Pattern Building

  • Review: Azul – Stained Glass of Sintra

    ByiMisut Hours
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    After decorating the Evora Palace, King Manuel I of Portugal intends to commission the world’s greatest stained glass artisans to adorn the windows of the Sintra Royal Palace. As a glass artisan, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to demonstrate your exquisite craftsmanship in service to King and country. Will you be the best at creating the most beautiful stained glass windows in all of Portugal?

    This is the premise behind Azul: Stained Glass of Sintra, the follow-up to Azul, both designed by Michael Kiesling. The game was published in 2018 by Next Move Games in English and German editions. Chris Quilliams (Coimbra, Clash of Cultures, Azul) was once again in charge of the art.

  • Review: Azul

    ByiMisut Hours
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    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.

  • Review: A Feast for Odin

    ByiMisut Hours
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    A Feast for Odin is a saga in the form of a game. You will relive the cultural achievements, trading expeditions, and pillages of those tribes we know today as “Vikings”—a term that had a somewhat different meaning at the end of the first millennium. When the Norsemen embarked on a raid, they said they were going “a-viking”. However, these Northmen were more than just pirates. They were also explorers, merchants, and settlers. It is said that Leif Erikson was the first European to reach America, long before Columbus. The reason these peoples became great seafarers was harsh farming conditions, as a poor harvest could mean great hardship. In this game, you can undertake raids and explore new territories. You will also simulate daily living conditions, securing goods that guarantee you a comfortable position in society. At the end of the game, the player with the most valuable possessions will be the winner.

    This is how A Feast for Odin is presented to us—the latest big game from Uwe Rosenberg, in a box even larger than Fields of Arle or Caverna. The game was published in 2016 by Feuerland Spiele in German, alongside several parallel international editions, such as Z-Man Games in English, White Goblin Games in Dutch, Cranio Creations in Italian, or Filosofia Éditions in French. As is customary with this publisher, the artwork is handled by Dennis Lohausen, as seen previously in Fields of Arle or Glass Road.