Space Cowboys' Splendor DuelPhoto: Space Cowboys
Board, tokens, cards, bag and scrollsPhoto: Space Cowboys
Set up and ready for twoPhoto: Asmodee Canada
Buy cards with the gems you collectPhoto: Space Cowboys
Pearls are scarce: there are only twoPhoto: Space Cowboys
Privilege scrolls and pearlsPhoto: Space Cowboys
Video

Two-player game

Splendor Duel

Splendor rebuilt for two: gem lines, card powers, three ways to win

2players · best with 2
30–45 minplaying time
10+recommended age
Learning curve
Medium3 / 5
EasyDemanding
Luck & skill
Mostly skill
LuckSkill
Interaction
High
Set-up
About 5 min
Reading
None

The quick verdict

Full verdict ↓

Great for Couples and siblings who want a quick, tense strategy game for two

Think twice if You will ever want to play with three or four people: Splendor itself takes 2 to 4

How we rate it

Learning curve. A step up from Splendor (a 2 on our scale): on top of buying cards with gems you have privileges, card powers, crowns, royal cards and three win conditions to keep in mind. Turns are still quick once you know them.

Luck & skill. Which cards come out and how the bag refills the board are random, but planning your purchases and blocking your opponent decide most games.

Interaction. You share one board of gems, many moves hand your opponent a privilege, and some cards steal gems from them.

Set-up. Shuffle the three decks and deal the pyramid of 3, 4 and 5 cards, then draw the 25 tokens from the bag onto the board in a spiral and set out the royal cards and privileges. One reviewer found placing the tokens a little tedious, but it takes only a few minutes.

Reading. Cards, tokens and the board use only symbols and numbers. Only the rulebook has text.

Learning curve: 1 = UNO or Connect 4; 3 = Catan; 5 = a heavy strategy game. These describe the experience, not an overall score.

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Is Splendor Duel right for you?

Great if

  • Couples and siblings who want a quick, tense strategy game for two
  • Splendor fans who mostly end up playing as a pair
  • Players who like having more than one way to win and keeping an eye on the opponent
  • A compact gift: the box is about the size of a thick paperback

Skip it if

  • You will ever want to play with three or four people: Splendor itself takes 2 to 4
  • Your partner dislikes direct attacks: some cards let you steal a gem from the other player
  • You want the lightest possible game: it has more rules to learn than Splendor

How Splendor Duel plays

Lay the jewel cards out in a pyramid of three rows (3, 4 and 5 cards, rarest at the top). Draw the 25 tokens out of the bag and place them on the 5-by-5 board in a spiral from the centre. Put the royal cards and the three privilege scrolls nearby; the player going second starts with one privilege.

  • Time to teach: about 15 minutes.
  • Reading and language: Cards, tokens and the board use only symbols and numbers, so there is nothing to read during play and you can teach it in any language. The rulebook is in English.
Buy cards with the gems you collect · Photo: Space Cowboys

How to play Splendor Duel · Nights Around a Table

Choose a video · Watch right here

If this creator doesn’t allow embedded playback, watch on YouTube ↗.

A turn, step by step

  1. 1
    Prepare

    Optionally spend privileges for gems of your choice, or refill the board, which gives your opponent a privilege.

  2. 2
    Act

    Then do one thing: take up to three tokens in a straight line, reserve a card and take a gold, or buy a card.

  3. 3
    Power

    If the card you bought has a power, use it now: another turn, a bonus token, a privilege, a stolen gem or a copied colour.

  4. 4
    Win

    Win at the end of your turn with 20 prestige points, 10 crowns, or 10 points on cards of one colour.

Read the official rules (PDF)Splendor Duel – Rulebook (English) · English
The full explanation: how a game of Splendor Duel goes

On your turn you may first use privileges (each one buys you a gem of your choice from the board) or refill the board from the bag, which hands your opponent a privilege. Then you must do one thing: take up to three tokens in a straight line, reserve a card and take a gold, or buy a card. As in Splendor, every card you own gives a permanent discount in its colour. Taking three gems of one colour, or both pearls, gives your opponent a privilege.

Many cards have powers: take another turn, take a matching token from the board, steal a gem, gain a privilege, or copy a colour you already have. Crowns on cards earn you a royal card when you reach 3 and 6 crowns. You win at the end of your turn if you have 20 prestige points, or 10 crowns, or 10 points on cards of a single colour.

How it differs from Splendor: in Splendor, 2 to 4 players take gems from open piles and race to 15 points, with nobles as the only bonus. Duel is for two only and adds the shared board where gems must be taken in lines, scarce pearls, privileges, card powers, crowns and royal cards, and three ways to win. The result is more interactive and a bit meaner, but still about 30 minutes.

Tip: you can't end your turn with more than 10 tokens. Watch which win condition your opponent is chasing; reserving the card they need, or leaving them a poor board, is often as strong as buying.

