Azul for Two

One of the most beloved abstract games, 🟧 Azul, just got a new 2-player version: 🔷 Azul Duel! 🥳 You might be wondering how it compares to the original. I’d say it adds just enough to make it more involved without making it much more complex if it is just the two of you playing. Let me break it down!

The core is pretty much the same. 👉 You draft the acrylic tokens each round and place them into rows, making sure each row only ever has one color. When all the tokens are drafted the round is over and you can move tokens from finished rows into the palace ceiling you're decorating, scoring points in the usual way. 🙂 The only difference here is that the acrylic tokens are circular now, and there are 6 rows instead of 5, so the bottom-most row is even harder to complete.

Drafting works slightly differently. 🧐 You still take all tokens of the same color from a workshop at once, but the rest isn’t just slid to the middle, instead you get to stack them as a little column on that workshop. Instead of taking tokens from the middle as in the original Azul, you can take tokens from the top of these columns instead. ☝️This way you have more agency to deny certain colors for your opponent or cleverly set it up for yourself. 

Another difference is how the grid you are trying to fill up with tokens isn’t preprinted on your board. Instead you will draft 2 ceiling tiles each round which show 4 colored spaces to fill up, so by the end you will have a 6x6 grid to complete. Additionally, you’ll collect little bonus tiles that help you complete your color-rows if you are missing a token or two. Thus besides picking acrylic tokens every turn, you can also get a ceiling tile or a bonus tile. This gives you even more agency, and some options to stall for a better opportunity. 😉

Finally, there are more scoring tiles now. 🏆 Instead of scoring extra for completed rows/columns you can randomly choose from a few additional ones to shake things up a bit. 🎨The game looks phenomenal, but that probably goes without saying - after all, that is primary the common element between Azul versions out there. 🤩