Splendor | A Review by Tabletop Meeple

 Splendor

a review by Tabletop Meeple


Info:

  • For 2-4 players
  • For ages 8 and up
  • 30 minutes to play
  • BGG Weight: 1.79

    Splendor is an engine-building card game that was designed by Marc Andre, and published by Space Cowboys. You play as Renaissance-era merchants, trying to please nobility by making developments and collecting gemstones. Does it all fall into place? Let's find out.

Gems and developments. Both blindingly boring and pretty at the same time.


    I have decided to make a few changes to the format of future TM reviews. I will not score it with a numerical system, instead, I will detail the game and then, based on comparisons made with other games and deep dives into the mechanisms, recommend or not recommend a game and explain why or why not.

    Let's start with Splendor itself. In Splendor, you build up an engine by collecting gems, purchasing development cards, and pleasing the elite classes of Renaissance-era Europe. Sounds sort of like a theme to a Eurogame, however, this game doesn't easily slot into a class. It has a bit of everything, and it all comes together in a really nice way.

    On your turn, you can collect gems, purchase development cards, or reserve a development card and take a wild gem. That is it. That is the beating heart of this game, three simple actions. However, as you dive deeper into Splendor's gameplay and mechanics, you realize that these three actions are plenty enough on their own and that complexity and depth are two entirely different things.

    
The start of our engine-building experience.

    The beauty of this game's mechanisms lies in basic human nature. It feels satisfying to watch as you steadily build up something that is more than what you started with. And that is this game's core. Board games and mechanics are constantly changing and being improved upon, but this game remains a favorite 9 years after it was released. And when you wonder why, the answer becomes quite clear: Splendor is a great production with amazing component quality as well as brilliant mechanics for a low price. It's engine building at its simplest and most accessible, and for only $36 USD on Amazon, it is a no-brainer to pick it up. 

TABLETOP MEEPLE RECOMMENDS IF YOU:
  • enjoy engine building,
  • are new to the hobby or would like to introduce others to the hobby,
  • if you want simple fun with surprising depth in an otherwise unassuming package,
  • if you need a relatively quick family game that can be played with pretty much anyone

TM PERSONAL SCORE: 9/10

 And that's it!

   I really enjoy writing these reviews, and I hope you enjoy reading them as well. Playing games is a great way to spend time, and I hope my reviews make an impact on whether or not you decide to purchase the games covered in them. If you are a publisher or a designer and want to send a game my way for review, contact me! My contact info will be at the bottom of the page. See you next time!

Contact Info:

Email Address: tabletopmeeple@gmail.com
    


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