Good thing then, that we are in the modern age of board gaming. Most enthusiasts consider this age as the renaissance of board games, and more games are getting the exposure that they deserve.
An example of a game that has been getting great exposure is Splendor!
It has won numerous board game awards in 2014 when it was first released.
In Splendor, you take on the role of a gem merchant during the Renaissance. You collect gems in the form of chips. Gems are used to acquire mines, transportation, and other upgrades in the form of cards. Objective of the game is to earn prestige points from development cards or visiting nobles. The game ends when a player reaches 15 prestige points. And that's about it. Sounds simple enough? It is!
On a player's turn. He can only do 3 things:
1. Choose and take gems (chips) - 2 options
- Take 3 chips of different colors
- Take 2 chips of the same color (only if there are at least 4 chips in that color)
Note: Any player can only have 10 chips at a time, excess chips need to be returned to the pool such that the player is left with 10.
2. Reserve a development card - Simply take the face up card and place it in your hand. You can also take a gold token/chip. The gold chip is considered a joker and can be used in future rounds to be any colored gem. A player can only reserve up to three cards.
3. Buy a development card - A player can purchase a card by paying for its cost indicated on the card. A player can also pay for a card that was previously reserved.
As a player purchases mines and development cards, he will be able to obtain bonuses from the cards which will build up his prestige points. At the end of the turn, a noble can visit the player that meets the noble's requirements. This is indicated by the number of each type of gem a player needs to own as a development card. Each noble is worth 3 prestige points.
Players take turns choosing one action until one player reaches 15 prestige points. This signifies the end of the round, and the remaining players can complete their turns. The player with the highest prestige point at the end of the game wins!
A game of Splendor can take about 30-45 minutes. Of course the game may last longer due to deep analysis and decision making of some of the players.
The components of this game are of high quality. The cards feel like they can withstand a lot of wear. The printed images although simple, look elegant. The chips are good quality poker chips. The plastic tray inside the box can contain all of the chips, cards, and noble tiles in different sections. The space for the cards even allows for room if you have plans of sleeving the cards.
The theme on the game doesn't really stand out. The game can have any theme pasted on and it would still work. This may not necessarily be a bad thing, since non-gamers may be intimidated if the game is heavy on fantasy or sci-fi elements.
This is a good entry point game for non gamers to try out board gaming. I introduced this to a couple of non gamer family and friends and they were able to pick up the gameplay and enjoy the game right away.
In conclusion, Splendor is deserving of all the awards it won when it was first released. Any gaming library should have a copy of this gem of a game. You can easily take it out of your shelf, teach your guests how to play in 5 minutes or less, and have an impromptu gaming night session.
Easy to play doesn't mean it is light on strategy or decision making. Great games try to present you with a tough decision every turn. And Splendor manages to do that very well.
So, if you haven't played this game yet, I highly recommend you give it a try. I won't be surprised if you ask to play again after the first game. And again, and again, and again, until you can no longer play since you have to go home some time.
No comments:
Post a Comment