How to Play

Azul: Master Chocolatier

2-4 players 30-45 min 7.9 Board Game Geek Rating

Players draft chocolate-themed tiles from factories to decorate their boards in this Azul variant. The double-sided factory boards offer classic gameplay on one side and special rule modifications on the other. Score points through strategic tile placement, pattern completion, and set collection while avoiding waste penalties. Highest score wins.

Published 2022

Get Ready

Setup the game with these step-by-step instructions before diving into your turn.

Distribute player boards

Give each player a player board and flip it to the side with the colored chocolate box (all players must use the same side)

Place scoring markers

Each player takes 1 scoring marker and places it on space "0" of their score track

Arrange Factory displays

Place Factory displays (blue side visible) in a circle around the center of the table:

Prepare the tile bag

Fill the bag with all 100 tiles (20 of each of the 5 colors)

Determine starting player

The player who most recently ate chocolate takes the starting player marker

Fill Factory displays

The starting player fills each Factory display with exactly 4 tiles randomly drawn from the bag

Return unused components

Put any unused player boards, scoring markers, and Factory displays back in the game box

On Your Turn

What you can do during your turn.

Place starting marker

The starting player places the starting player marker in the center of the table, then takes the first turn

Pick tiles from Factory

Choose all tiles of the same color from any one Factory display, then move remaining tiles from that display to the center of the table

Pick tiles from center

Alternatively, choose all tiles of the same color from the center of the table

Add tiles to pattern line

Place picked tiles in one of your 5 pattern lines (line 1 holds 1 tile, line 5 holds 5 tiles)

Handle excess tiles

If you picked more tiles than fit in your chosen pattern line, place excess tiles in the foundry line from left to right

Accept penalty tiles

Tiles in the foundry line will cost minus points; if foundry line is full, return extra tiles to the game box lid

End Factory offer

This phase ends when the center of the table AND all Factory displays contain no more tiles

Process pattern lines

Go through your pattern lines from top to bottom

Move completed tiles

For each complete pattern line, move the rightmost tile to the matching color space in the corresponding chocolate box line

Score placed tiles

Each time you move a tile, score points immediately:

Clear incomplete lines

Remove all tiles from pattern lines that now have no tile in the rightmost space and place them in the game box lid

Keep remaining tiles

Tiles still on pattern lines stay for the next round

Apply foundry penalties

For each tile in your foundry line, lose points as indicated above each space (minimum score is 0)

Clear foundry line

Remove all tiles from your foundry line to the game box lid; keep the starting player marker in front of you if you have it

Check for game end

If any player has completed a horizontal line of 5 consecutive tiles, proceed to end of game scoring

Refill Factory displays

The player with the starting player marker refills each Factory display with 4 tiles from the bag

Refill empty bag

If the bag is empty, refill it with all tiles from the game box lid and continue filling displays

Handle tile shortage

If you run out of tiles with none in the lid, start the new round even if not all Factory displays are properly filled

Winning

How to claim victory.

Trigger game end

The game ends immediately after the Box confection phase in which at least one player has completed a horizontal line of 5 consecutive tiles in their chocolate box

Score horizontal lines

Gain 2 points for each complete horizontal line of 5 consecutive tiles in your chocolate box

Score vertical lines

Gain 7 points for each complete vertical line of 5 consecutive tiles in your chocolate box

Score complete colors

Gain 10 points for each color of which you have placed all 5 tiles in your chocolate box

Determine winner

The player with the most points on their score track wins the game

Break ties

In case of a tie, the tied player with more complete horizontal lines wins; if still tied, victory is shared