Azul board game review.

Azul board game review With more players you will have to think much more if you’re playing seriously and even then sometimes you’re just not lucky and things don’t go as you planned. Apr 18, 2023 · Leadbelt Games Board Game Review. The window panels are double-sided, providing players with a dynamic player board that affords nearly infinite variability! The basic mechanism is tile drafting, with five draft pools (called factories) of 4 tiles each in the two-player game. Related reads: Esports Meets Music & Cosplay At The APAC Predator League 2025 In KL Apr 17, 2018 · Image Courtesy of W Eric Martin This review continues my series of detailed reviews that attempt to be part review, part resource for anyone not totally familiar with the game. Jan 20, 2025 · Full disclosure: A review copy of Azul Duel was provided by Asmodee. The game play is simple yet intricate and the art is absolutely beautiful. Azul Expansions. Although Azul Board Game is beginner friendly, for newcomers to the game scene. 6 out of 5 stars 633 Feb 14, 2025 · The further down on the board they are, the harder they are to fill, but the more points they’re worth. The best you can get from the many thousands of games released every year. Whether you’re a seasoned board game enthusiast or new to the genre, Azul offers a delightful experience that is sure to satisfy your craving for tactful decision-making Jan 17, 2024 · Aesthetically pleasing, simple to learn and surprisingly competitive, Azul is great for couples, families and other groups up to four players. The term abstract game is now a genre term that reasonably means the game contains minimal luck, usually two players, and little to no theme. For more roundups, check out the best roll and write games , and the best deck-building games . On your turn, you draft all the tiles of one color from one factory and toss the remaining tiles from that factory into a central communal pool (called the street). Compared to the other versions, the original Azul stands out for its simplicity. Feb 7, 2023 · Azul has earned a spot on our list of the best family board games. Azul: Master Chocolatier includes double-sided factory boards, with these tiles being placed on these boards at the start of each round. Today, we’re joined by a modern legend— Azul , the elegant, tile-laying masterpiece that has taken the board gaming world by storm. Azul is a tile-placement game in which players compete for the highest score by claiming tiles and arranging them on their board to score points. Azul. That subject matter may not be the most evocative or exciting (unless you're abnormally enamored with décor), but it doesn't matter. If you want a nice overview of the whole game, check out Kyle’s video review or written review. Feb 20, 2023 · There is only one Azul board game expansion, but it actually doesn’t add much to the basic game. The game is basically an abstract title with pretty pieces. This seal of approval means that board gamers the world over agree with me and find it a fabulous fun game for all ages. Again, I love the ties back to the original Azul–the tactile tiles, the thinky puzzle–so this one is still a win for me. Jul 28, 2018 · Game of the Jahr. RECENT POSTS. Her enthusiasm cools noticeably. Buy Azul on Amazon. If you liked the Azul Duel invites you to play with light and pit opposites against each other. Jan 29, 2019 · Azul: Stained Glass of Sintra, or Azul 2. While its premise is seemingly mundane, this is a game unlike any other. That said, no game is perfect for everyone, so our Azul board game review should help you decide whether to add it to your shelf in Aug 31, 2018 · It’s hard for an abstract strategy game to make its way in this world. Splendor is a very popular board game in the abstract space. It takes a lot to be rated as one of the best 50 games of all time on Board Game Geek. Sep 29, 2020 · The third version of Azul, Azul: Summer Pavilion, was designed by Michael Kiesling and features art from Chris Quilliams. Azul: Duel is a set collection and patter matching game published by Next Move Games. Playing 2 player Azul has given me a new appreciation of the game as I feel it’s a very different experience to 3 or 4, and can be one of the meanest abstract games I’ve played. May 11, 2023 · AZUL REVIEW: The theme in the game Azul is bland. Even though the history of tiles (azulejos) that came from ancient Portugal is cool, it is not very appealing in the game. The benches must be filled with tiles of the same colour in order to push a tile into your final mosaic, and any extra tiles that don't fit onto the bench will fall to the floor where they break and contribute to negative points. For this reason I expect readers to skip to the sections that are of most interest. First off, it’s literally half the price of the original at $20 MSRP, which is incredibly low for board games these days. After more than 2 million copies sold, Azul is back in a mini format. Such is the case with Azul by Plan B Games and As I said in the intro, Azul is an amazing game, and also a well-established one. ” Jan 22, 2018 · We