Miami Dice - Azul: Stained Glass of Sintra

Tom, Zee, and Sam take a look at the newest incarnation of Azul, Stained Glass of Sintra!!
00:00 - Introduction
01:45 - Game overview
07:24 - Final thoughts
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BGG Link: www.boardgamegeek.com/boardga...

[@dropkickpikachu]

The placement of Sam's head frequently results in "Ass of Sintra" throughout the video and it's cracking me up.

[@sirhamalot8651]

Not sure why the original and this game do not come with TWO bags. One to draw from, another to discard. When you’re ready to reuse the tiles, just switch bags. Simple.

[@simonlavender]

We use a spare Altiplano bag

[@karlrim]

The stained glass version of the game has a little paper box to hold all the discarded tiles. It's a simple matter to dump the contents of the box into the bag when you need to draw more tiles.

[@sirhamalot8651]

@@karlrim So I see...still I'd prefer a second, durable cloth bag to a flimsy paper box. Fortunately, I can just grab the bag from the other Azul game.

[@boardgamebeacon]

If I had a second bag I know I'd end up drawing tiles from the wrong bag! :D

[@guillermoz4914]

Board Game Beacon yup

[@citmod]

After playing this at Essen I found that this game will be actually easier to teach than the original. The reason why I think so is due to the scoring, which is far more intuitive in this version that the last one. The scoring was always the one part where people needed extra explanation when explaining the game. The other reason is the tile placement, which I also find more intuitive than the original. I liked Azul, however I will be replacing it with this immediately after it comes out.

[@boardgamecloset]

citmod so true. Every time I’ve taught Azul the scoring trips people up. Sometimes even near the end they still don’t understand the scoring.

[@ningaubleotse171]

@@boardgamecloset Not sure where I heard it ... But some video or reddit post about Azul explained the scoring in Azul like creating new words off of old words in scrabble. I bring that up and people just seem to get it.

[@imasexydinosaur2656]

I think what made the original Azul appealing was at that it's very simplistic, easy to learn and teach. You also have a beautiful grid by the end of the game. This just doesn't have the charm that the original did

[@guillermoz4914]

Ryu Soma agreed

[@LookAtTheBacon]

Yup, agreed

[@GreysonDKB]

Well said. I totally agree.

[@wl5609]

Great review, and now I know I don't need to buy this version. I own both original Azul and Sagrada, both fun games. Tom, I really love your attire of late and the way you play with color. Perfect for a master boardgamer!.. 💕

[@Illumas]

Sam, Of COURSE I need another game.

[@Karujin277]

You could also print the boards for the new one on BGG and play with the original rules which is a good consideration to have.

[@adamkenney6932]

The only thing I'm not really digging is the idea that by the end of the game you aren't looking at a beautiful stained glass creation, because you'll be removing strips as you score them. That is, unless I missed something.

[@ccggenius]

I mean... you keep a pretty little strip around the bottom so you can keep track of where everyone is. In these modern times, I hear many people PREFER that well-pruned look.

[@falconashek8913]

I heard about this coming out. I prefer the stain glass as well. This will be joining my other games at the table.

[@maryzuffi1599]

Omg waiting patiently for my copy to be delivered - not an expansion - a new Azul concept - I will be keeping both - two good games - light gamer approved👍

[@KingFatBurger]

"I challenge you to Azul you rapscallion!" said the Azulist

[@stevenstewartmusic]

Do you need this if you have Azul? For us, we like both. If you only play with a gaming group or just your family, STAINED GLASS is enough like the original to be enjoyable, but with it's own unique DNA and strong variation and new strategic play/ scoring elements to feel like a deeper experience. Azul is much easier and quicker to teach if your family has visitors come to play (kids' friends, relatives) and there is something satisfying with the streamlined clarity and setup of the original. STAINED GLASS does demand a bit more from players with a bit more setup/ management of scoring. Overall, this is a new game with familiar mechanics, so its not hard to teach players who already like AZUL, but also offers a richer experience for those who are wanting to take AZUL to the next level. If you dont have either game and can only get one, it will mostly depend on if you want a more complex or a simply elegant version. As much as I love STAINED GLASS, I would still recommend AZUL first for those who expect to play with different players or if the other player is a casual gamer. I would recommend STAINED GLASS if you only play with your significant other or same gaming group and want a bit more depth and challenge. AZUL: Elegantly simple to teach and play. Streamlined experience with easy setup and scoring. Plays well with both gamers and non-gamers. STAINED GLASS: More complex and more choices, but not hard to teach. Richer experience and more to pay attention to during play. Both look very different on the table and the components (other than the flimsy broken glass tower) are STUNNING. (If you want to keep the vibe, but want something more hearty, steal the dice box from SAGRADA 5-6 player expansion for your broken glass tower. It fits the theme and is sturdy.)

