There are some games that seem to appear on every gamer’s shelf, and Azul Board Game is one of them. There’s something magnetic about this lovely game and the beautiful tiles that come with it, which, when paired with a gentle tile laying premise and straightforward ruleset, it’s obvious why it has become a modern classic.
The game was designed by Michael Kiesling and published by Plan B Games. It was universally praised upon its release ,winning the Spiel Des Jahres, a highly coveted German award for the best in board games.
Azul Board Game has become a staple for family game night, giving everyone a chance to be a tile laying artist for an evening.
What is Azul?
Azul is a tile laying, drafting game, famous for its beautiful tiles and accessible game play. Players take turns drafting colored tiles from the center of play, and placing them on their player board. Players score points based on creating specific patterns and filling all available spaces on their board.
Since you and your opponents are drafting from the same pool, you have to keep an eye on what they are doing, so you know what they might take, because while this has the look and feel of a family game, the drafting has the potential to be a bit mean. The game is half about getting the tiles you need and half about keeping your opponent from doing the same.
The tiles in Azul are based on the azulejos, which were brought by the Moors to Portugal. The story goes that King Manuel I visited the Alhambra royal Palace in southern Spain, where he was taken by the stunning beauty of the moorish decorative tiles and the beautiful art on the walls of the royal palace, especially the specific patterns. Unsurprisingly, King Manuel wanted the similar wall tiles for his own palace – and that’s where Azul the board game begins. You play as a tile laying artist trying to create the best and most beautiful patterns using decorated colored tiles, in order to best decorate the walls for your King.
How to Play Azul Board Game
Azul is simple to set up, teach, and play, making it a great family game. The aim of the game is to create beautiful patterns, by picking the right tiles to assign to your player board. Players take turns drafting colored tiles and players score points based on rows completed, be that vertical or horizontal, and the game ends when someone manages to fill one row of five tiles across.
To play, set up a number of disks in the center of the table, known as Factory Tiles, and add tiles to them randomly from the bag. On your turn, you can choose to pick up all of the tiles of a single color from one of the circular discs. Any left of different colors are dropped to the factory floor – ie, the center space of the circle. The other choice on your turn, is to pick up all of one color from the factory floor, so sometimes it can be worth waiting for these to build up.
Once picked up, you place your Azul tiles on your player board, aiming to fill your rows on the left side of your player board. A row can only have the same color included within it, and if you take too many colors that they can’t fit, they end up earning you point deductions. Players continue selecting tiles until they have all been picked up, triggering the end of the round.
At the end of the round, you take one tile from each row you completed and place it onto the corresponding space in your mosaic on the right hand side, returning any others to the box. At this time, you score your turn, scoring extra points for placed tiles and adjacencies. Once a full line of five across is made, you finish your turn, and the player with the most points is crowned victorious.
Players score additional points at the end of the game for each completed column and row on their board, and extra points for completing sets of colors. The player with the most points at the of the game wins.
Why Play Azul? Our Review
Azul is an absolute winner for a number of reasons. Here’s why we’d recommend it:
Azul packs a lot of strategy for a simple game
Azul is simple to play, but the game has more strategic depth than it’s often given credit for. During the first few plays, you’ll simply be trying to make the prettiest board, but as play continues, you’re going to start noticing what other players are aiming for. Sure, you were hoping to pick up the blue tiles, but the red ones would work just as well and the player to your left seems to want those… Now, where you were once content focusing on your own board, you are now trying to anticipate what your neighbors might take, and defending against what they might take from you. For what is often discussed as cozy game, there’s quite a bit of tactical play going on.
Azul is easy to teach
It’s often quoted as a “gateway game”, or a game that helps people get into the wider hobby of board gaming, which is accurate, because it doesn’t take long to teach people how to play. One round in you know basically everything you need to, and then you simply repeat it. The hardest aspect to retain is how to score, but your fellow gamers will always be on hand to figure it out, and after a few rounds, it’ll all make sense.
