Azul: Duel – A Deeper Two-Player Experience?

A review of Azul: Duel and how it met—or missed—my expectations.

I'm one of those players who thinks the original Azul is just about perfect. Aside from the travel edition, I never felt the need to explore other versions. That was, until a dedicated two-player version was released. So how does it compare? Let’s dive into my review of Azul: Duel.

First Impressions: Does It Feel Like a Prototype?

Let’s start with what I believe is Azul: Duel’s biggest flaw—the components. Upon opening the box, I genuinely wondered if I was looking at a prototype. The player boards and central scoring board feel like heavy printed paper—definitely not thin cardboard, but not quite what you'd expect from a finished retail product either. The folding player boards refuse to lay flat on the table. And the tile tower? It’s made of thin paper, must be assembled every time, and doesn’t even fit squarely.

Now, some might argue that Azul: Duel costs about half as much as the mainline Azul games, so the component downgrade is acceptable. But here's the thing—the larger editions of Azul also have poorly designed boards, and their higher price comes from the premium resin tiles. In this version, the tiles are smaller and likely made of a different, less durable material. The rest of the components feel like they were produced on a tight budget without much love or attention to design.

On the upside, the tiles themselves look nice, and the drawstring bag and cardboard pieces are serviceable. However, the dome tiles feature color patterns that sometimes clash visually with the tiles, making it harder to match them at a glance. Overall, I just can’t get over how unfinished the game looks. For a spin-off of such a beloved series, I’d expect Azul: Duel to feel like a premium miniature version—a showcase piece. Sadly, it doesn’t quite deliver in that department.

Gameplay: A Strategic Twist on the Classic Azul

Whether you enjoy Azul: Duel or not will largely depend on your expectations. If you’re hoping for something that mimics the original Azul with a two-player focus, you may be surprised—or disappointed.

Reading the rulebook quickly gives the impression that the mechanics are overly complex. Unlike the original Azul’s elegant simplicity, Azul: Duel leans into strategy and control, with multiple layers of new rules and player choices.

Here’s a brief overview of the core gameplay loop:

On their turn, players can perform one of three actions: draw a dome tile (which determines where tiles can be placed), pick up a tile, or collect a token from the workshop.

Dome tiles show colored spaces and must be placed before laying tiles.

You may collect up to two dome tiles and two tokens per round.

Each game lasts five rounds.

Workshops are split into a day and night zone. In the day phase, players collect tiles similarly to classic Azul—taking all of one color and pushing the rest into the night phase. However, in the night zone, the uncollected tiles stack on hidden tokens. Once a stack is cleared, the token becomes available and can be collected.

Tokens show half-tiles, which help complete sets for scoring. It's a clever twist, but it adds another level of planning and potential analysis paralysis.

Scoring is similar to original Azul, with bonuses for completing patterns, but special bonus tiles and a 6×6 board (instead of 5×5) change the dynamic. The increased complexity and the introduction of dome tiles mean you’ll definitely need a full playthrough to wrap your head around everything.

How Does Azul: Duel Play?

Mechanically, it works. The game becomes a tight back-and-forth battle, where you’re not only racing for the tiles and domes you need but also observing your opponent’s strategy to deny them key pieces. Every turn feels like a small puzzle, and it’s satisfying to outmaneuver your rival.

Adding dome tiles creates an extra layer of control and positioning, and the use of half-tiles for bonus scoring introduces further decisions. Azul: Duel also features eight end-game objective tiles, with three randomly chosen for each session, ensuring replayability.

That said, while the mechanics are solid, the overall feel of the game changes significantly. For me, the joy of building a beautiful mosaic is partially lost. The circular tiles break the visual harmony of the original Azul, and the larger 6×6 board often feels more empty than it should by game’s end. Even with bonus tiles, the final board doesn’t provide the same aesthetic satisfaction.

Maybe one more round would help, but then again, extending the game might drag it out too much and shift its already odd pacing.

Who Is Azul: Duel For?

Azul: Duel is a bit of an oddball. It’s born from a family-friendly, visually stunning series, but comes across as more cerebral and less charming. The gameplay is slower, heavier, and the production quality feels like a step down.

If you’re a fan of Azul and want a more tactical, two-player-only version, this might be for you. At first, I thought its complexity would work better in a multiplayer setting, but the more I played, the more I realized the game’s intricacies are actually well-suited for two-player duels. You get just the right amount of control and interaction. With more players, it would feel like chaos.

Think carefully about what you expect from a two-player Azul. Azul: Duel offers strategic depth, but not necessarily the relaxing, mosaic-building pleasure of the original. If that’s okay with you, you’ll likely find it rewarding. If not, you might want to stick with the classic.