Pastiche

Pastiche is a game about mixing paint, and it works better than it sounds. You take commission cards showing 34 real European paintings from the last six centuries, then place hexagonal tiles to collect the primary colors you need. Combine them the way a painter would, red and yellow for orange and so on, and you complete the commission by recreating the palette of the original artist. Along the way you pick up a feel for color theory and a handful of famous names without being quizzed on either. It is a gentle, clever puzzle game for two to four players, about an hour long, and a good pick for art lovers.