Sea Crates (also known as Block It Out and Block in a Hard Place) is a recurring mental challenge in Survivor. The challenge is based on the game popularly known as "Instant Insanity".
Rules[]
Castaways must retrieve four large crates (when used as a team challenge) or small blocks (when used as an individual challenge), each bearing one of four colors on each side. Once all four crates are retrieved, the crates must be stacked so that one color does not show more than once on each column. The first team or individual to complete the puzzle wins.
The method of retrieving the crates/blocks has varied between each appearance of the challenge.
History[]
United States[]
In Samoa, the challenge was used as a combined Reward/Immunity Challenge. A pair of castaways from each tribe would swim out into the ocean to retrieve crates, one at a time. Between the beach and crates would be a "battle zone" marked off by four flags. Within this zone, an opposing tribe member would try to prevent the two castaways from crossing the zone and reaching the crate. Once the two castaways crossed the zone, they would bring the crate back to the beach, and a second pair of castaways would go out to retrieve another crate. Galu was able to get their members across the battle zone faster than Foa Foa and never lost their lead, winning reward and immunity and sending Foa Foa back to Tribal Council.
In South Pacific, the challenge was used as a Redemption Island duel. Castaways must solve a slide puzzle to release a hatchet and cut a rope which would drop a bag with their colored blocks. Ozzy Lusth took an early lead, though Edna Ma was able to catch up to him after receiving verbal assistance from the other castaways. Despite this, Ozzy was able to solve the puzzle first, eliminating Edna from the game.
The challenge was again used in Blood vs. Water as a Redemption Island duel again, wherein castaways had to bounce the blocks along a rope tunnel to retrieve them. After Laura Morett finished first, Vytas Baskauskas attempted to copy her finished puzzle. However, Laura prevented him from doing so and verbally assisted Tina Wesson in completing her puzzle seconds before Vytas, eliminating Vytas from the game.
In Winners at War, the challenge was used as the first Immunity Challenge after the Tribe Switch. Each tribe had to go over and under a series of obstacles, then throw sandbags to knock over blocks and their four large crates off a ledge. Yara led heading into the puzzle portion, but were unable to solve their puzzle, allowing Sele, then Dakal, to finish and win immunity, sending Yara to Tribal Council.
France[]
South Africa[]
In Return of the Outcasts, the puzzle was used as part of the Rusty Gates challenge at the final eight. The Salan tribe struggled with the brain teaser, and in the end Marian de Vos narrowly beat Tejan Pillay to win her first individual Immunity Challenge.
Winners[]
| Episode | Challenge Type | Winner | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Samoa "It's Called a Russell Seed" |
Tribal Reward/Immunity |           Galu | |
| South Pacific "Then There Were Five" |
Duel |  Ozzy Lusth | |
| Blood vs. Water "Gloves Come Off" |
Duel |  Laura Morett |
 Tina Wesson |
| Winners at War "The Buddy System on Steroids" |
Tribal Immunity |      Sele | |
     Dakal | |||
| Episode | Challenge Type | Winner | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Le Combat des Héros Episode 7 |
Re-entry Duel |  Jérémy Raffin | |
| La Légende Episode 11 |
Duel |  Christelle Gauzet | |
| Episode | Challenge Type | Winners |
|---|---|---|
| Return of the Outcasts "Dipping into the Dark Side" |
Individual Immunity |  Marian de Vos |
Gallery[]
Trivia[]
- Laura Morett is the only castaway to compete in this challenge twice, winning both times.
- The block puzzle has been incorporated as the final section of several other challenges:
- In Cambodia, as part of the Boats, Brains and Brawn challenge.
- In Millennials vs. Gen X and Survivor South Africa: Philippines, as part of the Ferryman challenge.
- In Survivor 44, as part of the Box Car Blues challenge.
References[]