We played Azul: Summer Pavilion at Compulsory Merriment last week. It looks similar to its namesake, with the familiar tiles and player boards, but the game comes with the addition of a tower that looks like something from a Monty Python movie set. Turns out, the tower is used as a place to discard tiles during the game.
Strategy is very different from the original Azul. In Summer Pavilion, you have to gather a particular number of tiles of a certain color to place them on your player board. There’s a wild color on every round to help you with your placement count. Certain patterns on your player board entitle you to take more tiles of whatever color you need. You’re allowed to keep up to 4 tiles between rounds. In short, there’s a lot more strategy to keep track of in Summer Pavilion.
Reviews were mixed in our crowd. Chris and I preferred the original Azul. Mandi liked this one… probably because she plays every game like Miss Muffet on her Tuffet, constantly calculating and scheming for advantage. You know who won this one, right? Do we even need to remind you that Mandi always wins?
30-45 minutes playtime, 2-4 players, Ages 8+