We love game nights in our house and we try to play a variety of games so that everything doesn’t get too samey or boring. We have a good collection of board games (comprising of board, tabletop and card games) but are always looking for something new and different to play and recently tried out Color Addict from Cartamundi.
Color Addict is an addictive brain teasing, fast matching, action card game for 2-6 players age 7 to 107. In the very colourful and eye-catching box there are 110 colourful cards. Cards are printed with the name of a colour but in a different colour text, if that wasn’t confusing enough there is also a splodge if colour in the centre of the card that doesn’t match the colour of the printed text. The idea is to get rid of all your cards by matching colours (in word or colour form) to the card in the centre of the table and there is more than one way to play.
The aim of the game is to be the first player to get rid of all your cards. This is achieved by matching them in colour to the card in the middle of the table. And whilst that sounds easy, it isn’t – concentration is key as seeing the word orange written in blue with a splodge of yellow underneath can confuse the brain.
To play, the cards are shuffled thoroughly and dealt evenly to all the players. The player to go first (the dealer), takes one card from their draw pile and places it face up in the centre of the table. The cards that each player has been dealt are their own personal draw pile and they take 3 cards from it. There are three different ways to play, but essentially to get rid of your cards if the card in play is ORANGE written in BLUE, players card lay a card with any colour name written in blue or orange, a card with any colour with the word orange or blue or the multicoloured Joker card:
BASIC RULES – Play with all the cards. As soon as the dealer turns the card over, everybody can play. There is no turn order; anybody can play a card at any time following the above rules. If you can’t play, draw a card. If you still can’t play, keep drawing until you can. The first player who does not have any cards left in their hand and their draw pile is the winner. When you play the Joker (Multicoloured card), announce the colour you want to play next. Note that the colour splatters are only there to confuse you. No matter what colour they are, they do not affect play.
BEGINNER RULES – Play with the basic rules but use only the cards that contain the words RED, BLUE, YELLOW and GREEN (written in any colour).
ALTERNATIVE RULES – Play with all the cards, but now players take successive turns instead of playing simultaneously. On your turn, play one card from your hand to the centre pile and then draw one from your draw pile. If you can’t play any cards, simply draw one and play passes on to the next player in clockwise order. If you have more than three cards in your hand on your turn, play one but do not draw. The first player who does not have any cards left in their hand and their draw pile is the winner.
Overall, we thought Colour Addict is an excellent game. Reading through the rules sounds confusing but once you start playing it begins to make sense but you will need the rules handy for the first few plays to make sure it is being played properly.
Even once the rules have been grasped, it is quite difficult to know what card to play and when as the mind plays tricks on you – you are reading the name of a colour but seeing it in a different colour whilst also seeing a splodge of another card beneath the word. And that’s what makes it fun, interesting, and yes, highly addictive.
It is a game that really gets you thinking and having to concentrate (but only works if you are not colour blind). Even though it sounds confusing once you start playing it grabs hold and you just want to keep playing. Lots of enjoyment is had with this addictive card game that is suitable for players young and old.
As it is a deck of cards it is also very portable and can be taken and played with anywhere. The rules are printed on the box so they are always available.
Color Addict is very addictive and lots of fun. Game play is quick so you can play easily play a few rounds in quick succession and play mini tournaments. Highly recommended.
Rating: 5/5
RRP: £9.99
Available to buy from Amazon here.