The people you teach it to will enjoy it and pick it up themselves as the gateway game they teach others and pretty soon if becomes clear why you see the iconic Azul board game box on every gamers shelf.
Azul doesn’t take long to play or set up
Sometimes, the biggest barrier in being able to get a game to the table is the time it takes. If you haven’t got all day to play a game, or don’t want the family to lose interest while you spend an hour on set up and rules, you need something that’s easy to set up, teaches quickly, plays fast enough for people to want to play again. Azul ticks all of these boxes. You can set up in less than five minutes, and it takes around 30 minutes to play, teaching as you go.
Azul is not language dependent
There are huge benefits to board games focussing on icons rather than text, and Azul does this very well. Outside of the rulebook, there are no additional cards or components that require reading, meaning you can play this with a huge range of audiences. Children who aren’t confident readers but are able to think logically won’t be prevented from playing or need additional support, making it empowering for them. Similarly, those who might speak a different first language don’t have to translate aspects as they play. Additionally the inclusion of colors AND patterns help make the game more accessible for everyone.
Looking for more games that don’t require reading? Check out our top dexterity board games for kids.
Azul’s blue Ceramic tiles and player board are beautiful
This is a beautiful tactile production that, for a simple abstract strategy game, does an admirable job of making you feel like you are assembling a crystal mosaic for the Alhambra palace in southern Spain. Those colored tiles included are so satisfying, with beautiful patterns, clicking and clacking about in the bag in a way that invites you to dive into it.
As the goal of the game is to make something beautiful, the components and tiles that are included have been thoughtfully designed. Lining up one tile perfectly with another, and creating a perfect pattern provides a tactile experience that is hard to beat.
Azul is fun
The ultimate test though, for any game, is whether you have fun playing it or not – and tile laying games are often all about satisfaction. Perfectly placing one of those blue ceramic tiles somewhere for the best combination of points is extremely satisfying.
Azul also manages to avoid feeling like multiplayer solitaire, since you and friends are drafting tiles from a common pool, keeping it an interactive experience. It defies all odds – it’s abstract, but manages to feels thematic. Easy to teach, but replayable. Family weight, but manages to feel strategic. Definitely a triumph in board game design and one that deserves a spot on anyone’s shelf.
Which is the Best Azul Board Game Version?
It’s worth noting that this review covers the original Azul board game, with square tiles and components. Since its release in 2017, Plan P Games has continued to release new Azul games, offering new rules, new challenges, and in some cases changing the shape of the tiles. The most popular games released offer similar wall tiles, but in Azul: Summer Pavilion, the tiles are diamonds, and in Azul: Queens Garden they are Hexagons – and are both heavier games as a result.
Azul Stained Glass of Sintra and Azul: Master Chocolatier both maintain the square shapes, but in the former, the Azul tiles are translucent like stained glass windows, and in the latter, are confectionary themed. Not quite the same as working on a royal palace, but the pieces have often been compared to edible treats. Some include additional boards and placement requirements, designed to offer additional options on to the well loved original Azul game. If that wasn’t enough, there’s also a travel version and a card game version, offering plenty of options to enjoy this game system.
Azul: Master Chocolatier also appears on our list of best games for couples!
How can I play Azul?
Azul can be picked up for around $30 from Plan B games, if you want a physical copy of the game for you next in-person game night.
However, you can also play Azul on Board Game Arena, an online game site that plays from your browser, which also includes a tutorial on how to play your first few rounds. This will also take care of your scoring for you and your friends.
Playing the Azul board game online does mean that it loses a bit of the direct interaction, and tactile feel of the moorish decorative tiles in doing so, but if you want to get a taste of how it might play, Board Game Arena’s Azul could be an excellent way to try before you buy.
Ready to add this one to your collection?
We earn a commission if you make a
purchase, at no additional cost to you.
Looking for lighter games next? Check out our list of the best party games.