Splendor

1 Overview

Splendor is a 2–4 player engine-building card game set in the Renaissance gem trade. Players collect gem tokens to purchase development cards, which provide permanent gem bonuses and prestige points. Attract visiting nobles by assembling the right card collection. First to 15 prestige points wins.

Splendor is elegant and fast: turns are simple, but the card economy creates deep decisions about which engine to build and how to race your opponents to key cards.

2 Components

• 90 development cards in 3 levels (Level 1 cheap, Level 3 expensive)
• 10 noble tiles (use 1 more than the number of players)
• Gem tokens: 7 each of emerald, sapphire, ruby, diamond, onyx; 5 gold (jokers)

3 Setup

Shuffle each level of development cards separately. Deal 4 face-up cards from each level in a row. Place the remaining cards face-down as draw piles. Select noble tiles randomly (number of players + 1). Distribute gem tokens: in a 2-player game use 4 of each color; in a 3-player game use 5; in a 4-player game use 7.

4 Your Turn

On your turn, take exactly one of these actions:

• Take 3 different gem tokens (one each of three different colors)
• Take 2 identical gem tokens (only if there are 4+ of that color available)
• Reserve a card — take any face-up or top-of-deck card into your hand (face-down), and take 1 gold token (if available). You can hold max 3 reserved cards.
• Buy a card — purchase a face-up card or one of your reserved cards by paying its gem cost. Development cards in your collection act as permanent gem bonuses for future purchases (they don't get spent).

You can hold a maximum of 10 gem tokens at end of turn (discard excess).

5 Nobles

At the end of your turn, if your purchased development cards meet the requirements of any noble tile on the board, that noble visits you — take the tile and gain its prestige points (usually 3). You can only receive one noble per turn, even if you qualify for multiple.

6 Winning

When any player reaches 15 prestige points, finish the current round so all players have an equal number of turns. Then the player with the most prestige points wins. Ties go to the player who purchased fewer development cards.

7 Strategy

Target a Noble Early

Nobles are worth 3 points each — roughly 20% of your win condition. Identify which nobles are viable (based on competition) and build toward one from the start.

Level 1 Cards Are Infrastructure

Low-cost Level 1 cards provide the gem bonuses that make Level 2 and 3 cards affordable. Don't ignore them.

Reserve to Block

Reserving isn't just for securing cards you want — it also denies key cards to opponents. Reserve a card your opponent desperately needs while picking up a free gold token.

Gold Tokens Are Flexible but Scarce

Gold tokens are powerful but limited. Use them to bridge the last gem or two when buying expensive cards, not as a crutch for underdeveloped engines.