To join the person below me, Summer Pavilion is my favorite Azul at 2 players. It is just a more fan game with more depth and it works for my wife and I. More than 2 players, I can see this being an issue. So while I have all 3 , I can see ditching Stained Glass, but keeping the original for 3 or more players and the Summer Pavilion for 2 players.
Nice review :). You conviced me to buy Summer Pavilion for me and my wife in the future, sicne the original one we played like 10 times and we were done with the game, because it felt boring and not challenging enough.
Great review, you made very fair points, I agree I’d love to try it as the mechanisms sounds pretty interesting compared to the original but I don’t see the need to own it.
Great Review. FWIW I agree with you gateway games should lean towards being shorter as the greater the length the higher the chance of losing people along the way.
I agree that gateway games should be shorter, but THIS Azul is absolutely gateway+ .... while you CAN teach someone this skipping the first two versions, I don't think it was meant for that.... this makes Azul a more gamers game. I think most of the argument is the fact that when you think 'Azul' you think quick, easy, gateway. TTR UK, Europe, etc are definitely not the original and they're accepted just fine... this isn't much different than that ideally
Hi Luke. Thanks for the review. This one is in my shortlist but just got Quacks so it will have to wait. I play games 2 players only 99% of the time (me and the missus), how long do you think this takes for a 2 player game and no AP? Keep up the good work!
As a 2 player game summer pavilion is a far better game then original azul. As a 3 or 4 player game original azul is better. However, I think all three azul are best played as a 2 player game which I think makes summer pavilion the best out of the three. I personally think none of the azul should be played as a 4 player game especially with more experienced gamers as strategies never work and 1st player token becomes that much more important. So I think the original and summer pavilion are both excellent games but at different player count.
You're doing something wrong! This game is just as fast or faster than the original... My family will pick this one over the original every time while I think there is room for both. Never played #2 and doin't plan too. Love the fact that this is 6 turns and done. Maybe we're not playing the original correctly, but it takes a lot longer... probably becuase we're purposefully not trying the end the game with 5 in a row... which is a very odd and random way to end the game in my opinion. Can't wait to play Summber Pavillion again tonight!
It may be six turns but it's 6 turns stretched out to basically twice their length due to the lack of any simultaneous play. The normal Azul would always end after 5-6 rounds just by nature of the end condition but each scoring phase is lightning fast. I feel it may be your group doing something wrong if the latter is shorter.
Nearly impossible for regular Azul to end at 5 or 6 as you need 5 in a single row to end that game. I'd say it's more like to be 15-20 rounds as I usually have 2 to 3 vertical columns filled in before I get a horizontal row. I find I'm always trying to prolong Azul #1 to get the bonus and never thought of it as a race to finish.
Scott Elam There is no way people should be letting the first Azul go beyond 10 rounds let alone 15-20. That is when someone is doing something wrong. You literally just need too do the top row 5 times in a row and you trigger the end game. On average it’s a 6-8 round game absolute max. Having two vertical columns means players are getting off easy. And again, each round in azul is half of the length if not less than half of pavilion just by simultaneous scoring alone. Pavilion cannot end quicker than Azul by default of that alone.
@@TheBrokenMeeple When the first Azul ends is always a push and pull. Will you win by triggering it? Should you block someone else from getting it to let you catch up? So the game final rounds (whether 5-6 or 15-20) definitely drags on over the more experienced a group you have (unless ppl don't care and just blindly charge to the end and trigger the end even if it means they lose).
@@TheBrokenMeeple So you're saying you never get the bonus for using all the same color tile... or the vertical bonus? I guess I don't understand the rush to finish. I love setting up my board to score massive points on a turn. I'm guessing your scores are very low as well while my very first game I scored 115 if I recall correctly. Maybe I'll try to see how fast I can finish next time, but I'd be afraid I'll lose. Bonus of 2 points for finishing the game isn't enticing enough. We'll see. We usually have to refill the bag 3 times and I'm guessing you never do.
To join the person below me, Summer Pavilion is my favorite Azul at 2 players. It is just a more fan game with more depth and it works for my wife and I. More than 2 players, I can see this being an issue. So while I have all 3 , I can see ditching Stained Glass, but keeping the original for 3 or more players and the Summer Pavilion for 2 players.
