Exploring Different Strategies for Playing Blokus

When it comes to playing the game of Blokus, there are countless strategies and approaches that can be taken. Each player has their own unique style and method for placing their pieces on the board, resulting in an exciting and dynamic game. In this article, I will explore the different strategies and variations that you can use to enhance your Blokus gameplay.

1. The “Cornering” Strategy

The “Cornering” strategy involves focusing on one corner of the board and building outward from there. By starting in a corner, you limit your opponent’s options and force them to make moves that benefit you. This strategy can be effective in creating a strong defensive position while simultaneously expanding your territory.

2. The “Blocking” Strategy

The “Blocking” strategy involves strategically placing your pieces in a way that blocks your opponent’s movements. By obstructing their path, you can prevent them from making optimal moves and limit their ability to expand. This strategy requires careful planning and observation of your opponent’s moves.

3. The “Expanding” Strategy

The “Expanding” strategy focuses on rapidly expanding your territory on the board. This involves placing your pieces in a way that allows for easy and continuous expansion. By quickly claiming space, you can limit your opponent’s options and gain a strategic advantage.

4. The “Counterattacking” Strategy

The “Counterattacking” strategy involves observing your opponent’s moves and responding with calculated counterattacks. By carefully planning your moves in response to their actions, you can disrupt their strategy and gain the upper hand. This strategy requires adaptability and anticipation of your opponent’s next move.

5. The “Divide and Conquer” Strategy

The “Divide and Conquer” strategy focuses on dividing the board into smaller sections and controlling each section individually. By effectively managing each section, you can limit your opponent’s influence and increase your chances of success. This strategy requires careful resource allocation and strategic thinking.

By exploring and experimenting with these different strategies, you can enhance your Blokus gameplay and discover new techniques for outsmarting your opponents. Remember, the key to success in Blokus is to adapt and respond to your opponent’s moves while simultaneously working towards your own goals. So grab a friend, set up the board, and let the strategic battle begin!

The order of play remains consistent: blue, yellow, red, and then green.

One team controls the blue and red pieces, while the other team controls the yellow and green pieces.

When the game concludes, each team tallies up their scores by combining the scores of their respective members. The champions are determined by which team has the highest score.

A Mind-Boggling Challenge for One Player

Eighty-four – Challenge yourself by playing as four separate players in a traditional four-player game, with the goal of placing all 84 pieces on the board.

A Match for Two Players

The order of play remains consistent: blue, yellow, red, and then green.

One player controls the blue and red pieces, while the other player controls the yellow and green pieces.

When the game comes to an end, each player calculates their score by adding up the scores for their respective colors. The winner is the player with the highest score.

The Three of Us

When we play Blokus 3D, each of us gets to pick our favorite color. We take turns using the extra color that nobody else has chosen. You start with blue, then it’s yellow’s turn, followed by red, and finally green.

At the end of the game, we calculate our scores just like we do in a regular 4-player game. The only difference is that we don’t count the points for the color that we shared.

Putting a Twist on the Game

Playing with 2 People

When it’s just two of us playing, we each pick a set of 11 pieces and take turns placing them. But there’s a catch – we can’t go over the height limit of the structure (picture 5 shows what I mean).

If we want a little more variety, we can play with 4 colors instead. Each of us would use two colors, and we’d take turns placing our pieces as usual. When it comes time to calculate the scores, we add up the points for both of our colors. The player with the highest total is the winner.

Here’s an interesting twist we can add: we can choose to only score our color with the most points, and not count the points for the other color.

Playing with 3 People

With three players, things get a bit different. Each of us picks a color, but the remaining color isn’t played. We can use our pieces to build as usual, but we have to keep in mind the height limitation for three players.

Playing Solo

When I play Blokus 3D by myself, I have a lot of options. I can try to create a cube using different colors, and I can choose different sizes for the cube, like 3x3x3 or 4x4x4 or even 5x5x5.

It gets even more challenging when I try to build a cube using only pieces of one color. I wonder how many different ways there are to build a 3x3x3 cube using just one color?

There are Game Variations for Blokus Trigon

Playing with a Twist (Alternate Rule)

Let’s raise the stakes and make the game more exciting by adding a new rule: when you’re playing, you can only connect pieces of the same color using their corners. It’s not allowed to connect a corner of one piece with the side of another piece of the same color. Take a look at figure 6 to see a visual representation of this rule.

If you’d like, you can try a different rule for any of the options below.

How to Play with Three People

When there are three players, each person picks a different color. One color won’t be used.

Only play on the shiny squares of the board.

You can’t use the squares with a dull color on the outer edge (see figure 7).

Let’s talk about how to start playing this game. As you know, there are six starting points in total, and each player needs to cover one of them with their first piece. It’s important to note that there should always be one unoccupied starting point between each player’s starting point. This ensures a fair and balanced setup.

Now, let’s discuss the order of play and how the final scores are calculated. In a standard 4-player game, the order remains the same. However, in a two-player game, it’s slightly different. The order of play goes like this: first, the blue player takes their turn, followed by the yellow player, then the red player, and finally the green player.

In a two-player game, one player controls the blue and red pieces, while the other player controls the yellow and green pieces. It’s a team effort! And just like in a standard game, the first piece placed on the board must cover one of the starting points indicated by the triangle symbol.

There’s a special rule for two-player games, though. The starting pieces of the same player must be placed symmetrically on the board. For example, if we look at figure 2, we can see that the blue piece is placed opposite the red piece, and the yellow piece is placed opposite the green piece. This creates a balanced and strategic setup.

When the game is over, I tally up my score by adding up the points for each color that I have. The person who ends up with the highest score is the winner.

Choosing Teams

The order of play remains the same: blue, yellow, red, and then green.

There are two teams: one controls the blue and red pieces, while the other controls the yellow and green pieces.

Once the game is finished, each team adds up their members’ scores. The winners are the players on the team with the highest combined score.

Challenge Yourself

Try the one-player version! In this brainteaser, you take on the roles of four different players in a standard four-player game. Your goal is to strategically place all 88 pieces on the game board.

If you’re feeling creative, you can also use the pieces to design your own patterns.