Coloretto
2-5
8+
30
The players draw cards from a card supply in the middle of the table. During the game, the players try to specialize in a few colors, as at the end of the game, a player can score plus points for only 3 colors; the rest score minus points. The more cards a player has of a color, the more points he scores. The player with the most points wins.
images © Rio Grande Games
User Reviews (10)
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On the surface this is a quite random card collecting game with the twist that only the three best piles of a certain color you gather are scored positive, all the rest are scored negative. However, after a few rounds you realise there are so much more to this game, and after a few more rounds you see the wolf behind the sheep mask.
This game offers so many more interesting choices than people realise. The rules themselves are very easy (learned in 3 minutes), on the table are one card pile spot for each player, and each round all players must grab one pile. On your turn you can either grab one of the piles containing at least one card or draw a card from the stack and add it to any pile with fewer than three cards (no pile may contain more than 3 cards at any time). Any player that have grabbed a pile are temporarily out while there are unclaimed piles. When all piles have been taken, the one grabbing the last one start a new round, and this goes on until you reach a “last Round” card placed a few cards from the bottom of the deck. Easy huh?
There are two different choices that must be made in the game:
1. Grab a pile or draw a card?
Knowing when to grab a pile instead of drawing is hard. In general you score more points the more cards you get, but obviously you just want to get away from some rounds with as few wounds as you can. Yes, sometimes players lose points after a round if they are unlucky. Also, being able to see what pile you should grab can be a bit tricky, since you don’t want the highest score possible, you want as high score as possible COMPARED to the other players. Sometimes you can grab a pile that give you slightly fewer points but creates a mess for your competitors. And sometimes you simply have to take one for the team since a specific pile is too good for another player and the collective can simply not allow that to happen.
2. When picking a card, knowing where to put it
This is the real engine in the game, observing what piles are of what interest to the other players and increasing your own options at the same time as poisioning their opportunities. Also, realising the consequences of your actions so that you do not end up with a lousy pile yourself is really important.
All in all this is a great game, and everyone we’ve introduced to Coloretto have liked it, both gamers and non-gamers. I highly recommend this for everyone. Don’t let the simple rules fool you, this is a great game with hidden qualities. But yes, luck is a pretty large factor in Coloretto, that cannot be denied. 😉
Coloretto is a card game where each card is the same except for being one of many different colors (or a wildcard color). The goal of the game is to collect as many cards as possible of any three colors, but as few or no cards in any other color. Players do this by taking turns either drawing a card and placing it on any one of multiple piles (equal to the number of players), or by taking all of the cards in a pile. There can’t be any more than 3 cards on a pile, so eventually players will be forced to take a pile instead of drawing more cards from the deck. Towards the bottom of the deck, fifteen cards from the bottom to be exact, is an “end of round” card, which designates that after the last pile is taken, the round is over and scoring is taken. Wild cards can be placed in any color stack. Any three colors can be chosen by a player for positive points. Every other color scores negative points. The value of the points increases based on the number of cards you have as follows, but more than 6 cards doesn’t add to your score at all (but neither does it detract from your score!).
1 card = 1 point
2 cards = 3 points
3 cards = 6 points
4 cards = 10 points
5 cards = 15 points
6+ cards = 21 points
That’s about it for rules. Pretty simple. But strategy is a whole ‘nother game. You need to decide when it is worth it to draw a pile before it’s full of three cards so that other players don’t put unwanted cards there or take the pile before you, or decide if it’s worth it to keep filling it up with more cards. You also need to decide where to place a color such that the pile will be desirable to you, but not your opponents, but also to add undesirable colors to an opponent’s desired pile. For instance, adding a blue card to a pile with two yellow cards when the player is collecting yellow, green, and blue.
Replayability: Since this game is high on an abstract level, it has a lot of replayability. However, since the game is so highly abstract, it won’t hold interest long for many players who want a theme.
Components: The cards are good quality, but there’s nothing to the game besides cards. The color is the only difference between cards is the color, which is very clear in distinguishing cards from each other. So there’s a plus.
