Azul: Stained Glass of Sintra

2018

Azul: Stained Glass of Sintra, a captivating board game where players craft intricate stained glass windows. Each game offers unique art and endless variability.

45
minutes

2 - 4
player(s)

Medium

About the game

Welcome to the vibrant world of Azul: Stained Glass of Sintra, a board game that combines strategy, creativity, and stunning aesthetics. As a master artisan, your task is to create the most beautiful stained glass windows in the entire kingdom of Portugal. This game is a unique blend of pattern-building and set collection mechanics, with a captivating theme tied to the artistry of stained glass window creation.

In this game, you find yourself in the picturesque town of Sintra, located in the heart of Portugal. The setting is the grandest chapel in town, where you’re commissioned to design and construct awe-inspiring stained glass windows. Your task is not simply to create but to impress the palace nobles with your exceptional craftsmanship. The game’s theme and setting immerse you in a world of creativity, competition, and charm, providing a rich gaming experience for both new and experienced players.

Game components Unboxing the fun!

Azul: Stained Glass of Sintra is a popular board game that contains several distinct components. Each of these components contributes to the overall game in unique ways, adding depth and strategy to your gameplay experience. Here’s a detailed list of what’s in the box:

1. Game Boards: The game includes 4 double-sided player boards that depict the windows where players will place their glass panes. The two sides offer different difficulty levels, providing a varied game experience.

2. Glass Pane Tokens: There are 100 resin glass pane tokens in 5 different colors (20 of each color). These tokens represent the raw materials that players will use to construct their stained glass windows. They are drawn from the bag and placed on the factory displays at the start of each round.

3. Player Tokens: Each player has a glazier token. This token moves along the player’s board, determining where glass pane tokens can be placed. The position of the glazier is crucial to gameplay, as it dictates the player’s available actions.

4. Score Markers: Each player has a score marker in their color. These markers move along the score track to keep track of each player’s score throughout the game.

5. Factory Displays: There are 9 circular factory displays. At the beginning of each round, four glass pane tokens are placed on each display. Players will take turns picking all the tokens of one color from a display and moving the rest to the center of the table.

6. Stained Glass Pattern Cards: There are 5 double-sided pattern cards that provide players with the patterns they must follow when constructing their windows. Each side presents a unique challenge, increasing the game’s replayability.

7. Glass Tower: This is a plastic tower used to hold and randomly distribute the glass pane tokens during the game.

8. Round Marker: The round marker tracks the current round of the game, and it moves along the round track.

9. Start Player Marker: This token indicates who the first player is for the current round. The first player changes each round, adding a layer of strategy to the game.

10. End Game Score Marker: This marker is used to track additional points that players can score at the end of the game for completing certain goals.

11. Plastic Bag: A sturdy plastic bag is included for holding the glass pane tokens, making setup and cleanup easier.

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

Azul: Stained Glass of Sintra is a beautiful game of strategy and planning. Here are the step-by-step instructions to set up the game:

Start by placing the round track in the middle of the playing area. This will serve as the main board that players will interact with throughout the game.
Each player should then take a player board, placing it with the side that corresponds to the number of players face-up. The player board consists of a palace, a score track, and a glazier.
Position the glazier on the leftmost column of your palace. The glazier is a marker that determines in which column a player can place glass panes.
Take a score marker and place it on the zero space of your score track. This will be used to keep track of each player’s score throughout the game.
Place the glass tower next to the round track. Fill the glass tower with all glass pane pieces and shuffle them.
Depending on the number of players, place a certain number of factory displays around the round track. For 2 players, use 5 displays. For 3 players, use 7 displays. For 4 players, use 9 displays.
Fill each factory display with 4 randomly drawn glass pane pieces from the glass tower.
Finally, place the starting player marker next to the round track. The starting player marker is used to determine who will start the next round.

Now that the game is set up, you are ready to play. Remember, the goal of Azul: Stained Glass of Sintra is to plan and strategically fill your palace with beautiful stained glass windows while scoring as many points as possible.

Game flow Round and round we go

Azul: Stained Glass of Sintra is a captivating board game that requires players to carefully select glass panes to complete their stained glass windows. The game is played over a series of rounds until one player’s glass panel board reaches the end of its track.

1. Setup Phase:

At the beginning of the game, each player will receive a player board, a scoring marker, and a glazier token. Randomly determine the first player who will take the starting player marker. Then, fill each Factory display with four glass panes drawn from the bag.

2. Round Structure:

Each round consists of three phases: Pane Selection, Wall Tiling, and Scoring.