What's in the box

Board, tokens, cards, bag and scrolls · Photo: Space Cowboys
  • 67Jewel cards
    in three levels
  • 4Royal cards
    claimed at 3 and 6 crowns
  • 25Tokens
    4 each of blue, white, green, black and red gems, 2 pearls and 3 gold
  • 1Board
    5 x 5 grid with a spiral for refilling
  • 1Bag
    for drawing tokens to refill the board
  • 3Privilege scrolls
    spend one to take a gem of your choice from the board
  • 1Victory tile
    reminder of the three ways to win
  • 1Rulebook
    English

Box: 18.2 × 13 × 5 cm, 0.4 kg. Handy to know for gifting and travel.

Contents are from Space Cowboys' game page and English rulebook (102 components in all). Asmodee Canada's list is the same but gives 2 rulebooks, as its box is sold in Canada. There is one English edition, so the box sold in India should match. The Counterfeiters expansion is sold separately.

Where to buy

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How to make sure you get a genuine copyEditions and the details worth checking.

About the editions

Splendor Duel has no Indian edition or Indian distributor; every copy sold here is imported. The listing we link names Asmodee's item code ASMSCSPL2P01EN, which is Asmodee's code for the English Space Cowboys box, so that's the box you get. There are no Hindi rules, but there's nothing to read on the cards. Our Amazon.in link goes to that English box.

Before you choose

  • The box should carry the Space Cowboys and Asmodee names and credit Marc André and Bruno Cathala
  • It's a small, heavy box: about 18 x 13 x 5 cm and around 0.4 kg
  • Contents: 67 jewel cards in 3 levels, 4 royal cards, 25 weighty chip tokens (4 each of 5 gem colours, 2 pearls and 3 gold), a cloth bag, a board, 3 privilege scrolls and a victory tile
  • The barcode should read 3558380100294, and the box says 2 players, 10+
  • An unusually cheap set, light plastic tokens or missing pearls are warning signs

What reviewers and players say

Reviewers who like Splendor rate Duel very highly, and several prefer it to the original when there are only two of you. They like that it keeps Splendor's simple idea of buying cards that discount later buys, but adds a shared board, rare pearls, privileges, card powers and three ways to win, which makes it far more interactive. The weighty chips, the art, the small box and the short rulebook also get praise. The warnings are that it is meaner than Splendor, with cards that steal gems, that laying out the tokens can be a little tedious, and that the box insert doesn't hold sleeved cards.

What people love

  • Far more interactive than Splendor: almost every move affects the other player
  • Three ways to win, so both players have to watch what the other is collecting
  • Pearls and privileges add clever new decisions
  • Weighty chips, fresh art and a compact box

Common complaints

  • More cutthroat than Splendor: some cards steal your gems
  • Laying out the 25 tokens on the board can feel a little tedious
  • The box insert doesn't hold sleeved cards
Based on 4 reviews and discussions

Summarised in our own words from the sources above. We don't use Amazon reviews or ratings.

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Why consider itThis game

Splendor rebuilt for two: gem lines, card powers, three ways to win

A different fit

The original: the same gem-and-discount idea for 2 to 4 players, simpler, with no card powers

A different fit

Another quick two-player trading game from Space Cowboys, lighter and with an Indian edition

A different fit

Bruno Cathala's bigger two-player duel, also with several ways to win

Players22–422
Best with22-322
Play time30–45 min30 min30 min20–30 min
Age10+10+10+10+
RulesMediumEasyEasyMedium
Indian editionImportedImportedAvailableImported
On this pageExplore Splendor Explore Jaipur Explore 7 Wonders Duel

Questions people ask about Splendor Duel

What is the difference between Splendor and Splendor Duel?

Splendor is for 2 to 4 players: you take gems from open piles and race to 15 points. Splendor Duel is for two only: you take gems in lines from a shared board, cards have powers such as extra turns and stealing, and you can win with 20 points, 10 crowns or 10 points in one colour. Duel is more interactive and a little harder to learn.

Can 3 or 4 people play Splendor Duel?

No. Splendor Duel is made for exactly two players. If you sometimes play with three or four, buy Splendor instead; it also works with two.

Do I need Splendor to play Splendor Duel?

No. Splendor Duel is a complete stand-alone game with its own cards, tokens and board. You don't need the original Splendor, and owning Splendor doesn't let you play Duel.

Is Splendor Duel available in India?

Yes, as an imported game; there is no Indian edition. Our Check price on Amazon.in button goes to Space Cowboys' English box (Asmodee item ASMSCSPL2P01EN).

What age is Splendor Duel for?

The box says 10 and up. There's no reading, but children need to add up costs and plan a few moves ahead, so younger players may want to start with Splendor.

Game facts

Designed by
Marc André, Bruno Cathala
Publisher
Space Cowboys (Asmodee)
First published
2022
Players
2
Barcode
3558380100294
Language
No reading – Cards, tokens and the board use only symbols and numbers, so there is nothing to read during play and you can teach it in any language. The rulebook is in English.
Box size and weight
18.2 × 13 × 5 cm, 0.4 kg
Sources & photo creditsThe references behind this guide.

Facts on this page come from the publisher, the Indian maker or distributor, and the sources below. Photos are credited under each one.