1 Overview

Azul is an abstract tile-placement game for 2-4 players designed by Michael Kiesling and published by Plan B Games in 2017. Players draft colorful ceramic tiles from factory displays and arrange them on personal boards to complete pattern lines. Each round, leftover tiles go to the center -- and someone must take them, along with a floor-line penalty.

Azul won the Spiel des Jahres 2018 -- the most prestigious award in tabletop gaming. Its combination of quick teach time, beautiful production, and meaningful decisions made it an instant classic.

2 History

Michael Kiesling, a veteran German designer with multiple Spiel des Jahres wins, designed Azul after reading about azulejo tiles -- the decorative ceramic tiles introduced to Portugal by King Manuel I in the 16th century after a visit to the Alhambra palace in Granada. These brightly colored, geometric-patterned tiles became iconic across Iberian palaces and public spaces.

Plan B Games published Azul in 2017 with unusually high production values: chunky plastic tiles that feel like real ceramic, not cardboard tokens. The game sold millions of copies and earned the 2018 Spiel des Jahres. Sequels include Azul: Stained Glass of Sintra (2018), Azul: Summer Pavilion (2019), and Azul: Queen's Garden (2023).

3 Components

• 100 tiles (20 each of 5 colors: blue, yellow, red, black, white)
• 9 factory displays (round cardboard circles)
• 4 player boards (pattern lines on left, wall on right)
• 1 first player marker (the "1" tile)
• 4 scoring markers
• 1 tile bag and lid

4 Setup

1. Place factory displays in the center of the table based on player count.
2. Place the "1" first-player marker in the center of the table.
3. Draw 4 tiles from the bag and place them face-up on each factory display.
4. Each player takes a player board and sets their scoring marker to 0.

5 Factory Display Setup by Player Count

Each factory holds exactly 4 tiles. When you draft from a factory, you take ALL tiles of one color from it; the remaining tiles move to the center of the table.

6 How to Play

Each round has two phases:

Phase 1 -- Tile Drafting (Factory Offer)

On your turn, choose one of the following:

• Take from a factory display: Take ALL tiles of one chosen color from one factory. Move the remaining tiles from that factory to the center table.
• Take from the center: Take ALL tiles of one chosen color from the center. If the "1" first-player marker is still there, take it too -- you go first next round but place it on your floor line (costs you 1 point).

After taking tiles, place them on one of your 5 pattern lines (rows). Rules for placement:

• All tiles in a row must be the same color.
• You cannot add tiles to a row that is already complete (filled).
• You cannot place a color in a row where that color already exists on your wall (right side) in that row's designated spot.
• Any tiles you cannot legally place go on your floor line (penalty row at the bottom).

Phase 2 -- Wall Tiling (End of Round)

When all factories and the center are empty, the round ends:

1. For each complete pattern line, move 1 tile from the right end to the corresponding space on your wall. Discard the remaining tiles in that line.
2. Score the newly placed tile (see Scoring section below).
3. Incomplete pattern lines stay on your board for next round.
4. Apply floor line penalties (deduct from score).
5. The player with the "1" marker goes first next round. Refill all factory displays.

7 Wall Tiling Pattern

Your wall is a 5x5 grid with a fixed diagonal color pattern. Each row and each column contains exactly one space for each of the 5 colors. The pattern is printed directly on the board -- you cannot place a color in a row where that color's space is already filled.

The key constraint: each color appears exactly once per row AND exactly once per column. This creates an elegant puzzle: the color that goes in row 2 column 3 is predetermined. You cannot rearrange the wall.

Wall Color Pattern (Standard Azul)

The wall shifts by one each row, creating a diagonal pattern where every color appears exactly once per row and column.

8 Scoring -- Detailed Breakdown

Immediate Tile Scoring (During Wall Tiling Phase)

Each time you place a tile on your wall, score it immediately:

• If the tile has NO adjacent tiles (horizontally or vertically): score 1 point.
• If the tile HAS adjacent tiles: score the number of tiles in its connected horizontal group PLUS the number of tiles in its connected vertical group.

