Summary
Merchants racing to be the wealthiest by grabbing gems, acquiring property and pleasing nobility
Players: 2-4 players
Gametime: 20-30 minutes
Gameplay
Set up the game
- Place the game board on a flat surface.
- Shuffle the development cards and place them in three face-up rows.
- Place the gem tokens in a pile near the board.
Collect gem tokens
- On each turn, players can either take gem tokens from the pile or reserve a development card.
- Players can only have three reserved cards at a time.
Purchase development cards
- Players can purchase development cards by spending the required number and type of gem tokens.
- Purchased cards are placed in front of the player and can be used to discount the cost of future purchases.
Score points
- Each development card has a point value, and players score points for each card they have purchased.
- The first player to reach 15 points triggers the end of the game.
End of the game
- After the first player reaches 15 points, each player takes one final turn.
- The player with the highest score at the end of the game wins.
Here is a video from Rodney Smith teaching us how to play Splendor
Review
Awarded multiple times as the best family game, Splendor is easy to learn. It is a quick game to challenge your family and friends in a game of strategy and resource management, as players must decide which gem tokens to collect and which development cards to purchase to score the most points. Racing to reach 15 points brings in the drama and strategy that differs from your opponents.
Difficulty: Easy
Likeness: 60%
Purchase
You can purchase Splendor on Amazon here