Azul is one of those rare games that’s as stunning to look at as it is fun to play—and that makes it the perfect inspiration for a themed game night. Whether you’ve read my Azul review or explored my Azul strategy guide, this post will help you create an immersive, colorful, and delightfully sweet evening that captures everything great about the game.
🌟 Set the Scene: Decor & Atmosphere
Start with a rich blue or royal purple tablecloth to represent the backdrop of the Azul game board. Add red and blue plates and napkins for a vivid pop of color, echoing the vibrant tiles you’ll be placing during gameplay.
To complete the look, set the table with colorful square confetti or even tile-patterned coasters to bring in a subtle nod to Portuguese azulejos. A few small candles or tealights in mosaic-patterned holders can elevate the vibe without overdoing it.
🍬 Themed Snacks & Sweets
No Azul night is complete without a snack spread inspired by the game’s famous tiles:
- Starbursts as Tiles: Separate them by color in a bowl—or go wild and use them as a house rule replacement for tiles during the game. Just don’t eat your strategy too soon!
- Color-Coordinated Candy Bowls: M&Ms, Skittles, or jellybeans sorted into blue, yellow, red, and black bowls.
- Color-Coated Dips: Serve up a trio of dips (think: guacamole, hummus, buffalo dip, salsa) with colorful tortilla chips. It’s delicious, vibrant, and on-theme.
🍺 Drinks That Dazzle
- Blue Lagoon Cocktails (or mocktails) for that bright Azul aesthetic. Simply pour vodka and Blue Curaçao in a shaker with ice, shake well and strain into ice filled glass, and top with lemonade
- Add fruit ice cubes or cubed fruit to drinks—think strawberries, raspberries, pineapples, and blueberries for both color and flavor.
- For a non-alcoholic option, serve sparkling water with citrus or a make-your-own iced tea bar with herbal and fruity flavors.
🎵 Soundtrack of the Tiles
Music can set the mood, so queue up one of these playlist ideas:
- Spanish Guitar – great for that Iberian ambiance.
- Chill Instrumentals – lo-fi beats or soft classical for easy background listening.
- Ambient Café Vibes – for something cozy, relaxed, and effortlessly cool.
🍬 Starburst Showdown: A Sweet Drafting Mini Game
Bring a touch of Azul’s tile-laying tension to your snack table with this quick and colorful candy drafting challenge!
What You’ll Need:
- 25–30 Starbursts (or square candy) in Azul-style colors: red, yellow, blue, orange, pink
- Small cups or napkins for each player
Setup:
- Place all Starbursts in a bowl, wrappers on.
- Give each player a small cup or space to store their drafted candies.
- Decide on a turn order randomly or clockwise.
How to Play:
- Drafting Phase (5 rounds):
- Each round, randomly lay out 5 Starbursts face up in the center.
- Players take turns drafting one candy at a time (like Azul factory tiles).
- Refill to 5 candies at the start of each round.
- Scoring Phase: After 5 rounds (each player has 5 candies), score based on your collected set:
- 3 of the same color = 5 points
- 4 different colors = 4 points
- All one color = 7 points
- Each pink candy = +1 bonus point
- Each unwrapped candy before scoring = -1 point (who’s sneaking snacks?!)
- Tiebreaker: Whoever has the most yellow Starbursts wins the tie!
🎉 Winner gets: First turn in Azul and bragging rights as the Azul Candy Champion.
🔗 Link It All Together
This is also a great opportunity to head back to the strategy and review content you already love:
- Learn how to play and what makes Azul great in my Azul Review
- Master the tile drafting and maximize your points with my Azul Strategy Guide
Don’t own Azul yet? Click here to grab it on Amazon (affiliate link).
Host this night with some flair, and you’ll not only have a visually stunning evening—you’ll give Azul the spotlight it deserves.
Stay tuned for more game night themes soon!
Played it? Loved it? Hated it? Let’s hear it!