How to play Splendor
Danny McKinley from ZiaComics.com teaches us how to play Splendor. Splendor is a game of chip-collecting and card development. Players are merchants of the Renaissance trying to buy gem mines, means of transportation, and shops all in order to acquire the most prestige points.
The goal of the game is to build the most impressive jewel trade and become the best-known merchant in the world. The player with the most prestige points wins the game.
Splendor is an addictive strategy turn-based card game, where players assume the role of wealthy Renaissance merchants, exploiting mines and caravans, hiring craftsmen and leveraging their influence with the nobility. The goal is to get the biggest gem network and become the most influential merchant.
If you’re wealthy enough, you might even receive a visit from a noble at some point, which of course will further increase your prestige. On your turn, you may (1) collect chips (gems), or (2) buy and build a card, or (3) reserve one card. If you collect chips, you take either three different kinds of chips or two chips of the same kind.
If you buy a card, you pay its price in chips and add it to your playing area. To reserve a card in order to make sure you get it, or, why not, your opponents don’t get it—you place it in front of you face down for later building; this costs you a round, but you also get gold in the form of a joker chip, which you can use as any gem.
All of the cards you buy increase your wealth as they give you a permanent gem bonus for later buys; some of the cards also give you prestige points. In order to win the game, you must reach 15 prestige points before your opponents do.
