Azul

Azul is a multi-award-winning abstract strategy board game where players act as artisans decorating the walls of the Royal Palace of Evora. Designed by Michael Kiesling, the game is inspired by Portuguese “azulejos”—vibrant ceramic tiles originally introduced by the Moors.

The game centers on a tile-drafting and pattern-building loop that balances simple rules with deep tactical choices.

Drafting Phase: Players take turns selecting all tiles of a single color from either a “factory display” (circular coaster) or a central pool. Any unselected tiles from a factory are moved to the center for others to take.
Staging Area: Claimed tiles must be placed in one of five “pattern lines” on the left side of your player board. Each line has a specific capacity (1 to 5 tiles); once a line is full, the excess tiles “fall to the floor,” resulting in negative points.
Wall Tiling: Once all tiles are drafted, players move one tile from each completed pattern line to their 5×5 wall grid. Points are awarded based on where the tile is placed, with bonuses for placing tiles adjacent to others already on the wall.

The game ends after a round in which at least one player completes a full horizontal row of five tiles on their wall.