How to play Splendor: on your turn, take three different gem tokens, take two of the same gem, reserve a card for a gold token, or buy a card. Each card you own permanently discounts future purchases. Nobles visit when your card bonuses match theirs. The first player to reach 15 points triggers the end, and the round finishes.
This page follows the official Splendor rules from Space Cowboys, for the current 2024 edition.
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Don’t own it yet? These rules cover the base Splendor, which has 40 tokens (7 of each of five gem colors plus 5 gold), 90 development cards and 10 nobles.
Setup by Player Count
| Players | Gem tokens per color | Gold tokens | Nobles revealed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 4 (remove 3 of each) | 5 | 3 |
| 3 | 5 (remove 2 of each) | 5 | 4 |
| 4 | 7 (all of them) | 5 | 5 |
- Shuffle each level of development cards into its own deck.
- Reveal 4 cards from each level in a row next to its deck.
- Reveal nobles equal to the number of players plus one.
- Put the gem and gold tokens in reach of everyone.
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The Four Actions
On your turn, you take exactly one action:
- Take 3 gems of different colors. If fewer than three colors are available, you may take fewer.
- Take 2 gems of the same color. Only allowed if that color’s pile has at least 4 tokens before you take them.
- Reserve 1 card and take 1 gold. Take a face-up card, or the top card of any deck without looking first, into your hand. You can hold at most 3 reserved cards. If no gold is left, you can still reserve.
- Buy 1 card. Buy a face-up card or one of your reserved cards by paying its cost in tokens. Spent tokens go back to the supply. Replace a bought face-up card from its deck.
You can never take a gold token except by reserving. Gold is wild and can stand in for any gem when you buy a card.
Bonuses and Buying
Every development card shows a gem bonus in its corner, and many also show prestige points, which count toward your score. Each bonus you own reduces the cost of every future card by one gem of that color. If your bonuses cover a card’s whole cost, you buy it for free. Extra bonuses don’t give you change.
Reserved cards stay in your hand until you buy them. You can’t discard them, and under the current rules there’s no penalty for reserved cards left unbought at the end.
The 10-Token Limit
You can hold any number of tokens during your turn, but at the end of it you must discard down to 10, counting gold. You can discard tokens you just took.
Nobles
At the end of your turn, check the nobles. If your card bonuses meet a noble’s requirements, that noble visits you automatically and is worth 3 prestige points. Only card bonuses count, never tokens. You can’t refuse a noble, and you can receive only one per turn. If you qualify for two, you choose which one.
How Splendor Ends
When a player reaches 15 prestige points at the end of their turn, finish the current round so everyone has had the same number of turns. Then the player with the most points wins.
If points are tied, the player who bought fewer development cards wins. If that’s also tied, the players share the victory.
Rules People Often Get Wrong
- The game doesn’t end immediately at 15. The round finishes first.
- Nobles count card bonuses only. Tokens in your supply don’t help.
- The 4-token check for taking two happens before you take them. At two players, that’s every token in the pile.
- You can reserve blind from the top of a deck.
- The limit is 10 tokens total, including gold.
Still deciding whether to buy it? Read our full Splendor review, or learn how to win with our Splendor strategy guide.
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many tokens do you use in a 2-player game of Splendor?
Four of each gem color, after removing three of each, plus all five gold tokens. Three-player games use five of each gem color, and four-player games use all seven.
Can you take 2 gems of the same color in Splendor?
Yes, but only if that color’s pile has at least four tokens before you take them. Otherwise, take three different colors instead.
How many cards can you reserve in Splendor?
Three. Reserving also gives you one gold token, which is the only way to get gold. You can’t discard a reserved card, only buy it.
Do gold tokens count toward the 10-token limit?
Yes. At the end of your turn, all your tokens, gold included, must be 10 or fewer.
Can you get more than one noble in a turn?
No. You can receive only one noble per turn. If you qualify for more than one, you choose which to take.
Does Splendor end as soon as someone reaches 15 points?
No. The current round finishes so every player has had the same number of turns, then the highest score wins.