[@JamieFitzgerald]

I have both Sagrada and the original Azul and love them both. This kind of combines them but doesn’t seem to result in a better game.

[@gameweekend8289]

I like Azul, but what you guys were saying about getting stuck with pieces and being able to count it out is definitely a negative of that game. I’m so happy to hear that this is fixed. It’s the exact reason I won’t play seven wonders duel without pantheon. Because it adds another layer of choice.

[@Radien]

I call the tiles in the original Azul “Starburst.” In this one, though? There's no question - they are JOLLY RANCHERS. 👍🏻 I'm really perplexed why people keep saying this is an improvement, though. It took out the grid and replaced it with just columns. It gave up all the grid-based endgame bonuses and instead had the four corners mechanic, which requires no spatial thinking. The only major strategic addition was the pawn. I don't like having a pawn in this type of tableau/mat game, because the way it limits you feels silly. People speak of the strategy added, but in Sintra it's merely a matter of making sure you don't reset at a bad time. In the original Azul, you can change the turn flow by adjusting your choice of what to take, thus influencing who plays last in the round.

[@Atlasfilms08]

I feel like in two years we’ll still be talking about the original Azul but we won’t be talking about this game.

[@chriswinston1223]

I seriously doubt we'll be talking about either. They are okay games, but there is so much coming out there's just no way Azul will remain in rotation for very long.

[@IIIWITHOUTaNAMEIII]

@@chriswinston1223 I don't know. Especially non gamers love Azul from my experience. I played with two different groups and from each group the non gamers loved and bought it. I think its pretty big and will get bigger.

[@blaze0015]

@@IIIWITHOUTaNAMEIII agreed. Great game, especially to play with casual gamers. I think Azul will stick around for a while.

[@CharlesCom-bd2qb]

I think its because Azul achieve to be a really good game for non gamer. This one wants to give more meat but I wonder if its putting it in a weird place where its still not meaty enough for "real" gamer yet harder to explain to non gamer. I think what was fun with azul was how easy it was to explain to people.

[@codym6376]

It’s faded a bit but Azul is still being talked about

[@bobnetherton4957]

Thanks for the review. It helps me answer the question - if I have Sagrada and the original Azul, do I need this one ? I think the answer is simple - NO. I do agree that this one is probably the better Azul, but it certainly isn't the better Sagrada. I'm better served putting that money into the upcoming Sagrada expansions.

[@xshadowscreamx]

Sargrada so good Azul trying to steal its glass.

[@Moerbs83]

Azul: The Sagrada Edition

[@iveo83]

Personally I like Sagrada better than Azul and It looks like Sagrada is better than this one too.

[@chriswinston1223]

Agreed. Sagrada is a much more interesting game with better decisions.

[@SykoLiu]

Aside from the similar themes, I really don’t see the two games as similar. Sagrada is a dice game (and is inferior to Roll Player, but I digress. :P), whereas this is a tile laying game. Sure they both have drafting, but if they made a Sushi Go version about stained glass, it wouldn’t suddenly be comparable to Sagrada, so I don’t see why this is.

[@aquaknot]

@@SykoLiu Yeah calling this a ripoff of Sagrada is like calling Clank! a ripoff of Warhammer because it has a dragon. Or that Dice Forge is a ripoff of Craps because they're both dice rolling games. It just so happens that they're both abstract games with a stained glass theme.

[@JDTonkleton]

Agreed. Except I wouldn't call Sagrada an abstract strategy game. It's more a dice drafting/placement game.