consider this to be an editor's choice game. Like with movies and books, players are drawn to games that help them escape into a new realm. Apr 12, 2023 · Bombard Games LLC. Note this is the same designer as the last two Azul games but a new artist. Oct 28, 2022 · Azul Crystal Mosaic Board Game EXPANSION - Strategic Tile-Placement Game for Family Fun, Great Game for Kids and Adults, Ages 8+, 2-4 Players, 30-45 Minute Playtime, Made by Plan B Games 4. Immerse yourself in the world of artistry and strategy with Azul Board Game. It is currently ranked the #1 abstract board game of all time. In late 2018, Plan B Games released a second title in the Azul line, Azul: Stained Glass of Sintra followed by a third title in late 2019, Azul: Summer Pavilion. This new version has some of the same mechanics as the original Azul (our review can be found here), while introducing some new and more intricate interactions and scoring. As the name implies, the theme of Azul: Stained Glass of Sintra is that players are now constructing stained glass windows. Azul is an abstract game for 2-4 players. Azul: Master Chocolatier largely resembles the original version of Azul. *Updated to include Azul: Queen’s Garden* Azul is one of the most popular modern board games of the last 5 years. Share. Jun 20, 2023 · Azul Board Games Review. Oct 9, 2024 · The different board configurations and random tile draws keep each game fresh and unique. Oct 28, 2022 · Thoughts on Azul as a Two Player Game. Let’s dive into each game! Azul: Stained Glass of Sintra. The player with the most points at the end of the game wins. Breathtakingly beautiful and tactically exciting, Azul will be a great addition to any board game shelf. Azul: Crystal Mosaic includes four new player boards with two new patterns and challenges on each. Each game takes between 20 and 30 minutes, so Azul is also a perfect May 22, 2022 · Azul is definitely a great game for two players, as we said earlier it's probably better at two players than with more. So this review is primarily about whether the Azul Mini package is worth it. But it does demonstrate how exceptional and fulfilling a game can be even without an interesting setting. Join the community and come discuss games like Codenames, Wingspan, Brass, and all your other favorite games! Designed by the famous game author Michael Kiesling and released by Plan B Games in 2017 the Azul board game is sure to be a favorite family game on game night. Created by Michael Kiesling, Azul: Stained Glass of Sintra challenges players to carefully select glass panes to complete their windows while being careful not to damage or waste supplies in the process. Azul has earned a spot on our list of the best family board games. Since writing this review, there have been new versions of Azul, as well as expansions. “Azul brings you, a tile laying artist, to embellish the walls of the Royal Palace of Evora. Mar 28, 2025 · Azul Board Game Review Welcome to The Board Game Dialogue , where we invite the most iconic tabletop titles to sit down and speak for themselves. Think of Chess and Checkers as Aug 7, 2018 · Since I started writing this (back in March!) Azul has won the prestigious Spiele de Jahres (Game of the Year) award, so plenty of other people are clearly loving the game's simplicity and colour. Note: All our board game reviews are independent and as such are the view of the people playing. There are some things to keep in mind especially at higher player counts. Aug 14, 2024 · Let’s dive into this comprehensive review to find out. This award-winning tile-placement game allows you to become an artisan, carefully crafting exquisite mosaics to outscore your opponents and disrupt their plans. Mar 18, 2020 · In this family board game review, we will be covering the game Azul. If you liked the Feb 11, 2024 · Azul is a beautifully designed board game that hides a lot of strategy in a family friendly package. With this new edition, players can now play this classic anywhere they want. There is a pause. Azul seems like a game where you can just stare at your player board, but savvy veterans know that – especially as you enter the last couple rounds – you should be looking at your opponents’ tableus, so that you can angle to stick them with some massive glob of tiles that they don’t need, thus giving them a bunch of negative points. . The masses clamor for board games dripping with theme. And we’re back! Post-Orca Con, had a great time, but now we have a bunch of games that we’ve played and a ton of games to review, as a result! Always exciting, though, as always, I’m behind. Azul, once a title for a single game, has since become the name of a series. It also includes plastic overlays you can put over the boards, so your tiles and the cube tracking your score can slot in place. What @next_move_games has accomplished with Azul Mini isn't just mere shrinkage. 