Is there a similar game?

The basic idea is the same as other territory games where you place blocks connected at their corners to expand your area. On this site it is built around that idea as a game for two players.

How many pieces are there?

21 pieces from 1 to 5 squares (89 squares in all). You can check your own and your opponent's remaining pieces on the game screen.

What if I have nowhere to place a piece?

You pass automatically. Once you pass, you keep passing for the rest of the game, and only your opponent keeps placing pieces.

Asobi Lounge / Games / Block Territory

Block Territory rules and tips for placing pieces

A 2-player territory game where you place blocks (pieces) of various shapes on a 14×14 board to expand your territory. Your own pieces may connect only at their corners, while they may touch your opponent's pieces freely, so the game becomes a fight for space. At the end, the player who has covered more squares on the board wins.

Also known as: Polyomino
Players: 2 players (1 against the CPU)
Price: free
Runs in the browser (no install)

Play now

The game screen is in Japanese.

Games against the CPU and solo modes work right away without signing in. Online play (random matches and private rooms) and saving stats or leaderboard scores require signing in with a Google account. To play with a friend, your friend also needs to create an account and register as your friend.

Block Territory modes

Random Match (ランダムマッチ): find an opponent online
Room Match (ルーム対戦): play a friend using a room ID
Play against the CPU (CPU対戦): practice at four levels, Starter (入門), Beginner (初級), Intermediate (中級) and Advanced (上級)
Two players on one device (ふたりで対戦): take turns on one screen

Basic rules of Block Territory

Blue (first player) and Orange (second player) each have 21 pieces, from 1 to 5 squares in size: one 1-square piece, one 2-square piece, two 3-square pieces, five 4-square pieces and twelve 5-square pieces, 89 squares in all.
Your first piece must cover the circle of your color on the board (Blue's is near the top left, Orange's near the bottom right).
From the second piece on, each piece must touch one of your pieces already on the board at a corner. It must not share an edge with any of your own pieces.
Your pieces may touch your opponent's pieces freely, along edges or at corners. Pieces can be rotated and flipped.
A player who has no legal placement left passes automatically and keeps passing for the rest of the game. The game ends when neither player can place a piece.
Your score is the number of squares you covered on the board. Placing all 21 pieces earns +15 points (+20 if the last piece you placed was the 1-square piece). The higher score wins; a tie is a draw.

How to play on Asobi Lounge

Choose a piece from your tray and tap the board to preview how it will sit. A green outline means you can place it there: tap again or press Place (置く) to confirm. A red outline means you cannot place it there.
Use Rotate (回転) and Flip (反転) to change its orientation. On a computer you can also use the keyboard: R rotates, F flips, the arrow keys move the piece, Enter places it and Esc lets you choose again. You can also drag a piece from the tray onto the board.
Small diamonds on the board mark the corners where the selected piece, in its current orientation, can connect. A white dot marks the last piece placed.
Against the CPU, Undo (待った) takes you back to your own turn. Hint (ヒント) can be used up to 3 times per game and shows the strongest CPU's move on the board.

How the CPU levels differ

Starter: picks and places pieces on a whim. A good opponent when you have just learned the rules.
Beginner: plays its largest pieces first, placing them where its own corners (the points it can build from next) increase.
Intermediate: also considers moves that block its opponent's corners and how large its own territory is.
Advanced: for each candidate move, it reads ahead to the opponent's best reply before choosing.

Score counting example

Your score is the number of squares you placed on the board, so you can also get it by subtracting the squares of your leftover pieces from 89. For example, if one 4-square piece and two 5-square pieces are left at the end, you score 89 - 4 - 5 - 5 = 75 points.

If you place all 21 pieces, 15 points are added to 89 for 104 points; if the last piece you placed is the 1-square piece, 20 points are added for 109. Keeping your 1-square piece for the endgame lets you fit it into a gap and, if it works out, earns you 5 extra points.

Tips

5-square pieces get harder to place as the game goes on. Use the shapes that take up the most room, such as the cross and the W, early.
In the opening, extending toward the center of the board makes it easier to spread in all directions.
Slipping a piece in front of a corner your opponent wants to grow from sharply cuts down the places they can play.
Do not rely on a single corner of your own. Keep corners open in several directions so that if one is blocked, you can still grow from another.

Frequently asked questions

Is there a similar game?: The basic idea is the same as other territory games where you place blocks connected at their corners to expand your area. On this site it is built around that idea as a game for two players.
How many pieces are there?: 21 pieces from 1 to 5 squares (89 squares in all). You can check your own and your opponent's remaining pieces on the game screen.
What if I have nowhere to place a piece?: You pass automatically. Once you pass, you keep passing for the rest of the game, and only your opponent keeps placing pieces.
Is Block Territory free to play?: Yes, it costs nothing. Games against the CPU and solo modes work right away without signing in. Online play (random matches and private rooms) and saving stats or leaderboard scores require signing in with a Google account. To play with a friend, your friend also needs to create an account and register as your friend.