Easy to Learn: This is one of the easiest games to learn. The rules are pretty much what I explained above. So this is a great game easy to learn game.
Overall, I would highly recommend this game as either a filler game or for players who love abstract strategy (such as Go or Chess). However, if you are looking for a theme or long-lasting game with a lot going on, this game may seem too simplistic for more than a filler game. But even as a filler game, it is really fun.
If you’re looking for a game that plays quickly (~15 minutes), is easy to teach/learn, and has some decision making, Coloretto should be on your radar.
At its heart, Coloretto is set collection; you’re trying to get multiples of card colors. The more cards of a color you have, the more points each subsequent card will be worth.
1 card – 1 point
2 cards – 3 points
3 cards – 6 points
4 cards – 10 points
5 cards – 15 points
6+ cards – 21 points
But it’s not just collecting every card you can. You only score positive points for your three best colors. For each color beyond three, you lose points, based on the same scheme listed above.
How do you get these cards? This is where the “game” is at. On your turn you get to make one of two choices, either:
(a) draw a card and add it to a row
(b) take a row
Once you’ve taken a row, you’re done for that turn. Each row may hold up to three cards. There is one row available per player. It’s important to note there is never an option to draw a card and immediately take it; if you draw, it MUST be assigned to a row. In addition to colored cards, there are also “wild” cards that may count as any single color of your choice when scoring points. Additionally, there are cards worth two-points.
For the time you put into playing the game, the level of decision making is good. This is not a grand strategy game, and you won’t find yourself agonizing over decisions. Instead, you’ll be faced with decisions of whether to pair up an existing card row with a card you need, or “poison” a row that holds a pair of cards an opponent may want. Should you grab a row with a single card to ensure you won’t be stuck with a row that will give you negative points?
For a quick filler, this game is one of my family’s favorites. We tend to play it at times where we would play games like For Sale, Incan Gold, or Archaeology. It’s a great warm up for a day of gaming, or to use when waiting for people to arrive, or finish a game.
Coloretto fills the filler role in my collection very well. Give it a try and see if it does the same for you!
Coloretto is a very simple game. You aim to collect cards of various colours: the largest three sets you have score in your favour, and anything else scores against you. On your turn you either draw a card and place it in one of the rows of cards on the table (max. 3 cards per row) or you take a row and add it to your collection (which ends your involvement in the round). That’s pretty much it.
So the rules are extremely simple, what about the theme? Well, it’s non-existant. This is about as abstract a game as you will find: it’s just about collecting colours. And on the subject of colours, I’m a little concerned that not everyone’s colour vision is perfect, but each colour has a different texture on it, so hopefully that will differentiate them enough.
I first played Coloretto a few years back, but it is only recently that I have got my own copy and played it a whole load. And the more I play it, the more I like it. Games only take a few minutes to play and contain a surprising degree of subtlety in play — far more tactical than strategic, though, as you mostly need to respond to the current state of play rather than execute long-term plans. My five-year-old daughter enjoys the game, and is getting pretty good at it, and I would certainly bring this out as one of my top choices for a filler game in an adult group. I also like that there is a tweak to the set up for two player games, which works very well.
Overall: it doesn’t cost much, it takes up very little space, it is quick to learn and quick to play, game play is slick and subtle, and I can’t believe it took me so long to get my own copy!
I just got my copy of Coloretto (Rio Grande Games), and it’s a delightful surprise. The cards are brightly colored (what else?), and they are printed on nice card stock that feels good in my hands. The cards are slightly smaller than standard playing cards, but with nearly 90 cards in the deck the size is fine. Additionally, the colors are distinct enough to tell one from the other. Setup is simple, and the game scales well from two to five players. I also like the two sided scoring reference cards, as each side provides a different strategy with different goals and rewards.
