Overview

Fresco is a worker-placement game set during the Renaissance where players are fresco painters hired to restore a cathedral ceiling. Each round, players choose when to wake up (affecting market prices, mood, and turn order), then secretly assign their apprentices to various locations: buying paints at the market, restoring fresco segments in the cathedral, blending paints in the workshop, earning money at the studio, or improving mood at the theater. The player with the most victory points from restoring fresco segments and converting money wins.

Components

• 1 Double-sided game board (3-player side / 4-player side)
• 14 Market tiles (showing paint combinations for purchase)
• 25 Fresco tiles (with values 3-11, showing required paints and VP)
• 60 Coins (Thalers) in denominations of 1, 5, and 10
• 78 Paint pieces: 17 each of red, yellow, blue; 9 each of green, purple, orange
• 4 Natural-colored apprentices (bonus workers)
• Per player: 5 apprentices, 3 master painters, 1 small screen, 1 large screen, 1 action sheet, 1 blending table card
• 1 Bishop figure
• 1 Linen bag

Setup

1. Place the game board (4-player side up for 4 players, flip for 3 players).
2. Cathedral: Place one fresco tile valued 11 in the center. Shuffle remaining 24 tiles and deal them face-up onto the 24 remaining fresco segments.
3. Starting Order: Draw master painters from the linen bag; place on starting spaces S1-S4 in draw order.
4. Hostel: Each player places one master painter above the hostel.
5. Market: Draw market tiles from the bag and place face-up in each booth (4 booths for 4 players, 3 for 3 players).
6. Workshop: Place all paint pieces sorted by color.
7. Studio: Place all coins sorted by denomination.
8. Theater/Mood: Each player places one master painter on the corresponding mood display space. Place natural-colored apprentice above each column.
9. Player Setup: Each player takes their screen, action sheet (side 1 up), and behind their large screen places 1 yellow, 1 red, 1 blue paint piece and 12 Thalers.

Turn Structure

Each round consists of 2 phases:

Phase 1: Choosing Get Up Time and Adjusting Mood

Starting with the player in last place on the VP track, each player places their master painter on a free get-up space at the hostel. The chosen time determines three things:

• Mood change: Each space shows a mood adjustment (earlier = worse mood, later = better mood). Move master painter up or down on the mood display accordingly.
• Market prices: Each space shows the cost per market tile (earlier wake-up = cheaper prices).
• Player order for Phase 2: Earliest wake-up goes first.

Mood Effects:

• “+1” spaces: Player gains a natural-colored apprentice for 1 additional action (6 total).
• “-1” spaces: Player loses 1 apprentice (only 4 actions).

Phase 2: Planning and Performing Actions

Planning (Simultaneous): All players secretly assign their available apprentices (normally 5) to the 15 spaces on their action sheet behind their small screen. Each space can hold only 1 apprentice.

Performing (In Order): Players reveal assignments and visit locations in fixed order. At each location, players act in wake-up time order, completing all their actions at a location before the next player acts.

Actions

Market: Buy Paints or Close Down Booth

Each apprentice assigned to the market allows the player to buy 1 market tile from a selected booth, paying the price determined by their get-up time. Take the paint pieces shown on the tile. After buying, return all tiles from that booth to the bag.

Alternatively, a player may close down a booth (returning all its tiles to the bag) as a free action.

Cathedral: Restore the Fresco or Altar

Each apprentice at the cathedral allows:

Restore a Fresco Segment: Return the paint pieces shown on a fresco tile to the supply. Gain the VP shown on the tile. Remove the tile and move the bishop to that segment.

Bishop Bonus: Before restoring, may pay 1 Thaler to move the bishop 1 space (any direction). If the bishop is on the segment being restored: +3 bonus VP. If adjacent (including diagonal): +2 bonus VP.

Restore the Altar: Instead of a fresco segment:

• Return 1 yellow + 1 red + 1 blue to supply = 2 VP. Any basic paint may be substituted with a blended paint for +1 VP each.
• Return 1 orange + 1 green + 1 purple = 6 VP.

Studio: Earn Money

Each apprentice at the studio earns 3 Thalers from the supply.

Workshop: Blend Paints

Each apprentice at the workshop may blend paints up to 2 times:

• Red + Yellow = Orange
• Red + Blue = Purple
• Yellow + Blue = Green

Return component paints to supply; take the blended paint.

Theater: Improve Mood

Each apprentice at the theater moves the player’s master painter 2 spaces up on the mood display. (Mood changes take effect next round when selecting get-up time.)

Scoring / Victory Conditions

End of Game Trigger: If 6 or fewer fresco tiles remain on the board at the beginning of a round, that round is the final round. Players flip their action sheets to side 2 (theater is removed; cathedral can be visited twice). If the fresco is completely restored during any round, that is also the final round.

Final Scoring: No income is paid in the final round. Each player gains 1 VP per 2 Thalers remaining, awarded in wake-up time order. The player with the most VP wins.

Tiebreaker: If master painters land on the same VP space during final scoring, the arriving painter moves forward to the next free space.

Special Rules & Edge Cases

• Paint Supply: Unlimited. If pieces run out, track on paper.
• VP Track Collisions: No two painters on the same space. When landing on an occupied space, choose to go to the next free space in front or behind.
• Forfeiting Actions: Players may choose not to perform assigned actions. If they lack money or paints for an action, they must forfeit it.
• Market Tiles: After a player buys from a booth, ALL remaining tiles in that booth are returned to the bag (not just the purchased one).
• Module 1 - Portraits: Portrait cards at the studio provide one-time or permanent benefits. An alternative end-game trigger when the last portraits are revealed.
• Module 2 - Bishop’s Requests: Special request tiles at the workshop grant VP bonuses and modified income for fulfilling paint requirements.
• Module 3 - Special Blend Colors: Additional blended colors expand paint-mixing options.
• 2-Player Rules: Available in the supplement with adjusted setup.

Player Reference

Round Structure

1. Choose get-up time (last place VP goes first)
2. Adjust mood
3. Plan actions simultaneously (assign apprentices)
4. Perform actions at locations in order:
   • Market (buy paints or close booth)
   • Cathedral (restore fresco/altar)
   • Studio (earn 3 Thalers per apprentice)
   • Workshop (blend paints, up to 2x per apprentice)
   • Theater (improve mood by 2)
5. Prepare next round (refill market, pay income of 1 Thaler per restored fresco tile, return painters to hostel)

Paint Blending

| Input | Result | |——-|——–| | Red + Yellow | Orange | | Red + Blue | Purple | | Yellow + Blue | Green |

Get-Up Time Trade-offs

• Earlier = cheaper market prices, worse mood, goes first in actions
• Later = expensive market prices, better mood, goes last in actions