Azul Base Game

Draft exquisite Moorish tiles, decorate the royal walls of the Palace of Évora, and outmaneuver rivals in the internationally acclaimed, Spiel des Jahres–winning modern abstract classic.

Azul (Base Game) (designed by Michael Kiesling, published by Next Move Games / Plan B Games, and distributed by Asmodee) is the celebrated modern classic that captured both the 2018 Spiel des Jahres and the Mensa Select award. Inspired by King Manuel I's visit to the Alhambra and his desire to adorn Portugal's Royal Palace of Évora with vibrant ceramic azulejos, the game transforms mosaic artistry into an elegant spatial duel. The primary gameplay objective centers on tile drafting, pattern building, and grid-scoring efficiency: players take turns drafting colored resin tiles from central market supplies to fill staging pattern lines, transferring them onto their personal 5x5 palace wall mosaic to maximize adjacent point bonuses while avoiding wasted stock.

The primary mechanical hurdle stems from balancing pattern completion against the danger of the "floor line" penalty track. On a turn, an active player selects all matching tiles of a single color from one of the circular Factory displays, sweeping the leftover tiles into the center of the table (or claims all tiles of one color from the center pool, taking the First Player token). The drafted tiles must be placed onto one of five tiered pattern lines on their player board. However, each line can hold only one color at a time and requires an exact number of tiles (1 through 5) to complete. Any excess tiles that cannot legally fit spill directly down into the floor line, deducting painful negative points at the end of the round. Once all tiles are drafted, completed lines transfer a single tile to the corresponding mosaic wall, scoring cumulative points for adjacent rows and columns. When any player completes a full horizontal row of five tiles, the game ends, triggering end-game scoring bonuses for complete columns, rows, and five-of-a-kind color sets. Designed for 2 to 4 players aged 8 and up, a complete mosaic contest plays out in a brisk 30 to 45 minutes. To become the master artisan, you must anticipate your opponents' drafting needs, time your center-pool sweeps, and force your rivals into taking tile overflows they cannot use.

Game Specs at a Glance:
Age Range: 8+ Years
Publisher: Next Move Games
Play Time: 30-45 Minutes
Player Count: 2-4 Players
Complexity: Light-Medium (Open Drafting, Pattern Building, Tile Placement, Set Collection, End-Game Bonuses, Abstract Strategy)

What's in the Box?

• 100 High-Quality Resin Tiles
• 4 Double-Sided Player Boards
• 9 Circular Factory Displays
• 4 Black Plastic Scoring Markers
• 1 Starting Player Marker
• 1 Thematic Embroidered Linen Drawstring Bag
• 1 Rulebook