Okay, so I finally caved and bought Blokus XL after my 7-year-old niece wouldn’t stop raving about it. And let me tell you—this game is LEGIT. The oversized board and chunky pieces? Chef’s kiss. No squinting or fumbling like some other board games (*cough* Settlers of Catan with its tiny roads *cough*).

The rules are stupid simple: place your colorful Tetris-looking pieces corner-to-corner with your own color. Sounds easy? HA. Five minutes in, my sister was glaring at me like I’d betrayed her by blocking her last move. The drama is REAL.

What I didn’t expect? How hardcore the strategy gets. One minute you’re casually placing a blue L-shape, the next you’re plotting three moves ahead like a chess grandmaster. My nephew (age 5) somehow turned into a tiny evil genius, trapping my pieces while giggling maniacally.

Small gripe: A few of our pieces arrived slightly warped and don’t sit perfectly flat—annoying but not game-breaking. Pro tip: Store the pieces in baggies unless you want to spend 10 minutes hunting for that one missing green zigzag under the couch.

Final verdict? 10/10 for family game night. It’s educational (shhh, don’t tell the kids they’re learning spatial reasoning), wildly fun, and has caused more friendly trash-talking in my house than Monopoly ever did. Just maybe don’t play with ultra-competitive Aunt Linda unless you’re ready for some side-eye.