Welcome to the very first blog in our Hidden Gems blog series! You've played Monopoly, Scrabble and Catan, but there are hundreds of amazing games out there that so often don't receive the attention and recognition they deserve. In this Hidden Gems twice-monthly series we highlight brilliant games which might just have slipped under your radar.
Hidden Gem #1 - BLOKUS
This tile-placement board game was first released in 2000 by French publisher Sekkoia. Designed by Bernard Tavitian, Blokus encourages strategic thinking as well as a bit of off-handed competitive sabotage in a bid to win the most points. The game consists of four sets of uniquely-shaped tiles, each set in a different colour, one for each player. The aim of the game is to, in turn sequence, place all of your tiles onto the board.
Sounds simple, right? There is a catch - several, actually. You can only connect your tiles by the corners, and no two sides must touch. What's more is that your opponents will try to block you from spreading out over the board. You must work around their blocks and place as many of your tiles on the board as possible until there is no more room left. The winner is the player with the least tile squares left in their hand.
But that's enough game mechanics - we want to tell you WHY Blokus is such a fantastic game deserving of greater recognition. So without further ado...
A beautifully simple game -
'Simplicity is key.' Of the many games we have played here at Game Gecko, some of the most enjoyable games are often the uncomplicated ones. Set-up takes seconds, and anyone can learn and understand the Blokus rules within minutes and play for hours.
Uniqueness in each game -
There are thousands potential ways each new game could play out. With 21 unique tiles per player and with 4 different ways to place each tile, the possibilities are endless. You could be the most sprawling colour in one game, dominating the board, and then find yourself getting pushed into a, ever-smaller corner in the next.
An addictive game -
In our experience, we rarely ever play just one game of Blokus. Its delightfully colourful and positive game design and wonderfully simple gameplay make Blokus irresistible. We really can't fault it!