Double Trouble - Cities of Splendor

[@pipscott]

I really like how you two listen to each other, it's lovely to watch.

[@commandercody1078]

Thanks for the detailed overview! Splendor is a game that's great because of its simplicity and accessibility. It quickly became one of the main go-to games for my group. Very easy to break out at almost any time. I'm glad to see that this expansions gives so many options without taking away from the game's core appeal. Definitely getting this!

[@peternystrom6632]

Love your review! Got mine today and I'm really looking forward to the weekend to try all 4 expansions. Me and my wife have been playing Splendor at least 4 days a week for 1,5 years now😁

[@RicoCordova]

I'm a huge fan of Splendor and when I first heard about the expansion I thought "no, it doesn't need anything...it's perfect the way it is." When I first told my wife about the expansion she said the exact same thing. haha After watching how the modules work, I can see it adding to the fun. That trading post looks really fun! Thanks for the review. :)

[@RickKoeppen]

I like the sound of all of these! Everyone I've played with has really enjoyed Splendor. The fantastic thing about Splendor is that even non gamers can win the first game they play. I'd argue that experienced players don't have a significant advantage over new players because of the simplicity and ease of developing a strategy. These expansions will be a great next step for newer gamers who already enjoy Splendor. I'm anxious to give these a try!

[@robertchmielecki2580]

That's not my experience. In my experience new players very often go for no-point cheaper cards to build up their "engine" which in this game is a sure way to lose against a veteran. The less cards you buy the better, so most of the time the no-point ones are just wasted moves and tokens.

[@robertchmielecki2580]

That is not my experience. In my experience new players often go for no-point 1st level cards to build-up their "engine", which is a trap (just like the aristocrats) and an easy way to lose against someone who knows the game. You need as few cards as possible, so buying the no-point ones is most of the time just wasted moves and tokens.

[@RickKoeppen]

Robert Chmielecki I've had not only new players to the game, but actually new players of designer games in general, play and win. And this has happened multiple times. At least in my cases, they've been able to see the most efficient route to the necessary victory point end condition fairly quickly.

[@MarkBlasco]

I'll agree that this is a game where non gamers can do well their first time, but I'll strongly disagree that experienced players don't have a significant advantage. An experienced player who understands how the game works can win almost every single time. Since there is so little luck in the game, knowing how to both optimize your strategy and how to deny your opponents will win the game consistently. Most new players can build a good engine, but they don't necessarily know how to optimize getting points quickly, and they don't know how best to deny their opponents. It certainly is a great game though, for new and experienced players alike.

[@johnmorgan5850]

When I occasionally run into you commenting on Dice Tower vids it reminds me to catch up on your vids Rick!

[@Rubberglass]

Love Double Trouble! You gotta be so proud of Melody, she seems so classy and wholesome. Grace and peace. My wife and I really enjoy Splendor, might have to give this a shot.

[@Rb-hm5mliu]

You play 2 player splendor ?

[@Rubberglass]

Rutger Buiteveld yep, we do.

[@geektome4781]

When Tom intimated that he did not like one of the expansions, I thought, "Strongholds."

[@nebojsabokalovic3718]

Melody booom thing on the end is crucial .... make that like your mark - its good :D

[@peterreifenstein2819]

You should mix strongholds with a trash can

[@TheRmm1976]

Instead of a $39.99 price point, they should have removed Strongholds and priced it at $19.99! There's no way I'm paying as much for the base game for an average expansion.

[@falconr33]

They purposely added 4 expansions in one box to up the price... And the publishers will obviously milk this game's success as much as they can.

[@cursivecurses]

To be fair, if they were going to be evil corporate shills and just milk this game, they would have released an expansion two years ago.

[@musicforall1859]

I played this expansion today. It's very enjoyable. It really adds a lot to the original game. Strongholds in a 2 players game it's great

[@futuregames5634]

Thanks, i really wanted to know about the expansion. This is an instabuy for us, but still its the base game we will play the most due to the use of the game as an introductory to modern board gaming !!!

