Space Cowboys

Splendor

Out of stock
$65.00
$65.00 RRP $79.00

Splendor is a fast, elegant engine-building game for 2–4 players aged 10 and up, playable in around 30 minutes. As a Renaissance gem merchant, you'll collect gem chips, buy development cards and race to reach 15 prestige points before your rivals.

Players
2–4 players
Play time
1h
Age
Teens
Complexity
Easy
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About the Game

In Splendor you play a Renaissance gem merchant, slowly turning a handful of poker-style chips into a thriving engine of mines, transport and shops. Each turn you either collect gem chips, purchase a development card or reserve a card for later, and every card you buy permanently discounts future purchases while some also award prestige. Wealthy merchants may even attract a visit from a noble, boosting their standing further. The first player to reach 15 prestige points wins.

Splendor plays 2–4 players in around 30 minutes and suits ages 10 and up. It's a light, quick-to-teach game built around set collection, card drafting and engine building, rewarding careful timing and an eye on your opponents.

Designed by Marc André and published by Space Cowboys in 2014, Splendor became a modern gateway classic and was nominated for the 2014 Spiel des Jahres.

History

Splendor was designed by Marc André and published by Space Cowboys in 2014. Its simple rules and satisfying engine-building play made it an instant modern classic, earning it a nomination for the 2014 Spiel des Jahres, Germany's most prestigious board-game award.

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Watch: How to play

Rules of Splendor

  • Setup: Shuffle the three tiers of development cards and deal four of each tier face-up; place the gem and gold chips in stacks and set out the noble tiles.
  • Your goal: Be the first to reach 15 prestige points from development cards and visiting nobles.
  • On your turn, take one action: collect three gem chips of different colours, take two chips of one colour (only if four or more remain in that stack), buy a development card, or reserve a face-up or top-deck card and take one gold chip.
  • You may hold a maximum of ten chips; return extras immediately.
  • Gold chips are wild and can stand in for any gem, but reserved cards count as yours until bought.
  • Every card you buy gives a permanent gem bonus that discounts all future purchases, and some cards also award prestige points.
  • At the end of your turn, if your card bonuses meet a noble's requirements, that noble visits you for bonus prestige.
  • Game end: When a player reaches 15 or more prestige, finish the round so everyone has had equal turns; the highest prestige total wins.

Strategy

  • Buy cheap tier-one cards early — their permanent gem discounts act as the engine that powers bigger purchases later.
  • Plan around the visible nobles: collecting the card colours they want can deliver a free three-prestige boost.
  • Taking two chips of the same colour is efficient when you're saving for one specific card.
  • Don't hoard chips aimlessly — the ten-chip limit punishes unfocused collecting, so always know what you're buying next.
  • Use reservations to lock in a card you can't yet afford or to deny a card an opponent clearly wants.
  • Keep an eye on rivals' prestige and bonuses; if someone is close to 15, shift from engine-building to grabbing points fast.
  • High-tier cards carry most of the prestige, so aim to afford at least a couple of tier-three cards before the game ends.
  • There's no single winning formula — adapt your plan to the cards and nobles that appear each game.