Azul

2017

Dive into Azul, a captivating game of strategy and aesthetics where players become tile-laying artists. Draft colorful tiles and decorate the Royal Palace of Evora to score points. The player with the most points at the end wins!

45
minutes

2 - 4
player(s)

Medium Light

About the game

Welcome to the enchanting world of Azul, a board game that beautifully blends strategy and aesthetics. In this game, you are transported to the royal palace of Evora, under the patronage of King Manuel I of Portugal, and you are tasked with adorning the walls of the royal palace with intricate, vibrant, and elaborate tile designs.

The game’s charm lies in its theme, which is inspired by the traditional Azulejos, the blue and white ceramic tiles that were introduced by the Moors to Spain and Portugal. The setting in the royal palace adds a touch of grandeur to the game, making it even more appealing.

Game components Unboxing the fun!

Azul is an engaging and visually appealing board game that involves strategic tile placement. Each game component plays a vital role in the overall gameplay, contributing to the complexity and enjoyment of the game.

Here are the game components included in ‘Azul’ and their corresponding roles:

1. Game Boards

Player Boards: There are four player boards in Azul. Each player gets one board where they will place their collected tiles in rows and columns to create a pattern and score points.

Scoring Track: The game board also includes a scoring track, where players can keep track of their current score throughout the game.

2. Tiles

There are 100 resin tiles in Azul, divided into five different colors: blue, yellow, red, black, and light blue. These tiles are the main components that players will be collecting and arranging on their player boards.

3. Factory Displays

There are nine round factory displays in a standard game of Azul. These displays are places where the tiles are placed at the beginning of each round. Players take turns taking all the tiles of one color from one factory display.

4. Bag

All the tiles are stored in a bag at the start of the game. The bag is shaken to randomize the tiles, and then they are drawn and placed onto the factory displays.

5. First Player Marker

The game includes a first player marker. The player who was the first to pick tiles from the center of the table in each round gets this marker and will be the first to start the next round.

6. Pattern Lines

On each player’s board, there are five pattern lines. Players place the tiles they collect from the factory displays onto these lines. Once a line is filled with tiles of the same color, one of them can be moved to the corresponding spot on the wall.

7. Wall

The wall is the grid on the player board where players will place their tiles once they have filled a pattern line. The placement on the wall follows specific rules and contributes to the scoring of the game.

8. Floor Line

The floor line is a row on the player board where any ‘dropped’ or ‘excess’ tiles go. These tiles give negative points to the player.

These components work together to create a game of strategy and planning. Each player must decide which tiles to collect and where to place them on their board to maximize their points and minimize their penalties. The player with the most points at the end of the game is the winner.

Game setup Lay it out, line it up, let’s go

Azul is a tile-placement game where players take turns drafting colored tiles from suppliers to their player board. The objective is to decorate the walls of the Royal Palace of Evora. This guide will walk you through the setup process for the ‘Azul’ board game.

Step 1: Setup Game Board

Each player should have a player board in front of them. Alongside the player board, place the round track in the center of the play area where all players can easily reach it.

Step 2: Prepare Tiles

Place all the colored tiles in the game bag. Make sure to mix the tiles well. This introduces a random element to the game as players can’t predict which tiles will be drawn.

Step 3: Setup Factories

Create an array of factory displays in the center of the play area. The number of factory displays to be used depends on the number of players. Use 5 factory displays for a 2-player game, 7 for a 3-player game, and 9 for a 4-player game.

Step 4: Place Tiles on Factories

For each factory display, draw 4 tiles from the bag and place them on the factory. If tiles ever run out in the bag during the game, take all tiles from the lid of the game box, place them in the bag, and continue playing.

Step 5: Place the First Player Marker

Put the first player marker in the middle of the table with the factory displays.

Step 6: Prepare Score Markers

Each player takes a score marker and places it on the 0 space of the score track on their player board.

Step 7: Set the Starting Player

Determine the starting player randomly. That player takes the first turn when the game starts.

Now that everything is set up, you are ready to start playing ‘Azul’. Remember, the goal is to score the most points by placing tiles on your player board in strategic patterns and completing sets.

Game flow Round and round we go

Azul is a strategic board game played in a series of rounds, with each round consisting of three phases: the Factory Offer Phase, the Wall-Tiling Phase, and the Preparation for the Next Round Phase.

