Which Expansion

Splendor expansions

Base game: 2–4 players30 minSpace Cowboys2 expansions checked
  1. #1 overall

    Splendor: The Silk Road

    Buy this first

    BGG reviewers call it variety without added complexity: easy to teach to new players and it doesn't make games longer. The Cities module is the favourite.

    Needs: Just the base game

    Adds: Two modules: The Cities (city goals replace the race to 15 points) and The Trading Posts (tiles granting permanent bonuses once you own the right cards).

    Fixes: Every game of base Splendor ends the same way, racing to 15 points; city goals give each game a different target while turns stay just as quick.

    Expansion2–4 playersAbout the same rules loadBest for casual groupsPrice: Under $20
    DetailsBuy:AmazonAsmodee
  2. #2 overall

    Splendor: The Sun Never Sets

    Worth it

    A BGG reviewer who disliked these modules in Cities of Splendor found that Orient plus Strongholds together add real timing tricks and blocking, but more to think about than The Silk Road.

    Needs: Just the base game

    Adds: Two modules: The Orient (30 extra cards with special powers) and Strongholds (towers that lock face-up cards so you can buy them as an extra action).

    Fixes: Base Splendor has almost no direct interaction; Strongholds let you block and claim cards, and Orient cards let you chain big turns, so it plays more like a real engine-builder.

    Expansion2–4 playersAdds more rulesBest for experienced groupsPrice: Under $20
    DetailsBuy:AmazonAsmodee

Need the base game?

Buy:AmazonAsmodeeGame Nerdz

Check before you buy

  • The Silk Road and The Sun Never Sets re-release the four Cities of Splendor modules. If you own Cities of Splendor, you already have this content.

Stuck between two?

Splendor expansions: quick answers

Which Splendor expansion should I buy first?

Splendor: The Silk Road. BGG reviewers call it variety without added complexity: easy to teach to new players and it doesn't make games longer. The Cities module is the favourite.

Is Splendor: The Silk Road worth it?

Our verdict: buy this first. It adds: Two modules: The Cities (3 of 7 double-sided city tiles replace the race to 15 points; first to meet a city's points-and-cards goal wins) and The Trading Posts (20 tiles that grant permanent bonuses, like an extra gem or extra noble points, once you own the right cards).

Splendor: The Silk Road or Splendor: The Sun Never Sets: which first?

We’d buy Splendor: The Silk Road first. See the side-by-side comparison for what each adds and needs.

Other games’ expansion guides

Rankings are our editorial picks, built from the reviews linked on each expansion page. Last checked 2026-10-08.