Is This The Best Board Game of 2026?

About Azure, from BoardGameGeek:

The Lung Mei, or dragon paths, are lines of energy that cover the Earth. They are derived from the Four Auspicious Beasts: the Azure Dragon of the East, the Vermilion Bird of the South, the White Tiger of the West, and the Black Tortoise of the North. When a path runs in a straight line, that energy builds in power, but these paths can be broken up by barriers such as mountains, which diffuse the energy. Invoke the power of the Four Auspicious Beasts, carefully channel their energy through the Earth, and triumph in this battle for qi and wisdom that will shape your destiny and intertwine it with the Beasts of legend. In Azure, players position their stones to gather qi (cards) and wisdom (points) from the realm. They also compete to bring the Auspicious Beasts to their aid. The first player to reach the end of the path of wisdom wins. Players take turns placing a stone, gathering boons from the space they cover, and gaining the favor of Auspicious Beasts. In order to place a stone in a space, the player must be able to pay the qi cost. The color of the domain (board) tells you the color of qi needed, and the number of boon symbols in the space tells you the amount of qi needed. Through careful management of the qi cards in your hand, you'll be able to grow in power. Thanks to the four double-sided boards that can be connected, flipped, and oriented in any way in a 2×2 grid, Azure features over 24,000 different layouts. Azure also includes the Gifted module for experienced players - a variable one-time-use ability that can help turn the tides in your favor. -description from the publisher