Quick winning principles
- Play your largest pieces (pentominoes) in the first 5 turns while space is open.
- Always touch diagonally, never edge-to-edge with your own pieces.
- Expand toward the center early, then pivot to block opponent corners.
- Save the 1x1 monomino for the final turn — it guarantees one more placement.
Ideal strategy
- 1
Corner anchoring: your first piece must include your corner square. Expand diagonally from corner to maximize territory options.
- 2
Piece valuation: play 5-blocks and 4-blocks first (F, P, Y pentominoes). Save flexible 3-blocks (L, T trominoes) for gaps.
- 3
Territory blocking: in 4-player, position pieces to cut opponent paths to the center. A blocked opponent plays fewer total pieces.
- 4
Diagonal rule exploitation: place pieces so opponents cannot legally touch your territory edge — force them into narrow corridors.
- 5
Endgame conservation: count remaining squares. With 3 pieces left, prioritize the monomino (1 square) for last — it's the most flexible.
- 6
Scoring: -1 per unplayed square. Sacrifice a large piece to block an opponent's 5+ square territory if it saves you 3+ squares.