Splendor

This is a very fun game that my wife and i have enjoyed playing with family and friends. We recommend this to anyone wanting a simple game to teach and play.

This a very enjoyable game - for a few people or a moderate group.

The quality of the game materials - in particular, the poker chips - is beyond compare. And they need to be high quality as they are handled quite a bit during the game.

This is a good game for both gamers and non-gamers alike. The game mechanism (essentially, using 'energy' of 5 different colors to build an engine to acquire more energy more efficiently) is deceptively simple and is also very numerically deep (for those who like to plan their turns and min/max).

It's really funny to watch a group play - after about 10 or 15 minutes, suddenly they all stop talking and are just intently staring at the pieces, trying to play their next moves.

Ideal for 3-5.

I have played this game with a wide variety of people, including gamers and non-gamers. Everyone loves it. It's very simple, so it's easy to teach and for new players to pick up the strategy so they are instantly competitive. It plays quickly, but has lots of replay value. I won't be retiring this one anytime soon. Components are great quality as well.

Splendor is very easy to learn, and strategy to keep you coming back for more and more.

How easy is it to learn? I taught my 64 year old mother, 38 year old brother, and my 9 year old niece on the same night. We all played, all had different strategies going into, and everyone was competitive. My niece likes diamonds so she kept collecting diamonds, which made other people have to 1) change their strategy 2) try and block my neice from hogging all the diamond tokens! She was actually doing really good at blocking us (even if she didnt plan it). We all had a great time with the game.

The quality of the pieces are really nice. The cards have great artwork, and the tokens are like high quality clay poker chips. Fun game for anyone.

This game could be taught to anyone and there's enough of a puzzle type aspect to challenge big gamers. It's main downfall is that the game play is so simple. Once you've gotten used to games like Five Tribes, Viceroy, or Roll for the Galaxy, it feels like Splendor is just too simple to be enjoyed be some gamers.

You have 4 basic options for your turn. Take 2 coins of one color, Take 1 coin of three different colors, buy a card, or reserve a card. Once a player has 15 points then the game is over after everyone has an even number of turns. And that's basically it. Games last 20 to 40 minutes depending on player count and speed of play. The components are excellent. Nice heavy weighted coins and awesome artwork. I recommend this game as an excellent intro into modern gaming for noobs. It is also a great game for kids 7 and up. After a few plays then up the difficulty and complexity with a game like Viceroy or Five Tribes.

Splendor is a great game with a TON of replay ability. You are playing as merchants building your mining empire. The gameplay is smooth, offers tons of choices, and even supports good communication while playing even though ultimately, your trying to conceal you next move. The [rice is very good for a game of this caliber and components. There is no surprise that this game has seen is share of notoriety with the awards.

This is a simple game that is complex enough to entertain adults and easy enough for children to play and enjoy

I played Splendor at Gen Con for the first time, and I was very surprised by how easily I fell into the game's style, mechanics, and theme. Collecting gems may seem like a Bejeweled knock-off, but this is a great way to spend time with people. The rules are easy enough to teach to anyone, yet the game play is complex enough to give you multiple ways to gain victory points and win the game.

The cards are great quality, the chips representing the gems are nice and heavy for their size, and I found myself losing soundly, but also wanting to play it again immediately. Great game, great fun, and lots of replayability.

There have been enough reviews of this game so I will keep my thoughts brief.

This is a wonderful game.
It is simple,but that simplicity can turn it into a very tactical game. While good for casual play,if played competitively it requires you to react to and anticipate your opponents every move to come out on top.

There are many things to like with Splendor. First, the game is really easy to learn. The instructions are 2 pages long, and the game takes about 5 minutes to explain. Second, the setup is super easy and quick, which lends to more opportunities to play the game multiple times in a setting. Also, the game is not too long--it's about 20-35 minutes, which is a perfect length. The goal is simple (gather jewels, buy cards with jewels, then buy more cards via jewels and cards you've already bought, in order to get 15 points from your collective cards). The game is fun for 2, 3, or 4 players, but 3 or 4 players makes the game a little more complex. Also, there are a variety of strategies to win, and no one formula will guarantee a win every game. Also, the game components are extremely well made! Finally, the game is not super pricey, which is nice. It's a great game, it's fun to play, and it's worth adding to your collection.

I'll have to fall in line with everyone else who mentions the great components of the game. The poker chips are awesome and have a good heft to them.

The game play is fun since you are collecting gems to purchase cards. These cards will give you points or permanent gems. The fun in this game is that there are multiple strategies you can pursue to win. You can focus on collecting the most expensive cards which will provide a large number of victory points. The other option is to collect the cheaper cards which will attract the eye of the nobles and their victory points.

Both these strategies are valid ways to win which makes the replay value fun. You can try out new strategies each game to figure out the best way to win. If you stick with the same strategy each time, things may get stale but because the card offerings are randomized you may be pushed toward a different strategy halfway through the game.

I like this game because there are different strategies to winning. The game usually comes down to one last turn which makes everyone so close to winning. Sometimes you stock up and certain gems and then the cards will change and then it becomes feast or famine for what you need. Fun game for 4 players.

I love this game. It is quick (30 min) set up is quick. The strategy level is moderate and there is enough depth to the strategy and player to player interaction to keep it complex. There can be a significant luck factor but it seems to even out over the course of a game. The quality of the "poker chips" are very nice, they have a good weight and feel. Nice organization in the box.

The game is able to be played over and over. The strategy is different every time that you play the game. Each person has to focus not only on their own strategy, but also the plans of everyone else.

Great for playing with friends and family. The rules are very easy to learn and anyone is able to play.

This is the game I can teach anyone to play in half a game, and has left everyone coming back asking for more. The simplicity of the acquire resource / buy card mechanic and color based iconography it is a natural feel for even the least seasoned gamer. A great intro to economic games and addicting play. Well worth its place on any gamer's shelf.

This is an excellent game at any player count (2-4 players). The "gems" are poker chips of great quality. The cards have beautiful art, but it will probably go unnoticed as the theme is pasted on and the game just feels abstract.
Splendor is light and it doesn't take very long to play (or teach). The box says it's for players 10+ years old, but I taught the game to my 5 year-old niece and although she has no strategy she understands the rules just fine.

I would definitely recommend this game.

A good quick game, doesn't take long to learn or have an overly complicated rule book. Chips are a great quality, some kind of clay instead of the cheap plastic they could have went for. Good strategy game with a few differing approaches on how to win, some times quickly isn't your best chance.