Splendor is definitely one of those games that the sun will never set for, as it is absolutely fantastic. Arguably a very fitting title for the imminent expansion to the 2nd edition version with “The Sun Never Sets” hitting shop shelves very soon!
The expansion brings some intriguing additions. The first being strongholds to mark a player’s territory and the 2nd being the opportunity to discover wonders of the Orient and enjoy new powers.
This seemed hugely exciting at first, until you learn it is just the rebrand of the Cities of Splendor expansion. So this expansion, coupled with the Silk Road expansion, is just what the old first edition Cities of Splendor expansion and the publisher is rebranding this in line with their rebrand of the base game.
Fans of Splendor can be disappointed that nothing new is on offer with this. However, they are fun expansions and certainly worth picking up if you missed out with the original expansion. The artwork has been enhanced which is cool and the quality of the stronghold components has moved from plastic to wood which will no doubt feel like a much more quality component.
I must admit, there’s enormous temptation for me to sell my original set and upgrade to the 2nd edition content, just because it does look excellent. We’ll see… Hopefully there will be another expansion in the pipeline with actual new content to come one day. I don’t doubt as this hobby continues to grow this expansion as well as 2nd edition Splendor will sell well, it’s still an awesome game.