1. Factory Offer Phase:

Tile Selection: In this phase, players take turns choosing tiles from the factory displays. Each player must take all tiles of the same color from a single factory display, placing any remaining tiles in the center of the table. Alternatively, a player can take all tiles of the same color from the center.
Pattern Line Filling: Players place the tiles they have chosen onto their player board. Each row on the player board can hold tiles of only one color, and once a row is filled, no more tiles can be added to it.
End of Phase: This phase ends when all tiles from the factory displays and the center of the table have been chosen.

2. Wall-Tiling Phase:

Tile Movement: Players move tiles from their completed pattern lines on the player board to their wall. Each tile moved scores points based on its position relative to other tiles on the wall.
Scoring: Players score points for each tile placed on their wall. They gain extra points for completing rows, columns, or sets of the same color.
Penalties: Any tiles that a player was unable to place on their player board during the Factory Offer Phase are moved to the floor line, causing the player to lose points.

3. Preparation for the Next Round Phase:

Reset: All tiles from the factory displays and the center of the table are placed back into the bag. If the bag is empty, all tiles from the game box lid are placed back into the bag.
New Factory Offer: New tiles are drawn from the bag and placed onto the factory displays for the next round.

The game of Azul continues in this way until the end of a round in which at least one player has completed a horizontal row of five consecutive tiles on their wall. The player with the most points at the end of this round is declared the winner.

Players'turn One turn to rule them all

Azul is an exciting, strategy-oriented board game where players compete to create the most beautiful wall of tiles. Each individual’s turn is crucial in the game, and there are a number of possible actions and strategic choices that can significantly affect the gameplay. Here’s a detailed breakdown of what can occur during a player’s turn:

1. Picking Tiles:

During a player’s turn, they can choose to pick tiles from either the factory displays or the center of the table. The number of tiles taken must be of the same color and are placed in a row on the player’s board.

Choosing from factory display: When picking tiles from the factory display, the player takes all tiles of one color and then moves the remaining tiles to the center of the table.
Choosing from center: On the other hand, if a player picks from the center, they take all tiles of one color. However, the player who first picks tiles from the center gets the starting player marker and will start the next round, but receives a penalty point.

2. Placing Tiles:

Once the player has picked their tiles, the next action is to place them on their player board. Depending on the row chosen, there are specific numbers of tiles that can fit. Overfilling a row results in penalty points at the end of the round.

Strategic placement: Strategically placing tiles can lead to higher points. For instance, placing tiles next to each other horizontally or vertically on the wall can lead to more points.

3. End of Round:

When all tiles have been taken, the round ends. Players then score their boards based on the tiles they’ve placed. Any tiles not placed on the wall and any overfilled rows result in penalty points. The tiles are then reset for the next round.

4. Game End:

The game ends when one or more players have completed a horizontal row of five consecutive tiles on their wall. The final scores are then calculated, with additional points awarded for completed rows, completed columns, and complete sets of five of the same color on the wall.

Throughout the game, strategic choices can greatly impact the outcome. For instance, a player may choose to take tiles that they know another player needs, either to use them for their own board or to prevent the other player from getting points. Balancing the immediate benefit of a move against the potential future gains, and managing risks associated with overfilling rows, are key strategic elements in the game of Azul.

End of the game All good games must come to an end

The game of Azul continues until the end of the round in which at least one player has completed a horizontal line of 5 consecutive tiles on their wall. Once this condition is met, the game ends and players proceed to final scoring.

Actions Before Final Scoring:

Filling the Wall: Players must complete filling tiles on their wall according to the pattern lines. Any tiles left over on the pattern lines are discarded.
Discarding Floor Line: Players must remove any tiles from their floor line and adjust their scores accordingly. These tiles are then discarded.

Victory Conditions:

At the end of the game, players gain additional points based on the following conditions:

Completing Rows: Players score 2 points for each completed horizontal row on their wall.
Completing Columns: Players score 7 points for each completed vertical column on their wall.
Completing Colors: Players score 10 points for each color of which they have placed all 5 tiles on their wall.

The player with the highest total score after adding these additional points is the winner of the game. In the event of a tie, the player who has completed the most horizontal lines on their wall wins. If there is still a tie, the player who has the least floor tiles wins.

Scoring Did you outsmart your rivals?

