# Fresco

Fresco is a board game for 2–4 players. It plays in 60 minutes and is meant for ages 10 and up. Ludoya players call it best with 4. It is rated 7.1 out of 10 by 59 Ludoya reviewers. The cheapest copy in stock is $47.52 (United States).

- **Players:** 2–4 (best with 4)
- **Playing time:** 60 minutes
- **Minimum age:** 10+
- **Complexity:** 2.6 out of 5
- **Year published:** 2010
- **Categories:** Renaissance
- **Mechanics:** Grid Movement, Income, Worker Placement, Action Queue, Set Collection, Turn Order: Stat-Based, Simultaneous Action Selection, Market
- **Ludoya rating:** 7.1 out of 10, from 59 reviews
- **Owned by:** 90 Ludoya players
- **Plays logged on Ludoya:** 188
- **Unique players:** 222

**Designers:** Wolfgang Panning, Marco Ruskowski, Marcel Süßelbeck

**Artists:** Oliver Schlemmer

**Publishers:** Queen Games

## Where to buy in United States

| Shop | Price | Link |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Board Game Bliss | 66.95 $ | https://www.boardgamebliss.com/products/fresco-revised-edition |
| Alphaspel | 345 kr | https://alphaspel.se/491-bradspel/59884-fresco-begagnad |
| Jugar x Jugar | 39 € | https://www.jugarxjugar.com/shop/estrategia/3627-fresco-8436017228311.html |
| Dungeon Marvels | 39.96 € | https://dungeonmarvels.com/fresco-revised-edition-ingles-y-aleman-74423.html |
| Magia de Tinta | 41.75 € | https://www.magiadetinta.com/es/juegos/3238-fresco-8436017228311.html |
| Milan Spiele | 43.9 € | https://www.milan-spiele.de/fresco-revised-edition-deutschengl-p-35379.html |
| Spelexperten | 495 kr | https://www.spelexperten.com/sallskapsspel/strategispel/fresco.html |
| Snafu Store | 44.95 € | https://snafustore.com/product/fresco/ |
| El Nucli | 45 € | https://www.elnucli.es/products/fresco |
| Homoludicus Granollers | 47 € | https://homoludicus-granollers.org/fresco |
| Gamers@Hart | 41.23 £ | https://gamersathart.co.uk/product/fresco-revised-edition/ |
| Get Your Fun | 49.99 € | https://www.getyourfun.it/035671-fresco-revised-edition-giochi-gestionali.html |
| Curiosity Shop | 50 € | https://www.thecuriosityshop.es/products/fresco-revised-edition-ingles |
| TLAMA games | 1299 Kč | https://www.tlamagames.com/deskove-hry/fresco-revised-edition/ |
| Fantasiapelit | 60.5 € | https://www.fantasiapelit.com/index.php?main=ai&kat=single&mista=indeksi&etsittava=_216144 |
| Spielezar | 57.9 Fr. | https://www.spielezar.ch/brettspiele/fresco-revised-edition |

## Expansions

- [Fresco: Expansion Modules 4, 5 and 6](https://www.ludoya.com/games/fresco-expansion-modules-4-5-and-6)
- [Fresco: Expansion Module 7 – The Scrolls](https://www.ludoya.com/games/fresco-expansion-module-7-the-scrolls)
- [Fresco: The Bishop's Favor](https://www.ludoya.com/games/fresco-the-bishops-favor)
- [Fresco: Expansion Modules 8, 9 and 10](https://www.ludoya.com/games/fresco-expansion-modules-8-9-and-10)
- [Fresco: Expansion Box](https://www.ludoya.com/games/fresco-expansion-box)

## Similar games

- [Fresco: Big Box](https://www.ludoya.com/games/fresco-big-box)
- [Florenza: X Anniversary Edition](https://www.ludoya.com/games/florenza-x-anniversary-edition)
- [Coimbra](https://www.ludoya.com/games/coimbra)
- [The Pursuit of Happiness](https://www.ludoya.com/games/the-pursuit-of-happiness)
- [Firenze](https://www.ludoya.com/games/firenze)
- [Medici](https://www.ludoya.com/games/medici)
- [IKI](https://www.ludoya.com/games/iki)
- [Yedo: Deluxe Master Set](https://www.ludoya.com/games/yedo-deluxe-master-set)
- [Signorie](https://www.ludoya.com/games/signorie)
- [Bruges](https://www.ludoya.com/games/bruges)
- [Florenza](https://www.ludoya.com/games/florenza)
- [Lorenzo il Magnifico](https://www.ludoya.com/games/lorenzo-il-magnifico)

## Rules questions

### When do we choose our get‑up time and what does it do (mood, market price, turn order)?

Choosing get‑up time happens in Phase 1 (the player in last place on the victory track chooses first); the space you pick immediately adjusts your mood, sets your market price, and determines the player order for Phase 2 (earliest get‑up acts first). (pages 4–5).

### If I place two apprentices at the cathedral, can I restore two fresco segments in the same round?

Yes — each apprentice you deploy at the cathedral entitles you to one cathedral action, so two apprentices let you perform two restores (or altar actions), resolving them when it’s your turn at that location. (pages 5–6).

### How exactly does buying at the market work, and what happens when we close a market booth?

Each apprentice you placed at the market can buy one market tile from the selected booth at the price set by your get‑up time; you pay the cost, take the paint pieces and hide them behind your screen, then return all tiles of that booth to the linen bag. Alternatively, you may forfeit buying and close the booth as a free action, returning its tiles to the linen bag. (pages 5–6).

### When and how can I move the bishop, and what are the bishop bonus points?

Before restoring any fresco segment you may move the bishop exactly one space in any direction by paying 1 Thaler; if the bishop stands on the restored segment you gain 3 bonus points, if it is adjacent you gain 2 bonus points. (page 7).

### Is the order for choosing get‑up times the same as the order for performing actions?

No — the order for choosing get‑up times is determined by players’ positions on the victory point track (last chooses first), while the order of performing actions in Phase 2 is determined by the chosen get‑up times (earliest get‑up acts first). (pages 4–5).

### How does restoring the altar work and what about blended/wildcard paints?

You can restore the altar either by returning one each of basic paints (yellow, red, blue) for 2 VP — substituting any of them with green/orange/purple adds +1 VP per substitute — or by returning three different blended paints (orange, green, purple) for 6 VP. (page 7).

## Links

- [This page](https://www.ludoya.com/games/fresco)
- [Fresco in the Ludoya app](https://app.ludoya.com/g/fresco)
- [BoardGameGeek entry](https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/66188)

_Data from Ludoya, updated 2026-09-19. Ratings, ownership and play counts are Ludoya's own._