The objective of Azul is to accumulate the highest score by strategically collecting and placing tiles on your player board. Players aim to complete horizontal and vertical lines of tiles on their wall, as well as collect all five tiles of a specific color, to earn points. Careful planning is essential to maximize your score while minimizing negative points from leftover tiles.
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FromRON 99· 5 shops
✓ Joculescu · How to play
Cum se joaca Azul? Tutorial & Reguli pe scurt [#96]
Joculescu· 7 min· published Jun 17, 2023Partner
⚡ the rules in 60 seconds▶ auto · 1/6
🧩
01
Setup
Each player gets a player board and a black cube for scoring, placing it at zero. The first player tile is placed in the middle of the table, surrounded by a number of factory display discs (5 for 2 players, 7 for 3, 9 for 4). All 100 tiles are placed in a bag, then four random tiles are drawn and placed on each factory display disc.
To set up Azul, each player receives a player board, ensuring the colorful side is facing up for the standard game. A black cube is given to each player to track their score, starting at zero on the scoring track. The first player tile is placed in the center of the table. Factory display discs are arranged in a circle around it; use 5 discs for a 2-player game, 7 for a 3-player game, and all 9 for a 4-player game. All 100 colored tiles are placed into the cloth bag and shaken. Finally, four random tiles are drawn from the bag and placed onto each factory display disc.
02
Objective
The objective of Azul is to accumulate the highest score by strategically collecting and placing tiles on your player board. Players aim to complete horizontal and vertical lines of tiles on their wall, as well as collect all five tiles of a specific color, to earn points. Careful planning is essential to maximize your score while minimizing negative points from leftover tiles.
03
On your turn
During a player's turn, they choose to take tiles from either a single factory display or from the center of the table. When taking from a factory display, a player must take all tiles of one specific color. Any remaining tiles on that disc are moved to the center. If taking from the center, a player also takes all tiles of one specific color, along with the first player token. The first player token and any tiles that cannot be placed on a pattern line are moved to the player's floor line, which incurs negative points. Tiles are then placed on the player's pattern lines, matching the color of the tile to the corresponding space on the wall. Once a pattern line is full, one tile from that line is moved to the wall, and the rest are discarded to the box lid.
04
Scoring
At the end of each round, after all tiles have been taken, players calculate their scores. For each tile moved to the wall, points are awarded based on its position. A tile scores one point for itself, plus one point for each adjacent tile in the same horizontal row and each adjacent tile in the same vertical column. If a tile is part of both a horizontal and vertical line, it is counted twice. Any tiles remaining on a player's floor line incur negative points, as indicated on the player board. These points are immediately added or subtracted from the player's score using their black cube.
05
Game end
The game concludes immediately after any player completes a full horizontal line of five tiles on their wall. After the current round's scoring, final bonus points are awarded. Players receive 2 bonus points for each completed horizontal line, 7 bonus points for each completed vertical line, and 10 bonus points for each set of all five tiles of a single color on their wall. The player with the highest total score after all bonus points are tallied is declared the winner.
06
Tips
When placing tiles, remember that you cannot place a tile of a certain color in a row if that color is already present in the corresponding wall line. This limitation requires careful planning of your tile placements. Utilize the black cubes on your player board to continuously track your score throughout the game, making it easier to manage points and identify potential scoring opportunities or penalties. Strategic tile selection can also involve denying opponents specific tiles they need or forcing them to take negative points by leaving undesirable tiles in the center.
🔬 game anatomy
Complexity1.8 / 5
BGG rating7.7 / 10
Vibe
CouplesFamilyStrategy
Language dependence
No in-game text needed
🌐 plays without English
Play time
30–45 min
Players
2–4
Recommended age
8+ yrs
BGG rank
#99
✨ from Trișache · verified
Frequently asked questions
Q1What is the goal of the game?
The objective of Azul is to accumulate the highest score by strategically collecting and placing tiles on your player board. Players aim to complete horizontal and vertical lines of tiles on their wall, as well as collect all five tiles of a specific color, to earn points. Careful planning is essential to maximize your score while minimizing negative points from leftover tiles.
Q2How do you set up the game?
To set up Azul, each player receives a player board, ensuring the colorful side is facing up for the standard game. A black cube is given to each player to track their score, starting at zero on the scoring track. The first player tile is placed in the center of the table. Factory display discs are arranged in a circle around it; use 5 discs for a 2-player game, 7 for a 3-player game, and all 9 for a 4-player game. All 100 colored tiles are placed into the cloth bag and shaken. Finally, four random tiles are drawn from the bag and placed onto each factory display disc.
Q3How does a turn work?
During a player's turn, they choose to take tiles from either a single factory display or from the center of the table. When taking from a factory display, a player must take all tiles of one specific color. Any remaining tiles on that disc are moved to the center. If taking from the center, a player also takes all tiles of one specific color, along with the first player token. The first player token and any tiles that cannot be placed on a pattern line are moved to the player's floor line, which incurs negative points. Tiles are then placed on the player's pattern lines, matching the color of the tile to the corresponding space on the wall. Once a pattern line is full, one tile from that line is moved to the wall, and the rest are discarded to the box lid.
Q4How is scoring calculated?
At the end of each round, after all tiles have been taken, players calculate their scores. For each tile moved to the wall, points are awarded based on its position. A tile scores one point for itself, plus one point for each adjacent tile in the same horizontal row and each adjacent tile in the same vertical column. If a tile is part of both a horizontal and vertical line, it is counted twice. Any tiles remaining on a player's floor line incur negative points, as indicated on the player board. These points are immediately added or subtracted from the player's score using their black cube.
Q5When and how does the game end?
The game concludes immediately after any player completes a full horizontal line of five tiles on their wall. After the current round's scoring, final bonus points are awarded. Players receive 2 bonus points for each completed horizontal line, 7 bonus points for each completed vertical line, and 10 bonus points for each set of all five tiles of a single color on their wall. The player with the highest total score after all bonus points are tallied is declared the winner.
Q6What tips are there for beginners?
When placing tiles, remember that you cannot place a tile of a certain color in a row if that color is already present in the corresponding wall line. This limitation requires careful planning of your tile placements. Utilize the black cubes on your player board to continuously track your score throughout the game, making it easier to manage points and identify potential scoring opportunities or penalties. Strategic tile selection can also involve denying opponents specific tiles they need or forcing them to take negative points by leaving undesirable tiles in the center.
Q7How much does Azul cost?
Azul costs between 99 and 239 RON across Romanian stores.
Q8Where can I buy Azul cheapest?
The lowest price for Azul right now is 99 RON at Regatul Jocurilor. The Prices tab lists every store currently tracking it.
Q9How do you play Azul?
Azul is a abstract strategy game, for 2–4 players, taking ~30–45 minutes, featuring chaining. Check the Rules tab for setup, gameplay, and scoring, or ask Trișache anything about Azul — our AI assistant built by howtoplay.ro and trained specifically on board game rulebooks.