Azul – Award-Winning Tile-Laying Strategy Board Game

Create a stunning tiled masterpiece in Azul, the award-winning abstract strategy game from Plan B Games, designed by Michael Kiesling.

Inspired by the colourful azulejos of Portugal, Azul challenges you to draft beautifully tactile tiles and arrange them on your player board to decorate the walls of the Royal Palace of Évora.

But choosing tiles is only part of the challenge. You'll need to plan ahead, complete patterns efficiently and keep an eye on what your opponents are collecting. Take too many tiles and you'll create wasted supplies that cost you points.

Easy to learn, satisfying to play and full of clever decisions, Azul is a modern classic for 2–4 players, with games taking around 30–45 minutes.

What Is Azul?

Azul is a competitive tile-drafting and placement game in which players take on the role of artisans decorating the walls of the Royal Palace of Évora.

Each round, players select coloured tiles from a series of factory displays. You must take all tiles of one colour from your chosen display, placing them into one of the pattern lines on your player board.

Once your pattern lines are completed, individual tiles are transferred to your palace wall and scored according to their position and neighbouring tiles.

The catch? Any tiles you cannot place are moved to your floor line, where they can cost you points.

The result is a deceptively simple game where every tile choice can affect both your own plans and the options available to everyone else.

How to Play

At the start of each round, the factory displays are filled with colourful resin tiles.

On your turn, choose one factory display or the centre of the table and take all tiles of one colour from that location.

Place the tiles you've taken into one of the pattern lines on your player board. Any excess tiles that don't fit are moved to your floor line and may become penalties.

Once all the tiles have been drafted, players complete their pattern lines. One tile from each completed line moves across to the corresponding space on the palace wall.

Tiles score points based on their connection to neighbouring tiles, rewarding players who build connected patterns rather than simply filling spaces at random.

The game ends after a round in which at least one player completes a horizontal row of five tiles. Bonus points are then awarded for completed rows, columns and sets of five tiles.

The player with the most points wins.

Why You'll Love It

• Award-winning gameplay – Winner of the prestigious 2018 Spiel des Jahres.

• Beautiful resin tiles – Chunky, tactile pieces make every game satisfying to play.

• Simple rules, clever decisions – Easy to teach but difficult to master.

• Drafting with consequences – Taking tiles for yourself can leave useful options for your opponents.

• Build beautiful patterns – Create your own unique palace wall every game.

• Plan several turns ahead – Good timing can be more important than simply taking the tiles you need.

• Multiple scoring opportunities – Build rows, columns and colour sets to maximise your score.

• Excellent at 2–4 players – Works brilliantly as a head-to-head game or with a larger group.

• Around 30–45 minutes – A substantial strategy experience without taking up your entire evening.

• Highly replayable – The changing tile supply and player decisions create a different puzzle every game.

Who Is It For?

Azul is ideal for players who enjoy abstract strategy games, tile-laying, drafting, pattern building and tactical family games.

Its rules are accessible enough for newer board gamers, while the limited tile supply and interaction between players provide plenty of depth for experienced gamers.

It's also an excellent choice for players looking for a game that looks beautiful on the table without requiring a huge amount of setup or a long playing time.

Build Your Palace Wall

Draft Your Tiles

Choose carefully from the available factory displays. Taking a particular colour may help complete your own pattern while simultaneously denying those tiles to another player.

Complete Pattern Lines

Arrange your drafted tiles into the pattern lines on your player board. Each line requires a specific number of tiles to complete.

Decorate the Wall

When a pattern line is complete, move one tile onto the matching space on your palace wall.

Where you place each tile matters because neighbouring tiles can create valuable scoring combinations.

Avoid Wasted Tiles

If you take more tiles than you can use, the leftovers end up on your floor line.

These unwanted tiles can cost you points, making over-drafting a potentially expensive mistake.

Chase Bonus Points

Build connected groups and complete rows, columns and sets of colours to earn additional points at the end of the game.

