Blue Lagoon
Review

Blue Lagoon (2018) is a strategy game where you aim to take control of a series of islands in an archipelago. You place Settler tiles to create the longest lines on the map and claim territory. With other players doing the same it soon turns into a Connect-4-style battle of wits to foil each other's plans, only here the world is your oyster, rather than the blue plastic slots.

The game is played in two phases. In the first half, you place your Settler tokens into lines scoring points for different patterns of play. At the end of this first half, you place Village bases on islands you have explored ready for phase two. Between phases, you remove and score your existing Settler tiles for the longest lines and linking islands. In the second half, you repeat the process but have to start your exploration from villages you have already established.

As you progress, you soon realise that to score the most points it's essential to block other players as well as focus on the expansion of your own lines. Add to this points for collecting resources, and the two-phased approach and you have to really think about what you will prioritise, and when, as you just can't do it all at once. Like all good games, this is a game of two halves. A good first half sets you up well for victory, but there is always time to come back and snatch victory with clever play in the second phase - ensuring that no one is ever out of the game until the last tile is played.

Our examiner, Andy Robertson, first checked Blue Lagoon 18 months ago. It was re-examined by Jo Robertson and updated 9 months ago.