Azul Board Game: A cosy but cruel masterpiece
Azul manages to blend cosy, tranquil turn actions with crunchy competitive gameplay. It's simple, clever and great fun to play
Azul: Quick Summary
Score:
9/10
Number of Players:
2-4
Time to Play:
30 mins
Very simple to set up and learn, Azul is a masterpiece of challenging strategy, as players work to score the most points while leaving their opponents with unwanted tiles.
What we loved:
Seriously simple and quick to learn, and also easy to teach
Challenging, with lots of different strategies to win
Good quality components and very colourful
Azul will appeal to a wide audience
Great theme
What could be improved:
The tile discs are a little flimsy
Tactical tile placement keeps Azul fresh
Azul is a tile drafting game designed by Michael Kieling and produced by Plan B Games. It's not a new game; it was launched in 2017, and over the last nine years it has won multiple awards, including the Spiel des Jahres in 2018 and the Golden Geek awards. It's also been camped in the BGG top 100 for nearly a decade. Shutupandsitdown have also included Azul in their top 100 games of all time too.
Is it in ours? You bet it is!
It's very simple to learn and very pretty, but takes time to master. Azul has a crunchy underbelly that makes it a very competitive game.
Players take it in turns to pick coloured mosaic tiles from the centre of the table. They can choose to pick tiles from a single mat, or from the middle. Whatever they choose, they must take ALL the tiles of that same design and try to play them on their playmat. In the next phase, players then need to place their tiles on their Azul floor, connecting tiles as closely as possible to maximise their scores each turn. If they have tiles they can't play (that overflow from their area), then they must sit at the bottom of the gameboard, and points are deducted from the player's score.
Players keep doing this until one player has completed a horizontal line. Players then add bonus points for complete sets of patterns and vertical lines. Whoever has the most points when the game ends wins.
A cosy game with a crunchy edge
What makes Azul so good?
There are lots of little moments in a normal game of Azul that really immerse you in the game. The components are lovely (mostly); the tiles look very pretty and feel great in the hand. Placing the tiles on your board is a nice, cosy exercise, working out the best connections, popping your tiles in and scoring points. Lovely. Working out how to keep the game running without completing a horizontal line until just the right moment, maximising your points as far as you can, is great. The tactile bag the tiles come in is smashing.
All of these are delightful details that help draw you in. But it's the crunchier aspects that get you hooked. Knowing your opponent can't use blue tiles this turn because they've already filled their mat, but MAKING them take the blue tiles and watching their points dissolve away. That's killer. Waiting for the point when your opponent is at their lowest score, and then completing a horizontal line, so they can't recover. Excellent. The competitive hook this game creates is really clever; the interplay looks like it might be minimal, but games can be quietly fierce, with points being amassed and then dissolving when you have no option but to pick up ALL the red tiles and fill the bottom of your mat.
It's a very balanced game; unlike other drafting games, there are lots of tactics you can employ to win. You don't need to stick to one fixed route. Being first in a turn gives you an advantage, but your opponent can easily claw it back. Games are always close, a nip-tuck bout between tile placings that means you always feel like you're in the fight. It's very rewarding to win, and you immediately want to play again when you lose.
In short, it's an exceptional example of design simplicity masking advanced gameplay mechanics.
The pros and cons of Azul in detail
What we liked:
The instructions are short, visual and easy to read. They make a lot of sense, and this means less time learning and more time playing. If you have new players, then Azul is very easy to teach, making it a great gateway game for new players to your group.
We've mentioned how challenging it is, but not in a restrictive way. Because Azul is simple to learn, you get more time diving into the tactics. The challenge is not how to win, but finding all the different ways you can win. Your opponent will also be doing the same thing, which makes every game unique and keeps you toe-to-toe the whole way.
The components are excellent. Lovely tiles, pretty game mats, and the bag the tiles come in is nice too. Everything has a premium quality.
What we would improve:
The only thing that could be better is the little mats the tiles sit on in the centre of the table. They are thin cardboard and are prone to warping and bending. Compared to everything else in the game, these are a bit of a letdown in quality. But you can't have perfection!
Azul: In Summary
Azul is cosy, but competitive. It's reasonably priced, easy to travel with, and requires tactical and strategic chops to play well. It's regularly a favourite on board game top 10 lists, and we strongly recommend it.
Expansions and Related Games
Expansions
Rather than expansions, Azul has a number of variations, including Azul Mini. Azul is the original game, and still the most popular amongst board gamers.
Related Games
There is now a whole category of Azul spin offs, including: Azul: Queen's Garden, Azul: Stained Glass of Sintra, Azul: Crystal Mosaic and Azul: Summer Pavilion. Each game features a twist on the same sort of mechanics; for instance, in Sintra, you are trying to collect stained glass pieces for your windows.
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Azul: Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Azul board game worth it?
Absolutely! It's reasonably cheap from one of our partners, plus you will play it over and over again. It's compact too, which means you get a lot of play from a small box.
Is Azul a hard game?
Azul is a very easy game to learn. It's tricky to really master, but it's fun trying. We recommend Azul for new board gamers and experienced players alike; it has something for everyone. It's a modern classic!
Is Azul fun for two people?
Azul works with any number of people. We play it most often as a two-player game, and it is different every time. It's something we play mini tournaments in, and we binge-play in an afternoon regularly.
Transparency Notice
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