In Splendor, you play as a wealthy Renaissance merchant. Lead a guild of traders, invest in mines, send ships to the new world, and recruit the finest artisans. Build a commercial empire and receive visits from nobles, patrons with resources to acquire prestige and glory.
The game focuses on the acquisition of gems, which are used to purchase development cards. Once acquired, these cards provide permanent bonuses in the form of gems and prestige points. The game unfolds over a series of rounds:
- Take gems: Players can take three gems of different colors or two gems of the same color (if there are at least four available).
- Purchase a development card: Players can buy one of the available development cards on the table, paying with gems collected in previous phases. Each development card provides permanent gems and prestige points.
- Bet on nobility: By accumulating a sufficient number of development cards, players can earn the visit of nobles, who provide additional prestige points.
- Reserve a card: Players can reserve a development card and obtain a gold gem, which can be used as any color of gem. The reserved card can be purchased in later rounds.
The game ends when a player reaches a certain number of prestige points, usually 15. The player with the highest number of points wins the game. Splendor is known for its simplicity, with gameplay mechanics skillfully combining resource gathering and card management.