Board game review: Coloretto

Coloretto

You should note my beat up copy of the game.
Designer: Michael Schact
Publisher: Rio Grande Games
Type of game: Set collection
Number of players: 2-5 (but I don’t recommend it at 2 players)
Time: 15 minutes
Cost: $10-15

High level overview: A fun, family game where you try to collect different colored chameleons. 

Pros: - Super easy to learn
- cute game
- over at the right time

Cons: - does not play as well with 2 players
- the strategy depends almost entirely on who is playing the game

Rules/gameplay overview: Honestly, when we play this game for the first time, we tell people it will just be easier if you sit down and play.

Shuffle the cards that have actual backs on them. And set out the rows depending on the number of players (for anything but a 2 player game, the number of rows is equal to the number of players). Deal out one card for each player. The cards should be different colors of the chameleons. Just ensure that each player has a different color. Then count 15 cards from the bottom and put the last round card.
On your turn, you can do one of two things. You can flip over the top card and place it in a row. Or you can take all the cards in one row.
You can only flip over the top card of the deck if there is room on a particular row. Each row can only hold three cards.
If you take all the cards in one row, you are out of the round. But don’t worry. The game lasts several rounds. If you take all the cards in one row, you put them in your personal supply. The cards are pretty straightforward. The vast majority of the cards are different colored chameleons. Two of the cards are wild chameleons. And then there are a handful of cards that have +2 on them.
Gameplay continues until the last round marker is revealed and you finish the round. Then you proceed to scoring. Whoever has the most points at the end of the game, wins.
Scoring is explained on the scoring cards. You receive 2 points for each of your +2 cards. For your different colored chameleons, you only score three of the colors in your personal supply. You look at the scoring card and score as many points listed for your set of each color. For each color that is more than your third (i.e. your fourth, fifth, etc.) color you subtract the same number of points as listed on the scoring cards. You can choose how to use your wild cards to score the maximum number of points but the wild cards are not a separate color. 

How does it feel: We primarily play this game at family gatherings, such as holidays. And honestly, it feels like a game that you’ve played before. After each player understands the rules and the scoring, which sometimes takes a full game, the game feels like something you have played for years. And we usually end up playing around 5 or so games of it because people keep wanting to join in.
But I suppose you’re wondering how it feels while you are playing? The game can vary based on who is playing with you. It’s a wild swing. The game feels more like you are playing other players, rather than the game itself. When you flip over a card, you have a general idea if the card is going to be good for you or if it is going to be good for an opponent. And you are trying to tempt your opponents to take the cards you want them to take so that you get the right cards for yourself. You might realize that one of your opponents will just refuse to take a fourth color. And there is nothing that you can do to get them to take it. Or you might play with an opponent who is willing and eager to take some negative points if it moves them up high enough on the positive side. And you really start to realize how each person approaches this game. And how they approach the game could even change at various points. 

Recommended: So, I really love this game. I love that I can shuffle up these cards and have four people sit down and play a game with me and we can talk and laugh while playing. But it’s not for everyone. My SO doesn’t like the game very much. It is a very simple game. There’s not really much strategy other than try to score the most points and make opponents take cards you want them to take. But to me, that is enough of a game for me to really enjoy it. In fact, I think it is almost a perfect introductory style game because of the simple rule set and clever card play. It encourages you to interact with others both during the game and to play the players, rather than the cars. All in all, I highly recommend this game.