Splendor is a modern classic. To some extent, these negative reviews of the original reflect a bias of professional reviewers against lighter, simpler games. To those of us who don’t play games all day every day, and who regularly play with “non-gamers,” Splendor is a treasure because I can break it out once every few months, teach it in 30 sec without looking at the rules, and both me and a person new to hobby gaming will be engaged for 30 mins. I’ve had at least a dozen friends get interested in gaming after trying Splendor.

The blurry scores are great. Very clean and proffesional looking. Love it. Keep it.

I'm definitely on Tom's side with Splendor. It was one of the games that got me hooked into the hobby and is still a lot of fun the break out and play now and then. It's just a great easy game when you are looking for something quick to play or are introducing people to gaming. I've been really intrigued about this new version since it was announced. I'm really glad to hear all of your positive thoughts and can't wait to give it a try myself. 🤩

People can hate on Splendor all they want to, but it has the notes of a modern classic.

The progression from Splendor to Splendor Duel seems similar to the progression from Kingdomino to Queendomino, or from Azul to Azul Stained Glass. There are people who prefer the simplicity of the originals, and there are people who find the original a bit dull, and prefer the extra mechanisms of the follow-ups. I imagine that would give you a good idea of how much you will like this.

Next dice tower top ten? Top Ten Games that need a Duel version?

I really enjoy these group reviews

This review sold me on it. I was very much in the "I love Splendor. I already have Splendor. Why do I need Splendor Duel?" camp. This makes me want to play it. I'll be looking to order it when it becomes available from MM in the future.

How many "Splendor Killer" games have come and gone over the years and Splendor keeps on going

I got to play this at the retreat, and my husband and I really liked it! We own splendor, and I don’t see the need to own both. A great option for people that only play 2 player or want this as an easy travel version.

Nice reviews! Always have a good time with Splendor and Cities of Splendor so this is an insta-buy. :)

"Keep being mean to your opponents." A very Zeevil attitude.

I love this new Splendor Duel… its mean filled with tension.... it have much good game play…. Eagerly awaiting this to hit the stores

I think the wild symbol reminds you that you can only place it on another bonus card. (Zee missed this rule in his account)

This wasn’t on my radar but going to for sure pick this up. I was so so on splendor after a few plays felt dull this looks like it might add enough spice to stay in the collection

I really like Splendor and the expansions box. This duel box looks pretty good, but the 2 player limit is definitely a con when you compare them.

Tom walked all over Chris's Lost Cities Duel punchline.

I feel like the lost cities duel joke was criminally under-appreciated

Love Splendor and the Splendor App provided road trips of fun.

I'm super-pumped for this. If it were "Splendor, but with extra stuff thrown it that makes it more complicated," then I don't imagine I would be into it. This has that 'connection' to Splendor, you can see the Splendor in it, but it seems to be built this way from the ground up, as Chris said, and feel more natural as a result. It looks like a lot of fun and I absolutely cannot wait to play it. I just hope it has a small-enough footprint to be able to play it on the rolling cabinent that we game on at work; 7 Wonders Duel is too big and Imhotep: The Duel just barely fits. Full-size Splendor is a no-go though.

This is the first game I ever preordered without seeing anything about it because I love Splendor that much. The multiple victory conditions and grid of tokens here has me very excited!

The real question is what does Tom’s tie say?? I must know!

Not sure why a lot of people dislike Splendor so much or don't care for Cities of Splendor, but this is and always will be a family classic of ours and never leave the collection. Cities gives it a nice change of strategy. As for Duel, it looks solid (not sure if I will like the scrolls concept). I actually prefer Splendor as a 2 player game anyways, but will give this one a try. How do the Duel chips feel? Sounds like they are smaller than original Splendor, but is the quality still the same?

5:42 Do you have to decide what color it is as soon as you buy it? Also, could you change it later on, or is it permanently that color for the rest of the game? Thanks.

Give him a challenge: Battlestar Galactica: Duel. :D I do like Spelndor, though it's not one I would play often. Though I don't think I enjoyed any of the modules in Cities. This Duel version seems fun though.

I like the updated numbers Roy (or whoever put this video together)

I can't wait to pick this up! I bought custom jewels for the original splendor + expansion... so I hope they fit this board... so now I must pick up pearls 😅These "duel" type games that are saturating the market nowadays seem to be bringing it gameplay-wise! Can't wait!

Tom was the only sensible person here, all that hate for Splendor 😮😅

I’m glad Chris said this as my wife loves splendor but doesn’t enjoy mean games.

I really like the original Splendor. 8.5 for me. Looking forward to play this game. Camilla is definitely a reference for me. If she doesn’t like a game then I will probably like it 😂 and vice-versa. We have very different tastes 😅 But i really like to see her on the Dice Tower.

15:37 But I wouldn't call this an "abstract" strategy game, just because you really don't see the theme. To me, it is a Euro engine-building game. To me, an abstract game is like chess, go, tak, tsaar, etc.

Second designer? We don't talk about Bruno!