Pane Selection Phase:

Factory Offer: Beginning with the first player and continuing clockwise, each player takes a turn selecting all glass panes of one color from a Factory display and places them in one of the stained glass window pattern strips on their player board. The remaining panes are moved to the center of the table.
Center Offer: Alternatively, a player may choose to take all glass panes of one color from the center of the table. The first player to do so also takes the starting player marker, which will cause them to lose a point at the end of the round.

Wall Tiling Phase:

After all glass panes have been selected, players move onto the Wall Tiling phase. Players slide the collected panes from the pattern strips onto the wall, starting with the lowest numbered strip and continuing upwards. The glazier must be moved to the right in order to place panes in higher numbered strips.

Scoring Phase:

After all panes have been moved, players score points based on their placement. Each pane scores as many points as there are panes in the same row or column (including the pane just scored). Bonus points are awarded for completing columns or sets of the same color.
After scoring, all remaining panes on the pattern strips are discarded, the Factory displays are refilled, and a new round begins with the player who took the starting player marker.

3. End of the Game:

The game ends when one player’s glass panel board reaches the end of its track. Final scoring takes place, with additional points awarded for completed columns and sets of the same color. The player with the highest score wins.

Players'turn One turn to rule them all

In the board game ‘Azul: Stained Glass of Sintra’, a player’s turn involves a series of strategic choices and actions that greatly affect gameplay. Each turn in the game can be broken down into three primary actions: Pick Tiles, Place Tiles, and Refill Display.

1. Pick Tiles:

The player chooses to pick all tiles of the same color from either one factory display or the center of the table. This is a critical strategic decision as it influences the player’s ability to complete their stained glass windows.

Factory Display: If the player chooses a factory display, they take all tiles of one color and the rest are moved to the center of the table.
Center of the Table: If the player chooses the center, they take all tiles of one color. If they are the first to take from the center, they also take the starting player marker, which will make them the first player in the next round but also deduct one point from their score.

2. Place Tiles:

After picking tiles, the player places them on one of their stained glass panels in their player board. The placement rules are as follows:

The player must place all the tiles they picked on the same open spot of their player board.
The player cannot place the tiles on a spot that already has a tile of a different color.
If there are more tiles than spaces available in the chosen spot, the excess tiles are wasted and will deduct points from the player’s score.
If the player cannot or chooses not to place the tiles, all of them are wasted.

3. Refill Display:

Once all players have taken their turns and all tiles have been picked, the factory displays are refilled for the next round. This provides a new set of strategic choices for the players in the upcoming round.

Throughout the game, players should aim to complete their stained glass windows as efficiently as possible by carefully choosing which tiles to pick and where to place them. Scoring is based on the number of completed windows and the complexity of their patterns, with penalties for wasted tiles. The player with the highest score at the end of the game is the winner.

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

The game of ‘Azul: Stained Glass of Sintra’ ends when one player has successfully completed a full row of panes on their player board. This triggers the final round of the game. All players, including the one who triggered the end, get one more turn before the game concludes.

Victory Conditions:

The player with the most points at the end of the game is declared the winner. Points are scored based on the completion of panes on the player board, bonuses from fully completed columns, and the position of the glazier at the end of the game.

Actions before Final Scoring:

Before final scoring, players must take the following actions:

Glazier Position: Players earn one point for each pane in the row where the Glazier is currently positioned.
Column Completion: For each column a player has fully filled with glass panes, they earn bonus points according to the bonus scoring chart.
Masterpiece: If a player has completed all panes of the same color, they score an additional 20 points.
Penalty Points: Players deduct any penalty points from their final score. Penalty points are incurred for any leftover glass pieces that were not used or for moving the glazier backward.

After these steps are completed, players add up all of their points to determine the final score. The player with the highest score wins the game. In the event of a tie, the player who has completed the most columns on their player board is the winner.

Scoring Did you outsmart your rivals?

In the board game ‘Azul: Stained Glass of Sintra’, the scoring system is essential to understand. It is based on the placement of glass panes on player boards and the fulfillment of public and private objectives.

Scoring During the Game:

During the game, players score points by completing glass panes in their windows. The points scored are based on the position of the pane in the window.

Top Row: Completing a pane in the top row scores 1 point.
Second Row: Completing a pane in the second row scores 2 points.
Third Row: Completing a pane in the third row scores 3 points.
Fourth Row: Completing a pane in the fourth row scores 4 points.
Fifth Row: Completing a pane in the fifth row scores 5 points.