[@petec3250]

10:48 - lol you stopped yourself from saying bathroom. :)

[@GusG_]

I like heavy games but I prefer the simplicity of Kingdomino vs queendomino. This appears to be the same case. Less is more!

[@joshuajones3119]

I agree. There's a certain elegance to some simpler games. I tend to part ways with these guys when they champion a more complicated version of certain games that I think work as they are, like Azul and Kingdomino as you mentioned. I found it interesting that they seem to have reverted to preferring King of Tokyo after originally siding with King of New York when it came out. Some games weren't meant to be complicated.

[@MeanNGreen17]

I think the original looks better especially towards the end of the game.

[@Radien]

I agree. Stained Glass of Sintra at no point results in a big “window” of adjacent stained glass pieces. It does not make my brain's pattern-loving synapses tingle.

[@amethystwolf24572]

Tom, have you ever visited cultures which have beautiful mosaic traditions? Because places like Spain, Morocco, etc have mosaics that are definitely worth popping over to see!

[@onurkaya844]

i wonder size of pane pieces 1 cm or 1,5 cm ?

[@julianrivas1224]

Azulejos would directly (improperly) translate to Bluers or Bluists. They were tile makers/layers that used exclusively azure blue tiles for noble peoples haciendas during the Arab occupation of Spain.

[@directassault1662]

I faced it all and I stood tall and did it my way

[@fearanarchy]

I still always process it as Azul: Chairman edition too

[@unlimitedrabbit]

I see what you did there.

[@EPSTomcat11]

Oh man I got lost pretty quickly in this explanation... Still don't get it. Also I don't get how taking glass from the floor is breaking glass.

[@tsimpkins43228]

I would play it.

[@Redskies453]

Sticking people with a huge pile of discards was the best thing about the original. It's what I miss most in this one.

[@Runehorn]

I don't see much of a game here, nore do I think it looks good at all. But that's from looking at a video. I would try it if it was on the table, but I can't see. I'm usually stumped on why some games become popular and some don't.

[@Radien]

The real question here is: which do you like better? A. Starburst, or B. Jolly Ranchers? Seriously though, I've never seen what the big deal is about this game compared to the original. It has a couple new elements, yes, but it drops others. The one I miss the most is the grid from the original Azul. Stained Glass of Sintra doesn't have a grid - it has a series of columns that don't interact with each other. I miss the horizontal axis. Heck, not only does the horizontal no longer matter, but neither does the vertical. Each column is just a shopping list. I don't like that the pieces no longer touch each other, not just because it no longer has an impact on the game, but it also doesn't look like a proper stained glass window because the colored “glass” pieces don't touch each other. All in all, I'd say if you want a pretty stained-glass-themed drafting game that's a little bit like Azul but different enough to be its own game, get Sagrada instead. It looks better, plays better, and is more original.

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

I enjoyed it, but I'm with Tom - there is zero reason to own both, they are 90% the same game because the enjoyable part of Azul wasn't the scoring, it was the tile taking/placement mechanism. Here, that's identical except for a little worker and revised negative points. I like it, but basically, pick your poison. Do you want simplicity or a little extra meat. I have the original, I'll hang on to that one.

[@Haladras]

Not a very holistic view. That tile drafting mechanism is heavily impacted by those adjacent mechanisms. The ubiquity of broken glass alone gives you more options than the original. In plain old Azul, you'd take a huge hit if you opted to take another person's tiles without a suitable place for them; in Sintra, the negative points are more of a cumulative effect and the broken glass can manage to move your glazier forward. Broken glass becomes a common strategy. As someone who's seen and enjoyed your videos and text reviews, I gently suggest that your analysis can be a bit reductive. Games are synthesized, not built around their cachet (as much as games’ ads may have you believe otherwise).

[@RowantarotBlogspot]

Oh, it's not as pretty as I'd hoped.

[@jonathanhowe42]

I'm with Sam on this one - I've gotten hosed too many times by being forced to take the leftovers that put a bunch of tiles into the penalty area with Azul that it turned me off the game as far as purchasing. So I definitely want to try this version out & see how it plays out.

