Of all the games I own, Coloretto might just be the easiest to explain and play. Combined with its super quick play time and cute design, Coloretto is sure to win over the hearts of anyone who plays it.
Things to like: Easy to understand, rounds are very quick
Things to dislike: My not have enough strategy for some people, does not have a very strong theme.
Overview of Coloretto
| Number of players | 2-5 |
| Game length | 30 minutes |
| Age range | 14+ |
| How long to learn the rules | 5 minutes |
| Component quality | Basic |
What is in the box?
- 63 colour cards
- 1 “last round” card
- 3 jokers
- 5 row cards
- 5 summary cards
- 13 blank cards
How Coloretto plays
Coloretto is simple to play. This is due to the fact that on your turn, you can only do one of two things: Draw a card and place it in one of the rows on the table, or take all the cards already in a row.
Taking a slight step back… before a round starts, a number of rows are set out on the table. Each row starts with 0 cards and each row and, as the round progresses, can only hold a maximum of 3 cards. During the round, cards are added to the rows and eventually taken by the players. After a player has taken card from a row, they are out of the rounds, with the remaining rows only able to be taken by players yet to take a row.
At the end of the game, after several rounds, players will score based upon the number of cards they have in each colour. The more cards they have of a particular colour, the more points they will score. However, after the scoring for the first three colours (the colours you have the most cards of) any additional colours will score negative points. The game is therefore about trying to collect cards of the colours you want, whilst avoiding cards of the other colours.
You can read the full rules of Coloretto here.
Final thoughts on Coloretto
Coloretto is fantastic in the simplicity of the fact you only have one choice each turn: draw a card or take a row. It is also great in he sense that this simple choice is driven by strategic thinking. Is it better, for example, to take a colour card that you want if it means that you also have to take one you don’t want? Do you deny your opponents the cards that they want, or focus on your own game? So many things to consider in such a small box.