Scoring at the End of the Game:

At the end of the game, additional points are scored based on the following criteria:

Completed Columns: Each completed column in a player’s window scores 3 points.
Completed Windows: Each completed window in a player’s board scores an additional 5 points.
Private Objectives: Players score points based on their private objectives. These objectives can give points for specific color sets of panes or patterns of pane placement.
Public Objectives: All players can score points based on the public objectives. These objectives reward points for achieving specific pane arrangements, such as having all panes of the same color or having a row or column of consecutive numbers.

Tie-breaking rules:

In ‘Azul: Stained Glass of Sintra’, ties are broken in favor of the player who is first in player order. Therefore, it is advantageous to complete objectives and score points as early as possible in the game.

Particular Cases and Exceptions Wait… is that legal?

Azul: Stained Glass of Sintra is a beautifully crafted board game that requires players to create stunning stained-glass windows in the Palace of Sintra in Portugal. This game, while simple to play, does have some unique rules and exceptions that can make the game interesting.

Special Rules:

Glazier Marker: The Glazier is a marker that players use to select glass panes. It always moves towards the right and can never go back to the left during the round. This rule makes it necessary to strategically select glass panes and move the Glazier.
Column Scoring: Unlike the original Azul, scoring in Stained Glass of Sintra is done vertically. A column is scored when it’s fully filled with glass panes. The points are equal to the number of panes in the column times the number of completed columns.

Exceptions:

Empty Factory Display: If all the tiles in a factory display have been taken, the player cannot select from that factory display. They must choose another one or the middle of the table if there are tiles there.
Excess Tiles: If a player picks up more tiles than can fit in their row, the excess tiles are broken and placed in the tower. This can result in negative points.

Rule Clarifications:

End of Round: A round ends when all tiles from the factory displays and the center of the table have been taken. Players then score their windows and prepare for the next round.
End of Game: The game ends after six rounds. The player with the highest score wins. However, if there is a tie, the player with the most complete columns in their window is the winner.
Glazier Movement: The Glazier marker must move right each time a player selects a factory display. It cannot move left. This means the player cannot choose a row to the left of the Glazier during their turn.

Tips and tricks Play smarter, not harder!

Advanced Strategies for ‘Azul: Stained Glass of Sintra’

As a seasoned player of ‘Azul: Stained Glass of Sintra’, there are several strategies you can adopt to maximize your points:

Plan Ahead: Focus on your ‘Glazier’ position and plan your moves ahead. The ‘Glazier’ is a special marker that moves down your player board and dictates where you can place tiles. Positioning it intelligently can help you fill specific columns faster.
Master the Art of Denial: Pay attention to what your opponents need and try to deny them by picking the tiles they want. This adds an aspect of interaction to the game and can make a significant difference.
Balance Your Approach: Don’t focus only on one column. A balanced approach where you aim to complete multiple columns simultaneously is usually more effective.

Beginner Tips for ‘Azul: Stained Glass of Sintra’

If you’re new to ‘Azul: Stained Glass of Sintra’, the following tips can help you get started:

Try to complete one column at a time. This will help you understand the game mechanics and scoring system better.
Don’t forget to move your ‘Glazier’ back to the leftmost column when you complete a column. This allows you to start working on new columns.
Use the ‘1-point’ tiles wisely. They can be a game-changer in a tight competition.
Remember, the game is not just about picking tiles, it’s also about where you place them.

Common Mistakes to Avoid in ‘Azul: Stained Glass of Sintra’

There are a few common traps that players fall into when playing ‘Azul: Stained Glass of Sintra’:

Picking up more tiles than you can use. This can lead to penalties at the end of the round.
Ignoring your ‘Glazier’. Mismanaging your ‘Glazier’ can limit your options and reduce your scoring opportunities.
Not planning ahead. ‘Azul: Stained Glass of Sintra’ is a game of strategy. If you don’t plan your moves, you may find yourself with fewer options as the game progresses.

Ways to Optimize Gameplay in ‘Azul: Stained Glass of Sintra’

To optimize your gameplay in ‘Azul: Stained Glass of Sintra’, consider the following:

Keep an eye on your opponents’ boards. This can give you an idea of what tiles they may need and allow you to alter your strategies accordingly.
Try to complete your window as quickly as possible. The sooner you complete your window, the sooner you can start on a new one, increasing your scoring opportunities.
Don’t forget to take advantage of bonus scoring. Completing certain patterns and sets of tiles can give you bonus points, which can make a big difference in the final score.