do. There are no expansions coming out, no legacy versions for this game to improve replayability. It's not doing anything incredibly innovative (although its been out for 20 years now, so maybe it WAS innovative back then...). It's just a solid, light, gateway game. 3/5
FUN
I have other light games in my collection that I find more fun: 5 Minute Dungeon, Kingdomino, Sushi Go, and so on. They all have a little bit of theme that increases the fun factor for me. Blokus is a solid game with no theme. And that's ok! It's a fun challenge that can also be a gateway for great conversations with a beautiful daughter (that's what it was for me!). I'm guessing the fun score depends a lot on who you're playing with. 7/10
TOTAL SCORE - 22/30
If you don't have any geometric games on your shelf, this is a solid one to pick up. It's easy to learn, good for all ages, and really challenges your brain's ability to work with shapes. It's got a quick but calm pace to it, so it's perfect for playing while having a lovely chat.
If you want more information on my review system, check out the full description here.
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