Which Splendor expansion after the base game?

2-4 players (base) Engine building / gems About 30 min

The game

Already own Splendor? The trap on this page is a reissue: the four modules of Cities of Splendor (2017) are back, split across two newer boxes. Here is how not to buy them twice.

2-4 players with the base game. Every module below needs Splendor; Splendor Duel is a separate 2-player game.

Cities of Splendor, twice over. The Silk Road reissues the Cities and Trading Posts modules; The Sun Never Sets reissues The Orient and The Strongholds. Owners of the 2017 box already have all four.

Duel is a different game. Splendor Duel rebuilds the system for two players, with its own board and win conditions. Base Splendor expansions do not fit it.

Which boxes do you already own?

Put on the table what you already have, and how many of you play.

You usually play with

2-4

Release timeline

Base 2014, Cities of Splendor 2017, Splendor Marvel (standalone) 2020, Splendor Duel 2022, The Silk Road 2024, The Sun Never Sets 2025.

The graph

How the Splendor boxes connect, plus the mechanics. An arrow starts at the expansion and points to the box it needs.

needs another box
contains this box
part of the line
game mechanic

Depending on what you want

You want	Get
Cities and trading posts	The Silk Road (or the 2017 box)
The Orient and strongholds	The Sun Never Sets
Splendor strictly for 2	Splendor Duel
A deluxe reprint, no new rules	The 10th anniversary edition (an edition, not in the picker)

Tick your boxes at the top and the answer follows.

At the table

Box	What it brings
Splendor	2-4 players. Take gems, buy cards, court nobles.
Cities of Splendor	The 2017 box: Cities, Trading Posts, Orient, Strongholds.
The Silk Road	Cities and Trading Posts, reissued from the 2017 box.
The Sun Never Sets	The Orient and Strongholds, reissued from the 2017 box.
Splendor Duel	Standalone 2-player Splendor.
Splendor Duel: The Counterfeiters	An expansion for Splendor Duel only.

Compatibility

Box	Needs	Players
Splendor	standalone base	2-4
Cities of Splendor	needs base	2-4
The Silk Road	needs base	2-4
The Sun Never Sets	needs base	2-4
Splendor Duel	plays on its own	2
Splendor Duel: The Counterfeiters	needs base + Duel	2

Splendor Marvel is a standalone re-theme, the 10th anniversary edition a deluxe reprint, and both are outside the picker. Splendor Duel: The Counterfeiters was released in English in August 2026 (Space Cowboys).

FAQ

Which Splendor expansion should I buy?

If you find Cities of Splendor (2017), it holds all four modules. Otherwise The Silk Road first, then The Sun Never Sets.

Do the new module boxes duplicate Cities of Splendor?

Yes, deliberately: Silk Road and The Sun Never Sets split its four modules between them, with small tweaks.

Is Splendor Duel an expansion?

No. It is a standalone 2-player game with its own expansion path.

Who publishes Splendor in English?

Space Cowboys (Asmodee). Designer: Marc André.