How Much Splendor is TOO Much Splendor? (My #1 Most-Played Game!)

[@KnightRaymund]

I lucked into this game earlier this year. As a little Christmas gift thing from work you could pick a gift from this list of items that were like $20-$40 or so. And this happened to be on the list. Our family plays a lot of card and board games when I go to my parent's place and it looked interesting so I picked it up. And I love it. The only problem is that I always win. My parents are getting better at it but I've still won every game so far, which I fear may be frustrating for them.

[@BoardGameDave]

I’m so glad you and your family are enjoying Splendor! It quickly became a favorite with my family as well! 💎 I’m sorry you’re beating your parents all the time, though-maybe they need to check out a strategy guide online or something! (I’m sure it’d be more fun for you if it was a more competitive game, too!)

[@macngames100]

Hi Dave! Found your YT channel from our chat on Instagram! I totally agree with you about Splendor! One of my gateway games of the hobby for sure. Loved when you talked about your family, because that's what it felt like with mine. My parents don't normally play any sort of games, but Splendor really got them into the hobby (at least the family-weight ones!)!

[@BoardGameDave]

Hey, Marcus! Thank you so much for finding me on here! And yes, Splendor is one of the greatest gateway games! 💎 That’s so funny that you and I had such similar experiences with our parents and this game! It was the first “real” game that my dad, mom, and sister really got into! And although we’ve played many other family/lighter-weight games since, we always seem to come back to Splendor!

[@happyhengames4130]

Thanks for this Dave, I really loved the idea that each play was only 20 cents! A tiny amount for such a quality experience.

[@BoardGameDave]

Thanks for your comment, Lydia! Yes, I like keeping track of the cost of a game and the number of times I've played it so I can see how good of an investment a particular game was. Over 130 plays for a $28 is about as good as it gets! (And I'm still playing Splendor these days, which is amazing!) There's something very special about that game for sure! 💎

[@bridgetmartin4269]

This was one of the first “real” board games I bought. Everyone I taught it to LOVED it and wanted their own! (It’s now my moms FAVORITE game) 😊😊 Definitely a LOVED CLASSIC!! I haven’t played it in a while but after watching this video I’ll have to pull it out of the closet for a play 😊! GREAT VIDEO!

[@BoardGameDave]

Splendor is an amazing first "real" board game! I think it's safe to say it's my dad, mom, and sister's favorite game, too! 😊 Definitely get it back out! If the base game is getting a little stale, there's an expansion you can check out, too!

[@Triplecenturies]

Nice cameos by Corey, Josh, and Jeremy!

[@BoardGameDave]

I managed to get so much of the family in that one video! Mom, Dad, Amy, Dan, the cousins, my Japanese relatives…! We gotta get you playing next! 💎

[@ha2nah19]

It’s been a while since I’ve played Splendor 🤔. Now I really want to again! (Also, there’s an expansion?!)

[@BoardGameDave]

That's how I felt after making the review, too! Just talking about a game always makes me want to get it to the table immediately! (And yes! Somehow I've only gotten people to play with the expansion ten times! Maybe you and I can give that a go sometime soon!) ☺️

[@hoochproductions]

Splendid game

[@BoardGameDave]

Right? Remember when we played on the airplane and I posted that picture on Facebook and someone said “Strategy tip? If you are playing Splendor ‘well’ you should end up with like ~7 cards in your tableau”? I still think about that when I play… was he right? 🧐

[@dimmok8344]

I see what you did there!

[@jonathanpickles2946]

Art & bits 8 - the disks are great, Complexity 2 - it's not complex, Theme 3 - I never even noticed the art, intuitive mechanics 9, replayability 3 times is enough, length & fun factor - 3 it's not long or fun, value 8 - I got most of the value back when I sold it. Overall ~ 5 compares pretty well to my BGG rating of 4.5. Unlike say Carcassonne I can see the appeal of this and even enjoyed a couple of games of it but then it wore very thin.

[@BoardGameDave]

It seems like we’re very much in agreement on this game besides the replayability and the length and fun factor! (One note about the complexity rating: that’s not a measure of the game’s complexity but a rating of how well the complexity matches the intended audience. Low-level complexity for a family game is perfect, therefore 10/10! Similarly with length and fun factor: it’s a rating of whether the length of the game outweighs the fun! Brevity is a plus here!) For me, this game is so unique because of how much it clicked with my family and how invested we got in playing with each other. Again, that’s a very subjective and personal gaming experience. For me, it barely made my top 100 list but I know for many families this is a game that they love and there’s good reason for it! (You’d still rather play Splendor than Carcassonne, then? I downloaded the app a while back and played a few times but that’s my extent with that game! It is another classic, though, for what it’s worth!)

[@dimmok8344]

But how much splendor is too much?

[@BoardGameDave]

I mean, I suppose it depends who you are! It’s not one of my favorite games, but I’m always happy to play! (And now I really want to get the expansion out!) 💎