Nice review :). You conviced me to buy Summer Pavilion for me and my wife in the future, sicne the original one we played like 10 times and we were done with the game, because it felt boring and not challenging enough.
Sweet! Whichever of the 3 you prefer, as long as you got something out of it. 👍
By far our favorite Azul at 2 players. Thinking what to do to maximize your score is part of the game which you are trying to win.
Any tips for strategy to score the highest Points. So you go for stars early or?
It's really a case of what do the others do - i like to get stars quick.
Great review, you made very fair points, I agree I’d love to try it as the mechanisms sounds pretty interesting compared to the original but I don’t see the need to own it.
Great Review. FWIW I agree with you gateway games should lean towards being shorter as the greater the length the higher the chance of losing people along the way.
I agree that gateway games should be shorter, but THIS Azul is absolutely gateway+ .... while you CAN teach someone this skipping the first two versions, I don't think it was meant for that.... this makes Azul a more gamers game.
I think most of the argument is the fact that when you think 'Azul' you think quick, easy, gateway. TTR UK, Europe, etc are definitely not the original and they're accepted just fine... this isn't much different than that ideally
Hi Luke. Thanks for the review. This one is in my shortlist but just got Quacks so it will have to wait. I play games 2 players only 99% of the time (me and the missus), how long do you think this takes for a 2 player game and no AP? Keep up the good work!
Prob 45 if you play regularly at 2
I got the same feeling about Summer Pavilion but I love Stained Glass of Sintra ;) so I got mixed feelings about your Azul taste ;D
As a 2 player game summer pavilion is a far better game then original azul. As a 3 or 4 player game original azul is better. However, I think all three azul are best played as a 2 player game which I think makes summer pavilion the best out of the three. I personally think none of the azul should be played as a 4 player game especially with more experienced gamers as strategies never work and 1st player token becomes that much more important. So I think the original and summer pavilion are both excellent games but at different player count.
You're doing something wrong! This game is just as fast or faster than the original... My family will pick this one over the original every time while I think there is room for both. Never played #2 and doin't plan too. Love the fact that this is 6 turns and done. Maybe we're not playing the original correctly, but it takes a lot longer... probably becuase we're purposefully not trying the end the game with 5 in a row... which is a very odd and random way to end the game in my opinion. Can't wait to play Summber Pavillion again tonight!
It may be six turns but it's 6 turns stretched out to basically twice their length due to the lack of any simultaneous play.
The normal Azul would always end after 5-6 rounds just by nature of the end condition but each scoring phase is lightning fast. I feel it may be your group doing something wrong if the latter is shorter.
Nearly impossible for regular Azul to end at 5 or 6 as you need 5 in a single row to end that game. I'd say it's more like to be 15-20 rounds as I usually have 2 to 3 vertical columns filled in before I get a horizontal row. I find I'm always trying to prolong Azul #1 to get the bonus and never thought of it as a race to finish.
Scott Elam There is no way people should be letting the first Azul go beyond 10 rounds let alone 15-20. That is when someone is doing something wrong. You literally just need too do the top row 5 times in a row and you trigger the end game. On average it’s a 6-8 round game absolute max. Having two vertical columns means players are getting off easy. And again, each round in azul is half of the length if not less than half of pavilion just by simultaneous scoring alone. Pavilion cannot end quicker than Azul by default of that alone.
@@TheBrokenMeeple When the first Azul ends is always a push and pull. Will you win by triggering it? Should you block someone else from getting it to let you catch up? So the game final rounds (whether 5-6 or 15-20) definitely drags on over the more experienced a group you have (unless ppl don't care and just blindly charge to the end and trigger the end even if it means they lose).
@@TheBrokenMeeple So you're saying you never get the bonus for using all the same color tile... or the vertical bonus? I guess I don't understand the rush to finish. I love setting up my board to score massive points on a turn. I'm guessing your scores are very low as well while my very first game I scored 115 if I recall correctly. Maybe I'll try to see how fast I can finish next time, but I'd be afraid I'll lose. Bonus of 2 points for finishing the game isn't enticing enough. We'll see. We usually have to refill the bag 3 times and I'm guessing you never do.