Azul

 Azul

Designer	Michael Kiesling
Publisher	Plan B games
Age rating	8+
Time	30-45 min
Players	2-4
Fun	4/5
Complexity	3/5

Azul - a game that I have enjoyed many times, despite having won only a handful of games.

When I first ordered Azul, it came with instructions in two languages – Romanian and Arabic, two languages that I don’t speak. The “Middle eastern” part in the name of the blog is purely geographical. However, the game itself requires neither reading nor writing, and the instructions are easily found online, so that’s a plus at the very beginning.

The second thing that I absolutely have to say is that this game is gorgeous. The tiles that you will be using throughout the game are colorful and some of them have beautiful patterns, just like the game boards and other components. Even the game box itself is pleasing to the eye. If you are trying to convince someone who doesn’t usually play board games, and believe me, I’ve done that a lot, just show them what it looks like and half the job is done.

The gameplay can be explained in five minutes. Every round, you pick the same color tiles from one of the factories. You place them on the left side of your board. When all the tiles are taken, you try to put them in correct places on the right side. At the end of every round, you score points. The more tiles you connect, the more points you get. Once you get used to it, the playing becomes fast paced and captivating. Depending on the course of the game, you might get into a situation where you can’t place any more tiles on a line – and this is when you have to drop them to the floor. Not literally, of course. Every dropped tile decreases your score exponentially, so you have to make sure that you plan ahead.

I also have to admit that most of the times I played, with a person who is very new to board games but has a beautiful mind, I lost game after game. That is, until I found a research paper written on the best strategy of placing tiles. Yes, that exists. That alone speaks volumes about the unique puzzle system of the game, and of my fear of losing as well.

Apart from feeling upset when you lose, if you are a sore loser like me, there are no huge drawbacks. If I had to choose one, I would say that the game boards tend to bend a little bit over time, probably due to moisture. It’s nothing that a few gentle bends before a game won’t fix, however. The game relies strongly on planning a few steps ahead, and a bit of luck. Sometimes, the other players might take exactly the tiles you need to complete a row. It's important in these cases to remember that it's just a game. Also, other players taking their sweet time while thinking up their next move can be tedious, but not that much, as it gives you time to plan your next few moves.

If you want to feel like you are doing something more than simply placing tiles, you can always follow the theme of the game. You play as a master artisan, crafting the tiles of a new royal palace, much like the ones found in Alhambra palace in Granada. Every turn, or day if you will, factories will supply you with new batches of colorful tiles, and it is up to you to arrange them in the most beautiful and rewarding patterns.

The boards of two players after a few rounds

Azul is similar to Sagrada, another colorful tile placing game, but without the dice or number limitations. If you have mastered Sagrada tactics, you will have no problem with Azul. It’s much simpler; there are no objectives apart from the main one, and no pesky numbers to deal with.

Overall, I suggest Azul wholeheartedly. It is a beautiful, well designed, intriguing game that you can play indefinitely. After playing tens of times, it still hasn’t come close to being boring, and every new turn will be different. So play Azul, and become a master tile layer in a royal palace.