Two-player game
Splendor Duel
Splendor rebuilt for two: gem lines, card powers, three ways to win
Engine buildingCollecting sets
- 2best with 2
- 30–45 minper game
- About 5 minto set up
- 10+years
- Medium
- Nonereading
The official edition, on Amazon.in
There's no Indian edition, so this is the official imported game. Amazon shows today's price, the seller and delivery.
Paid link. We may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you.
The game in a nutshell
Splendor Duel is a two-player-only game in the Splendor family, by Splendor's designer Marc André together with Bruno Cathala. As in Splendor, you collect gem tokens to buy cards that make your later buys cheaper, but here you take gems in lines from a shared board, many cards have special powers, and there are three ways to win. It suits couples, siblings and friends who play as a pair and want a tense 30-minute duel; for three or four players, get Splendor instead.
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.
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 ↗.
Your turn, step by step
- 1Prepare
Optionally spend privileges for gems of your choice, or refill the board, which gives your opponent a privilege.
- 2Act
Then do one thing: take up to three tokens in a straight line, reserve a card and take a gold, or buy a card.
- 3Power
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.
- 4Win
Win at the end of your turn with 20 prestige points, 10 crowns, or 10 points on cards of one colour.
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
- 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
The official edition, on Amazon.in
There's no Indian edition, so this is the official imported game. Amazon shows today's price, the seller and delivery.
Opens Amazon.in in a new tab.
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.
How to make sure you get a genuine copyA little care before you click.
- 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
We link to one Amazon.in listing that we've checked against the maker's own information. We don't show prices: Amazon shows today's price, the seller and delivery. Paid link. We may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you.
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
- Review Review – Splendor Duel (Derek Thompson, September 2022) · Geeks Under Grace
- Review Splendor Duel (Wouter & Ymke, November 2022) · Tabletopping
- Review Board Game Review - Splendor Duel (Cheddarface, November 2024) · Cheddarface (Substack)
- Reference Splendor Duel (Space Cowboys game page, read 14 October 2026) · Space Cowboys
Summarised in our own words from the sources above. We don't use Amazon reviews or ratings.
More like Splendor Duel
Our picks if Splendor Duel isn't quite right
| Feature |
Splendor Duel |
Splendor |
Jaipur |
Azul |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Players | 2 | 2–4 | 2 | 2–4 |
| Best with | 2 | 2-3 | 2 | 2-4 |
| Play time | 30–45 min | 30 min | 30 min | 30–45 min |
| Age | 10+ | 10+ | 10+ | 8+ |
| Rules | Medium | Easy | Easy | Easy |
| Indian edition | Import | Import | Yes | Yes |
| Why look at it | This page | The original: the same gem-and-discount idea for 2 to 4 players, simpler, with no card powers | Another quick two-player trading game from Space Cowboys, lighter and with an Indian edition | A calm tile-drafting game that plays very well with two |
More by Marc André
More from Space Cowboys
More engine-building games
See all
Wingspan
Calm card game about birds where every new bird boosts your turns.
7 Wonders
Build an ancient city by picking one card and passing the rest.
7 Wonders Duel
The 7 Wonders civilisation race, rebuilt as a tense 30-minute duel
Splendor
A quick gem-trading race where every card makes the next easier.
Brass: Birmingham
Build canals, railways and industries across Industrial Revolution England
Also worth a look (not in our catalogue yet): 7 Wonders Duel – Bruno Cathala's bigger two-player duel, also with several ways to win.
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 Buy 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.
- Space Cowboys – Splendor Duel (game page: contents, rules, images)
- Space Cowboys – Splendor Duel rulebook, English (SCSPL2P01EN)
- Asmodee UK – Splendor Duel, item ASMSCSPL2P01EN (barcode, box size, weight, release date)
- Asmodee Canada – Splendor Duel (contents, rules video)
- Space Cowboys – Splendor Duel: The Counterfeiters
- Board Games India – Splendor Duel
- Bored Game Company – Splendor Duel