Cost:$20.00 [Now out of print. --Peter] From: Milton Bradley Players: 3-6 (5 or 6 is best) Playing Time: 20-30 minutes Type of game: Party Complexity: 2 Skill level: 6 Summary: Better than Scruples, this "adult conversation game" is a fun way to relax with friends you know well-- or think you know well. Reviewed by: Peter Sarrett, Issue 1.2, October 1992 NOTE: This game is now out of print
Just how well do you know your friends? More importantly, how well do they know you? Find out what people really think about you in True Colors, a delightfully light-hearted "adult conversation game" where the scoring is completely secondary to the fun.
Each player wears a uniquely colored clip in such a way so everyone can see its color, which represents them throughout the game. Players start the game with a voting box into which a question card has been inserted. Questions generally describe a scenario and ask which players best fit that scenario. For example, one card reads, "You're entitled to 3 wishes from the genie in Aladdin's lamp. Who tries to negotiate for 4?" Players silently read the questions on their boxes and cast two votes for the players to which they think the question most applies. Votes are cast by dropping colored cards, matching the clips worn by the players, into the voting box. Each player must always cast two votes, but they can both be for the same player, including himself. When all players have voted on their questions, everyone passes their voting boxes to the left and votes on the question in the box they receive.
Once all players have voted on all questions and voting boxes have returned to their original holders, the second phase begins. One question is read aloud, and proceeding clockwise players announce whether they think they received no votes, some votes, or the most votes. The voting box is then opened and the cards are tallied. Players correctly guessing that they received no votes or the most votes earn three points. Correctly guessing "some" earns 1 point, and guessing incorrectly earns no points. The player with the highest score when all questions are tallied is the winner.
The scoring system unfortunately weighs itself toward people with strong personality traits who can frequently earn large scores guessing "most" or "none." Luckily, the scoring system is incidental to the fun of the game, which lies in the amusing questions and discovering how other people perceive you. Cries of, "Ok, who voted for me?" are common when votes are counted, and exploring the rationale behind people's votes is far more engaging than the score sheet.
All of which adds up to points in True Colors' favor. Games like this should place the focus on interaction and conversation among players, and True Colors scores high marks in those areas-- which should make it especially appealing to people who shy away from competitive games. The game components, incidentally, are colorful and clever, and the questions range from amusing to provocative. With Thanksgiving just around the corner, this is an ideal game to bring out with the family when the turkey disappears.