[@johna6108]

The trading post and orient sound cool. The strongholds sounds extremely myeh. The cities I wish they kept with the Noble tiles (and just increase the points totals by 4 or something) but would be cool to have something different. Edit: I see they agreed.

[@freddieyu]

Splendor is a great game and this is an autobuy even though Strongholds look like meh. Looks like a good option to tighten a 2P game though.

[@cikatheresia]

wow thanks for the in depth guide!

[@WoogieBoogie03]

$40 MSRP?????? That's outrageous for a few pieces of cardboard and some plastic pieces that will never get used.

[@falconr33]

Of course the developer's are gonna milk this expansion, and take advantage of the base game's popularity and success... What'd you expect?

[@WoogieBoogie03]

That doesn't excuse it being the cost of other full games that are better.

[@davethepak]

Law of supply and demand. Don't buy it, and the company will lose the sale - vote with your dollars.

[@MrTaylork1]

@@falconr33they could have cut out the miniatures, priced it lower and made the exact same profit per purchase. They would have made more sales with the easier buy in to boot. It has nothing to do with milking. It’s just badly thought out.

[@FCRSBLOK61S]

Hello, in the trading post expansion, the first one which requires 3R + 1W the reward says that you take 1 coin. My question is, do I MUST take only one of the coins which I have previously spent for that card specifically or I can take ANY coin? Cheers

[@Omicron007md]

So, does the new box fit the expansion and the original? Trying to figure out the $39.99 price point.

[@sigmaboi2946]

Matt my thoughts too. They are milking it. The price is holding me back from buying the expansion. I think the price should be lower. With that price I can buy a different game. I am not sure about this expansion.

[@Cheeky_Chelsea]

lol the boom at the end was great :)

[@hoangminhtran1100]

Your review is very good.However, I just want to add a few details: You can chain cards in the Orient together to make great combos (like having third-level card that lets you to gain a second-level card for free, and the card you just aquired lets you gain a first-level card for free. This combo can be devastating when used right.)

[@Lavoye]

All I want is more chips and more level 1 and 2 cards to be able to play with 5 or 6 players! :( There'S a variant to play with 5 players where you have a max of 8 chips, but when everyone's full and the level 1 cards are still too expensive, which makes for a slow start. And you always run out of level 1 cards very fast.

[@vanhovannisian1139]

So final verdict? Splendor w/expansions or Century Spice Road?

[@cooledcannon]

CSR seems a lot better

[@Syncopator]

Yeah, I like Splendor, but pretty much my entire game group was non-plussed by it (not sure why, except I tended to win most of the time). And these expansions don't particularly grab me. Just got and played CSR though, and WOW-- that one is a keeper! CSR is awesome, I can see why it's been so hard to keep it on the shelves...

[@lionelsy7449]

Never really liked splendor. So the easy choice is CSR for me personally. Although I see why a lot of people like splendor

[@KabukiKid]

I'm the weirdo who prefers Splendor over Century, it seems. heh Century: Spice Road was fun, but I didn't do flips for it like most people seem to do. Personally, I am excited for this expansion, because I find opportunity often to play with casual gamers and it always goes over well. :-) Also, Century: Spice Road does have a fatal flaw that Splendor fixed after its first printing... Century is not colorblind-friendly, so certain people simply can't play it.

[@cursivecurses]

I'm with you Kabuki. Splendor is a far better game than Century. I intend to do a realy long "vs" write-up soon. Splendor without expansion, even, is better. Century is good too but Splendor is a lot more like playing with other people, not beside them.

[@leoderita7890]

This expansion sounds similar to the Kingsburg Expansion in that there are multiple modules, you can add 0, 1, or more, and that any individual one is a seemless change from the original while adding a little spice. Also IIRC there's one module that feels worthless compared to the rest.

[@Rik77]

Im completely addicted to Splendor, not sure I need an expansion. However the last module looks quite cool. Strongholds looks like it adds a whole other abstract game over the top.

[@jontripp8985]

Can the Wild Gem Bag give you 2 gems if paired with the double gem card?

