1. PastichePublished in 2011, this elegant and colourful game wants you to discover 34 of the greatest European works of art and in a way making them yourselves. Think of it as an art history lesson which covers about 600 years of painting, and you are nearly there. Wonderfully presented, rich in detail and graphical elements, Pastische requires you to study the works presented for that game, and recreate it's colors by combining the primary colors through an inteligent and strangely addictive tile placement system. You explore the works and the life of the artist, you put together the same palette of colors that he used for that particular work of art, and that is all. But Pastiche is fun, competitive, a little difficult in the beginning, good even for 10 year olds. At the same time it is a solid board game, a direct and interesting art history lesson and the kind of game you go back to time and time again. For many art lovers this might be the one.
2. FrescoIn this popular board game you will do just what the title tells you: paint a fresco. Actually you are a master painter, and the bishop wants you to restore in a short period of time the impressive fresco on the ceiling of the Renaissance church. No more, no less, and it will be a difficult, yet wonderful experience, and often you will end up failing because you didn't really put together your tasks for the day. For every day in the game you must choose carefully what to do: prepare the paints, work on the fresco, hire help, mix the paints, and so on. If you are out of money you must accept portraits commisions, but then you will lose some time, and another master might beat you to the final objective. The rules of the board game can be adapted and simplified for the younger audience, or you could add one of the several expasions, but in the end it is an "euro" board game, fun and hard at the same time. It will take a lot of planning and strategizing, as well as a little luck, to be the winner in the end. And to restore the frescoes to their former glory.
3. The Gallerist Among board games about art and the world of art lovers this might be the best choice if you are just starting, for you can be a gallerist. You will have your very own art gallery, you must organize and host art exhibitions, contact and support artists, buy and sell works of art, gain prestige and, of course, money. Wonderfully designed, with a great attention paid to every detail, it is also very competitive and you will need some winning strategies and techniques if you want to be the best. You might regard this game as a simplified tutorial about what it means to be in the art business, and who knows if in the end you will not change your career due to the fun you had playing it. Buy the more interesting works, investing in new names, greet your guests, hire help, the work of a good gallerist is never done, isn't it?
Photo: boardgamegeek.com,
