C Paget
Canada
Toronto
ON
...
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Unfortunately (because I think comparisons are more fun...) this isn’t a comparative review because I’ve never played Blokus trigon or Blokus 3D, and I have limited experience with Blokus Duo. Maybe I’ll return to this review one day, and use it as the baseline for reviewing the rest of the Blokus family.
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Value: Is it worth the price?
9
Blokus is another game that benefits from mass production: it’s available in most toy stores, not just speciality game stores. But it’s still more expensive than some other mass-produced games. I think the gameplay is well worth the money, but you might feel that the component quality doesn’t quite reflect the price (more on that below, in the component category).
Variety: Is each play different?
3
The game doesn’t have any built-in variety. But it’s possible for players to introduce some variety in their gameplay by trying out different strategies and by changing up seating arrangements. The variety disappears a little bit as players gain more experience because they settle on strategies that work for them, so it’s a fairly low-variety game.
Additionally, when playing with only two players, the original Blokus game does offer two possible layouts: playing with two colours each or blocking off part of the board to great a Blokus Duo game. Although this does add a smidge of variety to the game, I don’t really count it because it’s limited to the two-player game.
Replayability: Can you play again & again?
6
Lots and lots of replay value! Blokus is a fast game, so it is good for a warm-up or a cool-down on games nights, and usually people will want to play a couple times in a row. It also appeals to a fairly large audience: delighting gamers and non-gamers alike, which makes it more likely to hit the table. And unlike many games, you can’t “exhaust” Blokus: you won’t get bored or sick of it.
However, it really is a game for 4 players only and this limits the opportunities to play the game; you have to have the right collection of people in order to play. There are variations for two players, but it’s just not good with three.
The other situation that could limit replay is strong imbalance between players: if one player is much better or worse than their opponents then it can really frustrate the less able players and they won’t want to play again. This can be mitigated somewhat if the more able players secretly handicap themselves in some way – but that’s less fun for the better players and isn’t an ideal solution.
So, the summarize this contradictory rating... Blokus is amazingly replayable if you’re often playing with the right type of group: four players of approximately the same skill level.
Slow to Master: Experience to move beyond rules?
6
It usually takes a single game for most people to grasp the rules. But once you’re into the second game, people will have no problem with the idea that their pieces must only touch on corners.
However, developing the strategy takes some time and exploration. In their first dozen games, players will explore lots of different ways to play: racing to the middle, snaking around the edges, trying to create an impenetrable “wall,” etc etc etc. These vastly different starting strategies will be abandoned as players get a better understanding of what makes a good move: how to block opponents while keeping their own options open. Players will also learn about the different pieces: which ones they like for what situations, and when to play them. In all of this, Blokus offers a lot of opportunity to slowly improve your strategy, but in a nicely accessible way: it’s a nice and gradual learning curve with consistent improvement.
Strategic Depth: Opportunity for decision-making?
8
Blokus is a deep game, strategy-wise. Each move requires the consideration of a number of different choices: which piece to use (or to save), which opponent(s) to focus on, where to go with your own pieces, etc etc etc. I think that the best aspect of Blokus strategy is how seamlessly the short-term tactics fit into the long-term strategy: you can never forget about your long-term gameplan, otherwise you’ll find yourself blocked off!
The game has three distinct “phases” to it: first you set up the game’s skeleton in the first few moves, then the middle phase is a tough battle between players to claim the most amount of space, and finally the end of the game is all about sneaking into the leftover spaces and hoping that your leftover pieces can get out on the board. Each phase is intricately tied to the other phases, so you have to keep thinking ahead. Great tension!
Player Interaction: Contact between players?
10
High player interaction: gains for one player are made at the expense of other players. It’s also a game with subtle shifting alliances, as players need to manage their opponents and shut down their opportunities. Blokus is a game for people who like direct player interaction, rather than the “friendlier” indirect style.
Fun: An enjoyable experience?
8
Generally it’s great fun. The puzzle aspect, and the smooth learning curve make it very intriguing. But it’s still simple enough to avoid brain-burning, making it a nice and enjoyable battle of wits!
However, if one player is hopelessly losing, then they will get frustrated. As will the person sitting across from them, because their neighbours will be benefiting from the misfortune. Again, the game is best for players of similar skill levels.
