Review: Azul

Introduction & Overview

When Manuel I the Fortunate, King of Portugal, visited the Alhambra Palace, he was captivated by the imposing beauty of its decoration, made of ceramic tiles of Moorish origin known as “azulejos.” Still fascinated by the splendor of the Alhambra’s interior, upon his return to Portugal he immediately ordered the walls of his palace in Évora to be decorated in the same manner. Choose your strategy carefully to become the king’s favorite artist!

This is how Azul is presented to us, a design by Michael Kiesling (Vikings, Torres, or Tikal, the latter two co-designed with Wolfgang Kramer). It was published in 2017 by Plan B Games in English and German editions. The artwork is handled by Chris Quilliams, whose good work we have already seen in games like Arboretum, Merchants & Marauders, or Archipelago.

The game will likely be published in our country by Asmodee (under one of its imprints), although it is completely language-independent (except for the rulebook). It allows games for 2 to 4 players, with a minimum suggested age of 8 years and an approximate duration between 30 and 45 minutes. The recommended retail price is €40. For this review, a copy of the German edition by Plan B Games was used.

Important: if you already know the game and/or are only interested in my opinion about it, you can go directly to the Opinion section. The Content and Mechanics sections are especially intended for those who do not know the game and prefer to get a general idea of how it works.

Go to Personal Opinion

Components

Inside a two-piece cardboard box (lid and bottom) measuring 26×26×7 cm (a medium square box similar in dimensions to Gardens or Viceroy), we find the following components:

• 4 Player Boards (cardboard)
• 4 Scoring Markers (wooden)
• 100 Tiles (20 of each color: red, blue, black, yellow, and light blue) (bakelite)
• 9 Factory Tiles (cardboard)
• Starting Player Token (cardboard)
• Rulebook

How to Play

Azul is an abstract-style game with main mechanics of drafting and pattern building. In each round, a set of tiles of different colors will be laid out on some display discs (factories). Players will take these tiles in groups of the same color to place them on a structure of five rows with varying numbers of columns. The objective is to fill these rows with tiles of a single color so they can move to the wall, a grid located to the right of this structure, where there is always a space corresponding to that color. When making this transfer, we will score points for horizontally and vertically connected tiles. But we must be careful: if we take tiles that do not fit completely into a row or if we simply have no valid space to place them, they will drop to a row that subtracts points. The game ends when a player completes a row on their wall.

Key Concepts

Let’s start with the Tiles. They are represented by a set of bakelite pieces in five colors. The players’ goal will be to obtain these tiles to form the wall assigned to them.

These tiles will be drawn from the Factories, which are represented by circular display discs where tiles are placed in groups of four at the beginning of each round.

The basic concept is that whenever a player takes tiles, they must take all tiles of the same color from a single location. These locations will be the aforementioned factories or the center of the table, where tiles from the factories that were not taken by a player drafting a specific color will be pushed.

Each player will have a Personal Board featuring the following elements:

• Along the top edge is the score track, with spaces numbered 0 to 99.
• In the bottom-left area is the pattern line section. These are five rows with a different number of spaces each (the top row has only one space, and each subsequent row has one additional space up to the bottom row with five spaces).
• To the right is the wall, composed of a 5×5 grid. Each space in every row has a specific tile pattern printed on it, such that no color repeats in any row or column.
• Finally, along the bottom is the floor line, a row of spaces with negative values that increase by one unit every two spaces. Tiles that cannot or will not be placed on any pattern line will be dropped here.

Lastly, we have the first-player token, which determines which player will draft first in a round. Additionally, this token acts like a tile, but it is always placed on the floor line penalty row.

That is enough to get started.

Preparación de la Partida

1. Each player receives a personal board and a scoring marker placed on the space with a value of 0.
2. A number of factory displays depending on the player count is arranged in a circle:
   • 2 Players: 5 Factory Displays.
   • 3 Players: 7 Factory Displays.
   • 4 Players: 9 Factory Displays.
3. The 100 tiles are placed into the bag and mixed thoroughly.
4. Each factory display is filled with 4 tiles drawn from the bag.
5. The first player is chosen and given the starting player token (according to the rules, the player who most recently visited Portugal).