Scoring Example

You place a tile that connects to 2 tiles horizontally (making a row of 3) and 1 tile vertically (making a column of 2): score 3 + 2 = 5 points.

This adjacency scoring system rewards dense, clustered wall placement. A tile placed in isolation scores only 1 point. The same tile placed in the middle of a complete row AND column could score up to 5 + 5 = 10 points.

End Game Bonus Points

End game bonuses stack. A player who completes 3 rows (+6), 2 columns (+14), and places all 5 blue tiles (+10) earns 30 bonus points at game end -- often the difference between winning and losing.

9 Floor Line Penalties

The floor line is the bottom row of your player board. It holds tiles you cannot legally place on pattern lines, plus the "1" first-player marker when you take it from the center.

At the end of each round (during wall tiling), you lose points for each tile on your floor line:

Maximum floor line penalty per round: -14 points. Filling your entire floor line while taking a new batch of tiles is a catastrophic turn. Your score cannot drop below 0.

After penalties are applied, all tiles on the floor line (except the "1" marker) are discarded. The "1" marker returns to the center for next round.

10 End Game Trigger and Final Scoring

The game ends at the end of the round in which any player completes at least one full horizontal row on their wall (all 5 spaces in a row filled). Complete the current round, then add end-game bonuses.

Final score = all points accumulated during play + end-game bonuses (rows, columns, color sets), any unearned floor line penalties have already been applied each round.

Highest final score wins. Ties are broken by number of complete rows (most wins); if still tied, number of complete colors.

11 Strategy Guide

Plan for End-Game Bonuses from Turn One

The three end-game bonuses (+2/+7/+10) are massive point swings. A completed column (+7) is worth more than almost any other single action in the game. From turn one, identify which rows and columns you can realistically complete, and focus your drafting there.

Manage the Floor Line Aggressively

Floor line penalties compound quickly. Taking 4 tiles of a color when you can only place 2 sends 2 tiles to the floor (-1 or -2 pts each). Evaluate every draft: can you legally place ALL of these tiles? If not, is the penalty worth the benefit?

Starve Opponents of Colors

If you see an opponent desperately needs red tiles to complete a row, draft red even if it's not ideal for you -- especially if the floor line penalty is acceptable. Denying opponents key tiles is often worth a slight personal inefficiency.

First Player Token Calculus

Taking the "1" marker from the center costs you 1 floor penalty but gives you first pick next round. In the early game, this is often worth it when key colors you need are in short supply. In the late game, first pick can be worth 2-3 points of advantage, making the -1 penalty a bargain.

Don't Stack Pattern Lines You Can't Complete

Pattern lines that don't complete by round end stay for next round -- but they lock that row's color. If you have 2 blue tiles in your 4-space row with no blue tiles likely to appear, that row is wasted for the rest of the game. Be realistic about completion timelines.

The -3/-3 Floor Slots Are Catastrophic

The last two floor spaces each cost 3 points. Never let tiles spill into those positions unless you have no alternative. Even accepting a worse factory pick is better than filling your 6th or 7th floor slot.

12 Frequently Asked Questions

Who designed Azul?

Michael Kiesling. Plan B Games, 2017. Spiel des Jahres 2018.

How many factories?

5 for 2 players, 7 for 3, 9 for 4.

What are floor line penalties?

-1, -1, -2, -2, -2, -3, -3 across 7 floor spaces. Max -14 per round.

How does wall scoring work?

Count connected tiles horizontally + vertically. Isolated tile = 1 pt. Connected tile = sum of both groups.

What triggers game end?

At the end of the round in which any player completes a full horizontal wall row.

What are end-game bonuses?

+2 per complete row, +7 per complete column, +10 per all 5 of one color.

Can score go below 0?

No.

Can you choose where on the wall a tile goes?

No -- each row has a fixed color pattern printed on the board.

How long does Azul take?

30-45 minutes for experienced players.

Do incomplete pattern lines carry over?

Yes, with their color locked in.