I'm bummed i can't use my Splendor promo tokens since the new tokens are smaller than the original.

whoa! these sleek score reveals!

I'm with Tom, the OG Splendor is a very good game. But that doesn't mean I'm not excited to try this one out.

This game will force you to be mean in ways you may not otherwise do. In the game I lost, I had 9 crowns to the points the other player had. There just happened to be 1 card he could buy that would give him the win and naturally I had no access to gold to keep him from buying it. Excellent duel game

I feel like everyone here doesn't know what they are talking about, but I am interested to compare how this feels compared to Splendor, which I almost always play 2 player.

Nice new clean ratings graphic at the bottom of the page. I think it pops, nice work.

The end of this video was funny. I liked the on the nose joke about why the game gets the seal of excellent Zee. Respect

I love the original Splendor enough that I just don't think another game like it would fill the same niche for me. I love the old rules and the old game. My hub & I love to play it "duel" I guess, just the way it is. XD

huge seven wonders duel fan and liked splenor but dont love. this has me intrigued!

Splendor is a very good game in its category (light family/gateway game). It's one of those games (like Kingdomino for example) that you can teach successfully to (and can enjoy with) anybody. I gave it a 7.5/10 on BGG, 8/10 for the Marvel one because I like the new twists on the gameplay and the fact that you need to grab at least one level 3 card in order to win the game. (Chris is right, the expansion is also pretty good, but it wasn't really needed I think, hence the lack of success) I have to say, this "duel" version looks even better, I can't wait to try it, but it's clearly more involved: it's two or three steps up the original game in terms of weight, strategy and interaction. It's entering the 7W Duel/Targi/Botanik/Sobek... territory of 2-player only strategy games and has the potential to become one of the greats. It's also fascinating to see how they managed to keep the DNA of the original game while designing a game that is clearly its own thing.

Lost Cities Duel 😂😂😂 I laughed so hard I woke my girlfriend.

Slendor original works fine at 2 - especially with the expansion. So when this was announced, i was confused. I'm glad this is good!

14:04 So Tom, do you like it better, worse or about the same amount as original Splendor? You rate them both the same as 8s!

Can you use gold coins as pearls?

Splendor is dry, but one time, my friend's girlfriend was kicking our butt so hard i started to realize the game has more strategy than i tought

Now, let's hope for Splendor the original game in the same sized box lolz...

I wonder if this will have the same starting player advantage problem that the original has.

Zee says Splendor is simply "find a path and follow it quickly." Really? Then what happens when I take the card that you were building your entire game around? Every criticism I have ever heard of base Splendor seems premised on the (incorrect) idea that each player politely asks the other players, "Did you plan to build your game around that card? Let me leave it for you."

I also gave Splendor a 6/10, or never really wowed me. This does look like a better game, but not to the point where I feel the need to seek it out, especially since being 2 player only.

Makes you wonder if you could have Splendor (the original) use a board for the gems like this but still play with 3 or 4.

the sword on the top left 😃

I found that the original game played almost like a flow chart. The strategy became obvious very quickly which made it tiresome in no time. I’m glad to see there’s some extra effects, and I like the coin grid too. Definitely seems more replayable than the original.

This game might be worth it just for the box.

what determines if a game gets the seal of excellence in multi-person reviews like this? if just 1 person rates it an 8.5? The mean score between the 4 of yall is 7.875

I feel like Zee’s sign off should’ve been, “it’s murder in a good way”. 😂 This sounds good - adding to my must play list and I wasn’t a fan of the original game.

While I'm sure this is great, I also don't see a major reason to own this when I already like 2 player base splendor

Splendor is a modern classic. Splendor duel? Will be completely forgotten about.

This game has no appeal to me based on the fact that I love regular splendor as a 2 player game and I almost never play it at a higher count. We play to 17 points instead of 15 but I’ve got 40+ recorded games of it in person mostly with the same opponent. It’s just such a clean race to the finish that I can’t fault it for anything. When it first came out and was the hotness I played and it was fine but the more I played just 2 and with the same guy the better and better it got. Duel is unnecessary for us.

I prefer Century Spice Road over Splendor, so much so that I own CSR.

Where is my Twilight Imperium duel?

Splendor is at least an 8, simple, light, gateway, cool. You like plenty of dry engine builders that are more fiddle and long.

Have to say this is not bringing me on board. I've played at least a hundred games of Splendor 2-player with my partner, and we keep coming back for more. 7-Wonders Duel on the other hand, we both find meh and rather dull. I'd like to try this at my local game cafe, but I won't be picking it up without a few plays first.

I can already tell that I would like the first couple plays of this, then get bored. Splendor just has a tendency to be the same game again for me.

My problem with Splendor is that I would rather play Century

I’ve always found Splendour incredibly boring with a pasted on theme. Never understood the hype. I doubt this will change anything for me.

I own 245 games and give Splendor 10/10. I want to know what people who deeply understand Splendor think of Splendor Duel. When these guys put down Splendor they just sound like idiots who don't get it at all.

I'm with Camilla on Splendor. It's forgettable and I only played it once a few years back and no one's ever asked to play it again.