Splendor

What you need

• Splendor base game: 40 gem tokens (7 each of emerald/sapphire/ruby/diamond/onyx + 5 gold), 90 development cards in 3 levels, 10 noble tiles

Setup

1. Sort development cards by their Roman numeral (I, II, III). Shuffle each stack separately and place face-down in 3 rows.
2. Deal 4 face-up cards from each stack — 12 cards visible total forming the 'market'.
3. Shuffle noble tiles. Reveal (players + 1) nobles: 3 nobles for 2p, 4 for 3p, 5 for 4p.
4. Set out gem tokens by count: 4 of each color for 2 players / 5 for 3 players / 7 for 4 players. Always 5 gold tokens regardless of player count.
5. Randomly pick a starting player.

How to play

1. OBJECTIVE: Be the first player to reach 15 prestige points. Points come from purchased cards and noble tile visits.
2. TURN STRUCTURE: On your turn, take EXACTLY ONE of these actions — (A) Take gems, (B) Reserve a card, or (C) Purchase a card. Then check if a noble visits.
3. (A) TAKE GEMS: Either take 3 different-colored gem tokens (from 3 different piles), OR take 2 gem tokens of the SAME color — but only if that pile has 4+ tokens remaining. You may NEVER take gold from this action.
4. (B) RESERVE A CARD: Pick any face-up card from the market OR draw the top face-down card from any of the 3 stacks. Place it face-down in front of you (private, only you can see face-down reserves). Take 1 gold token if any remain. Hand limit: 3 reserved cards.
5. (C) PURCHASE A CARD: Buy a card from the market OR from your own reserved cards. Pay its printed gem cost using tokens AND permanent discounts from your previously purchased cards. Gold tokens are wild and substitute for any color.
6. HAND LIMIT ON GEMS: If you end your turn with 11+ gem tokens, discard down to 10 (your choice which).
7. DISCOUNTS ARE PERMANENT: Every card you buy has a colored gem in its top-left corner. That color is a permanent −1 discount on every future purchase you make of that color.
8. REFILL: After buying or reserving a face-up market card, immediately flip a new card from the matching stack to replace it.
9. NOBLES: At end of your turn, if your permanent discounts meet OR exceed a noble tile's requirement (typically 3-4 discounts of 2-3 specific colors), that noble VISITS you — take the tile, gain 3 prestige. Each noble visits at most once. If you qualify for multiple nobles same turn, choose one.
10. END TRIGGER: When any player reaches 15+ prestige, FINISH the current round so every player has taken the same number of turns. Then the game ends.
11. WIN CONDITION: Most prestige points wins. Ties broken by FEWER purchased development cards (i.e. the more efficient player wins).

Host tips

• Strategy board game — read the rulebook once before hosting.
• Use the in-app Scorekeeper to track running totals.
• Tap 'Ask AI Judge' if a rules dispute comes up.

Snack & drink pairings

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