Discover Games Like Azul

It’s easy to see why the Azul game has become a modern-day classic in the world of board games. Simple rules, strategic depth, accessible to both younger and older players, and it just looks plain stunning! Bursting onto the scene back in 2017, it quickly caught the attention of consumer and critic alike, even going on to win the Spiel des Jahres award a year after it’s release. Many praised it’s easy to learn rules, its beautiful art style, and agreed that it was an excellent gateway game that appealed to both casual and committed hobbyists alike.

Designed by Michael Kiesling, the abstract strategy game that is Azul is easy to play and addictive. The game starts with players drafting sets of tiles and placing them on their game board, to then transfer them to the adjacent side and create a pattern with them. Tiles must be placed on matching spaces and the longer vertical and horizontal lines players make, the more points they’ll score. Once someone has created a line of five tiles the game ends and the player with the highest score wins. It’s simple in essence but comes down to strategy, luck, and predicting what other players do that will lead to victory.

If you’re into strategy games, and good-looking ones at that, Azul is a great pick. If you’re looking for similar games like Azul, below are a few that should tick similar boxes to Azul.

Discover the Best Board Games like Azul

Discovering the best board games can be a delightful yet overwhelming journey, given the sheer number of options available today. When searching for the perfect game, consider factors such as gameplay mechanics, complexity, and replayability. A game like Azul stands out because it strikes a perfect balance between strategic depth and creative expression. Its easy-to-learn rules make it accessible to newcomers, while its intricate strategies keep seasoned players engaged. Whether you’re a casual player or a dedicated hobbyist, Azul offers a unique and rewarding experience that exemplifies what the best board games should be.

Sagrada

By: Floodgate Games     Players: 1-4     Time: 30-45 Minutes     Ages: 14+

Aside from the several expansions Azul spawned, Sagrada probably offers the closest thing possible to the game you can get. With it’s similar mechanics and stunning visuals, it represents all the positives of Azul and provides a similarly enjoyable experience.

In Sagrada, players draft dice to create beautiful stained glass windows, adding a unique twist to the gameplay. The core gameplay of Sagrada revolves around placing colourful dice on a personal game board to create the best pattern possible and the highest score. There are certain restrictions and rules to this however, so it’s not always straightforward. Dice are placed adjacent to each other and must match the colour or number value restriction on the space on a players board.

Additionally, dice can’t be placed in the same row or column to a die of the same colour of number value. Obviously the more populated a board, the more challenging this becomes. Players will acquire favour and tool cards as the game progresses, which are there to make placement a little easier and change the dice in their favour. Alongside having objective cards to complete along the way, Sagrada is just different enough to separate itself from an Azul clone, but still offers some similarities in gameplay. Not only that, but it looks amazing too!

Qwirkle

By: Mindware     Players: 2-4     Ages: 6+     Time: Up to 45 mins

Think Scrabble, but with coloured shapes instead of letters. A really simplistic puzzle game that almost anyone can pick up and play.

Qwirkle is a game that can be enjoyed by family members of all ages, making it a great choice for family gatherings. Qwirkle is a fun, simple, and challenging puzzle game with endless replay value. Players use tiles representing coloured shapes to create patterns not unlike the kind you’d see in Dominoes or Scrabble. Players start with a set number of tiles and must try to create rows and coloumns with them, matching colours or shapes as they go. For each tile played, a new one is drawn at random blindly from a bag. Players will score bonus points for connecting tiles and rows that were played previously and if a full row or column is created they’ll gain bonus points.

Once all the tiles are gone or there aren’t enough left to make a legal move with, the game ends and scores are calculated, with the player who scored the most points being declared the winner. Qwirkle offers a good degree of strategic gameplay for what it is and makes itself accessible for many different kinds of players.

Carcassonne

By: Z Man Games     Players: 2-5     Time: 30-45 minutes     Ages: 7+

A cerebral tile placement game, players must use randomly generated tiles to try to create roads, farms, and towns that connect perfectly. Utilising the space and placing the tiles in the best position will grant players more points, granting them a greater chance at victory.

Named after the French city, Carcassonne is a tile placement game in which players draw and place tiles depicting the medieval south of France. The tiles are face down in a stack with a new one being picked each turn, and they’ll all represent cities, roads, grasslands and more, or a combination of more than one thing in particular. Once a player has a tile, they must place it adjacent to tiles that have already been played, ensuring that roads, cities, and landscapes all match. The objective is to try and create the largest spaces possible as the more matching tiles, the more points a player will receive. Everyone is given a set of Meeples, little wooden figures, which players can place on the tiles where they see fit.

