Description
In Splendor you lead a guild of gem merchants. You collect diamonds, sapphires, rubies, emeralds and onyx and use them to buy development cards. Every card you buy makes your future purchases permanently cheaper, so over time you can afford ever more valuable cards and attract nobles.
How to play Splendor
On your turn, you do one of four things: take three tokens of different colours, take two tokens of the same colour, reserve a card and get a gold token for it, which stands in for any gem, or buy a card. A card you buy gives you a permanent discount in its colour, and the more expensive cards also give prestige points.
Once you have enough cards of the right colours, a noble visits you at the end of your turn and brings extra points. When someone reaches 15 points, the round is played to the end. The player with the most prestige points wins.
Why you'll love it
- Each card makes the next one cheaper: at the start you count every token, but towards the end you buy cards almost for free.
- Everything is on the table and everyone sees everything, so you quickly notice which card your neighbour is waiting for, and you can reserve it right under their nose.
- Tokens are scarce, and each player can hold at most ten.
- You do just one thing on your turn, so the game moves quickly with hardly any waiting.
Who is Splendor for
The game is for 2 to 4 players aged 10 and up and takes about 30 minutes. It is easy, and players like it best with three. You can explain the rules in a few minutes and there is no text on the components, which makes it popular with families and with people who are just getting to know board games. There are no direct attacks, but the race for cards and nobles is tight.
For two players, our shop also has Splendor Duel.
What you might not like
The gem trading is more of a frame than a story, and the game is above all a clean, fast race. So it may not be the best fit for those looking for a game with a rich story and theme.
What's in the box
- 90 development cards in three levels
- 40 tokens: 7 each of diamonds, sapphires, rubies, emeralds and onyx, and 5 gold
- 10 noble tiles
- first player token
- rules
