Splendor Board Game (Base Game) | Family Board Game | Board Game for Adults and Family | Strategy Game | Ages 10+ | 2 to 4 players | Average Playtime 30 minutes | Made by Space Cowboys

What I mean by an elegant game is that this game does not have a lot of rules, it is quick to learn and set up, and yet there is a great deal of strategy to it. There is an element of luck, too, but strategy is important. On every turn, you are deciding between collecting currency (different types of gems), spending them to buy gem mines that provide ongoing currency and sometimes victory points, or reserving a card that only you can buy later (which comes with a wild gem). To win, you can either focus on acquiring gem mines that have victory points on them, or you can focus on meeting the requirements for nobles to visit you and bestow victory points on you, or you can do a combination of these two things. Since the available mines change over time as some of them get purchased by your opponents, you may find that you need to adapt your strategy during the game. I knew I wanted to buy this game after playing someone elses copy twice. I hope you will enjoy it as much as I do.

This is an excellent game. I see it as a sort of investment simulator, except for the zero-sum aspect and the competitive race condition (but its a game after all, so it benefits from these limitations). Players have available to them cash in the form of gemstone cards, property assets that generate gemstones each turn if they are used to buy something that turn (some properties also have a point value that brings one closer to the game objective), and nobles that can be attracted in order to add to the players total points. The first player to reach a number of points wins. Adults and grade school kids can equally have fun with a game like this. There are lots of ways to hack the game and play under different rulesets if desired, but the standard rules have very high replay-ability and allow for a decent range of strategic and tactical decisions.

Great adult game. A game goes pretty quick and takes some strategy/thinking. It as fun with two people as well as more, I think. Our game-playing seven year old grandson caught on fast and mastered the strategy quickly. Great online videos to explain the game. The enclosed rules are good, too.

This game is simple enough for younger children to learn, yet provides a challenge for the adults making it a great family game.

I love playing Splendor! It is an easy game to learn. We have played it with our kids. Our 7-year old loves it! There is some strategy associated with the game, and I dont think it is for all ages. It is a great family game! The rules state that the object is to get to 15 points. We have played that way, but our favorite way to play is to play until all the cards are purchased. The person with the most points wins. It is a fun variation!

We were looking for a game that would be fun for 2 people and wouldnt be too repetitive/get boring quickly. Splendor fits the bill, and every game is different due to the order of the cards and the royal cards selected. Note that for 2, we noticed that the game is more fun if you take out 5 cards per color in the brown deck (lowest deck with the most cards). Otherwise, you can finish a game without really needing many cards from the green/blue decks, and it makes it less interesting/strategic. Make sure you buy from a reputable seller (select your seller instead of using the default)... we received a game that was in perfect condition and had the sturdy, plastic poker-style chips!

Simply put, this is one of the most fun games Ive played. Its also got great art and design. The gem chips feel great in your hand and have a perfect weight to them. Games go fairly quick, about 30 minutes. Rules are easy to learn, but the game takes time to master. Luck (of newly placed cards) plays a role, but strategy plays a key role too. Figuring out just what strategy to use is a huge part of the fun, as it depends on what the other player(s) are doing, what cards are available. And after several games you are left wondering just what strategy *is* the best? Do you buy cheap gems to build an engine for future buys, or do you save up and buy the big payoff cards? Let the fun begin. And gems are pretty. Have fun Splending!

We host a weekly games night, and have over 200 games on the shelf. I mention this to let you know that when I review a game, I have some exeperience with games. We all have different tastes in games, so I will try to let you know why I have the opinion that I do about a game. Splendor is easy to teach, plays fairly quickly and isnt too complicated, which makes it a great introductory game for people who arent used to real games. That said, it has enough complexity that it fits in nicely for people who are used to playing more substantial games, which is a nice bit of balance. It wont be the core of your game collection, but it deserves a spot on your shelf.

Our friends played with us when we got it and they ordered the super hero version! We all love it!

It’s a very fun game even for my seven year old son. Highly recommend to everyone.