Games like Azul: 7 tile and puzzle games to try next
Last checked 11 November 2026
Quick answer: Kingdomino is the quickest step on, at about 15 minutes for 2 to 4. Cascadia and Harmonies are calm tile and token puzzles that also play solo. Patchwork is the pick for two. Splendor and Castle Combo have the same easy rules and tense choices, and Faraway is a clever card puzzle for up to 6.
Azul is the one where you grab colourful tiles from shared piles and fit them onto your board to decorate a palace wall. People love it for three things: it's simple to learn, it looks lovely on the table and every pick is a small puzzle, with a bit of sneaky blocking. These seven games keep that feel. Most are about placing tiles or cards on your own board, and all of them are quick to teach. Player counts, ages and times come from the publishers, and each card says how easy it is to teach.
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1. Kingdomino
Pick domino-style land tiles and fit them into your own little 5-by-5 kingdom. Matching landscapes score points.
- Players
- 2 to 4 players
- Age
- 8+
- Play time
- about 15 minutes
- Our teaching rating
- Very easy to teach
Why it suits this: The closest in spirit and the quickest. Pick domino-style land tiles and fit them into your own little 5-by-5 kingdom, matching landscapes to score. Blue Orange Games says 2 to 4 players, 8 and up, about 15 minutes, and it's very easy to teach.
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Details last checked 9 November 2026.
2. Cascadia
Each turn you take a habitat tile and an animal, building a nature landscape where your bears, salmon and hawks are happy.
- Players
- 1 to 4 players
- Age
- 10+
- Play time
- about 45 minutes
- Our teaching rating
- Easy to teach
Why it suits this: Each turn you take a habitat tile and an animal, building a nature landscape where your bears, salmon and hawks are happy. It has the same calm, pretty, puzzly feel as Azul with a bit more to think about. AEG says 1 to 4 players, 10 and up, about 45 minutes, so it works solo too.
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Details last checked 26 October 2026.
3. Harmonies
Stack coloured wooden tokens into mountains, trees and rivers on your board, then build the habitats your animal cards ask for. Has a solo mode.
- Players
- 1 to 4 players
- Age
- 10+
- Play time
- about 30 minutes
- Our teaching rating
- Easy to teach
Why it suits this: Stack coloured wooden tokens into mountains, trees and rivers on your board, then build the habitats your animal cards ask for. If you like handling the pieces in Azul, this is the one. Libellud says 1 to 4 players, 10 and up, about 30 minutes, with a solo mode, and it was on the 2024 Spiel des Jahres (Germany's big game of the year award) recommended list.
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Details last checked 19 October 2026.
4. Patchwork
Buy oddly shaped fabric patches with buttons and fit them into your quilt. Think friendly Tetris for two.
- Players
- 2 players only
- Age
- 8+
- Play time
- about 30 minutes
- Our teaching rating
- Easy to teach
Why it suits this: The pick if you mostly play Azul as a pair. Buy oddly shaped fabric patches with buttons and fit them into your quilt, a bit like friendly Tetris. It's 2 players only, 8 and up, about 30 minutes.
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Details last checked 9 November 2026.
5. Splendor
You're a Renaissance jewel merchant. Collect gem tokens to buy cards that give you permanent discounts, and race to 15 points.
- Players
- 2 to 4 players
- Age
- 10+
- Play time
- about 30 minutes
- Our teaching rating
- Easy to teach
Why it suits this: Less about tiles, more about the same simple-rules, tense-choices feel. You're a Renaissance jewel merchant collecting gem tokens to buy cards that give you permanent discounts, racing to 15 points. It's 2 to 4 players, 10 and up, about 30 minutes.
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Details last checked 26 October 2026.
6. Castle Combo
Pick nine characters from the castle and the village to fill a three-by-three grid. Most cards score from what sits around them, so the last few picks turn into a proper little puzzle.
- Players
- 2 to 5 players
- Age
- 10+
- Play time
- about 25 minutes
- Our teaching rating
- Easy to teach
Why it suits this: Pick nine characters from the castle and the village to fill a three-by-three grid. Most cards score from what sits around them, so the last few picks turn into a proper little puzzle, much like the end of an Azul round. KOSMOS says 2 to 5 players, 10 and up, about 25 minutes, and it was on the 2025 Spiel des Jahres recommendation list.
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Details last checked 19 October 2026.
7. Faraway
Build a row of cards on a journey across Alula, then score it backwards, from the last card you laid to the first. Johannes Goupy and Corentin Lebrat's twist makes every pick a puzzle.
- Players
- 2 to 6 players
- Age
- 10+
- Play time
- 15 to 30 minutes
- Our teaching rating
- Takes a little explaining
Why it suits this: Build a row of cards on a journey across Alula, then score it backwards, from the last card you laid to the first. It's the most brain-bending game here, but there's very little to it on paper. Pandasaurus Games says 2 to 6 players, 10 and up, 15 to 30 minutes. It takes a round to click.
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Details last checked 21 October 2026.
Which game like Azul is best for…
- A quick game for 2 to 4: Kingdomino.
- Playing solo: Cascadia or Harmonies.
- Two players: Patchwork.
- A group of 5 or 6: Castle Combo (up to 5) or Faraway (up to 6).
Azul questions
How many players is Azul?
Next Move Games says Azul is for 2 to 4 players, age 8 and up, and takes 30 to 45 minutes.
Is there a game like Azul for one player?
Cascadia and Harmonies both have solo modes and the same calm, puzzly feel.
More ideas: games like Carcassonne, games like Wingspan, board games for couples and family board games for all ages.
How we choose and check
We pick games for the situation, and ignore hobby rankings and hype. Player counts, ages and play times come from the publisher's own page or the box. If we can't confirm a detail there, we leave it off the card. The teaching rating is our own view from reading the rules, not a publisher figure. Nobody pays us to include a game. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. See how we make money.