Got a local game shop or a community space that already runs Azul nights? Asmodee just put a Hobby Next Casual Tournament Kit on the table, and the registration window for retailers closes on 30 April. That gives shops less than a week to grab one of the more polished organised play kits the publisher has produced.
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See how it worksThe kit packs alternative tiles for the top four players, swappable first player tiles, a certificate for the winner, a poster for the shop window, and a tournament guide explaining how to run a casual event. Asmodee revealed the kit during Game Store Week 2026 alongside a parallel push for Splendor and Splendor Duel events on International Tabletop Day, 6 June.
Azul sits among the great gateway games, with a 7.7 rating from over 119,000 BGG voters and a 2018 Spiel des Jahres trophy. Designer Michael Kiesling's tile-drafting game plays in 30 to 45 minutes, fits two to four players, and explains in five minutes flat. That makes it almost ideal tournament fodder for a Saturday afternoon at the shop.
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Find events near youFor UK shops, this is exactly the kind of low-effort event that pulls casual gamers off the sofa and into the store. The kit handles the prize structure, the rulebook covers the format, and a single copy of Azul on the demo shelf does the rest of the heavy lifting. If you organise events for your community or run a shop, register through Asmodee's Hobby Next portal before 30 April. Miss the deadline and you're handing out IOUs instead of certificates.
Already planning a tile-drafting tournament at your shop or club? List your event free on Backseat Gamer and let nearby Azul fans know it's happening.
Sources: ICv2 | BoardGameGeek
