Review: Splendor
Play At The Card Table | Episode 1: Splendor
Splendor is, without doubt, a modern classic. It's a bold statement to make, especially in episode 1 of this series, but with this game, it rings true.
Released in 2014 by Space Cowboys, it was nominated for, and won, several awards upon it's release. Since then, it's seen 3 other entries into the series:
- Cities Of Splendor - a 2017 expansion
- Splendor Marvel - a 2020 spin-off, focusing on Marvel & the Infinity Gauntlet/ Stones
- Splendor: Duel - a 2022 standalone game, specifically for 2 players
The Premise Of Splendor
Splendor places 2-4 players in a marketplace-style scenario, where each player acts as a gem merchant. The aim of the game is to collect the most prestige points, which can be earned in a couple of different ways - but be warned, both mean a fight for Gems & development cards!
There are very few game pieces, which makes Splendor a very easy game to learn. In total there is:
- 40 Gems
- 7 Emeralds
- 7 Sapphires
- 7 Ruby's
- 7 Diamonds
- 7 Onyx
- 5 Gold
- 90 Development Cards
- 10 Nobles
- 1 First Player Marker
Gems are used to purchase Development Cards, however, you can only have a maximum number of gems at once, so choose wisely!
Development Cards can provide their owner with prestige points, some cards will give you 3-5 prestige points - but they'll cost you!
Noble tiles can also prove expensive, but they can give their owner a game-changing 3 prestige points and they don't cost an action to buy!
Gameplay
Of course, this is only our review & top level summary of the game, so please read the Game Rules/ watch the how-to-play video before playing, to understand the variations in play.
Each turn, players must complete one of the following actions, before moving to the next player:
- Take 3 Gems of different colours
- Can take 1 or 2, if there's insufficient supply
- Take 2 Gems of the same colour
- Reserve 1 Development Card & take 1 Gold
- Purchase 1 Development Card
Each Development Card has a different cost in order to buy it - different combinations of Gems:
-
Tier 1 Development Cards (Cheap)
- Cost 3-5 Gems each, of varying colours
- Provide 0-1 prestige points
-
Tier 2 Development Cards (Mid-Range)
- Cost 7-8 Gems each, of varying colours
- Provide 1-3 prestige points
-
Tier 3 Development Cards (Expensive)
- Cost 7-14 gems each, of varying colours
- Provide 3-5 prestige points
Sounds Simple, Right?
The mechanics are simple, but you need to think tactically, because at any time, each player may have a maximum of 10 Gems in their supply!
So how can I afford the Tier 2 and Tier 3 Development Cards, you ask?
Each Development Card has a Gem pictured in the top right corner. When you own a Development Card, you get 1 discount of that Gem on all future purchases! For example, if you buy a red Development Card, with a Ruby on it, any future Development Cards you buy will cost you 1 less Ruby!
Oh, and did we mention that the selection of Development Cards that you can buy are available to all players? Just because a Development Card is available to buy now, doesn't mean it will still be there on your next turn - so spend wisely!
Our Thoughts
Whilst simple in premise, the need for tactical thinking, planning ahead and thinking of contingencies is critical in a game of Splendor. It's a game that twists and turns in different directions, with every turn that's taken, especially in a 4 player game. You can spend 3 turns working towards an expensive Development Card, only to have it snatched from your grasp by the player before you!
We've played a lot of games of Splendor, and can confidently say that no 2 rounds have been the same. Winning has been achieved in different ways - buying all 3 Nobles, getting lots of Tier 1 & 2 Development Cards, or saving up for Tier 3 cards and sneaking under the radar! It all depends on the cards that are available and the tactics of all players involved, which always leads to entertaining and different games.
Our Score
9 out of 10
Splendor will easily have a space on our shelf for a long time yet!
