Azul: Summer Pavilion

We are big fans of Azul in my household. We’ve played the original Azul, Azul: Stained Glass of Sintra, and now Azul: Summer Pavilion.This is without a doubt our favorite version of Azul so far. Azul in general is an easy to learn and fun game. Strategically it is not too challenging, but when you plan correctly it can feel extremely satisfying. This edition changes quite a few things from the original, but the best change is the introduction of a bonus tile system. The game has a central pool of tiles that you can pick from when your design meets certain conditions (surrounding specific sections of the board). It is so satisfying to chain together bonuses and out pace your opponent. I also like the introduction of wild tiles. Each round the color of tile that is considered wild changes in a predictable pattern. This makes planning ahead essential. You can even store up to four tiles between rounds which further enhances strategic possibilities. Like all Azul games, the game itself is beautiful. The boards consist of a circle of colored stars, with a central star that can hold one tile of each color. The tiles are vibrantly colored, although I still prefer the semi-transparent tiles from Stained Glass of Sintra. I also like how the score isn’t integrated into the player’s boards like the original Azul. This removes the worry of accidentally moving your score marker. I’ve primarily played it with just two people, and the game remains balanced and fun. Overall, this is a great version of Azul to pick up if you enjoyed the original, or like puzzle games in general.

This game is super fun to play with family and friends. The quality of the box and everything else is amazing.

Highly enjoyable game. Great mechanics. Simple enough for anyone to play and lots of movement to keep it moving quickly if you have that one person who gets distracted easily. I love the tower they give you in this set to refill the drawing bag.

Very nice game! Had a fun time with my family. Quality is good.

The game is relaxing to play but at the same time challenging. There are multiple ways to strategize in this game which makes it super fun and versatile!

Came in great condition and fast love this game.

The game plays similarly to stained glass of Sintra but also pretty different from it too, it feels a bit more relaxed as well. It’s lots of fun once you learn it. The game instructions could be written better as some of it was hard to understand and I had to look up videos on Amazon to learn to play it for some stuff. The game lasts about 30-45 min, it’s sorta laid back and it can take longer to play on your first session for learning. The pieces are durable resin tiles and brightly colored.

Fun twist on the original Azul! Set-up was quick and easy. Learning curve was minimal since we already knew how to play the original Azul. Was different enough from the original Azul that it felt like we were playing a new game. Enjoyed the introduction of the wild tile, carrying over up to 4 tiles each round, having the ability to gain extra tiles for completing different structures on your own player board, and the built in "timer" of only having 6 rounds (this kept the game moving along but without making it feel rushed). Game play was around 30 minutes. Lots of additional points that you can score at the end of the game with completing different goals. Wish that the player boards would have had their own score track like in the original Azul. The communal score board felt cramped when we played with 4 players