Azul: Summer Pavilion Review

A Fresh Take on a Modern Classic

Azul: Summer Pavilion is the third standalone game in the Azul series, and the one I would call the most forgiving. That is not a criticism. Sometimes forgiving is exactly what you want.

The original Azul can be ruthless. Take too many tiles you cannot place and the floor penalty hurts. Summer Pavilion softens that by letting you save tiles across the round, plan your placements in advance, and use a wildcard colour each round that adds a layer of flexibility the other games do not have.

Designed by Michael Kiesling, published by Next Move Games in 2019, it plays 2 to 4 players in 30 to 45 minutes. It also has the best solo mode in the series.

What Is Azul: Summer Pavilion?

The theme draws from the summer pavilion in the Royal Palace of Evora, which King Manuel I intended to decorate with azulejos in six colours. You are completing that work.

Like the other Azul games, the core loop is tile drafting: pick all tiles of one colour from a factory display or the centre pool. The twist in Summer Pavilion is that tiles are collected throughout the round and placed all at once during a separate placement phase. This means you can plan ahead, set up combinations, and react to what others are doing before committing.

One colour each round is designated as the wildcard, usable as any other colour. That single change has an enormous effect on how the game feels.

Key Game Information

Players	1-4 (best at 2-4)
Play time	30-45 minutes
Designer	Michael Kiesling
Publisher	Next Move Games
Categories	Abstract Games, Strategy Games, Family Games, Solo Games
Mechanics	Drafting, Pattern Building, Set Collection, Tile Placement
Theme	Historical, Abstract and Minimalist
Complexity	Medium-light
Best for	Players who want more control and flexibility than the original Azul offers

How to Play Azul: Summer Pavilion

Each round has two distinct phases: a drafting phase and a placement phase.

Drafting phase: On your turn, pick all tiles of one colour from a factory display or the centre. Place them in your personal supply (a small holding area on your board). Leftover tiles from factories go to the centre as usual. The round ends when all tiles have been taken.

Placement phase: Each player now places tiles from their supply onto their personal board. The board shows a star pattern with six arms, each representing one of the six colours. To place a tile on a space, you pay a number of tiles matching the number printed on the space. Adjacent spaces of the same colour cost fewer tiles, so completing sections efficiently is the goal.

Wildcards can substitute for any colour during placement. Any tiles left over after the placement phase are discarded, so managing your supply well is important.

Points come from completed sections, specific bonus spaces, and end-game scoring for completed colours and columns.

At our tableMy partner picked up Summer Pavilion after bouncing off the original Azul. She found the floor penalties in the original discouraging. Summer Pavilion clicked for her immediately. The extra planning space and the wildcard made the game feel like it was working with her rather than against her. She beat me comfortably in the second game.

Playing at Different Player Counts

1 player (solo): The best solo mode in the Azul series. More on this below.

2 players: Plays quickly and cleanly. Less competition for tiles but still enough to feel interactive. Good for a weeknight game.

3 players: A solid middle ground with decent competition for tiles.

4 players: The wildcards become increasingly important as desirable tiles disappear quickly. Satisfying when it goes well; frustrating when your plan falls apart in the drafting phase.

The game works at all counts. My personal sweet spot is three.

Playing Solo

Summer Pavilion has a proper solo mode using an automa called the Royal Envoy. The automa has its own deck of cards that dictates how it drafts tiles, and your goal is to beat a target score rather than an opponent.

It is one of the better implementations of a solo mode in a game of this weight. The Royal Envoy creates real pressure on the tile supply without requiring you to manage a second board in great detail. Setup is quick and the game plays briskly solo, usually finishing in under 30 minutes.

If you regularly play board games alone and like the Azul family, this is the version to own.

Components and Production Quality

The tiles are the same satisfying resin pieces found in the original, which is good. The personal boards are well designed, with the star pattern laid out clearly and enough space to manage your supply without everything becoming cluttered.

Some players note that the tiles in Summer Pavilion feel slightly thinner than in the original Azul, which I have also noticed. It is a minor point and does not affect gameplay, but it is worth mentioning.

The wildcard indicator is a simple piece of card that tracks which colour is wild each round. It does the job, but a more elegant solution would have been welcome.

How It Compares to the Other Azul Games

vs. Original Azul: More forgiving due to tile storage and wildcards. Slightly less punishing. Better for players who find the original stressful.

vs. Stained Glass of Sintra: More flexible but less spatially focused. Sintra rewards commitment and long-term planning; Summer Pavilion rewards adaptability.

vs. Queen’s Garden: Summer Pavilion is lighter. Queens Garden is the most complex in the series. If you want a step up in depth, go there next.

Expansions and Other Versions

There are no expansions to Summer Pavilion. It is a standalone game that plays independently of the other Azul titles.

A Mini version of Summer Pavilion exists in the travel range Next Move Games produced, which is worth considering if you want a compact version for holidays or commuting.

Digital Versions

Summer Pavilion is included in the official Azul digital game on Steam (by Digidiced), alongside the original Azul and Stained Glass of Sintra. The solo mode translates well to digital. Online multiplayer is available.

Not currently available on Board Game Arena.

If You Like Summer Pavilion, Try These

• Azul (original): Slightly more punishing, but the tile drafting at its most elegant. Worth knowing both.
• Azul: Queen’s Garden: The next step up in complexity in the series. Hexagonal tiles and a deeper drafting market.
• Calico: Pattern-building with a quilting and cat theme. Similar accessibility level and a satisfying solo mode.
• Cascadia: Nature-themed tile placement with a good solo mode. Won the Spiel des Jahres in 2022.
• Kingdomino: Lighter than Summer Pavilion but shares the satisfying pattern-building feel. Great as a warm-up game.

Final Thoughts

Azul: Summer Pavilion is the most welcoming entry point in the Azul series for players who want a bit more breathing room. The tile storage phase and wildcard colour take away some of the tension of the original, which will either sound appealing or like a drawback depending on what you want from a game.

For competitive groups who love the cutthroat nature of the original, this might feel like a step back. For players who prefer strategy over punishment, it is the best version of the game.

And if you regularly play solo, it is the clear choice in the series.

Summer Pavilion is the Azul for players who want to plan their way to victory rather than survive their opponent’s decisions.

Don’t just take my word for it