Colors of Paris

If you're looking for a light worker-placement game with an art theme that works well for 2, check out Colors in Paris. There are enough ways to earn points and the wheel provides plenty of turn angst; the added choice of obtaining either an additional worker or points when you reach the halfway goal for upgrading each tool/skill can make all the difference to your end game. Haven't played with 3 or 4 players yet, but the changes to setup indicate it will be a similar experience.

The theme of this game is that you are painters in Paris participating in a contest. You are copying paintings by acquiring pigments (cubes) to match the colours on painting cards. The first painter to complete 2 painting cards wins. Thematically it plays like a mixture of Fresco and Pastiche. It uses worker placement and a rondel (wheel). On your turn, you t place your worker on the rondel and then perform an action to acquire cubes to match your chosen painting cards. As the game progresses, you can upgrade your abilities to acquire more pigments. It isn't very heavy game for experienced board gamers and is quite enjoyable. The rotation of the rondel (wheel) especially makes the game interesting and allows for some advance planning. IAs a minor thing, I like the fact the individual player boards have a recessed area where your markers go on tracks so they don't get knocked loose accidentally. (I wish more games had recessed areas on scoring tracks).

Unlike Fresco, this game plays well with 2. With 2 and 3 players, not every choice is available every turn.

The nitpicks I have about this game are very minor. Firstly although the icons on the rondel are relatively easy to understand, it would have been helpful to provide a player aid, especially one listing the various icons. (I've uploaded a key to the boardgamegeek website for this purpose. It can be downloaded for free.) There is no player aids includied with the game, a rather surprising omission since they are usually in games now. Some of the artwork is repeated even requiring different pigments. It woyuld also be nice if you could have the name and artist on each painting (like Pastiche). As well, although I appreciate that the required pigments are laid on as a set of 9 squares because you place the pigment cubes on them, this means when you are viewing the paintings, you are not seeing the painting side. (Pastiche has the required colours. on the same side of the painting.) People who aren't art lovers (as I am) may find this game too similar to Pastiche or Fresco. IMHO, it is sufficiently different from both Fresco and Pastiche. I know longer own Fresco because it doesn't play well with 2.) The pigment cubes are small, I suggest the geekbox organizers to store them in the box and on the table. (I removed the rather useless insert in my copy. Again most newer games have custom designed inserts.)

However my nitpicks with this game are extremely minor and don't affect my enjoyment. I highly recommend this game especially if you love art and worker placement games.