Blockus is a wonderful multiplayer game for friends and family. Like Go, the board starts blank. Unlike Go, the pieces are mostly grouped into shapes. All are unique, and run the range from one small square to groups of 5 small squares. So 1 piece is 1 square, another is 2 squares, At 3 squares, there is a 3-in-a-row bar and a corner with a central piece and two wings, on adjacent sides. With 4 small squares, a square of squares is possible, as is a bar of 4 in a row, , a zig-zag of 2 rows of 2, and "L" with 3 one way and 2 the other, s short "T" with two vertical small squares and across at the top, etc.

In the photo, outside the game board, at the top, you can see a 3 square blue bar, and a 4 square blue square. To the right, there's a 3 square red corner and a 4 square red zig-zag. At the bottom is a 4 square green bar and a 4 square green square. And on the left, a 4 square yellow square, a 5 square yellow "T", 5 square yellow corner and a number of yellow pieces resting together. A 5 square "C" and a 5 square "+" perhaps.

Each player usually plays one color. You start with any piece in one of the 4 corners of the board. Play goes around the board however the players choose for a given game. Subsequent pieces MUST contact the previously played pieces Corner-to-Corner. Pieces of the same color cannot touch face to face, side to side, etc. Corner to corner, only. As you can see for each of the 4 color groups on the board.

Note the 3 of the 4 players started with the same, irregular, 5 square whatchamacallit shape. The one that goes: _##

_# if you will.

Get rid of that thing when the board is empty! Its got all kinds of corners that other pieces can connect with too.

Since connections are corner to corner, 2 contiguous groups can cross like:

@#

1. @

In the game above, 2 corners are split between 2 colors, red and yellow, top right, red and green, bottom left, with yellow, blue and some greens, bottom right, and blue, red and green in about equal proportion at upper left.

Each player takes a turn, and puts one of their pieces on the board, then the next player places one of theirs, and so forth. If you can't put anything on the board, you stop. The score is the number of pieces you have left when you can't find any more places to put them. The lowest score wins.

In a 3 person game, with 3 colors, its relatively easy for one or more players to use all their pieces. Its possible for 3 players to use all their pieces. In a 2 color game, its very easy for both to use all their pieces. In a 4 player game, its pretty rare for all pieces to get played. Not impossible, but very difficult, particularly when the players are not cooperating with each other!