Which is Greater? Round 2! Sagrada vs Azul

[@dillenbeck53531]

Is Sagrada really greater? Case in point: In Azul, I can _always_ take my turn - sure, it will all fall to the floor and eat up my points, but I still get to do something. In Sagrada, the dice all come up a particular color or number and I essentially draft a die and throw it out... essentially nothing happens and I have the ever so lovely mechanism of "lose a turn (because the way the dice rolled or were pulled out)". So why do I think Azul should be the winner? First, the bag mixing adds such an interesting element of strategy to the game. Since only the discarded tiles in the game go back in the bag, you need to pay attention to what players have put out on their board. Two rivals grabbed blue tiles? Well, better not count on getting a row of 5 blues very easily because 7 or 8 of those 20 tiles are out of the game. Second, Azul is the _simpler_ game. Giving you the benefit of the doubt that the rules of Sagrada are simpler (however, I find them about equal in rule complexity; meaning they both have about the same number of rules to learn and keep track of), I find the gameplay of Sagrada significantly more complex. You are tracking pips and considering snake drafts and weighing the objective cards plus your secret cards and considering using the tool cards and so on. In Azul, you are focused just on the draft and the pattern of your tiles - you are concerned about what tiles opponents are going for because they affect what you might choose to draft. It focuses you on the mechanism of the game without using distracting complexities. Third was that whole "miss a turn" thing. One thing no one seems to like in a game is a useless turn. Okay, it can happen in Azul - but only if you blocked yourself up and didn't look ahead enough; but in Sagrada one simple roll of the die means you can't use anything near the end by pure dumb luck. Fourth goes along that dumb luck bit - there is no way to mitigate the luck of Sagrada. It is more random. Random tool cards, random dice color draw, random die pips, and a random secret objective. Meanwhile, Azul has random tile draws - then mitigates the luck of the draw by using multiple factories. Okay, maybe you can't get that factory with the 2 tiles you want on it - but there are four places with 1 tiles in it... maybe you can go for something else and let others put it in the center for you. If not, you have lots of other sets to choose from and different objectives. It may be random, but you are drafting from multiple sources and not a single pool each turn. Fifth, Azul gives the player more agency. They even have control over when the game ends rather than a fixed time length. Finally, Azul is all about the big combos. Plunking down tiles anywhere is nice and will get you a point or two, but learning to lay them in a pattern that multiplies against each other and build bonus points for the end game is how you win. Everyone can see what you have going and what you are working on. They can then choose whether they want to draft in order to block you from scoring your pattern r draft in order to score themselves points - and they have to decide on which makes better sense. Often times, working on your own combos might make more sense than blocking an opponent; other times, it doesn't. Of course, Azul is greater for me. The gameplay is more straight forward, which I want from a lighter abstract game, and less luck-based - it is a match of skill and ability to plan (including planning to end the game at the right time). However, I don't think either game is greater - they are filling two different niches in the same general weight category and design type (rules and component light abstract competitive games). If anything, Azul's main competitor is Splendor (and it goes with that same feel of 2 player being more about planning and 4 player being more about reacting to what is left after all the opponents have gone). As to Sagrada's match... I guess you covered that with Roll Player. If you read all this, thanks. You guys aren't wrong, I'm sure for you Sagrada is greater. However, I think these two games aren't competing because they are designed for two very different styles of game play. They are both equally great within their realm, but its like asking which is greater: a really nice umbrella or a weather forecast; yeah, they both will help you avoid the rain, but they are both definitely fitting different personality styles (the boy scout "always prepared" or the gambler "20% chance of rain means I will be safe, so why carry around an umbrella and look silly" types).

[@chaosblow4838]

wow, what an analysis loved to read

[@jessicaside]

I liked round two. I own Azul and have wanted Sagrada. This helps nudge me to get it.

[@avengerkdr]

This is mad! Didn't realise Robin was in another channel! :)

[@juandalf]

I prefer Azul

[@ButOneThingIsNeedful]

Was a little disappointed in the verdict this time, as I recently bought Azul for my wife and I to play together. No prob, I'm sure we'll have a really good time still. :)

[@CreakingShelves]

I'm sure you will!

[@ButOneThingIsNeedful]

@@CreakingShelves Clever name for your channel, btw. I'm not surprised. ;)

[@livavelar974]

Thank you!♥

[@martinlarouche4418]

I think they are the minority on this. Most people prefer Azul. Azul is going to be an evergreen still played everywhere in 10 years. Those games are super rare. Sagrada is already starting to dissappear from the collective consciousness. Azul also sold a lot more than Sagrada by an order of magnitude. This is directly indicative of people's interests.

[@diamondmeeple]

These two pick random ahead of skill...

[@oldgreggscreamybaileys6618]

*However*