Blokus

Super As d' Or 2001 Game of the Year 2002: shortlist Mensa Select 2003 inter alia,

Blokus is an invented by Bernard Tavitian strategic board game for two to four players. There is a matching game that is similar to Pentamino game.

Meanwhile, more than three million games have been sold worldwide.

History

Blokus was invented in 1999 by Frenchman Bernard Tavitian, when he worked at Yale University in the USA. When Pierre -Jacques Jouars watched the game, he secured the rights and founded the company Sekkoia to drive to the game. The game was released in 2000 Sekkoia on the French market, where it was 6000 times, even sold in the first year for the second year 20,000 times. In 2001 it received the Super As d' Or. In Germany it was expelled from Heidelberg games publisher and was included in the Game of the Year shortlist 2002.

Meanwhile, Blokus is licensed by different publishers in 35 countries and marketed one of the most award-winning board games. In Germany Blokus was sold from 2005 to 2008 by Winning Moves. Since 2009, the American toy company Mattel sells the game, who took over the French publisher Sekkoia.

Appeared in 2005 Blokus Duo for two players and 2006 Blokus Trigon game pieces from assembled triangles.

Championships

Meanwhile, more than 740 players are out in the world rankings. The unofficial world champion is Canadian Timothee, but also in Germany there are very strong players. It is striking in comparison to other abstract strategy games that about as many women as men play Blokus.

In 2008, a Blokus Championship was held in Germany.

Game rules

In the two-player game, each player has two sets of 21 tiles ( polyominoes ), which are composed of small squares. One player has blue and red stones, the other yellow and green. It comes every form, consisting of 1-5 squares in each color exactly once: ie 1 square, 1 domino, 2 Triominos, 5 Quadraminos and 12 pentominoes. The board consists of 20 x 20 square cavities into which fit the pieces exactly.

The pieces are alternately placed in turn, starting at the corners. The order is clockwise: Blue - Yellow - Red - Green. The first stone of each color must be set so that the corner square is occupied. Stones of one color must always touch a corner, but never along one side. On foreign stones you can create any contrast.

It is pulled until no more blocks can be set.

The aim is to store as many pieces on the board. Since the pitch provides just enough space for all stones, the spaces are quickly narrow. Who in the end has the fewest points left wins. In this case, each small square of your own game piece counts one point.

Blokus can also play three or four. There is also a team variant is planned for the four- person game.

Awards

According to the publisher Sekkoia Blokus is with 26 awards, the most awarded game of the 21st century.

Quote

The French newspaper Libération: " Blokus is really able to settle between Tetris that is not a get out of your head, and the subtle art of Go. It gained a deserved success! "