How To Play: Colorado

Overview

If you’re ready to test your luck and decision-making, Colorado is a card game you should try. My friends and I have played it so much, I can still hear their groans when I win! This guide has a simple outline of the rules plus my best (and funniest) strategies to help you win. If you want to know How To Play colorado and outsmart your friends, keep reading!

What’s in the box

• 1 Scorepad
• 5 Set Overview Cards
• 56 Number Cards
• 20 Joker Cards
• 1 Rulebook

How To Play Colorado: Rules Summary

Game Setup

1. First, hand out a set of colored cards to each player.
2. Then, shuffle the rest of the deck and place it in the middle.
3. Give everyone a score sheet and a pen. No, you can’t use your eyeliner. I tried.
4. Pick someone to go first—oldest, tallest, or whoever makes the best snacks.

Gameplay

1. On your turn, draw a card and place it in the middle.
2. Next, choose to either take a row of cards from the center or keep drawing.
3. But watch out! You can only collect a set number of different colored cards.
4. Keep going until every row is taken. Then, shuffle up and play another round.

Winning

1. When the game ends, count the points for each color you collected.
2. But here’s the kicker—extra colors can cost you points! Only your “main” sets give positive points.
3. The player with the most points wins. Celebrate. Or grumble. Your choice.

Special Rules & Conditions

1. If you hit your color limit, you must still take more cards, but they’ll be negative points.
2. Some variants allow a wild card. My group always argues if it’s a blessing or sabotage.
3. If two players tie, whoever has fewer negative points claims victory (and bragging rights).

How To Play colorado is simple, but choosing which cards to grab is a wild ride. After a few games with my friends, I learned to play it safe. But sometimes, taking a risk makes you the hero—or the joke of the table. Either way, now you know the basics and can teach your group how to play Colorado like a pro!

Best Colorado Strategies

Master Card Management and Timing For Victory

Know When To Hold’em

Keeping cards in your hand can pay off, but you need to know when to let go. Holding too long gets you stuck. Timing matters!

1. Keep an eye on your rivals’ choices, then adjust your hand fast.
2. If a pile looks perfect for your set, grab it sooner rather than later.
3. Don’t wait forever — sometimes, any pile is better than none.

Watch For Risky Moves

Sometimes, taking a risky pile is better than waiting for the perfect one. My friend Dave waited too long and got burned!

1. If everyone passes on a pile, consider why. Are you missing something?
2. Balance holding out for value with the fear of being stuck with junk late in the round.

React To The Pace

If the tempo picks up, act. Slow play can get you in trouble in Colorado. Think fast, and don’t let analysis freeze you. Card management and timing can change a game, trust me — my last How To Play Colorado night proved it!

Snag the Best Sets: How To Play Colorado Like a Pro

Choose Wisely Early On

At the start, you want to grab safe, low-point colors. This way you avoid nasty negative points. Always watch what your friends take, and react fast.

1. Pick popular colors—if everyone wants green, you want green too.
2. Try to avoid random oddballs unless you have no choice.

Adapt Mid-Game

When things shift, don’t get stuck. If you see a color drying up, stop collecting it. Change tracks if possible. Remember, flexibility wins games.

1. Dump risky colors quickly.
2. Shift to new sets if you spot a chance.

Push Your Luck Late Game

As the decks thin out, count the colors left. Sometimes you want to risk that extra card, but not always. Read the room and trust your gut.

1. Finish sets with least risk for penalties.
2. Don’t be greedy at the end—even one bad card can mess you up!

Mastering Risk and Luck to Win Colorado

Spotting Good Bets

I always watch for moments when taking a risk could give me a big reward. Instead of playing safe all the time, I consider how luck might swing in my favor.

1. Check which cards remain before risking another draw.
2. Notice your opponents’ piles. If they look desperate, push your luck!

Knowing When to Fold

However, sometimes you need to pull back. If I see danger, I cut my losses, even if my greedy side cries out.

1. Watch for near-complete columns before you grab cards.
2. If luck stinks two turns in a row, play it safe the third time.

Balancing Greed And Caution

Winning at Colorado means tipping between risk, luck, and not blowing up your score. That’s why I always ask, “Is this worth it?” before I reach for another card.

The Wild Ride of Colorado Awaits!

I’ve played Colorado more times than I care to admit, and I still get tricked by my own greed (and usually lose to my friend Dave, who is part raccoon I swear). Seriously, this is the game where a single card can turn a king into a clown. Use the tips from this guide, especially the secrets about card management and playing it cool with your sets. The more games you play, the better you’ll get at reading the room—and your luck! So, shuffle up, wrangle your friends, and show ’em you know How To Play colorado like a pro!

Want to know what we think of Colorado? Read our detailed review of Colorado here