The Game of Bōku

Bōku (also known as Bolix) is a strategy game for two players or teams. It was invented by the American Rob Nelson and is protected by copyright law and US and UK patents. The application for the US Patent, claiming to protect "the ornamental design for a board game", was filed on 10th June 1994 and the patent was granted on 5th September 1995. The game was put on the market by The London Game Company in 1997.

The game was originally given the title Bollox, but registration of this name in the UK was refused on the grounds of it being an offensive word. The subsequent name, Bōku, is a word play on the French beaucoup ('many'), because the game "only has two rules yet so many ways to win". (PR Newswire Europe, 18 October 1999)

Bōku belongs to a class of connection games like Noughts and Crosses (Tic-tac-toe), Connect Four and Gomoku where the players try to connect a given number of marbles in a row.

Bōku Publisher: The London Game Company (UK, 1997). This company is no longer active (dissolved 2020). Quote: The rules are so simple to learn that anyone can be playing in less than a minute but there are so many varied ways the game can be won that new approaches will be continually conceived. A game takes about 10 to 15 minutes to complete, leaving plenty of time for return matches.

Bolix Publisher: Cadaco (USA, 2001). This company also is no longer active. Quote: In a contest of wits and wile, players attempt to move their marbles into a winning position. Using strategy and a bit of deception, players try to be the first to get five marbles in a row. Contents: wooden game board, 35 black marbles, 35 white marbles, 2 red marbles.