327 Margaret Street #5 Key West, FL 33040. The other side of each factory tile has a special In Azul: Queen's Garden, players are tasked with arranging a magnificent garden for the King's lovely wife by arranging beautiful plants, trees, and ornamental features. Let’s start with the positives. One side of the factories is blank, and when using this side the game plays exactly like Azul. it may pose a challenge for kids due to its strategies when facing off against rivals The game accommodates 2 to 4 players so it might not be ideal for bigger gatherings, on Oct 17, 2017 · Almost all of the reviews on Board Game Quest are from review copies of a game provided by the publisher. Although Summer Pavilion is also simple enough in our opinion, the original Azul is Feb 3, 2022 · If you’d first like a rundown of the original Azul game, check out our original Azul game review. You are the designer of a church or something like that and it is your job to pick out the right combination of the five tiles to create your epic design. Designed by Michael Kiesling, Azul is an abstract puzzle game for 2-4 players where we play artisans working in the palace of King Manuel I of Portugal. This competitive strategic game for two players retains the purity and elegance of the original Azul while adding an extra tactical dimension in which you determine the pattern in which tiles will be placed, in addition to drafting tiles to complete that pattern. To my mind, the win was well-deserved—and one I Jan 28, 2019 · Azul is all about using beautiful Spanish tiles to create a wall design. Mar 6, 2025 · Board Game Arena does offer many free titles, but games like Azul, Wingspan, Ark Nova, Terraforming Mars, CATAN, Ticket to Ride, and hundreds of others are available to play online for just $3. Things to like: Beautiful looking, deceptively deep strategy, light player interaction. This week, Azul won the prestigious Spiel des Jahres, a "game of the year" award given out by an association of German critics. Azul is a popular board game that has won several awards, including the Spiel des Jahres (Game of the Year) in 2018. Designed by renowned game designer Michael Kiesling and published by Plan B Games, Azul was first released in 2017. Oliver is also the co-host of the Tabletop Inquisition podcast, which releases a new episode every three to four weeks and tackles different issues facing board games, the people who play them and maybe their industry. Apr 10, 2025 · We review Azul: Duel, a two player version of the award winning Azul game. I’ll be skipping this part and jumping straight to the comparisons. A complete guide. Each player gets a play board and a number of card circles, called factories, each of which starts with four tiles drawn at random from the bag. Azul sits out on the shelf, because there are too many games and I can't find anywhere to put it away. Recently I have been playing a fair number of games of Azul in 2 player mode online via BoardGameArena. Since its release in 2017, vanilla Azul has been one of the hottest board games in the market. In Azul, players are tasked with collecting tiles and placing them on their player board to score Azul (Portuguese and Spanish for "blue") is an abstract strategy board game designed by Michael Kiesling and released by Plan B Games in 2017. Jan 6, 2023 · It's not a difficult sell: Azul is simple to learn, quick to play, relatively cheap, pleasingly compact, extraordinarily pleasing to the eye – and a viciously competitive experience once you've learned the ropes. Originally posted: Feb 7, 2023 9: 2019 UK Games Expo Best Abstract Game People's Choice Winner; 2019 UK Games Expo Best Abstract Game Judges Award Winner; 2019 MinD-Spielepreis Short Game Winner; 2019 MinD-Spielepreis Short Game Nominee; 2019 Hungarian Board Game Award Nominee; 2019 Gra Roku Family Game of the Year Nominee; 2019 Gra Roku Best Artwork Winner Jan 27, 2022 · Azul can cater to up to four players, but it's an excellent board game for two players if you're after a head to head battle. Sep 30, 2019 · Winner of the Spiel Des Jahres back in 2018, Azul is a game that has quickly gained a high reputation in the board game industry. Mar 27, 2025 · Azul Duel Board Game - Competitive Head-to-Head Tile-Placement Strategy Game, Stunning Mosaic Art and Quick Gameplay for Kids & Adults, Ages 8+, 2 Players, 30-45 Minute Playtime, Made by Plan B Games $26. Board Game Quest is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees Oct 29, 2023 · Some Information: Designed by Michael Kiesling Published by Next Move Games / Plan B Games Published in 2017 Azul is number 73 on the BGG Top 100. Feb 17, 2025 · Michael Kiesling 's game Azul has been a continued success since its debut in 2017 and has spawned five spinoff games over the past seven-and-a-half years, with the most recent such release being Azul Duel , which Next Move Games will debut on February 21, 2025. In the original game, players place the tiles they've drafted into benches of varying length. When you are playing Join is as we take a look at the tile laying game Azul. Review, how to play, editorial, useful links, similar games, FAQ, interesting facts and so much more. But Sep 20, 2023 · But the practicality of packing favorite games becomes a genuine challenge. "What is it?" I explain it's a game about tiling walls. Mar 25, 2020 · Azul has only been on the board game market since 2017 and in 2018 it won the Spiel des Jahres award, making ti the board game of the year, a highly coveted accolade in the board gaming world. 