Embellish palace walls with beautiful mosaic tiles!
Growing up, my grandparents and I loved Rummikub. My parents would play and have a good time, but the game wasn’t for them. Part of the reason we loved Rummikub was because the tiles were strong, synthetic plastic. The way they feel when shuffling and the sound they make is exceptionally soothing. As gamers, I think we can all understand this.
When I first saw Azul, I immediately thought it would be an excellent addition to our library: the duration of the game, how simple it looked, but most importantly, the components looked great. The tiles were just like Rummikub! My family has been traveling the world for years, and having seen beautiful mosaics in many different countries, Azul seemed like a fitting game for us.
In Azul, players are artists that are decorating palaces with intricate mosaics. In each round, players will draft a set of colored tiles to place onto their 5 x 5 board and score points based on how many tiles touch one another. Once one player completes one row of their board, the game ends, and the highest scorer wins!
Mechanics: Abstract, Tile Placement, Drafting, Pattern
ART: 8/10
The design has no intricate artwork, but that doesn’t make it any less beautiful. Mosaic patterns are often seen throughout culture, and this game strives to resemble that aesthetic. Bright blues, yellows, and reds catch your eye on the shelf.
The placement of the tiles on one side of the board is pretty, but the other side is blank, allowing the player to become the artist and place their tiles as they wish. What better way to convey art than letting the player become the artist?
Humans often see patterns in the world around them or create them to help process information. In that sense, this game might attract some people. “I am good with patterns, therefore, I might be good at this game”.
The player board size uses the space for tile placement and the scoreboard, as well as displaying some of the bonus point rules in the game. I always enjoy it when a game board can show almost all the rules without needing a rule book.
STORYTELLING: 3/10
There is a mechanic in this game that tries to make the gameplay feel like the life of a mosaic artist. When you have too many of one color tile, some might fall onto the floor when you are decorating the ceiling of a cathedral. Breaking these precious tiles costs you points.
The mechanic makes sense, even if it’s a bit of a stretch regarding storytelling. This game is quick, and I am constantly trying to optimize my every move, rather than thinking about the theme.
COMPONENTS: 7/10
There is not much to this game, so ensuring the components are top quality was a great move. The player boards are thick cardboard and the mosaic tiles are five different colors with printed designs. Tiles are made from the same synthetic plastic I loved in Rummikub: very smooth, thick, solid square tiles with a nice weight. The color choices are nice and vibrant and resemblant to mosaics found in Portugal.
What makes it even better is that the cinch bag that holds the tiles is a lightweight canvas with the Azul logo and patterns. No, it’s not a thick canvas as I have seen in other games, but I am delighted that the pouch is unique and not the same velvet pouch you see in many games out there.
There are some fantastic acrylic overlays that make placing tiles and score cubes much more manageable, with no concern for everything shifting off-center.
COMPLEXITY: 4/10
Just look at the age recommendation. Anyone could pick up this game and play it. That does not mean they will do well. It’s easy to understand that you grab tiles and place them appropriately onto your board. Placing tiles randomly will only get you a point or two at a time, but placing them tactfully can score you at least five points per tile, if not more!
This is a much better game when playing with equally logical individuals. I think this game can be ‘figured out’ by the mathematically minded. There is no guaranteed decision each turn, but there is a way to play to make you successful every time.
Once you do that, the game starts to feel more like a mental puzzle you do daily, such as Sudoku or Wordle. At least, that is how I felt. Don’t get me wrong, I will always sit down to play and enjoy it, but it no longer feels like a challenge.
TRAVEL-FRIENDLY: 5/10
You can make this a travel game and just bring the bag. If you remember the row counts (which is easy) and you don’t mind your tiles not being in an organized grid, then you can bring this anywhere. You probably still want a decent-sized table to play on since you need all the drafting piles in the center.
The boards are nice, so I recommend using them, but if you love this game so much, go for it and just bring the bag of tiles and have fun!
UNIQUENESS: 2/10
There are a lot of pattern-based games out there, and Azul is a simplified one that scores points for total tiles in a crossword puzzle-esque way. Given a set of rules, items must be placed in a certain way. In that way, Azul is a fancy sudoku. Given the order of colors on your player board, there is a way to “plan out” the set of colors you need to complete a column. This is very similar to Ticket to Ride.
Maybe because of these similarities, we find comfort in playing simple, familiar games like this, with a new theme and art style. There is nothing wrong with this game, but it might not be for you if you want something completely original.
Innovation:
Creativity doesn’t come from the mechanics on this one, as you read above. Using tiles represented as ceramic mosaics is Azul’s selling point. Tiles are nice to the touch, and you feel like you are buying a worthwhile game that will last a long time. Many of my game’s components are not durable, and you can see the wear play after play.
Final Comments
Azul is a great gateway game for getting other friends into the board gaming hobby. It is quick to set up and take down, the rules are straightforward, and the gameplay is fast. Having a nice-looking, vibrant game in your collection is also an upside. Like Catan and Ticket to Ride, Azul should be a staple in many households.
My biggest suggestion would be to play this game with similar competition to feel the most successful. If you are unable to do that, you can go into playing with the mindset of: “I want to do better than I did last time.” Other players impact your choices, but it sort of plays like Solitaire, which allows you to strive to get as many points as possible each time you play.
If you are concerned with it becoming “too easy,” I recommend trying out some of their follow-up games, Stained Glass of Sintra or Summer Pavilion.
Similar To: Sagrada,Ticket to Ride, Iota, Sudoku
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Publisher: Plan B Games
Game(s) Pictured: Azul
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