ASMODEE Splendor

Splendor, a game for 2-4 players, is a fast-paced, gem drafting, card development game that sees players take on the role of gem merchants, battling through the renaissance to mine raw materials, transform them into precious stones and then sell them on to the rich and affluent.

In Splendor, published by Space Cowboys, you must build your might and worth and attempt to dominate the market. You’ll use your resources to purchase stronger and more expensive cards with the gems you already have. If you’re lucky, your work may even catch the eye of one of the nobles, and they may just pay you a visit, adding to your prestige points pool.

Each turn, a player may choose to either take three different coloured gems, two of the same colour (as long as there are two gems left in the stack), purchase a card or reserve a card. Using these four moves, you must construct a strategy that will give you an advantage and make increase your wealth, allowing you to access those stronger cards while also increasing your prestige.

The first player to 15 prestige points will bring the game to a close, but be warned. As soon as 15 or more prestige points are obtained by a player, the game continues for one more round, so you may just find yourself losing to a player who had planned a big move before you declared your 15 prestige points.

Splendor encourages the use of cunning strategies and devious moves and this creates a game that plays wonderfully well. The colourful and detailed artwork makes this a must-have for any board game collection and will have players wanting to play again and again.