In ‘Azul’, points are awarded based on the placement of tiles on the player’s board. Here is a detailed breakdown of the scoring system:

1. During the Round:

Whenever a player fills in a row on their pattern lines, they immediately place the rightmost tile of that row onto the corresponding spot in their wall, and score points.
The player scores 1 point for a tile if there are no horizontally or vertically adjacent tiles to it on the wall.
If there are tiles adjacent to the newly placed tile, points are scored for the line of tiles in the row and/or the column of the new tile. Each tile in the line(s) scores 1 point.

2. End of Round Scoring:

At the end of each round, players lose points for any tiles left on their floor line. The first tile gives -1 point, the second -1 point, the third -2 points, the fourth -2 points, the fifth -2 points, the sixth -3 points, the seventh -3 points, and the eighth -4 points.

3. End of Game Scoring:

At the end of the game, additional points are awarded for:
1. Each completed horizontal line on the player’s wall: 2 points.
2. Each completed vertical line on the player’s wall: 7 points.
3. Each color of which the player has placed all 5 tiles on their wall: 10 points.

4. Tie-Breaking Rules:

In case of a tie, the player who is closest to the starting player in clockwise order is the winner.

Particular Cases and Exceptions Wait… is that legal?

Azul is a well-loved board game that requires strategic thinking and planning. Despite its simple rules, there are certain special rules, exceptions, and clarifications that players need to be aware of.

Special Rules:

If a player cannot place all the tiles of the same color on their pattern line, the surplus tiles will go directly to the floor line.
During the wall-tiling phase, a player can only move one tile from each completed pattern line to the corresponding spot in the wall. Any remaining tiles in the line are removed and placed back in the game box.
When all tiles from the factory displays and the center of the table have been taken, the round ends. The next round begins with the player who took the first player tile in the previous round.

Exceptions:

If a player takes tiles of a color that they have already placed on their wall during the same round, they must place those tiles in their floor line.
The first player tile is not replenished when taken. The player who takes this tile will also receive a penalty point, which they mark in their floor line.
If the drawing bag is empty during the preparation phase, fill it with the tiles from the game box lid.

Rule Clarifications:

Each player’s floor line can only hold a maximum of seven tiles. If a player needs to place more than seven tiles in their floor line, the surplus tiles are removed from the game and do not give additional penalty points.
A player cannot have two identical tiles (same color) in the same row of their wall. If a player already has a tile of a certain color in their wall, they cannot place the same color tile in the pattern line corresponding to that row.
The game ends at the conclusion of the round where at least one player has completed a horizontal line of five consecutive tiles on their wall.

Tips and tricks Play smarter, not harder!

Azul is a wonderful board game that combines strategy, aesthetics, and fun. Whether you are a newbie or an experienced player, there are always ways to improve your game. Here are some tips, strategies, and common mistakes to avoid.

Advanced Strategies:

Plan Ahead: Look at the scoring for future rounds and plan your strategy accordingly. Remember, the game isn’t just about getting the most points in the current round, but setting yourself up for future rounds as well.
Watch Your Opponents: Pay attention to what others are doing. If you see someone collecting a lot of a certain color, you might want to start grabbing those tiles to prevent them from scoring big.
Utilize the Floor Line: While you do lose points for tiles on the floor line, strategically placing tiles there can allow you to manipulate which tiles go to the center and potentially set up future moves.

Beginner Tips:

Understand Scoring: Make sure you understand how scoring works – it’s not just about filling up your board, but also about strategic placement and maximizing points.
Balance your Play: Don’t focus too much on one row or color. Diversity in your strategy can help you adapt to the tiles that are available.
Don’t Forget the End Game: Remember that rows and columns completed at the end of the game can provide serious bonus points. Try to set yourself up to complete these if possible.

Common Mistakes to Avoid:

Ignoring Your Opponents: Azul is not just about your own board – what your opponents do affects your game as well. Pay attention to their strategies to adjust your own.
Forgetting About the Floor Line: Many beginners forget about the floor line and its implications. Remember, tiles there deduct points – but can also be used strategically.
Focusing Only on the Current Round: The game is not just about scoring big in the current round. Always plan for future rounds as well.

Ways to Optimize Gameplay:

Study the Game: The more you understand the game, the better you’ll play. Spend some time studying the rules, strategies, and even watching others play to improve your game.
Practice: As with anything, practice makes perfect. The more you play, the more you’ll understand the nuances of the game, and the better you’ll become.
Adapt: No two games of Azul are the same, so being able to adapt your strategy on the fly is crucial. Keep an open mind and be ready to change your strategy if needed.