This is the Azul vs Patchwork game comparison showdown. Both of these games are fantastic abstract strategy games that involve drafting pieces and bringing them into your personal tableau to make strategic clusters of points as space runs out. We dive deep into both. Learn a little about the games the check out our Azul vs Patchwork notes and final verdict.
ABOUT THE GAMES
About Azul (2017): The game that tops the list of the best abstract strategy board games is about helping the king decorate with Portuguese tiles. Azul is a well crafted set collection and pattern building game. You draft sets of tiles against other players in order to create strategic clusters that are going to get you big points.
FOR MORE: Azul Page | How To Play Azul | Azul Review | Games Like Azul | Buy Azul on Amazon
About Patchwork (2014): You compete against another to build the most aesthetic patchwork quilt on a personal 9×9 game board. To start play, all the patches are laid out at random in a circle with a marker placed directly clockwise of the 2-1 patch. On a turn, a player either purchases 1 of the 3 patches standing clockwise of the spool or passes. Lots of complexity ensues and it is up to you to masterfully put together these odd patch pieces into strategic point clusters that give you big points.
FOR MORE: Patchwork Page | How To Play Patchwork | Games Like Patchwork | Buy Patchwork on Amazon
AZUL VS PATCHWORK ANALYSIS
Theme: They are pretty different but like all abstract strategy games the theme is very light. Azul is about decorating a great hall with a mixture of tiles for the King. Patchwork is all about making a quilt. Both are solid backdrops and no clear winner here in Azul vs Patchwork.
Gameplay: These games are very similar. They are both about a medium intensity because they require lots of chess like thought. They run pretty quickly but have plenty of time to get going and be interesting. These both rely on very similar mechanics but are different enough to each be special.
Mechanics: Looking at Azul vs Patchwork, the mechanics are very similar across the board. In both cases, limited materials are put in the middle, you need to take pieces based on the interesting rules of the game and bring them into your personal area where you need to collect sets and create patterns. Patchwork is more about fitting different shaped pieces together while Azul is about getting sets of color together.
Time Commitment: Both have about the same flow and are going to run around that 40-minute mark. There is lots of scoring that takes time but at least the settle and dismantle is not too bad in either given the amount of components.
Player Count: Patchwork is very much a showdown so it is built specifically for 2 players. Azul has a satisfying 2 player mode, but it also scales well to 3 or 4 players. In Azul vs Patchwork, the win here goes to Azul.
Cost: Patchwork is older so it has settled into a lower price point while Azul still has some of that new game gloss to it. They are very reasonable but Patchwork is probably going to be the better deal.
VERDICT
Verdict For the Shelf: Azul (60% of the time) and Patchwork (40% of the time). Both are great games so you will not lose sleep over making either of these your choice but if you are making the tough choice, Azul gets the win. Not only cab Azul accommodate 3 and 4 players instead of just the 2 of Patchwork, the puzzle to figure out is just a bit more interesting.
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