Gameplay Pros — Umbrella of more crunchiness

• Spatial element to picking up gems

  • Always look for combinations of colors you want

  • Pick them up to deny opponent?

  • Pick up 2 instead of 3 still worth it?

  • Can be big brain and play around the refill, since refills from center then outwards.

  • Built in penalties of wanting to go hard: like picking up 3 of the same gem, or picking up 2 pearls (new gem)

    • Penalty: gives opponent free privilege

• Addition of pearl

  • No card that outputs it, and cost for about half the cards (stronger ones)

  • Have to make time to grab it from board, or deliberately reserve to get gold to act as pearl

    • Or just focus on the other cards that don’t need it

• Cards have actual abilities now

  • e.g. take another turn

  • e.g. get a free gem

  • e.g. get privilege

  • e.g. copy another color of card you have

    • Adds decision making after the buy

  • Some cards with 2 buying power to play around (not exactly an ability)

• No more “objectively better than others” cards in normal Splendor

  • Good balance shines better in 2P

• Turn structure is more complicated

  • Before action, can spend privilege for free gem or refresh middle

  • Rewards you for keeping track of what’s been spent

• Game structure has 3 win conditions to pivot between

  • Usually going between first 2 (points and crowns)

  • Last win condition is a alternate threat

• Side benefit of solving issue with serious Splendor gameplay, where getting cards with VP was good and you ignore noble