We are ready to begin!

Game Flow

A game of Azul consists of an indefinite number of rounds until the end-game condition is met. Each round, in turn, consists of three phases.

Phase I: Factory Offer (Selecting Tiles)

This phase consists of a series of turns alternating between players, starting with the first player and proceeding clockwise until the phase ends. Thus, the player with the first-player token begins this phase by placing said token in the center of the factory circle and taking the first turn.

A player’s turn proceeds as follows:

1. Mandatorily, the player must pick all tiles of a single color from one of the available locations:
   • If taken from a factory display, the tiles of other colors that are not picked are moved to the center of the table.
   • If taken from the center of the table and the player is the first to take tiles from this area, they must additionally take the first-player token and place it in the first available space on their floor line. In the next round, they will be the first player in this phase.
2. Next, the player must place the tiles onto one of the rows in their pattern line area, following these rules:
   • If the row already contains tiles, the new tiles to be placed must be of the same color/type.
   • Tiles of a specific color cannot be placed in a pattern line if the corresponding row on the wall already contains a tile of that color.
   • If not all tiles fit into the chosen row, the excess tiles must be placed on the floor line (starting from the leftmost available space).
   • It is possible to place all tiles selected during a turn directly onto the floor line.

The phase ends after the turn of the player who takes the last available tile in play—that is, when no tiles remain on any factory display or in the center of the table.

Phase II: Wall-tiling

This phase is automatic and can be carried out simultaneously. Each player moves one tile from each completed pattern line to their wall, starting from the top row and moving downward. For each tile placed on the wall, points are scored based on the tiles directly connected orthogonally in the corresponding row and/or column:

• If the tile is not placed adjacent to any other tile orthogonally, it scores 1 point.
• If the tile is placed adjacent to at least one other tile, count how many directly connected tiles there are in a continuous line in its row and/or column. Points are scored for each tile in both lines, including the newly placed tile. For instance, if the newly placed tile has 1 adjacent tile in its column and 1 adjacent tile in its row, the player scores 4 points (2 tiles in the row and 2 tiles in the column).
  • The remaining tiles from each completed pattern row are placed into the box lid (visible to all players).
  • Tiles in incomplete pattern rows remain in position for the next round.
• Finally, players lose points based on the tiles on their floor line, subtracting points on the score track as indicated by each occupied space.

The phase ends once all players have scored their points.

Phase III: Maintenance

If the game has not ended, the next round is prepared by drawing 4 tiles per factory display from the bag once again. If the bag becomes empty, all tiles currently in the box lid are returned to the bag, and refilling continues.

It may happen that, even after refilling the bag with tiles from the box lid, there are still not enough tiles to refill all factory displays. In this case, displays are refilled as far as possible.

Game End

The game ends in the round where at least one player completes one or more horizontal rows on their wall. The following bonus points are added to the accumulated scores:

• 10 Points for each completed color set (having one tile of that color in each row of the wall).
• 7 Points for each completed vertical column.
• 2 Points for each completed horizontal row.

The player with the most points is declared the winner. In case of a tie, the player with the most completed horizontal rows wins. If the tie persists, victory is shared.

Variants

Patternless Variant: played on the reverse side of the board, where the wall grid does not have pre-determined color spaces. This allows each player to place each tile wherever they see fit—provided they observe the rule that the same color cannot appear more than once in any row or column.

Wild Cards: a promo expansion that includes 10 translucent tiles acting as wild tiles. When drafting one of these tiles, it can be done in two ways:

• Take only wild tiles, placing them in any row.
• Take them alongside tiles of another color, making the wild tiles act as tiles of that color.
• When a pattern row is completed, the tile moved to the wall must be one of the wild tiles from that row.
• NOTE: this promo cannot be used with the patternless variant because once a wild tile is placed on the wall, it must act as a specific color; since it is not marked on the wall print, it is easy to forget which color it represented when the row was tiled.

