Hello!
Thanks for stopping by! I’m Eliza, and I when I’m not reading or glued to Netflix I love playing board games! I found it hard to build up a collection of games that were really great with only 2 players, so now I’ve found them, I want to share them!
Today I’m reviewing Splendor.
Originally I had this game as an app on my phone. The app version is great, but the board game is way more fun. The actual parts are such good quality and nice to handle, the imagery is lovely and it packs up quite small. I think this is the most played game in our house.
The basic premise is to gather enough precious gems to buy your way to 15 points. This game is all about the maths.
Time to Play: 20-30 minutes
This game can vary in length as you never know what cards and nobles you’re going to get. We’ve had games last less than 20 minutes but on average I would say 25 minutes. It will get faster the more you play. We play it while dinner is cooking.
Strategy Vs Luck: 30% Strategy, 70% Luck
There’s a lot of luck involved in this game. Both with the turn of the gem cards and the noble cards which give you bonus points. Once you’ve decided on a strategy, there’s not much opportunity to turn back, especially with 2 players. You’ll be fighting for the same rare gems and holding your breath each time a card is turned over.
Replayability: 8/10
The randomness of the cards and the speed of the game makes this one of the most replayed games in our house. You don’t have to invest much into each game, so you don’t mind so much when you lose - you just want another go!
Faff Factor: Low
This game is not hard to learn but isn’t as simple as some of the others we have. It depends on how much you like maths… It’s easy to set up and put away and as you don’t need ot hide anything from your opponent it’s fairly flexible. It does take up a bit of space on the table though, so not really portable.
More than 2 Players? Yes!
We’ve played this with 3 and 4 players very successfully, but the tension is higher with 2 as you know your opponent is going to get first shot at every new card.
Cost: ££ (Under £30)
Splendor is currently listed at £30 but it's almost always discounted to nearer £20.
Conclusion: 9/10
I love this game. It’s a staple in our collection and I never don’t want to play it. It’s great value for money.
About the Author:
When Eliza Raine isn't playing board games, she's the author of the debut series; Skies of Olympus. Get the first episode FREE now!
