Space CowboysSplendor Board Game (Packaging May Vary) - Master The Art of Wealth and Prestige! - Engaging Gem Mining Strategy Game for Kids & Adults, Ages 10+, 2-4 Players, 30 Min Playtime, Made by Space CowboysThe Forest Stewardship Council

It's the right mix of requiring strategic thinking without being intimidating to novice gamers. We've had a lot of fun, quick game nights with casual gamers who enjoy that this game is easy to pick up and learn. The balance of skill and luck seems about right, and there's enough chance to come from behind to keep everyone interested. I think the game plays best with 3 players, where blocking your opponent is more useful than with 4. It's still fun for 2 or 4 though. Games take about 45 minutes with 4 beginners, much less with 2 experienced players.

This is one of my favorite board games! It’s designed for 4 players, making it great for smaller groups. It’s also easy to teach new players. Most people pick up the rules and gameplay after just one round.The goal of the game is to reach a specific number of points before the other players. You achieve this by acquiring gem cards and merchants. Cards are purchased using gems, which you collect on your turn. Each turn, you can take one of three actions: collect gems, reserve a card, or buy a card.The game itself doesn’t take too long to play, typically around 30–60 minutes. The artwork is stunning, and the quality of the game pieces is excellent.

Very quick to learn and quick to play, but takes some serious observation of what you can do and what your opponents have done to develop a (flexible) winning strategy. Good for both beginners and experienced gamers, and shouldn't take more than 30-40 minutes to play.I recommend getting sleeves for the cards (2.5"x3.5" "poker" sized) because they will get used a lot. I'm not a big fan of the chips, but most people seem to like them and they are certainly much better than the cardboard chits you would have expected to get with most boardgames.The artwork is nice, but the theme feels pasted on. They could have made this with no artwork at all and it would have played exactly the same (and been just as much fun).The mechanics are relatively simple: you have a tableau of cards laid out, 4 each from 3 different decks. The cards from the I deck are the cheapest to buy and the least valuable, worth 0 or 1 point for victory; the cards from the II deck cost more and are worth 1-3 points; and the cards from the III deck are the most expensive to buy and the most valuable, worth 3-5 points each. Cards you purchase are played face up in front of you and give you a permanent discount thereafter, so purchasing a white diamond card (for example) gives you a permanent discount of 1 white for all future purchases. The price of a card is in the lower left, and cards are purchased with any combination of the right color cards and gem tokens. Thus, if a card costs 5 green to purchase, you could purchase it with 5 green tokens, the discount from 5 previously purchased green cards, 3 tokens and the discount from 2 previously purchased cards, etc. A gold joker token is "wild" and can be used in place of any color in the price on a one-to-one basis, so in the above example you could buy the card with 2 green gem tokens, discount from 2 previously purchased green cards, and a gold joker token.Purchased cards are replaced immediately from the appropriate deck, and gem tokens used to purchase a card are returned immediately to the supply/bank.If you purchase cards of the appropriate colors, either 4 each of 2 specific colors or 3 each of 3 specific colors, you get a "visit" from a "noble." This simply means you collect the appropriate noble tile. Nobles are worth 3 points each.On each turn, you take one of three actions: purchase a card that is face up or that you have previously reserved; reserve a card to your hand so that only you may purchase it on a later turn; or collect gem tokens. You may only reserve a card up to a total of 3 in hand, and the only way to clear a reserved card out of your hand is to purchase it on a later turn. If there are any gold jokers available, you get one when you reserve a card; this is the only way to get a gold joker token. To collect gem tokens, you may take 2 of a same color if at least 2 of that color would be left in the supply after you take yours (at least 4 present before you take your 2), or you can take 1 each of 3 different colors. If you have more than 10 tokens (gems and jokers) at the end of your turn, you must immediately discard down to 10 total. (There are a few edge cases to read up on, but that's the basic gameplay.)The game is played until at least 1 player reaches 15 points. When that happens, the current round is finished out so that everyone has had an equal number of turns, then the player with the most points wins. In a tie, whomever purchased the fewest cards wins the tiebreaker.The strategy lies in planning out how to get the cards and/or tokens you need for future purchases, identifying the cards your opponent is hoping to purchase, and controlling the very limited supply of tokens and visible cards by buying/collecting/reserving what your opponent wants or needs. You cannot directly attack an opponent; once a card is purchased, she has it permanently; once she collects gem tokens, she has them until she chooses to spend them. It is all a matter of forward thinking, preparing for your future card purchases and impeding or obstructing your opponent's intended future card purchases.The deck III cards have a uniform distribution of costs and values among the 5 card colors; the deck II and I cards do not.It's simple to understand, quick to set up, quick to play, fun to look at, fun to handle the tokens (chips), and most importantly, fun to play. The only random element is shuffling the 3 decks and the nobles before set up; it's basically all decisions after that.Bottom line: does it play well? Yes it does. Can you teach and play quickly? Yes you can. Will it still be as fun on the 50th play? Yes it will (is). Does it give good value for your entertainment dollar? Yes it does. Some people have called it a "filler" game, which is a special term among gamers meaning you can set up and play fairly quickly, without major strategy time/planning required, and still have fun. I also like to describe it as a "gateway" game, which means it can draw people who who usually don't think of themselves as gamers into the scene. It hits that sweet spot of affordable, quick, fun, non-cutthroat, with meaningful decisions, for many people.Edit: I personally don't like the tokens. They are better than the cardboard you would usually expect in a boardgame, but I find it's a little more fun for us to use "pirate" coins Pirate Dubloons, Set of 5 Replica Coins for the gold joker tokens, and acrylic "pirate" gems Jumbo Adhesive Jewels (100 pc) for the gem tokens. I am not 100% satisfied with the acrylic gems for this purpose, but the coins are perfect.

Fantastic game. So addicting. There are so many strategies one could adopt once you get really good at playing. We’re obsessed. Also works well with 2 players, my fiancè and I play it nearly every day

This is one if my favorite games to play with family and friends. It's easy to learn and takes about 20-30min a game depending on how many people are playing

An amazing game for families and friends.

Probably my favorite game. Game time usually doesn't run too long. Good for family gatherings. Kids 8+ I'm sure can get a grasp of how to play. I bought card sleeves for the game cards to help the game last as long as possible.

This has been an absolute favorite board game. The artwork and quality of the coins and cards is fantastic in this edition. Will continue to play this for years and years.