Space Cowboys

Splendor

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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
Up to 1 hr
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.

Reviews

4.8 / 5
14455 ratings on Amazon

Best game

Ella

I loveeeee this game. So simple but strategic possibilities keep it so engaging.

Reviewed in Australia on 2 February 2026

Awesome game at a competitive price

Mel B

This is our family's favourite game at the moment and we've bought it as a great gift for our friends and family.

Reviewed in Australia on 15 September 2025

Love this board game.

Courtney Bridge

We got this board game to play with our 9 year old. It is a very strategic game to play and get the mind thinking. We love it! Definitely recommend!

Reviewed in Australia on 8 January 2025

More reviews (10)

A perceived upgrade in quality is sometimes all that's required!

Alexander Brookes

Love the re-skin. Still a game you should try to get on sale, but the new version at least looks great enough that purchasing it at RRP won't feel as bad.

Reviewed in Australia on 26 December 2025

A classic

Spencer Howard

Great game. Simple rules and quick to play. Lots of strategies to try and good replay value. A family favourite.

Reviewed in Australia on 5 March 2023

Splendid

Tabitha

Love this game. My family looked forward to play it.

Reviewed in Australia on 27 July 2025

Simply amazing game

Boardgamer

This is such a fun game. I'd never played before purchasing on an impulse buy and I'm so glad I did because it's a delightful game. The gems feel so nice to hold and clickitty click in my hands. It's easy to learn, fun to play, and super addictive. You'll a...
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This is such a fun game. I'd never played before purchasing on an impulse buy and I'm so glad I did because it's a delightful game. The gems feel so nice to hold and clickitty click in my hands. It's easy to learn, fun to play, and super addictive. You'll always want to play "one more round".

Reviewed in Australia on 15 February 2023

Splendid!

ChloeCat

Great game!

Reviewed in Australia on 23 March 2025

Great game and good quality

Thys Aarts

Good game. Fun to play. Good quality cards and pieces. Easy to learn this game.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 27 June 2026

Dinamico

Cliente Amazon

Entretenido y dinamico Fácil de comprender

Reviewed in Spain on 21 December 2025

Addictive game to play with the family

Luciana

We love this game

Reviewed in Ireland on 10 July 2026

Bestes Brettspiel ever.

Bernd

Wir sind absolut begeistert von Splendor! Dieses Spiel ist ein echter Gewinner, der sowohl Gelegenheitsspieler als auch erfahrene Brettspielenthusiasten gleichermaßen anspricht. Die Mischung aus strategischem Denken und einfachen Regeln macht es uns leicht ...
Read full review

Wir sind absolut begeistert von Splendor! Dieses Spiel ist ein echter Gewinner, der sowohl Gelegenheitsspieler als auch erfahrene Brettspielenthusiasten gleichermaßen anspricht. Die Mischung aus strategischem Denken und einfachen Regeln macht es uns leicht zugänglich, während die Tiefe der Entscheidungen und das Streben nach Prestige und Reichtum für anhaltende Spannung sorgen. Die Qualität der Spielkomponenten, insbesondere die wunderschön gestalteten Edelsteine, verleiht dem Spiel eine taktile Freude. Die Mechanik des Kartenkaufs und -aufbaus ist faszinierend und eröffnet uns vielfältige Wege zum Sieg. Ein weiterer Pluspunkt ist die kurze Spieldauer, die es ideal für schnelle Partien oder auch längere Spielabende macht. Splendor fördert strategisches Denken, Wettbewerbsgeist und Interaktion zwischen den Spielern, was zu unvergesslichen Spielerlebnissen führt. Insgesamt sind wir der Meinung, dass Splendor ein Juwel in der Welt der Brettspiele ist - ein echter Klassiker, der immer wieder auf den Tisch kommt und uns Freude bereitet.

Reviewed in Germany on 1 October 2023

super fun game, bought for $34.50

jacqueline

easy to pick up. fun game bought only for $34 when on sale

Reviewed in Singapore on 17 June 2024