2019 Puesto n.º 7489 en BGG

Colorful

2–6 jugadores 15 min A partir de 14 años 1.0/5 de complejidad 5.7/10 de valoración

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Colorful is a game about categorizing and matching colors as a group. Each round a player will come up with a specific example within a broad topic, for the group to secretly match with a color card from their hand. After 5 rounds, cards are checked to see if the group or an individual wins! —description from the publisher

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Cooperative Game Trivia Deduction Party Game

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Preparación

1. Separate the 6 sets of 15 color cards by their backs. Give one set to each player (up to 6 players per copy of the game). Return unused sets to the box.\n2. Shuffle the category cards and place them face down as a draw pile.\n3. During setup, one randomly selected player removes 5 of their 15 color cards. All other players remove the exact same color cards from their hands and set them aside — these cards will not be used for the entire game. (Skip this step if playing the Double Colors variant.)\n4. Optionally, split into teams before the game begins if playing the Teams variant.

Flujo del turno

The game is played over 5 rounds (or 6 rounds with 6 players, or a number of rounds equal to player count for 7–12 players). Each round proceeds as follows:\n\n**Phase 1 – Name a Subject:** The active player draws the top category card and places it face up. They choose a subject based on the numbered spot matching the current round (e.g., Round 1 uses the "1)" spot, Round 2 uses the "2)" spot, etc.). The active player may discard the drawn card and draw one replacement if they dislike the card. The subject cannot include any color words (e.g., "bluejay" is not allowed). The next player clockwise becomes the active player in the following round.\n\n**Phase 2 – Choose a Color:** Every player (including the active player who named the subject) simultaneously and secretly selects one color card from their hand that they associate with the subject, and places it face down next to that round's category card.\n\n**Phase 3 – Reveal (End of All Rounds):** After all rounds are complete, players flip all cards from each category simultaneously and recall each subject. Scoring is then resolved.

Puntuación y victoria

After the reveal phase, check each category for the most-chosen color. Players earn 1 point per category where they matched the majority. Tied majorities award no points. The player with the most total points wins. Ties result in shared victory. Alternatively, if all players matched on every category, the cooperative win condition is achieved instead. Puntuación objetivo: Most points after all rounds; or unanimous color matching across all categories for the cooperative win Fuentes de puntuación: 1 point per category where the player's color matches the majority color chosen by all players, Cooperative win: no points — group wins collectively if all colors match across all categories, Teams variant: points based on number of matching colors within the team per category

Fuente: Rulebook

Reglas que debes conocer

Las reglas más útiles para jugar bien la primera partida.

Setup

Separate and distribute one set of 15 color cards to each player.

There are 6 sets of 15 color cards, distinguishable by their card backs. At the start of the game, separate these sets and give one set to each player. Any sets not in use are returned to the box. Each player holds their own personal set throughout the game.

Setup

One randomly chosen player removes 5 cards; all others remove the same 5 colors.

Before the game begins, one player is randomly selected to remove 5 of their 15 color cards from their hand. All other players must then identify and remove those exact same color cards from their own hands. The removed cards are set aside and will not be used for the remainder of the game. This ensures all players are working from an identical subset of 10 colors.

Setup

Shuffle the category cards and place them face down as a draw pile.

All category cards are shuffled together and placed face down in the center of the table to form a draw pile. Players will draw from this pile each round to determine the category for that round's subject.

Turn structure

The game lasts 5 rounds (or 6 rounds with 6 players).

A standard game of Colorful is played over exactly 5 rounds. If playing with 6 players, the game is played over 6 rounds instead, so that every player has the opportunity to be the active player who names a subject. In the 7–12 player variant, the number of rounds equals the number of players.

Turn structure

The active player draws a category card and names a subject from the numbered spot matching the current round.

Each round, the active player draws the top category card and places it face up on the table. Each category card has multiple numbered slots (1 through 4-5). The active player must name a subject based on the slot that matches the current round number. For example, in Round 1, they use the '1)' slot; in Round 3, the '3)' slot. The active player verbalizes their chosen subject aloud for all players to hear.