Once a section is closed off and completed, anyone with a Meeple in that area will score points based on the size of it. Once all the tiles are used, whoever has scored the most points is the winner. Another simple game with a surprising degree of strategic depth, Carcassonne is great for new and experienced players and offers a good combination of luck and skill-based gameplay. The game concludes with a final round where players make their last moves to maximize their points.

Cascadia

By: Flatout Games     Players: 1-4     Time: 30-45 minutes     Ages: 10+

Escape to the Pacific Northwest in this tile-laying, token-drafting game that’s excellent for both nature lovers and strategy game enthusiasts.

The aim of the game in Cascadia is to build your own wildlife habitat by populating it with a variety of wildlife. Players are given a selection of tiles to choose from, each depicting a different type of habitat. Players will pair these with wildlife tokens and place them next to tiles already in play. The goal is to try and create ‘corridors’ where the habitats match and create the longest path possible. The longer the connecting habitats the more points at the end of the game. Additionally, each wildlife token will have a set pattern players must try and make and will gain extra points if they’re able to achieve this.

The game offers a simple concept and easy-to-learn rules, but has great levels of strategic depth. On top of that, no two games are ever alike. The random drawing of the tiles and tokens and having to pair them together as best as possible, results in not just players having to think on the fly, but each game is different, unique, and poses a new challenge. An excellent game that takes minutes to learn but much longer to master, Cascadia is highly enjoyable and offers almost limitless replayability. With its strategic depth and replayability, Cascadia is truly a great game for both casual and dedicated players.

Ticket To Ride

Published by: Days of Wonder     Players: 2-5    Time: 30-60 minutes     Ages: 8+

Rie the old-timey rails in this modern-day classic, perfect for beginners and board gaming enthusiasts. Players vie for train lines that run across the United States and strive to create the biggest possible in order to score big.

Ticket To Ride is another modern-day classic that’s seen millions of copies sold and plenty of sequels and expansions released off the back of it’s popularity over the last twenty years. The concept is simple: players use train cards of varying colours to create train lines that run from city to city across America. These cards are pulled from a deck at random and correspond with the train lines on the board. The size of the train lines vary and a line can only be completed if a player has the same number of the same colour card as spaces on the board. The longer the line, the more points a player will gain.

All the while, players will have destination cards, routes that span several lines and sometimes the whole board, which when finished will reward the player with plenty of points. Players will lose points however,  for any destination cards that aren’t completed by the end of the game. When the game is over, the player who has gained the most points wins. TTR is a must have for anyone, especially fans of strategy games. Ticket to Ride is a good game that offers both strategic depth and accessibility, making it enjoyable for a wide range of players.

So those are a handful of games that share some similarities to Azul that we think you’ll enjoy. They share some similarities with the game, whether it be mechanics, theming, or setting, and are just as fun to play. If there’s any we haven’t listed that would have made your list we’d love to hear about them.

Cooperative Games

Cooperative games are a fantastic way to enjoy board games with friends and family, fostering teamwork and social interaction. Unlike competitive games where players vie against each other, cooperative games require players to work together towards a common goal. This collaborative approach can be incredibly rewarding, as it encourages sharing resources, strategizing together, and overcoming challenges as a team. While Azul is primarily a competitive game, it can also be adapted for cooperative play. By working together to create the most stunning mosaic artworks, players can enjoy a shared sense of accomplishment and creativity. Cooperative games add a different dimension to board gaming, making them a great choice for family gatherings and social events.

Also Read: The Best Cooperative Board Games

Azul Sequels and Expansions

Azul’s success has led to the creation of several sequels and expansions, each introducing new gameplay mechanics and themes. Azul: Stained Glass of Sintra, for instance, takes players on a journey to create beautiful stained glass windows, adding a new layer of complexity and visual appeal. Azul: Queen’s Garden offers another fresh twist, challenging players to design intricate garden layouts. These sequels and expansions build on the core Azul experience, providing new challenges and opportunities for strategic thinking. They allow players to explore different aspects of the game while still enjoying the familiar mechanics that made the original Azul so beloved. Whether you’re a fan of the original or looking for new adventures, these expansions offer a great way to keep the game fresh and exciting.

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