Luck-Free: Is winning independent of luck?
9
Blokus is a perfect-information game, there is nothing held in secret. So it “should” be luck-free. However, I only rated it a 9 of 10 because there is some luck involved in seating order: each player has a greater effect on their neighbours.
Theme Fit: Does it match the theme?
5
An abstract game, so the 5 rating is the midpoint that I assign to theme-free games.
Gateway: Is it good with non-gamers?
7
Yes, Blokus is a great gateway game for most non-gamers. Not only do non-gamers find the game interesting, but it also preps them for more complex games. So I think it’s great for luring non-gamers into the hobby.
As a caveat, there are non-gamers who will find the game stressful. It’s relatively aggressive in terms of strategy, and it is a battle of wits – which makes some people feel too exposed.
Rules A-OK: Confirming it isn’t broken?
10
No complaints on the rules.
Teachable : Is it easy to teach?
8
The game really only has one rule: your pieces must touch on corners, and only on corners. This is very easy to explain. But... often people find it a big counter-intuitive because they are expecting to play Tetris with the pieces: packing them tightly into small spaces. If players are coming into the game with expectations of playing a Tetris boardgame, then they be confused.
I avoid problems by calling the first game a throw-away game, I take a minute to introduce the game and then do a slow walk-through of as many turns as it takes for people to understand what’s going on, then we start again to play a “real” first game.
Least Text etc: Minimal Reading/Symbology?
10
No reading, no symbols. You could play Blokus with players of different reading levels, or even who speak different languages!
Short Set-Up: Does it set-up quickly?
7
Blokus always disappoints me on the set-up. It seems like the set-up is easy, because it comes with the trays to collect each set of pieces. But invariably, the pieces get mixed up in the box, so you have to sort them. And then to play, you really need to lay out all your tiles so you can see what you have – the player trays are mostly useless.
Still a fast set-up, but not as fast as you think it is...
Components: Are the bits high quality?
8
Overall, the game is great: particularly the bright and transparent tiles. But I’ve always been disappointed in the board, it just seems like a cheap and boring plastic tray. Functionally, there is no problem with the board, but it somehow doesn’t live up to the gameplay, IMHO.
Bottom Line
I highly recommend Blokus for game groups that often have four evenly-matched players.
It’s one of my favourite abstracts, and I love that it’s for more than two players (as many abstracts are limited to two).
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Jonathan Harrison
United States
Fisher
Illinois
South Quarter Independent Games
Firp! ding! blast!
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We play two-player†—two colors per person—and love it. This is a really good game.
† We started with a copy of Blokus Duo that was given to us.
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Jonathan Harrison
United States
Fisher
Illinois
South Quarter Independent Games
Firp! ding! blast!
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tathta wrote: The other situation that could limit replay is strong imbalance between players: if one player is much better or worse than their opponents then it can really frustrate the less able players and they won’t want to play again. This can be mitigated somewhat if the more able players secretly handicap themselves in some way – but that’s less fun for the better players and isn’t an ideal solution.
Some good discussion of handicapping, including of Blokus, in this thread, this reply in particular.
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C Paget
Canada
Toronto
ON
...
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HuginnGreiling wrote:
That's an excellent reference! I will definitely try playing with handicaps in future games. Thanks 
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Andy Andersen
United States
Newark
Delaware
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HuginnGreiling wrote: tathta wrote: The other situation that could limit replay is strong imbalance between players: if one player is much better or worse than their opponents then it can really frustrate the less able players and they won’t want to play again. This can be mitigated somewhat if the more able players secretly handicap themselves in some way – but that’s less fun for the better players and isn’t an ideal solution. Some good discussion of handicapping, including of Blokus, in this thread, this reply in particular.
I've never thought about handicapping a player. I'll make sure my wife is handicapped the next time we play. I may have a small chance of winning.
Thank you for an excellent review, tathta.
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Len
United States
Austin
Texas
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I find that the first game, maybe two, there is a learning curve. However, after that a handicap is not usually necessary.
I guess what I am trying to say is that a nice thing about Blokus is the fast learning curve, making it a good entry level game.
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