"Blokus" Out Some Time For This Strategy Game

Just over a week late...The first week back teaching after winter break nearly kicked our butts! But now we are back in the swing of things (Krystal writes after sleeping almost the entire day).  Today we decided to review a game that is pure strategy. 

Blokus is a 2-4 player game; we recently played it with another couple for the first time, and it is definitely even better with 4 players. Each player gets 21 pieces made up of little blocks (think Tetris-style, but every piece looks different) in a different color. For the two-player game, each person plays two colors. The goal is to get as many of your blocks out on the board, while blocking your opponents.  The catch? You can only connect your pieces on the corners.

Krystal's Review:

I completely randomly staged this.

I discovered this game when I was tutoring at a math center, but none of the little kids ever wanted to play. My sister was getting rid of her copy, so I got this for free. I love this game when I'm in the mood for strategy. It's relatively quick--about 30 minutes if you make quick decisions (closer to an hour if you're a brooder like Michael). It gets very competitive toward the end, and I'm still trying to figure out whether defense or offense is the best way to go. Plus the pieces are in four pretty colors!

Cost: 2 (Currently $34 on Amazon, but well worth it)

Playability: 5 (easy to understand, easy set-up)

Fun: 4 (I get a bit too competitive on this game)

Krystal's Total: 11 out of 15

Michael's Review:

I didn't really like this game the first few times we played (shhh, don't tell Krystal...she didn't know that 'til now) but the game grows on you. The game is easily explainable to everyone, including young children (ages 5+ as printed on the box), and yet it leaves room for technical and strategic game-play, which I love. The game reminds me of Chinese checkers with a modern twist. We've played Blokus several times but the game keeps you coming so you can beat your previous best. This game comes highly recommended to those who love strategy, blocky things, and neon colors.

Cost: 3.5 (the price of two movie dates)

Playability: 5 

Fun: 3.5 (I don't always consider war fun.)

Michael's Total: 12 out 15 

Blokus' Grand Total: 23 out of 30!

Rack Up Fun with Rack-O Card Game

Welcome to our first post about one of our favorite games to play as a couple. Games are our favorite way to spend time together. Games are cheap (minus a possible up-front expense), exciting, stimulating, and more entertaining than endless hours of Netflix. Our copy of Rack-O is a couple decades old; Michael found it for dirt cheap at a thrift store. We highly recommend thrift stores and discount book stores to find new games. We have gotten several this way.

Each of us will review games on three categories--cost, playability, and overall fun--on a scale of 1-5, for a total of 15. Playability is ease of set-up, difficulty level of the instructions, and skill required. The final score will combine our two scores on a scale of 2-30. So, a game that we both think is perfect would be a 30 and a game we both think is the worst would be a 2.

Rack-O is a fast-paced card game, but you must buy the set. It uses its own deck of cards numbered 1-60.  Every person gets a rack, and the goal is to be the first person to get 10 cards in sequential order off a basic draw-and-discard model. Scoring is easy (based in fives), and there really is no learning curve. It's a nice mix of chance and skill, and is great as a 2 person or 4 person game.

Krystal's Review:
Oh, Rack-O. This game has a soft-spot in my heart. We played several rounds of this while iced in last winter (no electricity!) a couple days after my dog died, and this game made me laugh! I love how quick and easy it is. You can play to the game goal of 500 points, or just play a couple rounds.  It's fast-paced and competitive.

Cost: 4  (Under $15 on Amazon)

Playability: 5 (easy set-up, easy instructions, little skill required)

Fun: 5

Krystal's Total: 14/15

Michael's Review:

I finally did it!!! I beat Krystal at this game. Granted, she might have had a bit too much champagne on New Year's Eve 2014, but all is fair in love and war, and games are always war to us. I find this game to be one of the more fun "sequencing" games because of the player's ability to make it casual or serious. Vintage games like this are special to me because they give an idea of what people did before the new-fangled technology.

Cost: 5 

Playability: 4 (easily transportable and quick set up)

Fun: 4 (It can be a bit mindless if you're in the mood for strategy)

Michael's Total: 13/15

Rack-O's Grand Total: 27 out of 30!