The Danish city of Copenhagen is traversed by canals and harbors, and part of it — "Nyhavn" (New Harbor) — is famous for the colorful gabled houses along the water.

In Copenhagen, players design new façades for these houses so that they fit seamlessly into this beautiful harbor setting. On a turn, a player may choose to take two adjacent cards from the display (they may never hold more than 7 cards), or use cards to buy facade tiles in various shapes and colors. Any tile may be purchased, but you get a discount if you place a tile touching another one of the same color. Building over certain spaces or completing designated rows grants the players new abilities to make their job easier. Finishing a row or column will award the player points (doubled if it is all windows), and the game is a race to 12 points.