Colors are important in understanding maps. Using colors on maps provides very helpful visual clues to the person using the map. For this reason, color schemes have been developed.  There are different types of color schemes to show different features on maps. The ones often used are the diverging color scheme (two colors with different light-to-dark values progress outward from a critical midpoint) and monochromatic color scheme (one color, with different light-to-dark values).

Diverging color schemes (two hues diverge from a common light hue or gray) allow the display of progressions outward from a critical midpoint of the data range, e.g. median. Deviations above and below the median income, for example, are well represented by a diverging color scheme. Paint the map game uses a simple diverging color scheme. An example for a complexer diverging color scheme would be "dark red - light red - grey - light blue - dark blue".
 

Diverging color scheme

 

Monochromatic color schemes, on the other hand, use one color that changes from light to dark with an increase in density or intensity of the numbers. The farmland game uses monochromatic color schemes.

 

Monochromatic color scheme