keef22

I must preface this review with a little fact about my son. He’s 12 and he thinks of himself as a great gamer. Unfortunately, when we break out deeper games, he loses focus and gets bored. This often leads to an “epic loss” (in his words)…and on to the review…

Our family has taken well to deck building games, so this game quickly hit the wish list of my 12yo this past Christmas (2012). Using money from multiple gift sources (the price for this game is not for the weak!), he decided to purchase it. For the record, he has NOT been disappointed. I know that others say setup is a con of this game; but from the perspective of a 12yo, he gets to “play” (don’t tell him I called it that) with some cards with beautiful artwork as he sets them up. In his mind, randomizing the decks is part of the game. Once the game is set up, he calls the rest of us in to play and the fun continues. The mechanics are easy to learn and the replayability is high because of the random setup. As a family game, it’s a hit!

While many board games have been scaled down to become decent card games, this is an example of a great card game being scaled up to a very good board game. I have strategically used Coloretto in combination with Zooloretto to progress many of my friends into the world of strategy games. It’s easy to learn and great for the whole family. The artwork in this game is beautiful and the components are high-quality; and the rules are easy to read and clearly worded. I recommend this game as a solid light strategy game for all ages.

IMHO, this stand-alone “expansion” is better than the original game. I like the “dual purpose” cards (Action-Victory cards that give you an action and VP’s, Treasure-Victory cards that give you treasure and VP’s). I think they add a layer to the game. I also think this game has more player interaction.

Remember, this is a standalone game. You do NOT have to have the original Dominion to play this.