Plan B Games | Azul: Stained Glass of Sintra | Board Game | Ages 8+ | 2 to 4 Players | 30 to 45 Minutes Playing Time

Product Information

One player takes control of the scoreboard and puts a marker in each player colour on the zero of the scoring track (to record victory points) and on the zero of the broken glass track (to record negative points). I am so glad to say that Azul: Stained Glass of Sintra remains faithful to the original Azul, while meaningfully building upon it. The game was abstract enough that my mom could join in and not roll her eyes/get bogged down by the minutiae of factions and backstories, simple enough that everyone could understand how to play and, more importantly, how to play well within a few minutes. Each turn, a number of market tiles will be filled with four random transparent plastic tiles, drawn at random and in a possible five different colours. I loved the additional strategic considerations that are needed, and they multiple ways of scoring during and at the end of the game.

This new version has some of the same mechanics as the original Azul (our review can be found here), while introducing some new and more intricate interactions and scoring. The Pattern Strips, also doubled sided, are randomly placed as vertical columns above the Player Board. So points can be swingy, sometimes you will score one point for finishing an entire window, other times you can score upwards of 15 points, it’s all about your planning and knowing when to finish and went to take the right color tiles to do so. The simple, yet elegant, nature of the Glazier dictating where you can place tiles, and allowing you to essentially “skip” your turn changes the math of the game. The first time a player takes tiles from the middle, she takes the first player tile along with those she selected.

Much like Azul, the experience is improved with fantastic components as well as the puzzly gameplay. Firstly, the player scores 1 point for each Pane Piece which matches the colour of the round track’s Pane Piece.

There were many times that I would deliberately not complete a Strip because the majority of the color on the Strip was the bonus for the next round. With the introduction of the glazier pawn, the columns into which you can place tiles are limited unless you skip a turn to reset the pawn.You’ll now select 1 Color Pane Tile of each color, shuffle them, and place them one at a time on the round indicator, starting on Round II. With Sintra, the track does not reset so a few unplaced pieces each round and you will have a significant negative hit at the final scoring. Sintra is a nice variation on a theme that I would be happy to play, but in the long run Azul owns a permanent spot in the collection. Based on Rob’s review of Sintra, it seems like the tension comes from puzzling out how cram as many actions into 6 rounds as possible.

Other times you may want to because it will force your opponent to draft something that they may not want, like when they rested right before you and they must draft Panes.If a section of the design is completed, it is scored and then turned over to reveal a different combination of colours. Adorn the windows of the Palace of Sintra with beautiful stained glass without damaging or wasting supplies in this fun, strategic game.