Azul is one of the most beautiful games on the shelf, all clacky resin tiles and mosaic-laying, and now there is a version pitched squarely at the youngest players. Next Move Games has announced Azul Kids, a stripped-down take on Michael Kiesling's modern classic for ages 5 and up, out on 28 August 2026.
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Start organising for freeThe original Azul, published in 2017, won the 2018 Spiel des Jahres, the hobby's biggest prize, and has been a fixture of family shelves ever since on the strength of those gorgeous tiles and its sharp, tactical drafting. That drafting, taking a colour from a factory display and accepting whatever you leave behind for your rivals, is exactly the bit Azul Kids drops. Instead, younger players pull pieces from a central supply hub and place them straight onto a personal board, racing to be first to finish their chosen mosaic.
It keeps the tactile heart of Azul, the satisfying pieces and the pattern-building, while cutting the agonising decisions that tie grown-ups in knots. For 2 to 4 players and running about half an hour, it is aimed at families who want to play with five- and six-year-olds rather than waiting until they are old enough for the full game.
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Find events near youAzul Kids arrives on 28 August 2026 at $25 (around £19). It is a neat entry point, and if it does for young players what the original did for the rest of us, plenty of households will be starting their collection here. Once the little ones are hooked, find a family-friendly game group nearby.
Sources: Asmodee | Spiel des Jahres | Tabletop Gaming