[@hanng1242]

There are no Sintras, there is only Azul.

[@wetwillyccma]

I am keeping Azul when I get this game. Why would I give it up? Sometimes you want to change it up. They are both fun to play. You guys sometimes throw me off on your recommendations. On other games that are a like from the same publisher you have said you should own both. Oh well.

[@ccggenius]

Their shelves are VERY full, and I think Tom has had to restrict himself to owning no more than 100 games to keep it somewhat manageable. In that context, I could see not wanting to keep both.

[@GreysonDKB]

Vasel said in his Nov 2017 Q&A that he keeps his collection at around 350 games. About 5% of the games he's played. I'm also keeping Azul. I love it. For us it's largely replaced Splendor.

[@willyum3108]

I like Azul, but not really feeling the flow of this one.

[@MrJankTv]

Am I the only one who wants this just for the 1st Player Token/Tile???

[@fargonews]

Is it like Kingdomino and Queendomino?

[@iveo83]

I'm guessing this is a joke but I'll answer it seriously anyways.... no

[@fargonews]

@@iveo83 It wasn't a joke. I haven't made myself clear. I was asking if the comparison could be made in the sense that both Kingdomino and Azul are more gateway and Queendomino and Stained Glass are more gamers' games. At least that was my perception at the end of the review =)

[@iveo83]

@@fargonews oh I see what you are saying I haven't played this one but I got that feeling too. Personally I find Azul pretty complicated and not needing further depth. According to them its shallow and easy, guess I'm just dumb lol

[@ccggenius]

Do note: you can combine the two dominoes to make a bigger game. Not so here.

[@bethanyrimington-warner7757]

You don’t ever need another game- ok dad. Lol.

[@LEGnewTube]

I think I would like this one better than the original game wise, but I don't like the design of this one. The stained glass pieces remind me more of jolly rancher than stained glass. They look like candies.

[@thedangeroussaint]

Does it replace Sagarda?

[@MeanNGreen17]

thedangeroussaint Why would it? They aren’t the same type of game.

[@madifinley7018]

There have been games that didn't look good until I played them. This game falls deeply into that category. It sure looks ugly in this video. It looks like Lozenge the board game.

[@unlimitedrabbit]

Can't wait for the Mentho-eucalyptus expansion.

[@piratedan0]

I love this game. BUT. I cannot express how much it bothers me that the PINK squares on the player board are associated with RED plastic pieces. Petty, I know.

[@DanieleMazzoni]

Wait, what? Zee is explaining the game of Miami Dice? I don't understand! :)

[@theplaidpirate]

It made me happy :)

[@LookAtTheBacon]

Often these days...also Sam. Watch more Miami Dice sir :)

[@jcpfitz]

"you don't need another game" ---- down comes the mood of the video. It showed on Tom's face that it was a bummer of a statement. Sam should know by now by what Tom meant by that statement.

[@LiterallyUnplayable]

James Fitzgerald no

[@vonwoolf9963]

I think you blow this way out of proportion.

[@JamieFitzgerald]

Sam’s the buzzkill. That’s his role. I don’t always appreciate it, but I get it.

[@vonwoolf9963]

@@JamieFitzgerald What?

[@JamieFitzgerald]

@@vonwoolf9963 Maybe "straight man" is the nicer descriptor. He's the serious one, the who frowns and shakes his head when the others tell corny jokes, the one who keeps things in perspective and the excitement in check.

[@bricelory9534]

Wait...1.5 thumbs?? Why do they *hate* Azul, gamers, and gamer's mothers with a score like that?? /endsarcasm

[@MG-oj7rr]

This game have a pretty boring look, dunno just not exite me a all, the looks kinda makes me not care for mechanics... mb my opinion would change after playing it, but now deffinatly pass.

[@diosamente]

Thumbs?? C'mon guys, that's not a unit of measurement. 1 & 1/2 glass azulejos up

[@spannyb]

Didn't like te original one and love the new one.

[@XRay44]

Sagrada > Azul. Sorry. Azul is boring. So many more choices with Sagrada.

[@SuperPilotMike]

Azul is boring. Not sure why it is so popular.