Azul Review and Overview

For me it’s a Game That Keeps Getting Better

I have played more Azul than any other game in my collection over the last 18 months. That is not a small statement given the competition on my shelves. It has hit the table at family get-togethers, late-night two-player sessions, and more rounds on Board Game Arena than I would care to admit. I never seem to tire of it.

The rules take about five minutes to explain. The decisions, though, take much longer to master. If you are looking for a game that is easy to teach but quietly deep, Azul might be exactly what your collection is missing.

What Is Azul?

Azul is an abstract tile-drafting game for 2-4 players, designed by Michael Kiesling and published by Plan B Games in 2017. It is inspired by the azulejo tiles found on the walls of the Royal Palace of Evora in Portugal, and that origin story shows in every component.

Each player is trying to build a mosaic wall by drafting coloured tiles from shared factory displays, placing them in rows on their personal board, and scoring points for completed rows and adjacency patterns. There are penalties for taking tiles you cannot legally place. The game ends when at least one player completes a full horizontal row on their wall.

It won the Spiel des Jahres in 2018, which is the most prestigious award in board gaming. It deserved it.

Key Azul Game Information

Players	2–4 (best at 3–4)
Play time	30–45 minutes
Categories	Abstract Games, Family Games, Gateway Games,
Mechanics	Drafting, Pattern Building, Set Collection, Tile Placement
Theme	Abstract and Minimalist
Complexity	Light
Best for	Anyone who wants a fast, beautiful game with real strategic decisions

How to Play Azul

Each round follows the same three-phase structure. Once you understand it, the game moves quickly.

1. Drafting Tiles

At the start of a round, tiles are placed randomly onto a number of circular factory displays (the number depends on player count). On your turn, you pick all tiles of one colour from a single factory display. Any remaining tiles from that display go into the central pool, which works as an additional pick for future players.

You can also pick from the central pool. The first player to take from it each round picks up the first-player marker, which will cost them points at the end of the round but gives them the initiative next round.

2. Placing Tiles

After drafting, you must place your tiles in one of the five pattern-line rows on your player board. Each row has a fixed length (1 to 5 tiles) and can only ever hold one colour at a time. If a row is already partially filled with blue tiles, you can only add more blue to it.

You can choose to start a new row or top up an existing one. Any tiles that genuinely cannot be placed go to your floor row at the bottom and will cost you penalty points.

3. Scoring and Wall Tiling

Once all tiles have been drafted, completed rows are transferred to the wall. Each colour can only appear once in each row and column, so your placement decisions matter more than they first appear. You score points based on how many tiles you connect to adjacent tiles already on the wall.

At the end of the game, bonus points are awarded for completing full rows, full columns, and for collecting all five of any one colour. Penalties are deducted from your floor row.

At Our Table: My partner insists she never blocks anyone deliberately. She has blocked me more times than I can count. The moment you realise you are playing defensively as much as you are building your own wall is the moment Azul properly clicks.

Playing at Different Player Counts

2 players: Works well and plays quickly, often under 30 minutes. There is less competition for specific tiles since the factories reset more readily. It is more of a puzzle and less of a knife fight, which some people prefer.

3 players: Good. The table gets a bit more competitive and the centre pool fills up in interesting ways.

4 players: This is where the game really opens up. Four players competing for tiles creates real pressure. The tile you want will often not be there when your turn comes around, and planning for that feels satisfying.

I would say the sweet spot is 3 or 4. Two is great for what it is, but if you can get four around a table, do it.

Playing Solo

The standard Azul has no official solo mode. If you want to play solo in the Azul series, Azul: Summer Pavilion has a well-regarded solo mode that is worth checking out.

There are fan-made solo variants for the original game floating around BoardGameGeek if you are determined, but they are not official and quality varies.

Components and Production Quality

The components are what everyone talks about, and rightly so. The tiles are thick, satisfying resin pieces that feel genuinely premium. They click together on the board in a way that just feels right. Handling them is part of the fun.

The player boards are thick cardboard with a satisfying coating. The factory displays are simple cardboard circles, which is the one area where the game feels slightly budget given how good everything else is, but they do the job.

The overall presentation is gorgeous. The azulejo-inspired artwork on the box and board is clean and attractive. It is one of the most reliably photogenic games on my shelf.

Quick verdict The components are excellent. If anything, they have made subsequent Azul games feel slightly underpowered by comparison. The original set the bar high.

Expansions and Other Versions

• Azul: Stained Glass of Sintra (2018): Swaps mosaic tiles for stained glass windows. Introduces movable player markers and cascading scoring. More strategic, slightly harder to teach.
• Azul: Summer Pavilion (2019): Adds a round storage phase and wildcard tiles. The most forgiving of the three, with greater planning flexibility and a good solo mode.
• Azul: Queen’s Garden (2022): Hexagonal tiles, a more complex drafting market, and deeper placement rules. The most strategic Azul by some distance.

There is a full guide to the Azul series on the site if you want a breakdown of which one suits you. Also worth noting: Next Move Games released a Mini Azul travel edition in 2023, which is handy if you want to take it on holiday.

Digital Versions

Azul is available on Board Game Arena and it plays very well in that format. The async mode is particularly useful for getting a game in between busy schedules. The interface handles the tile drafting cleanly.

There is also an official digital version on Steam (developed by Digidiced) that includes all three main versions of the game. It has online multiplayer and a pass-and-play option. The AI is decent enough for solo practice. Both versions are recommended.

If You Like Azul, Try These

• Sagrada: Also uses dice rather than tiles, drafting them to fill a stained-glass window. Slightly more luck-dependent but similarly beautiful and accessible.
• Cascadia: A tile-placement game about building a nature habitat. Similarly approachable and well-produced. Won the Spiel des Jahres in 2022.
• Ingenious: A Reiner Knizia abstract with a similar accessibility level. Good for players who want something even lighter.
• Patchwork: A two-player tile-fitting puzzle game. If you enjoy Azul at two, Patchwork is worth a look.
• Calico: Pattern-building with a cat and quilt theme. Similar puzzle feel with a slightly warmer, cozy aesthetic.

Final Thoughts

Azul is one of the few games I would recommend to almost anyone. It is quick enough not to feel like a commitment, good-looking enough to sit on the table and attract attention, and deep enough that experienced players do not feel like they are slumming it.

Its main limitation is the player count. If your regular group is five or six, you will need a different game for those nights. And if someone at your table absolutely hates abstract games on principle, even Azul will struggle to win them over.

But for 2 to 4 players who want a game that is easy to teach, looks great, and produces real decisions? There is almost nothing better at this price point.

It won Game of the Year for a reason. If you do not own it, fix that.

Buy Azul

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Don’t Take My Word For It

You don’t have to take my word for it. here are a few reviews from other Board gamers

Should You Play Azul?

Absolutely. If you’re looking for a game that’s easy to learn, visually appealing, and offers meaningful decision-making without being overwhelming, Azul is a fantastic choice. It’s the kind of game that appeals to a wide audience, making it a great addition to any board game collection.

Have you played Azul? What’s your favourite aspect of the game? Let’s chat in the comments!

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