Azul: Stained Glass of Sintra (2018)

The reviewer considers 'Azul: Stained Glass of Sintra' to be the best game in the Azul series, offering a more complex and satisfying scoring experience that also addresses replayability concerns from the original game.

The reviewer highly recommends Azul: Stained Glass of Sintra, considering it a fantastic game that he will keep in his collection. He praises its more interesting choices, increased player control, improved components like the transparent tiles and single scoreboard, and greater variability compared to the original Azul.

“I am happy for both games to reside in my collection and I would choose to play Sintra as it breathes new life into the Azul game which was one of my most played games from 2017. So if you fancy a bit of Moorish glazing then give Azul: Stained Glass of Sintra a try.”

“Geeks Under Grace found Azul: Stained Glass of Sintra to be an equally good, yet different, successor to the original Azul, offering new strategic nuances and a deeper experience that makes it a worthy addition to any game collection.”

The reviewer highly praises Azul as a fantastic, simple, and accessible game with surprising strategic depth, considering it a great entry point into the board gaming hobby that offers a magical experience thanks to its high-quality, tactile components.

The reviewers from The Brothers Murph consider "Azul: Stained Glass of Sintra" to be a great game, even suggesting it might be the superior 'Azul' experience due to its enhanced components, engaging bonus color mechanics, and a more intuitive ruleset compared to the original game.

“The reviewer found Azul: Stained Glass of Sintra to be an enjoyable game and a pleasant twist on the original Azul, which is similar enough to feel familiar yet offers enough differences to justify owning both. They appreciated its balance of strategy and luck.”

“And if we’re somewhere in the middle, we’ll go for Azul: Stained Glass of Sintra. And when playing with mom and the kids, Azul: Stained Glass of Sintra gets the vote most often.”

The reviewer highlights Azul: Stained Glass of Sintra's appealing translucent components and finds its replayability on par with the original Azul. While noting it's less of a gateway game, the reviewer considers it a great game to have in a collection, offering a more challenging experience.

The reviewers found Azul: Stained Glass of Sintra to be a strong and aesthetically pleasing follow-up to the original Azul, with some considering it a slight improvement due to its updated theme and refined mechanics, making it a worthy game, though perhaps too similar to warrant owning both the original and this version.

“Stained Glass of Sintra offers players an enjoyable challenge. The modular board means that your layout changes each game and so too does your strategy.”

Azul: Stained Glass of Sintra offers a more strategic and variable experience than its predecessor, with its unique glazier mechanic and intricate scoring providing deeper choices, despite some elements like the 'broken glass track' being particularly punishing.