The best games from Next Move Games 2026

Azul invites you to step into the captivating world of Portuguese artistry and craftsmanship. This board game draws inspiration from the introduction of azulejos, originally white and blue ceramic tiles, by the Moors. The tiles found a new home in Portugal when King Manuel I, during a visit to the Alhambra palace in Southern Spain, was enchanted by the exquisite Moorish decorative tiles adorning its interior. Filled with awe and inspiration, the king promptly ordered the embellishment of his own palace in Portugal with similar decorative tiles. As a skilled tile-laying artist, you are tasked with the prestigious mission of adorning the walls of the Royal Palace of Evora.

Players take turns drawing colored tiles from suppliers to place on their boards. Points are awarded based on how the tiles are arranged to decorate the palace, with extra points for specific patterns and completing sets. Wasted resources will reduce a player's score, and the player with the most points at the end wins.

Azul: Summer Pavilion takes players back to Portugal to embark on an artistic challenge of crafting a summer pavilion, a task assigned by King Manuel I. As master artisans, players must use their skills to construct the pavilion using the finest materials while efficiently managing their resources.

Azul: Stained Glass of Sintra is a visually striking and strategic board game designed by Michael Kiesling. It offers a unique twist on tile drafting, focusing on creating beautiful stained glass windows.

Embark on a frigid escapade with Hey, That's My Fish! as players compete to secure the most fish using their waddle of penguins. Each turn unfolds a strategic journey as players guide their penguins in a straight line across hex-shaped ice tiles, each adorned with 1, 2, or 3 fish.

In Inuit culture, "tukilik" refers to objects that carry messages, commonly found in northern landscapes. Players construct an Inukshuk using their limited stones and snow blocks based on the rolled dice face, requiring creativity to build effectively with the three-dimensional pieces. The game offers two difficulty levels to balance play between novices and experts, encouraging both speed and precision.

Reef is an abstract strategy game where players embody the role of a coral reef, engaging in the growth and expansion of their reef through careful selection and placement of colors and patterns.

5211 is a fast-paced card game featuring a unique scoring method that rewards clever play. Players use cards numbered 1-6 across five colors, starting with a hand of five cards. After playing two hidden cards and revealing them simultaneously, they draw back up and repeat the process twice more with one card each time, scoring points based on the majority color, unless a tie occurs.

Azul: Queen's Garden invites players back to Sintra's palace, tasking them with crafting an exquisite garden for Queen Maria of Aragon.

Locals and tourists in Maui seek the perfect spot on the beach to lay out their towels and enjoy stunning views of the Hawaiian ocean. Players must strategically place beachgoers to form appealing patterns while positioning towels near the water or under the shade for maximum points. However, getting too close to these areas can jeopardize their plans.