Here at BigBossBattle we have a long history with the Azul series. The very first Azul was perhaps our favourite game of 2017, featuring as our best light game of the year. We also loved the second game in this series, known as Azul: Stained Glass of Sintra, thanks to a big change in visual style and gameplay. However, undoubtedly my favourite in the Azul series is the third instalment – known as Azul: Summer Pavilion.
With each of these releases, the complexity has increased incrementally to the point where Summer Pavilion feels like a very different game to the original Azul, albeit with some visual and thematic similarities. This brings me on to Azul: Queens Garden, the fourth and most recent instalment in the series, and by far the most complex.
In Azul: Queens Garden, players will still draft tiles from a central location, but this time, they will also need to consider both the colour of each tile and the image printed on it, and where it might fit in their garden (or rather, in the Queen’s garden.) Tile placement is based on grouping tiles of three together, and there are numerous restrictions on tile-placement which gives Azul: Queens Garden a really crunchy feeling.
Players will also need to consider when and how to draft additional garden tiles (to expand their building space) and how to enclose certain garden features that are already printed on the board. Doing so will yield powerful bonuses and joker tiles, but completing the space around these locations is difficult, due to the placement restrictions as tiles get more and more bunched up.
Whilst Azul: Queens Garden is a very different prospect to the previous iterations of Azul, it most certainly has a home with fans of slightly heavier games. If you like the beautiful visual style of Azul, but found the decisions to be a bit on the light side, then Azul: Queens Garden is going to be well worth a look.
You can find Azul: Queens Garden on Amazon.
This game looks interesting like you could really concentrate and get into it!
It reminds me of spangles, the sweets in the sixties, but this time you can’t eat them but they sparkle and it looks like chess in a unique way.
This game looks fascinating and would be a challenge, which I enjoy
First impression; appealing colour.
Second impression: delightfully complex and challenging for the older members of the family.
It’s colourful and sounds as though it involves thinking.
looks a cool game to play
I have the original, it looks great and like the new mechanic’s love to add this to my collection
This looks a great game and different to the original Azul version. Very colourful, looks a great challenge and I love the look of the tile pieces! Looks a lot of fun!
It’s visually very pretty!
We as a family have board game night regularly. This looks like a game to keep my adult sons happy and not to use tech.
It’s attractive for all the family,young.old and in-between.
Looks colorful and really captivating
The graphics look amazing in this game.
The graphics – pure class
It’s a beautiful looking game, I really appreciate that
Having played the original Azul I would love the challenges with this advanced set. It really is a beautiful game to play.
This looks like it will keep the family busy for a while whilst having fun
I like how this is colourful and fun exciting for the family to enjoy.
Looks a great challenge
The colourfulness of it and the challenge of it
Love playing new games this looks a good one
It looks a real challenge and I love a challenge
The game looks awesome, my family and I have become a bit obsessed with board games recently and this looks like a fab addition to our collection.
Visually it looks great
its one we haven’t played and as a family who love board games
we would love to have this
looks beautiful
It looks amazing. I’ve played the original Azul, and it looks like it’s close enough to be easy to learn, but different enough to be a good challenge in its own right. I’d love to have a go and find out how good it is. And just like the original, the visual look of the game is excellent.
Love the vibrant colours, really draws you in.
It looks like one of those games that simple to pick up but has hidden strategic layers
Looks like its a great game to play
Looks like you have to really think about this game !
it looks like something my son would enjoy
Love the sparkling tiles and it would be great as an upgrade to Nan’s games cupboard now my oldest grandchildren are young adults but still love board games when they come to stay.
its very eye catching!
Looks like something that we could really get our teeth into on games night
I think this game looks really exciting and thought provoking
This looks gorgeous, no idea what’s going on but intriguing!
EXCITING AND CHALLENGING
This game looks as if it will be a real challenge, great to get into to on games night here
It looks like a really involved and challenging game which we need, especially on winter evenings.
i like that a bit of thought is involved
it very colourful
The Game looks challenging I am intrigued to play it
This game looks challenging, one my family would very much be up for
The game looks very interesting and pleasing to the eye
I love all the colours
I like different games, and this certainly looks unique.
this game looks a good challenge
I like the fact that it looks like a different type of game.
Sounds like fun and something my kids would like to try out.
I like that it will take a lot of thought and working out, I do love a game that is challenging
I’ve not tried a new game in a while, so this would be great to try out.