[@Popcornio]

I actually enjoy Splendor quiet a bit and this expansion just sounds... underwhelming. I was expecting some extra gameplay options, not just giving you more rewards for what you are already doing in the base game. The Trading Post sounded great, but the fact that the requires for the powers are always the same doesn't sit well with me. The only module that sounded entertaining would be the Orient, especially with some of the cards that require you to give up cards. The final nail in the coffin for me is the $40 MSP for this modular expansion.

[@joukenienhuis6888]

Looks like great expansions ! Thanks for the review and explaining it with someone else give it a more objective view. I only think cities is not a great addition, because if you have a city, the game is almost over if you need to have only 15 points.

[@AlexTheUruguayan]

Yeah, I too hated the Stronghold module - made our 4p game take nearly two hours...

[@bruceschwering5919]

A+ for Melody. F- for the Carmen Sandiego hat

[@brucekaplan5544]

If one of the modules added a 5th player ... them maybe. Otherwise it's a bit on the pricey side.

[@EFANZPro]

Do we need the basic splendor in order to play this?

[@smooth122]

Yes

[@LeeroyPorkins]

I think at $10 a module it's not a bad price. Compare to Catan where EVERY expansion has a 6 player mini expansion. JUST make Catan 6 PLAYERS! STOP price gouging!!!!!!!!!

[@writeheroics7490]

We are big fans of Splendor and the app. But we have six people in our family and can only plan to play this when some of the teenagers aren't home, so they aren't left out. I was hoping for a 5 or 6-player game, but I guess not with this expansion. The Orient looks interesting, but I'm not about to spend $30+ pre-order for only one module.

[@jeffreymcghee570]

Nice review, but I'm trying to learn what the expansion is and if I want to invest in it. I gather it is not complex, but I'd like more detail on what the expansion brings and how the game changes. Examples of new play styles would be great. Red hat is distracting.

[@alcovitch]

lmao pay attention to the video. He clearly stated what each module adds to the game. Come on man, think for yourself.

[@steelchampion]

I absolutely love Splendor, but I just feel like it doesn't need anything doing to it - the game is great enough as it is... I don't know...

[@spudslayer]

I have loved watching Melody grow up in the videos. She has grown into a beautiful young woman. Please keep her reviewing games.

[@Coastercinder]

I like Splendor, still in my collection but not remotely interested in this expansion. The different modules feel way to much like just "variants" and add nothing that gets me excited.

[@randomfleming]

I've been watching the Dice Tower and Tom Vasel for 7 years now. It's been fun watching Melody grow up and become a "mature" reviewer.

[@jdober77]

1 view! I'm I the first? Never been the first before. But, love the review. I have Splendor and my family likes it. Double Trouble, keep up the great work! God Bless.

[@michaelcall4962]

Boom!

[@marknic]

Looks like just a lot of meh to me, adding un-fun complexity to an elegant little game. Really glad I don't like the look of it, seeing the crazy MSRP they tagged on it... about twice what it should be. And at least they could have given you a smaller box than the original so you can replace the stupid big one the base game came in, about 3 times as big as it should have been. All around, this is an extremely easy pass for me.

[@Syncopator]

It's kind of expensive for an expansion-- MSRP seems to be about the same as the original game. The two that Tom and Melody like here are probably the only one's I'd ever play because the others don't grab me-- so I'm paying all that for half an expansion? Not likely.

[@Physiology-E-Paathshala]

Which is the best expansion and which is the worst

[@ItsJustJerFromJersey]

I like Splendor a lot, yes it's simple gameplay, but if I want more I'll buy a different game. I really don't want these components in this game. seems like adding for the sake of adding.

[@evgenidimitrov7790]

It is wayyy to expensive for what it is!!!!

