Board games historically have been full of tiny little components from the tiles in scrabble to the ironing board monopoly character figurine and in modern games the endless collection of pandemic tiles.
This plethora of tiny plastic figurines is fine unless you have butterfingers or tiny humans running around your house so if you are looking for some games with larger components here are five board games that have chunky plastic components.
Next Move Games has become known as the publisher to deliver on games that have high-quality chunky bits of plastic
Note: This List has 3 Copies of Azul, these 3 games are all standalone variations of the game and therefore we are classifying them as three different games in this list.
Reef
Publishers Description
REEF was created by acclaimed designer Emerson Matsuuchi – best known for designing the Century series. During the game, players serve as the reef itself, alternating turns carefully selecting which colours and patterns in which to grow and expand – the more beautiful the reef, the more points they will score!
Reef is suited for players 8 and older. While it could take thousands of years for a coral reef to grow, we expect a game of Reef to only take about 30 – 45 minutes.
Our Thoughts
Reef is a fantastic board game that has your creating your on coral reef even tho the theme makes no sense the game is still enjoyable however the limited player interaction feels like you are playing side by side so its perfect for over competitive players.
Azul
Publishers Description
Azul was designed by the world-famous, award-winning game author Michael Kiesling. Azul captures the beautiful aesthetics of Moorish art in a contemporary board game. Players compete as artisans decorating the walls of the Royal Palace of Evora. By carefully drafting the correct quantity and style of tiles, the most clever of artisans plan ahead to maximize the beauty of their work (not to mention their scores!) while ensuring they wasted no supplies in the process.
Introduced by the Moors, “azulejos” (originally white and blue ceramic tiles) were fully embraced by the Portuguese, when their King Manuel I, on a visit to the Alhambra palace in Southern Spain, was mesmerized by the stunning beauty of the Moorish decorative tiles. The king, awestruck by the interior beauty of the Alhambra, immediately ordered that his own palace in Portugal be decorated with similar wall tiles.
Azul is suited for 2 – 4 artisans, ages 8+. While the actual decoration of the Royal Palace of Evora took many years, we expect a game of Azul to last 30 – 40 minutes.
Our Thoughts
Azul is an award-winning game that has won multiple awards over the last few years this Portuguese tile-laying game is easy to teach and learn its a great entry-level game that is a perfect introduction into modern board games.
Tuki
Publishers Description
In the Inuit language, Tukilik is used to define an object that carries a message. The northern landscapes are densely populated with such objects. The most well known of these is certainly the inukshuk.
During each turn, you will attempt to construct a tukilik using your stones and blocks of snow. And you can choose from 2 levels of difficulty.
Be swift, yet precise. Transform your stones into messengers of the north.
Our Thoughts
Tuki is a speed/dexterity game that is quite enjoyable to play there is essentially one task in the game like most games in this genre but it’s still a joy to play.
Azul Stained Glass of Sintra
Publishers Description
Created by the world-famous game designer, Michael Kiesling, Azul: Stained Glass of Sintra challenges players to compete by carefully selecting glass panes to complete their windows while being careful not to damage or waste supplies in the process. The window panels are double-sided providing players with a dynamic player board that affords nearly infinite variability!
Illustrated by Chris Quilliams, players can expect to discover all new unique art and components in Azul: Stained Glass of Sintra including all new translucent window pane pieces, a tower to hold discarded glass panes, double-sided player boards and window pane panels, in addition to many other beautiful components!
Azul: Stained Glass of Sintra is scheduled to be released at Essen Spiele in 2018. While crafting and staining a chapel’s windows could take weeks, a game of Azul: Stained Glass of Sintra should only take 30 – 45 minutes and is acceptable for glaziers 8 and older.
Azul – Summer Pavilion
Publishers Description
In Azul: Summer Pavilion players are tasked to tile the floors of King Manual’s Summer Pavilion – a building intended to honour prestigious members of Portugal’s royal family. Fans will immediately recognize the core Azul style drafting but will be intrigued by the new scoring mechanisms based on set collection and pattern building. Players will also appreciate the new style tiles found in the box – elongated diamonds and stunning player and scoring boards. Azul: Summer Pavilion is a feast for the mind and eyes!
Designed by the world-famous, Michael Kiesling and illustrated by acclaimed artist, Chris Quilliams, Azul: Summer Pavilion invites fans of the Azul to return to Portugal. Azul: Summer Pavilion was designed for artisans aged 8 and older. While building the Summer Pavilion would have taken years to do, a game of Azul: Summer Pavilion typically takes about 30 – 45 minutes.