The Moorish art of decorative tiles is the theme for Azul, a new game from Canadian publisher Plan B and designer Michael Kiesling, which will premier at the Spiel fair in Essen, Germany in late October, with release into the trade to follow.

In the game, players are artists summoned by King Manuel I of Portugal to decorate the Royal Palace of Evora in the style of the fabulous Alhambra palace.  Using a drafting mechanic, players compete to collect the decorative tiles they need to complete the walls of the palace, while trying not to waste any materials.

Azul includes 100 resin tiles, 4 player boards, 9 factory displays, 4 scoring markers, 1 starting player marker, and 1 linen bag.  Intended for 2 to 4 players, ages 8 and up, it takes about half an hour to play.  MSRP is $39.99.

Plan B released their first title, Century:  Spice Road, earlier this year (see “First Title From Plan B Games”).  The company’s Pretzel Games subsidiary also recently released a zombie-themed dexterity game called Flick ‘em Up!  Dead of Winter (see “Zombie Flicking Action”).