Turn structure

The active player may discard an unwanted category card and draw one replacement.

If the active player does not like the category card they drew, they may set it aside and draw one new card from the top of the draw pile to replace it. This option may only be used once per turn — the player must use the replacement card regardless of whether they like it.

Restriction

Subjects named by the active player cannot contain any color words.

When the active player names a subject for the round, they are not permitted to use any words that are names of colors or strongly imply a specific color. For example, the word 'bluejay' would be disallowed because it contains the color 'blue'. This rule ensures that the color associations remain personal and uninfluenced by the subject wording.

Card play

All players simultaneously and secretly choose one color card to represent the subject.

After the active player announces the subject, every player — including the active player — privately selects one color card from their remaining hand that they feel best represents the subject. Players place their chosen card face down next to the category card on the table. Cards are not revealed until the end of all rounds.

Informe estratégico

Think universally, not personally

Since points are awarded for matching the majority (not for personal preference), try to anticipate what color most other players will associate with a subject rather than choosing your own instinctive association. The more you can model other players' thinking, the more points you score.

Use the naming power strategically

As the active player naming the subject, you have an advantage — you already know which color you intend to play. Choose a subject that strongly implies a particular color in your mind, increasing the likelihood that others will converge on the same choice. However, you cannot use color words to steer others directly.

Card removal shapes the color palette

The 5 cards removed during setup narrow everyone to the same 10 colors, directly limiting which associations are possible. Pay attention to which colors were removed — this constrains what the majority can pick, and you should adjust your thinking accordingly.

Cooperative mode demands true consensus thinking

For the cooperative win, even a single mismatched color across any category means failure. This requires every player to think about the most universally agreed-upon color for each subject — not just the majority. Focus on the safest, most culturally neutral color associations rather than interesting or clever ones.

Double Colors increases matching chances

In the Double Colors variant, playing 2 cards per subject increases the surface area for overlap with other players. This makes majority matching easier but also complicates scoring, since both cards must be evaluated. Use one card for your gut instinct and one for what you think others will play.

Preguntas frecuentes y casos límite

We finished all rounds and revealed our cards. Most categories matched, but one category had two different colors chosen. Do we still win the co-op version?

No. The cooperative win condition requires perfect unanimity — all players must have chosen the same color for every single category. Even one category with a differing color negates the cooperative win and triggers the standard points-based scoring system for all categories.

In one category, two different colors were each chosen by the same number of players. Who scores a point?

Nobody scores a point for that category. A tied majority means no single color was chosen by more players than another, so the rule awarding 1 point to majority players does not apply and the point is simply not awarded.

The randomly chosen player removed red, orange, and three other colors. I don't have the same shades — do I remove the closest ones?

All players must remove the exact same color cards as the randomly chosen player. Since all 6 color card sets are identical in their color contents (only the card backs differ), each player will have those exact same colors and must set them aside. There is no substitution.

We're playing Double Colors. Do we still remove 5 cards during setup?

No. The Double Colors variant explicitly skips the card removal step. All players retain all 15 color cards in their hand and play 2 cards per subject each round instead of 1.

We have 6 players. How many rounds do we play, and which slot on the category card do we use in Round 6?

With 6 players, the game is played over 6 rounds. In Round 6, the active player uses the '4–5' slot on the category card (since slots are numbered 1, 2, 3, and 4–5, with the last slot covering rounds 4 and 5 in a 5-player game, and by extension round 6 in a 6-player game).

Can I name 'golden retriever' as a subject for the 'furry animal' category?

This is a judgment call, but 'golden' is a color word, so 'golden retriever' would technically be disallowed under the rule that subjects cannot contain color words. The active player should choose a subject free of any color references, such as simply 'retriever' or another animal entirely.

In the Teams variant, do we score points based on matching with ALL players or just our teammates?

In the Teams variant, each team scores based only on the number of matching color cards played within their own team per category. The colors chosen by opposing teams are irrelevant to your team's score.