Personal Opinion

Michael Kiesling could be considered the great supporting designer of the board gaming world. He always seems to have stood in the shadow of Wolfgang Kramer, his co-designer on numerous titles. I suppose this stems from the fact that Kramer boasts massive hit titles in his portfolio without Kiesling’s collaboration (either solo or with other designers), whereas poor Michael had the well-regarded Vikings as his sole notable solo title (here is its tocho-review). But it seems Mr. Michael has let his hair down (well, the four hairs he has left) and ventured out on his own without the senior statesman of the realm. At the Essen Fair, he showcased not one, not two, not three, but four games: two solo designs and two co-designed with another author (one of which was still the great Wolfgang, though curiously the one that generated the least buzz). Today we analyze one of those four games—probably the one that created the biggest stir almost from the moment it was announced. Today we tocho-review Azul. Let’s see how it performs on the table.

The team at Plan B Games, heirs to the legacy of the old Z-Man, certainly know how to make a product eye-catching. And Azul was love at first sight for many of those keeping an eye on what was being unveiled at Essen 2017. True, the theme is purely ornamental. But I can’t quite explain it; it was almost magical. Maybe it was the box art. Maybe those gorgeous bakelite tiles. Or maybe having a renowned designer behind it. Azul had all the ingredients to become one of the hits of the fair, as it indeed turned out to be.

Kiesling proposes something in Azul that we have seen many times before: something as simple as forming patterns with tiles according to specific rules in the most optimal way possible. This time, it involves building a 5×5 mosaic with five types of spaces (each featuring a unique color and motif). As you might guess, colors do not repeat within any row or column, meaning the mosaic contains 5 spaces of each type arranged in a checkerboard pattern (in each row, a specific tile type is shifted one space to the left, forming diagonals).

To tile this wall (we have to get into character!), we must collect matching pieces into a preparation area composed of rows matching their row number in capacity (starting from the top, row one holds one tile, row two holds two, row three holds three, and so on down to the fifth). To move a tile to the wall, all we need to accomplish is to have the row completely filled with matching colored tiles by the end of the round. After that, one of the tiles from the row is transferred to its wall position while the rest are discarded, and the newly placed tile is scored based on adjacent tiles already connected to it. Simple, right? Well, it has real meat to it.

First off, the tile selection system. When a round begins, players must project how the alternating sequence of turns will unfold, placing a bet and trying to secure as many completed pattern lines as possible—since any row left incomplete at round end yields zero points for that round. Here it comes down to pure math. Depending on player count, roughly 10–11 tiles per player enter play each round, meaning that on average, that is the tile quota belonging to us. In an ideal scenario, this means we could complete our first 4 pattern lines, making the fifth a risky yet necessary gamble, as we will see later.

This is where the ingenious tile-drafting system shines. Fundamentally, it forces a player to pick all tiles of a single color from whichever group they choose. At the start of a round, we only have factory displays holding groups of 4 tiles. Whenever tiles are taken from one of these factories, any tiles of other colors are pushed to the center of the table, forming a new central pool gathering the “leftovers” from the display tiles. In this central pool, the quantity of each tile type fluctuates while factory displays remain available. Thus, on their turn, players must perform a delicate balancing act based on the board state: Which location is most advantageous? Do we wait for matching tiles to accumulate in the center to complete a more ambitious line? Or do we play it safe and finish our easier rows first?

Obviously, if a goldmine appears in the form of five tiles of a needed color, we shouldn’t pass up the opportunity—as completing that bottom row in a single turn is a massive mini-victory. Not just for the row itself, but for end-game scoring bonuses. Completing a full color set (all five tiles) and completing vertical columns yield juicy points in final evaluation. So that’s another crucial layer to weigh.

The scoring system forces players to tile in contiguous clusters, making isolated tile placement highly inefficient. With smaller pattern rows, achieving this short-term goal is relatively straightforward. From the third row onward, however, things get trickier, since you depend on table circumstances (and nobody hate-drafting ahead of you) or spending multiple turns building up a row by picking from different spots. You sacrifice efficiency for safety, avoiding lost points from tiles dropping onto your floor line.

