Objective of the Game
In Splendor, you take on the role of a wealthy Renaissance merchant competing to collect valuable gemstones, establish trade routes, and draw the attention of nobles. The objective is to be the first player to reach 15 prestige points.
Game Components
- 40 Gem Tokens in 5 colors: Emerald (green), Sapphire (blue), Ruby (red), Diamond (white), Onyx (black), and 5 gold Joker tokens.
- 90 Development Cards divided into three levels (Level I, II, III) with increasing costs and prestige points.
- 10 Noble Tiles, which give prestige points when visited by a player.
Gameplay
The game proceeds in clockwise order. Each player performs one of the following actions during their turn:
- Take 3 Gem Tokens of different colors.
- Take 2 Gem Tokens of the same color if at least four tokens of that color are available. Gold Jokers cannot be taken this way.
- Reserve a Development Card and take 1 gold Joker. You can reserve a card from the display or the top card of a draw pile. Reserved cards are kept in your hand (up to 3 at a time).
- Purchase a Development Card either from the display or from your hand. Pay the card's cost using gem tokens, with gold Jokers acting as wildcards.
Acquire Nobles
- At the end of your turn, if you have acquired enough development cards of the types required by a noble, that noble visits you and grants additional prestige points.
Winning
- The game ends at the end of the round in which a player reaches 15 prestige points. The player with the most prestige points wins.
- In the case of a tie, the player with the fewest development cards wins.
Strategic Considerations
- Balancing the collection of gems and timely building of development cards is key.
- Joker Tokens are valuable, especially to complete expensive cards or to reserve valuable cards.
- Reserving cards can be strategic to prevent others from obtaining them and as a long-term strategy for target cards.
Splendor is a game that requires both luck and strategic planning and is suitable for players of all experience levels.
