Pantone: The Game
- Designer: Cryptozoic
- Publisher: Cryptozoic
- Player Count: 2-20
- Playtime: 10-20 minutes
- Age Range: 8 and up
Overview
Pantone: The Game is a fast-paced party game where players use color swatches to represent characters from their selected cards. The goal is to create a visual representation of the character within one minute or less, making it a fun and engaging option for gatherings.
What’s in the Box
- 15 different types of color swatches
- 180 character cards
Setup
Players start by selecting 4 character cards but keep only 3 to use during the game. The setup is quick and straightforward, allowing for immediate play.
Gameplay
The game is played over three rounds, each introducing progressively stricter rules:
- Round 1: Players can use as many color swatches as they need.
- Round 2: Players are limited to one of each color.
- Round 3: Players can only use 3 swatch cards total, making it significantly more challenging.
After creating their representation, the artist presents it to the other players without making any changes. Players take turns guessing the character. If no one guesses correctly after a full round, the artist can start giving hints from the card, one at a time. Scoring works as follows:
- A correct guess without hints earns both the guesser and the artist 5 points.
- For each hint given, points decrease by 1 (e.g., 1 hint = 4 points, 2 hints = 3 points, etc.).
Our Experience
We had a blast with Pantone! Some characters, like Paddington Bear, were surprisingly easy to represent, while others—such as Prince—felt nearly impossible. We played several rounds, laughing at the wildly different interpretations each player came up with.
Choosing which swatches to use within the limitations of each round added a fun strategic element. As someone who loves hosting, I’m always on the lookout for great party games, and Pantone absolutely fits the bill. Its ability to accommodate up to 20 players makes it perfect for larger gatherings.
Final Thoughts
Pantone is a winner that will definitely stay in our game rotation for a long time. It’s a game that guarantees laughter and engagement, making it ideal for any social occasion. If you would like to order your own copy of Pantone The Game, CLICK HERE!
Tummy rumblin‘? Explore more food-related posts under the Nerdy Bites!
The Dinner: Art Snobs at La Galleria
The Food
Pantone was our first foray into game night dinners, and it was a great opportunity to really flex our creativity on how we choose to select and apply a theme. Our process is essentially: Choose a game, figure out a theme for dinner, and then come up with an app, main, dessert, and cocktail.
For night one, we decided to go with Art Snobs at an Italian Gallery, because colors and paint, right? Hey, it worked, and was a great excuse for me to make an old favorite with Cacio e Pepe and give vegan panna cotta a try.
We decided on a yummy bruschetta with basil from our garden as the app, and all-together we enjoyed a pretty classic Italian meal.
For reference, our home is a mostly plant-based one (no meat with some dairy and eggs), so many of our meals come with an extra challenge of vege-fying classic dishes. Additionally a few of our members are alcohol-free so I get to learn how to craft delicious mock-tails so everyone can feel included.
As a self-proclaimed Gamer-Chef (it’s now a thing), I really enjoy pushing the boundaries of my cooking knowledge to accommodate different preferences and needs, which is another reason I’ve been really excited to participate in this tradition.
Still hungry? Check out more of our themed dinner & game nights!
The Cocktail: Classic Cosmo
Before you come from me, I know, Cosmos aren’t Italian. But self-indulgent art snobs would totally order one at the gallery, and it’s a cocktail I’m familiar with! So we ran with it.
Recipe:
- 2 oz. vodka (0 proof vodka for alcohol-free)
- 1 oz. cranberry juice
- ¾ oz fresh lime juice
- ¾ oz. triple sec (alcohol free triple-sec syrup for 0 proof)
- Fill a cocktail shaker with ice
- Add the vodka, juices, and triple sec
- Shake vigorously for 20 seconds, until shaker is frosty and cold
- Pour over a strainer into your glass
- Garnish with an orange twist, optional
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