In this regard, it is vital to pay attention not only to the tiles locked up on opponents’ boards, but also to the tiles sitting in the box lid. Never forget that there are exactly 20 tiles of each color. If the box lid holds many tiles of a specific color, committing a single tile of that type to a 4- or 5-space row is a dangerous gamble, as it might take several rounds before a meaningful quantity of that color resurfaces on factory displays (basically until the bag empties).

In the end, it all comes down to timing. Based on remaining options, it is relatively easy to gauge how many drafting turns remain and calculate how many picks you will get. This is where interaction rears its head, as evaluating the state of your opponents’ pattern lines becomes essential. Time and again, you will draft not out of self-interest, but to inflict harm on an opponent. For instance, if only central tiles remain across three colors, and an opponent cannot legally place two of those colors on their board, taking the single color they can place might be worth it just to force them into drafting heavy penalty tiles—provided you can safely absorb those leftover tiles onto your own board without shooting yourself in the foot.

No one should expect a brain-burning abstract to rival the masterpieces of the GIPF Project or Hive (here is its tocho-review), which achieve staggering strategic depth despite slim rulebooks. Azul falls comfortably into that gateway/family category: accessible and light on rules, yet packed with subtleties that reward analytical gamers while remaining immensely fun for casual players seeking a pleasant time. Games like Patchwork (here is its tocho-review), Bärenpark (here is its tocho-review), or NMBR9 (here is its tocho-review). All cut from similar cloth: simple rules, low barrier to entry, and high table presence.

Let’s discuss scalability, as there are interesting points here. At two players, control is nearly absolute; supply shifts between turns are predictable enough to let you prioritize based on opponent needs and act accordingly. Furthermore, the tile bag cycles slower, making discarded tile tracking far more critical. At four players, a degree of chaos emerges along with turn-order dependency—a drawback tactical games at higher player counts rarely escape. If the player to your right makes a blunder, the player to their left reaps the benefit. Fortunately, games are snappy, and when this happens, a rematch is easily offered after reshuffling seating order.

Replayability might be one of the design’s weaker points, as it doesn’t offer much beyond its core loop. While it reliably delivers whenever brought to the table, players might lose interest relatively quickly in search of newer designs. Attempting to inject longevity, Kiesling included the alternative unprinted wall variant, granting freedom over tile placement. However, I find this mode less demanding than the original. Players naturally default to building simple clusters. It works fine as a learning tutorial for core concepts, but I prefer the standard game. Additionally, the wild-card promo expansion exists, though it doesn’t add anything particularly transformative.

Another minor flaw lies in the maintenance phase. Given the game’s fast pace, whoever handles refilling factory displays—especially at four players—might feel they spend more time setting up tiles on display discs than actually playing. Still, that is a small price to pay.

Moving on to production quality, which is undoubtedly the standout feature. Plan B Games already demonstrated their philosophy with Century: Spice Road (here is its tocho-review): beautifully crafted family games. That is precisely what we get with Azul. A stunning, thick box alongside sturdy boards (even if slightly warped out of the box) and high-quality factory display discs. The bakelite tiles are a tactile dream—what a joy it is to reach into the bag and swirl those 100 tiles around! If there’s a downside, it lies in the rulebook structure: for such a simple game, certain details are organized in ways that can cause unnecessary confusion or misinterpretation.

Visually, we enjoy the talent of the great Chris Quilliams, an illustrator whose every work is gorgeous, even if he doesn’t always command the widespread name recognition of a Menzel, Coimbra, or Dutrait. A glance at his ludography reveals impressive credentials. In Azul, he succeeds once more in dressing an abstract game in strikingly attractive attire, even if limited primarily to the cover art and player boards.

And let’s wrap this up. Azul is a fantastic family-friendly abstract game with simple rules and an addictive loop that naturally sparks rematches and good-natured rivalry. Yet despite its simplicity, it contains enough subtle tactical play to satisfy experienced gamers, making it a title that easily sits any group down at the table. Its drawbacks—a somewhat fiddly maintenance phase and a potential drop in novelty once optimal play is mastered—do not stop it from hitting the spot every time it hits the table. For all these reasons, I give it a…