Main Mechanics

Tile Drafting
Select tiles from shared displays, with every choice affecting the options remaining for other players.

Pattern Building
Complete increasingly challenging pattern lines before transferring tiles to your palace wall.

Tile Placement
Where you place tiles determines how many points they generate.

Set Collection
Collecting complete sets of colours and filling rows and columns provides valuable end-game bonuses.

Spatial Planning
The position of every tile matters, particularly when building connected groups.

Push Your Luck
Taking a large number of tiles can give you what you need — but may also leave you with unwanted tiles and penalties.

Tactical Interaction
Watch what your opponents are collecting and consider how your choices affect their plans.

Games Like Azul

If you enjoy Azul, you may also like:

• Azul: Summer Pavilion – A more advanced Azul experience with new drafting and placement rules.

• Azul: Stained Glass of Sintra – Another Azul game built around colourful pattern construction.

• Azul: Queen's Garden – A deeper Azul experience with additional tile types and scoring considerations.

• Azul Duel – A dedicated two-player Azul game with more direct competition.

• Patchwork – A clever two-player spatial puzzle from Uwe Rosenberg.

• Calico – Build a quilt while completing pattern objectives and attracting cats.

• Kingdomino – Accessible tile placement with clever scoring and spatial decisions.

• Akropolis – Build a layered ancient city through strategic tile placement.

Game Information

Feature	Details
Game	Azul
Publisher	Plan B Games
Designer	Michael Kiesling
Artists	Philippe Guérin & Chris Quilliams
Players	2–4
Playing Time	30–45 minutes
Age	8+
Game Type	Tile Drafting / Tile Placement / Abstract Strategy
Theme	Portuguese Azulejos / Palace Decoration
Original Release	2017
UK RRP	£42.99
SKU	PBG40020
Barcode / EAN	826956600107
Publisher Family	Azul

The current UK listing confirms 2–4 players, 30–45 minutes, ages 8+, SKU PBG40020, barcode 826956600107 and an RRP of £42.99.

What's Included?

• 100 resin tiles – 20 in each of five colours

• 4 double-sided player boards

• 9 factory display discs

• 4 scoring markers

• 1 starting player marker

• 1 linen tile bag

• 1 rulebook

The high-quality resin tiles are one of Azul's defining features, giving the game a satisfying tactile quality as well as its distinctive visual appeal.

FAQ

How many players can play Azul?

Azul is designed for 2–4 players.

How long does Azul take to play?

A game typically takes around 30–45 minutes.

What age is Azul suitable for?

Azul is recommended for players aged 8 and over.

Is Azul easy to learn?

Yes. The basic turn is straightforward: choose tiles, place them on your board and work towards completing your patterns. The strategic depth comes from deciding which tiles to take, when to take them and how your choices affect your opponents.

Is Azul a strategy game?

Yes. Azul is an abstract strategy game combining tile drafting, pattern building, spatial planning and set collection.

Can Azul be played with two players?

Yes. Azul works particularly well with two players, where the smaller number of available options makes each tile choice especially important.

Is Azul suitable for families?

Yes. With straightforward rules, colourful components and a recommended age of 8+, Azul is an accessible family strategy game while still offering plenty of depth for experienced players.

What does Azul mean?

Azulejos are decorative ceramic tiles associated with Portuguese and Spanish architecture. Azul draws inspiration from these distinctive decorative tiles and the tradition of using them to embellish buildings.

Did Azul win the Spiel des Jahres?

Yes. Azul won the 2018 Spiel des Jahres, one of the most prestigious awards in modern board gaming.

Buy Azul

Bring colour, clever drafting and satisfying tile placement to your next game night with Azul by Plan B Games.

Whether you're building your first palace wall or carefully planning a high-scoring pattern, every game presents a fresh puzzle as you balance your own ambitions against the tiles your opponents need.

Add Azul to your collection from Roll The Dice Cornwall.