At Origins I picked up Coloretto. I wholeheartedly recommend it. There are lots of decisions to make (but none of them brainburners), no waiting, plenty of opportunities for calculated risk-taking. Interaction? Hell, yes: whenever you add to a stack of cards, you’re the last person who is allowed to take it; so keeping track of what every other player wants is all-important. The estimated playtime of 30 minutes is a dirty lie–15 is more like it–and to top it off, it’s dirt cheap. Go order yourself a copy.

(I also demoed the 2007 Spiel des Jahres winner, Zooloretto. The basic mechanic of the game is the same but it’s been “bulked up” into a full-length, 45-minute Euro. It’s a fine game but I feel it lacks both the elegance and intensity of its older, leaner sibling. Plus it costs four times as much.)

It’s not dissimilar to my Favorite Game Ever, Ra–more on this next time.