Blokus - Tips & Strategies

At the start of the game, use those 5-block pieces that become difficult to play later on and build towards the centre of the board. This maximizes the possible directions that you can take when the other players start crowding the board. Sneaking into new territories is the key to a successful game.

The common Blokus strategy is to use the big pieces first, block out some space, and try to keep people out. What you want to do is stay close to the other players by moving into their line and getting into their crevices as much as possible. That way you have plenty of points to move across the line later in the game. Try it!

Here’s the ordeal – when you block another player early on you immediately enter the table’s hostility radar. And blocking moves tend to leave your piece as the blocker with little options to encrouch their territory. This can very quickly escalate into other players boxing you in as a defensive reaction and you having limited territory late game.

Instead, in the early dawns of conflict (usually as players reach the middle), use your pieces to touch other player’s pieces in such ways that both pieces are not blocked, but instead have room to go where the other came from.

The less intrusive you feel to them, the more the other player will find target points other than you to focus on. You’re esentially slipping under their radar, gently nudging them to go the other way while granting you access. Even better if they then proceed to engage in blocking wars with another player.

For this reason, sometimes the best way to handle the early middle conflict is to take the long route around another player’s pieces as you try to gain access to all sections of the board, instead of trying to be King of the Hill only to be boxed in from 3 directions the next round.

Do this with everyone so that you have access into all 4 quadrants of the board late game, and it will increase your survival rate tremendously.

Letting go
This low-intrusion approach also means you need to allow it if other players wish to encroach your territory – let them.

For one, your own territory is hard for you to use because it’s already flooded with your own pieces that you may not touch, so it is already of lower value to you than other territories on the board.

Secondly, if by letting them in you get the chance to enter theirs and other players’ territories unprohibitedly, more power to you. That’s a worthy seemingly-sacrificial move. Even better, if you can prompt other players to duke it out on your start field while you quietly sneak into theirs, then by all means let your home be a battleground.

2 player under normal rules isn’t very fun. We often play with each player controlling 2 colors to take up more room on the board. Another variation is to add a 3rd “mystery” player, with each player taking turns playing the 3rd color. However, the best solution is to purchase the Blokus Travel edition, perfect for 2 players.

This may sound obvious, but it’s usually best to keep your small pieces for very late in the game. There will be very few spaces left and these will be some of the few pieces that you will even be able to use. As Beagle said in another tip, use your big pieces early. The more awkwardly shaped and large the piece, the sooner you play it.

Make sure to get rid of your square and square+1 parts before the board gets too crowded, they are some of the harder bits to play late in the game.