Splendor Duel Rules
The official rules for Splendor Duel, the two-player gem trading game by Marc André and Bruno Cathala.
Overview
Splendor Duel is a two-player game designed by Marc André and Bruno Cathala, published by Space Cowboys. Players take turns collecting gems and purchasing development cards to build an engine of permanent gem bonuses. The game ends immediately when a player achieves one of three win conditions: accumulating 20 prestige points, collecting 10 crowns, or obtaining gem bonuses in all five colors plus a pearl bonus.
Components
The game includes a gem board, 25 gem tokens (5 each of white, blue, green, red, and black), 2 pearl tokens, 3 gold tokens, 30 Level 1 development cards, 24 Level 2 development cards, 13 Level 3 development cards, 4 Royal cards, 3 Privilege scrolls, and the game board for gem placement.
Setup
Place the game board between both players. Shuffle each level of development cards separately and deal them face-up in a row: 5 Level 1 cards, 4 Level 2 cards, and 3 Level 3 cards. Place the Royal cards face-up nearby. Fill the gem board by randomly drawing tokens from the bag and placing them on the board spaces. Each player starts with no gems and no cards.
Turn Actions
On your turn, you must perform exactly one of three actions: take gems from the gem board, purchase a development card, or reserve a development card. After your action, check if you have triggered a win condition. If not, your opponent takes their turn.
Gem Collection
When taking gems, select tokens from the gem board following one of three valid patterns. You may take up to 3 gems in a straight line (horizontal, vertical, or diagonal) as long as they are all different colors. Alternatively, take 2 gems of the same color if they are adjacent. Or take 1 gem of any color plus 1 gold token (wild). You may hold a maximum of 10 tokens at any time — if you exceed this, return tokens of your choice until you have 10.
Purchasing Cards
To purchase a card, pay the gem cost shown on the card. Your permanent gem bonuses from previously purchased cards reduce the cost — each bonus of a matching color reduces that color cost by 1. Gold tokens are wild and can substitute for any color. Place the purchased card in front of you; its gem bonus is now permanently active. If the card has points or crowns, add them to your totals.
Reserving Cards
Instead of buying a card, you may reserve one for later purchase. Take the card into your hand (hidden from your opponent). You may have up to 3 reserved cards. When you later purchase a reserved card, you pay its cost as normal. Reserving is useful for denying your opponent a key card or securing a card you cannot yet afford.
Royal Cards
Royal cards are earned — not purchased — when you reach certain crown thresholds. When your total crowns (from purchased development cards) reach the required number shown on a Royal card, you may claim it. Royal cards provide bonus prestige points and sometimes special abilities. They are a key component of both the prestige and crown victory paths.
Privileges
Privilege scrolls grant a special one-time bonus. When you gain a privilege, take 1 gem of any color from the gem board (this does not count as your action). Some card abilities grant privileges when purchased. Privilege scrolls are also awarded in certain gem board situations.
Win Conditions
The game ends immediately when a player achieves any one of these three conditions. Prestige Victory: accumulate 20 or more prestige points from your development cards and Royal cards combined. Crown Victory: collect 10 or more crowns across your purchased cards. Color Victory: own at least one card with a gem bonus in each of the 5 standard colors (white, blue, green, red, black) plus at least one card with a pearl bonus.
Special Abilities
Some cards have special abilities that trigger when purchased. Common abilities include: "Take another turn" (immediately take an additional turn), "Gain a privilege" (take a privilege scroll), "Take a gem of the same color" (take a gem matching the card's bonus from the board). These abilities can provide significant tempo advantages and should factor into your card evaluation.
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