If you haven’t seen it, Blokus looks like a neon-colored geometric puzzle exploded on a white plastic grid. The game consists of 84 pieces (21 for each of the four colors: blue, yellow, red, and green). These pieces are "polyominoes"—shapes made of small squares joined together, exactly like the pieces in Tetris.

The rules are refreshingly simple. In fact, there is really only one rule: Your pieces must touch at least one other piece of your color, but only at the corners. They can never touch flat side to flat side with your own color. (They can, however, touch your opponents' pieces in any way.)

The goal? Get as many of your pieces onto the board as possible. The player with the fewest squares remaining at the end wins. It sounds peaceful, but by the middle of the game, it becomes a cutthroat battle for territory where you’re desperately trying to sneak a tiny 1-square piece through a gap to block your spouse from dumping their giant 5-square "L" piece.

In a world where kids are constantly overstimulated by the "skibidi" chaos of YouTube or the dopamine loops of Roblox, Blokus offers a different kind of engagement.

Kids love it because it’s tactile. The pieces are made of a translucent, jewel-toned plastic that is strangely satisfying to handle. It feels like playing a video game in physical space. There’s no waiting for a 10GB update, no "Ohio" memes popping up in the chat, and no one is asking for your credit card to buy "skins."

Parents love it because it’s a "level playing field" game. Unlike some strategy games where an adult’s advanced logic will crush a child every time, Blokus is visual. An 8-year-old with good spatial awareness can—and will—absolutely wreck you. It’s also one of the few games that actually supports exactly four players perfectly, making it the "Goldilocks" choice for family game night.

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We talk a lot about "educational" apps, but Blokus is a masterclass in spatial reasoning. Research consistently shows that spatial skills—the ability to mentally manipulate 2D and 3D objects—are a massive predictor of success in STEM fields (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math).

When a kid plays Blokus, they are doing high-level mental rotations. They are looking at a piece in their hand, flipping it mentally, and trying to see if it fits into a jagged opening on the other side of the board. This is the same part of the brain used in:

It’s basically a workout for the parietal lobe, disguised as a colorful game.

If your kid is obsessed with Minecraft, they will likely gravitate toward Blokus. Both games rely on the "blocky" aesthetic and the satisfaction of building/filling space.

However, Blokus offers something Minecraft often lacks: forced social interaction and immediate consequence. In a digital game, if you mess up, you can often just respawn or undo. In Blokus, if you play your 5-square piece too early and get blocked, you have to live with that decision for the next 15 minutes. It teaches "forward-thinking" in a way that is tangible.

Learn more about the benefits of spatial reasoning games

Ages 7+ This is the standard 4-player version. It is the best value and the most versatile. Even if you only have two players, you can play by each person controlling two colors. It’s the "OG" for a reason.

Ages 7+ Specifically designed for two players. The board is smaller, and the game is much tighter and more aggressive. If you find yourself playing 1-on-1 with a child or spouse frequently, this version is actually better than the original because the board balance is tuned for two.

Ages 5-7 If you have a younger child who wants to join in but gets frustrated by the complex blocking strategies of the adults, this is a great "on-ramp." It uses a smaller grid and simpler shapes to help them understand the corner-to-corner rule without the "mean" strategy of the full game.

Ages 8+ If your kids love the geometric vibe of Blokus, they might also like the tabletop version of Tetris. It’s more about speed and matching than territory control, but it hits the same spatial reasoning notes.

While the box says "7 and up," Blokus is actually one of the most age-flexible games out there.

Blokus is a game of exclusion. To win, you often have to actively block someone else from placing their pieces. For some sensitive kids, this can feel like a personal attack. It’s a good opportunity to talk about "gamesmanship" and how blocking is a mechanic, not a "mean" move.

There are 84 pieces. If you lose the tiny 1-square yellow piece, the game is still playable, but it will haunt your perfectionist soul. We recommend a Ziploc bag for each color inside the box. Don't rely on the plastic insert; the pieces will inevitably slide out and end up under the couch.

If you’re trying to move your family away from a heavy screen-time habit, Blokus is a great "gateway drug" to the world of hobby board gaming. It’s faster than Monopoly and less complex than Catan.

Check out our guide on transitioning from screens to board games

Instead of saying, "Let's play this because it's good for your brain," try these angles:

Blokus is a must-own for any intentional parent's game closet. It’s inexpensive, it never goes out of style, and it provides a genuine "analog" high that mirrors the best parts of digital gaming without any of the "brain rot" downsides. It’s a 10/10 for spatial development and a 10/10 for family fun.

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