Game play is quick and straightforward; but there is plenty of strategic potential too. Even in a two player game, players must choose either to take guaranteed (but fewer) points or try for more points and risk drawing an unwanted card. There is some luck of the draw involved, and the press your luck opportunity is present too.
Scoring is scaled similarly to Ticket to Ride. Groups of one to six cards are collected and scored from one point for a single card of one color to 21 points for six of the same color. But players can’t over diversify, as only three color sets are scored. Colors outside of the three focus colors are deducted from a player’s score at game end. Like the unfinished tickets of Ticket to Ride, players loose points for having colors that don’t fit into their chosen set of three. It’s a simple compelling game that can be enjoyed by players as young as eight or so. A two player game takes about 15 minutes. There is no objectionable material in Coloretto, and no reading is required. If you are looking for a light filler that is fun and a bargain at $10-$12, Coloretto is an excellent choice. It’s enjoyable, thought provoking, and just different enough from other card games to earn a spot on my gaming shelf.
There are already a couple of good reviews on how to play the game so I will focus on who should play and why. This is a good game to try if a) You are curious about German Card Games. GCGs are different from there American counterparts because they focus on a more aggressive interaction between players and tend to have negative point values that outweigh the positive points. Coloretto is one of the “lightest” of these games. b)You are looking for a game that is quick enough to be a “filler” game, but challenging enough to hold player interest for your gaming group. This game is easy to learn, plays quickly, and has enough basic strategy to be challenging. c)You want a game for friends and family that can be played by a wide variety of ages and gaming aptitudes. It’s always hard to find a game that will allow a mix of hardcore gamers, newbie gamers, and kids to play together and have a good time. This game, because it is easy to teach and learn, has some basic strategy, and has player interaction provides such a gaming experience. d)Finally, this is a crossover game. If you get people playing who are not board gamers once they are hooked on the game you can introduce them to Zooloretto. If you are not familiar with it this is a tier 1 (introducing newbies to boardgaming) that takes Coloretto and turns it to a board game that adds a few simple elements to the game, but keeps the original concepts of the game. I recommend the game, I have been playing it for many years now and am still using my original copy, which if you new how much I game means that this statement is actually an impressive testimonial to the durability of the components.
I picked up this game simply because it was cheap and because it was a Rio Grande game. What a lucky pick.
Coloretto is a fairly no-nonsense game: get lots of cards in 3 colors, but not a lot in others. But as my wife and I have played through this game, we have found there is strategy and fun that comes along with it too.
The game components are really well made. The cards are nice and thicker than a lot of other game cards. The colors and textures on the cards are beautiful, although the chameleon is the same on every card. The box is compact so it a great game to take on trips.
The game plays really fast, so multiple rounds could be played in 30 minutes, in between heavier games. There are also multiple ways to play, referring to the different score sheets that the players decide on using. There are also variations if 2 people are playing.
Overall, this is a nice, cheap, and colorful game that is simple in design, complex in execution. It may get repetitive, but I certainly haven’t gotten to that point yet. Enjoy!
Since the other reviews here already described the game play, I’m going to skip it.
Here’s what you need to know. The cards are all pretty similar, but they are pretty to look at.
The game has quickness and fun to it. There is a good deal of strategy in trying to get the right set of cards and trying to predict what set of cards an opponent needs. You must spoil their piles as it were!
Learning the game is so fast that a cave man could teach it… or learn it!
The closer to 5 players you can get the better. Age groups do not really matter.
In conclusion: Do yourself a favor and get this for someone as a party favor. After playing, they won’t be let down.
I actually liked this game a lot more than I expected to. It sounds simple and boring, but it turns out to be simple and *not* boring!
If you like to travel with a game that works for a group of people and isn’t just a classic card game, this is a great choice. It’s fun for non-gamers, good enough for gamers, and is something new for card players.
Great game for anyone. While extensively playing Dominion, gave it to parents, they are enjoying Coloretto as well. Language independent, highly replay-able game. This is for company, anyone move affects other players and so on.
Recommending this simple, general-purpose game for different types of gamers with wide age variety.