How To Play: Focus

Overview

If you’ve ever wanted to outsmart your friends and stack their pieces into submission, Focus is your game. After too many coffee-fueled matches (and at least one friendship almost lost over a sneaky move), I cooked up this guide to help you. Here’s a quick outline of the game rules plus the best strategies to bag a win, or at least avoid total humiliation.

What’s in the box

• 1 game board
• 18 green pieces
• 18 red pieces
• 18 yellow pieces
• 18 blue pieces
• 1 rulebook

How To Play Focus: Rules Summary

Setup

1. Place the board in the middle of the table. Make sure everyone can reach it—or at least throw their pieces across the board, if you play like my cousin Dave.
2. Each player picks their color and takes the matching set of pieces. Even if your favorite color is missing, don’t panic. Just pick the next best one.
3. Set up your pieces on your side, filling your starting spaces as shown in the rulebook or on the game board. Ask a friend for help if you want less responsibility.
4. Decide who goes first. You can use any method you like. Rock-paper-scissors works, but so does whoever shouts “Me first!” the loudest.

Gameplay

1. On your turn, pick any stack with your color on top. Yes, only the ones with your color showing. That rule is important—I learned the hard way.
2. Move that stack in a straight line—left, right, up, or down—as many spaces as there are pieces in the stack. No fancy diagonals.
3. If you land on another stack, put your moving stack on top. Now it’s one big happy family!
4. If a stack ends up with more than five pieces, take the extras off the bottom. If any of them are your color, keep them. Otherwise, give them back to their owners.
5. Now, the next player goes. Keep moving stacks and making new ones.

Winning

1. If everyone else can’t move on their turn because they have no stacks showing their color, you win. Do your best not to gloat, but celebrate a little if you must.
2. If there’s a tie (super rare), start a dance-off or rematch. That’s not in the official rules, but I stand by it.

Special Rules & Conditions

1. Your stack can only move as a single unit—you can’t split stacks like you split the last slice of pizza. Sorry.
2. Pieces you capture by removing your color from under a stack can be re-entered on future turns. This gives you a sneaky way back into the game.
3. If you have no stacks with your color on top, you skip your turn. Use this time to plan your revenge.

So that’s how to play Focus! Now you’re ready to stack, move, and maybe even win. If you mess up, don’t worry—we all did on our first try. Good luck!

Best Focus Strategies

Stacking Up Success: Mastering Piece Movement in Focus

Move Like You Mean It

When I play Focus, I realize slow, careful moves beat wild dashes. So, each turn, I check three things before touching a piece:

1. Check which of my pieces sit on top
2. Count how far each stack can go
3. Spot which stacks are ripe for growth

Build Your Towers

Stacking is super important. The biggest stacks are scary, but you want to keep them under control. Smart players mix their pieces with their friends’ to make flexible towers.

1. Grow stacks with your color on top
2. Split big stacks to cover more ground
3. Never leave your color stuck on the bottom

How To Play focus: Manoeuvring Matters

Each move can change the game, so plan ahead. I try to picture my opponent’s escape routes and shut them down. Think two turns ahead—you’ll thank me later!

Hold the Heart: Mastering the Center in Focus

Why the Center Matters

When you control the middle, you control the game. Opponents can’t sneak past you, and you dictate the pace. I once blocked my friend Sam right in the center. He still won’t play with me since.

How To Play focus: Stay in Command

First, you want to get your pieces to the central spaces fast. Then, keep them safe while you build up your stacks. Here’s how:

1. Move early to claim central spaces.
2. Block rivals’ pieces from passing through.
3. Reinforce with extra pieces, making stacks tough to move.

Keep Your Eyes Open

Never let your guard down. If you lose the center for just a turn, things can go sideways—trust me. Keep checking every opponent’s move, especially near the center.

Timing Your Captures Like a Pro in Focus

Wait for the Right Moment

Patience pays off. Don’t rush a capture unless it brings a clear advantage. Often, holding back can turn the tables in your favor. My friend Dave once grabbed too soon and lost his best stack. Classic Dave.

Set Up Multiple Options

Try to create a board state where you have choices. That way, your opponent can’t block every move. Here’s how:

1. Spread your pieces around the board.
2. Position stacks near open spots.
3. Stay flexible with your moves.

Recognize Traps

Before you capture, make sure you aren’t falling into a sneaky trap. Always ask: will this capture make my next turn worse? In Focus, the How To Play focus is to stay one step ahead of sneaky setups.

Go Stack or Go Home!

There you have it—my best tips so you can wipe the floor with your friends at Focus. Remember, controlling the center is like holding the TV remote: everyone wants it, but only one gets the power. Time your captures, stack smart, and don’t get distracted by your own tower of doom. If you end up losing, just blame your cat for distracting you (worked for me). Now go out there and show everyone you read this How To Play focus guide. Good luck, and don’t let anybody stack your snacks on the board!

Want to know what we think of Focus? Read our detailed review of Focus here