[@kencolborn1057]

This is what I got from watching this video...is it correct? 1. Cities: essentially does nothing. In the base game, if you had 13 points and all those cards, you would probably be able to get a noble tile also...which would end the game anyway. So the Cities really doesn't change anything. 2. Trading posts: Seems cool, although I think it could have been better if they had individual tiles with different card combos to mix and match. Also, by the time someone gets a noble (I've found) the game is almost over, so that 5 point one would probably end the game. 3. Stongholds: Well, you said it-- mix it with the garbage. Not interested at all. Looks like more of an annoyance than anything that would add fun. 4. Orient: Looks like it might end the game superfast. Those wild cards allowing you to make them any card you want (admittedly only one color for the game), and those double gem cards (counts as 2 cards) seems like getting noble cards will be super fast now. Even if the double gem cards only count as 1 card for nobles, you will still be grabbing up expensive cards much quicker. All in all...it doesn't seem like that great of an expansion. I don't think I would miss playing with any of them if I went back to the base game. I was hoping this would do something to put it on par with Century: Spice Road, but it doesn't seem to. would you agree?

[@entrecruzado]

Camel Up all the way!

[@cursivecurses]

Orient does speed up the game, but not a lot. The cards are super fun to use. Actually, btw, the double gems count as 2 for Nobles, it's in the rulebook. Regarding your comment on Trading Posts, those bonuses might motivate people to go strictly for cheap cards, buying one every turn, to get nobles for those effects. That strategy was not really effective in base game Splendor but could be now. So look at it not as tacking this on to how you normally play but how it could open up new strategies.

[@peterreifenstein2819]

Yes I agree with your review

[@TimGaastra]

Hmm... a bit underwhelmed by all of this (Cities of Splendor, I mean)

[@WalkaboutLifeVideos]

It's funny, everyone seems to really love Splendor, and I just... get bored. Every time I've brought it out, with every different group, the reaction is always 'eh, it's fine'. Everyone I've played this with falls asleep during the game. Got rid of it, this doesn't seem like it makes it more exciting.

[@Rik77]

Rainwater it's weird, the first time I played I found the same. But after a couple of plays it got very addictive. Partly because it's so short and there's this intensity about a quick race going on. The app certainly helps make it addictive. It can be played in 15min. I find it fast paced and familiar like any good card game.

[@Rik77]

GerManticore that's very true. This isn't designed to be a social talky thematic game

[@seabeeblue8167]

GerManticore 2-player Splendor is very interactive. Honestly, not a fan of multiplayer Splendor, but play a duel with my girlfriend about 3 times a week. Love the game.

[@corrydamey2457]

Ahh this begs the question: Splendor Big Box? ;P

[@billcook4768]

I wonder if this will change Sam "I hate Splendor" Healey's mind.

[@KabukiKid]

I doubt this will bring in Splendor-haters. heh If you don't like Splendor, I doubt this expansion will fix that. I could be wrong, of course. ;-)

[@gamera2351]

I LOVE Splendor....but I'll pass. All four modules aren't that impressive. This is the perfect example of an expansion being made just to make money off of the base game's popularity.

[@wh3elson]

Gamera 23 Gamera 23 aren't all expansions made to make money off the base game? If you think expansions are made for the "love" of the game you're sadly mistaken :(

[@gamera2351]

wh3elson Nah I'm not that naive. :) What I mean is that sometimes expansions are made solely for profit and not because there were good ideas for an expansion. It's no different from a movie that was meant to stand alone, but because it was really successful a studio decesion is made for a sequel whether anyone has a good story idea or not.

[@lastburning]

Expansions should improve or fix the game in some way.

[@arandombard1197]

All board games and expansions are made for money. Otherwise why would people go to the effort of making them?

[@lastburning]

I disagree that games are mainly made to make money. There are easier and more profitable ways to make money than that.

[@bryanbrammer4353]

I just prefer to play it without the expansion. I think it’s fine the way it is honestly.

[@danielengel4593]

I'll pass, Splendor is perfect as it is.

[@bladebrown4136]

Really is for five players ?

[@falconr33]

Nope. Still 2-4.

[@MrTaylork1]

It would have to add more poker chips to go up to 5

[@davidparsons9914]

Tom, it's been a while since I watched, looks like you've lost a lot of weight.

[@devekut2]

I hate expansions that add needless complexity while disrupting core strategies of already well-designed games.