00 The Azul Board Game master page. It has grown on us though and now we love it, well 4 out of 5 at least, my 10 year old will play but isn't mad about it. It’s a strategy game with a simple Dec 17, 2018 · Image Courtesy of W Eric Martin This review continues my series of detailed reviews that attempt to be part review, part resource for anyone not totally familiar with the game. There are also end-game goals, some of which still earn bonuses for filled rows, columns, and diagonals. With two players it seems like almost all luck is removed, you have much more control and you don’t have to Jun 11, 2018 · Azul Board Game - Strategic Tile-Placement Game for Family Fun, Great Game for Kids and Adults, Ages 8+, 2-4 Players, 30-45 Minute Playtime, Made by Plan B Games $31. Understanding the Basics of Azul Board Game The Origin and Design of Azul. The Top 100 is, supposedly, the absolute pinnacle of gaming. Behold Azul Mini. It usually takes about 30 minutes to play. Luggage space, as we all know, is a premium commodity. Summary Game Type : Abstract StrategyPlay Time: 30-45 Again, like many other abstracts Azul is a fairly simple game to get to grips with, although its slight oddity may prove a bit of a stumbling block. The abstract game I've owned with the closest resemblance in simplicity and design is Splendor. With four stand alone games that each sound and look similar, you might be wondering which game is right for you. I've played Azul about two dozen times since I bought it a month ago. So when an abstract board game comes along and wins the coveted Spiel des Jahres (Game of the Year) award, people take notice. As such the tiles are clear glass-looking tiles instead of Jun 18, 2023 · Azul is undoubtedly one of the best abstract games available, earning its rightful place on the list of essential games for any board game collection. Based on Portuguese tiles called azulejos , in Azul players collect sets of similarly colored tiles which they place on their player board. The game was inspired by the beautiful ceramic tiles found in the Alhambra Palace in Spain. Elder daughter arrives home and seizes on it with a level of enthusiasm only a pre-teen can muster. Azul is the fun puzzle strategy game based on the beautiful Portuguese “Azulejo” tiles. I can understand that. Its premise sounds, truthfully, a little bit dull. The box recommends it for players ages 8+, but Maci started playing this when she was 6 with no problem. Phone : (267) 776 4667 Feb 20, 2018 · If you’re like me and thought all board games are abstract, well, you’re both right and wrong. Only the most incredible garden Azul was a smash hit in the board game community that soon went main stream – and for good reason. 0, is a visually appealing tile drafting and placement game that challenges players to efficiently complete their window panes. At first we really struggled with Azul, it's hard to get to grips with the strategy in the first few games. Azul Mini, the newest addition to the Azul family, keeps the rules and gameplay unchanged but features a smaller footprint with its compact box, tiles, and boards. A response, perhaps, to the cries of travelers who yearn to play board games away from home. Here’s a board game we keep coming back to: Azul. The #1 Reddit source for news, information, and discussion about modern board games and board game culture. "OH my GOD that is the MOST GORGEOUS game I have EVER SEEN!". Using an innovative drafting mechanism, the signature of the Azul series, players must carefully select colorful tiles to decorate their garden. As d’Or – Jeu de l’Année (2018): Winning this French game of the year award further solidifies Azul’s reputation as a global phenomenon in the board gaming industry. Jul 28, 2019 · This is our Azul Review. This doesn’t influence our opinion of the game or its rating. The theme is a little bit abstract, there isn’t a strong theme behind the history of the Oct 31, 2022 · As one of the best casual strategy board games of modern times, it’s a must-have for any good board game collection – and with its latest variant, Azul: Master Chocolatier, it’s also become a rather delicious board game snack. 99 Nov 9, 2023 · In this Azul board game review, we will delve into the exciting world of this award-winning game and explore its captivating gameplay, stunning visuals, and unique mechanics. 97 Buy Now Apr 1, 2025 · Origins Awards Best Board Game (2018): Recognized by The Academy of Adventure Gaming Arts and Design, this award highlights Azul’s creativity and quality. I barely scratched ten plays of my copy of Splendor (although I have been made to play with friends' copies). Tekken Hits the Tabletop: Board Game Adaptation Coming Soon! 11/04/2025; Bandai Announces New Ban List For One Piece Oct 16, 2020 · He reviews board games and writes about tabletop games related topics. bnukj kcl jpxpugc ipztfr omrv yvvmd tqn iplijgbu rywbd flqjgy jhocl grdhz yrjx zfcl ihm