Top 106 · #21 of 60 in Family
Splendor: Pokémon
Collect Ball tokens to catch Pokémon, and each Pokémon you catch discounts the next one — an engine-building game. It is not just a retheme of Splendor: the noble tiles are gone and evolution is added, making it a separate set. It came out first as the 2023 Korean edition.
👨👧👦 Played with our kids
Played with children aged 6 and 4.
Rules
✓ Rulebooks cross-checked · verified with a physical copy
Sources checked
- 공식 한국어 규칙서 — 운영자 보유 코리아보드게임즈·Space Cowboys판 SCSP1PKM01KO 전체, 상자·포켓몬 도감 시트 대조 (2026-09-22)
- BGG
- 원조 스플렌더 공식 룰북 (비교용)
- 국내 유통 — 코리아보드게임즈
- 위키 대조 — 나무위키
- 이 제품의 공식 룰북은 공개되지 않음 — BGG의 영어 룰북은 전부 팬 번역
Collect Ball tokens to catch Pokémon, and each Pokémon you catch discounts the next one — an engine-building game. Instead of nobles it has rare and legendary Pokémon plus evolution, and a race to 18 points. Explained with diagrams.
Components
| Component | Count | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Pokémon cards | 90 | 35 level 1 · 30 level 2 · 15 level 3 · 5 rare · 5 legendary/mythical |
| Ball tokens | 40 | 5 regular colors × 7 + 5 Master Balls |
| Trainer tiles | 4 | Where evolved, flipped cards are tucked underneath |
| Start player marker | 1 | Shows who started |
| Pokédex sheet | 1 | ⚠️ Unconfirmed: what the sheet is used for (not turned into a rule from the rulebook photos) |
| Rulebook | 1 | Korean |
How it differs from original Splendor
There are no noble tiles. In their place are rare and legendary Pokémon you must catch directly, evolution is new, and the winning score is 18 points, not 15.
Setup
- 1Split the Pokémon cards into level 1, 2, 3, rare, and legendary/mythical, and shuffle each into its own deck.
- 2Reveal 4 cards face up from each of the level 1, 2, and 3 decks.
- 3Reveal 1 card face up from the rare deck and 1 from the legendary/mythical deck.
- 4Put the Ball tokens in the middle by color: 7 of each regular color and 5 Master Balls.
| Players | Regular tokens (per color) | Master Balls |
|---|---|---|
| 4 | 7 | 5 |
| 3 | 5 (remove 2 each) | 5, unchanged |
| 2 | 4 (remove 3 each) | 5, unchanged |
Fewer players does not remove Master Balls. You always use all 5.
⚠️ Unconfirmed: how the start player is chosen and how Trainer tiles are handed out are not in the confirmed record.
On your turn — one of four actions
On your turn you do one of the four actions below. After it, tidy your tokens, and if the conditions are met you may evolve separately.
- 1Take 3 regular tokens of different colors
- 2Take 2 regular tokens of the same color — only if 4 or more of that color are left
- 3Reserve 1 regular Pokémon card and take 1 Master Ball
- 4Pay the cost to catch a Pokémon (a face-up card or one you reserved)
Rare, legendary, and mythical cards cannot be reserved
You can only reserve regular Pokémon cards. Rare, legendary, and mythical cards can only be caught by paying their cost.
At most 10 tokens at the end of your turn
After your action, if you hold more than 10 tokens, return tokens until you have 10.
⚠️ Unconfirmed: how many reserved cards you may hold, whether you may secretly reserve the top card of a deck, and how empty spots are refilled after a catch are not in the confirmed record, so original Splendor's rules were not copied over.
Catching and bonuses — the engine
Pay the tokens shown as a card's cost and you catch that Pokémon. A caught Pokémon becomes a permanent bonus that reduces the cost of its color by 1. The more bonuses you stack, the cheaper the next Pokémon gets.
- Rare, legendary, and mythical cards count as 2 bonuses.
- A Master Ball shown in a legendary or mythical Pokémon's cost cannot be replaced by other bonuses or tokens.
- Master Balls only come from reserving, but rare and legendary cards cannot be reserved. If you aim for a legendary, start collecting Master Balls early.
Evolution — the new rule in this set
- Level 1 and 2 cards show an evolution target and a bonus requirement.
- If you meet the requirement and the next-stage card is in the face-up market or among your reserved cards, you evolve without paying tokens.
- The pre-evolution card is tucked face down under a Trainer tile. Its points and bonus are lost.
- Evolving is not an action. You do it separately from taking tokens or catching, and only once per turn.
- You may choose not to evolve.
Focus one color and score twice in one turn
Evolving costs no action, so with bonuses piled into one color you can catch a Pokémon and evolve right away in the same turn, raising your score twice.
⚠️ Unconfirmed: the exact layout of the evolution requirement and how the market refills after an evolution are not in the confirmed record.
End and winning
- 1When someone reaches 18 points or more, the end begins.
- 2Play continues through the turn of the player to the right of the start player, so everyone has had the same number of turns.
- 3Excluding flipped pre-evolution cards and reserved cards in hand, add up the points on your face-up cards.
| Order | Criterion |
|---|---|
| 1 | Most points |
| 2 (tie) | More cards under Trainer tiles |
| 3 (still tied) | More face-up Pokémon cards |
The tie-break differs from original Splendor (fewer purchased cards wins). Here, whoever evolved more has the edge.
Strategy hints
- Focus your bonuses on one color so you can catch and evolve in the same turn.
- If you want a legendary, get Master Balls first. They come only from reserving, and rare and legendary cards cannot be reserved.
- Evolving loses points and bonus but helps in tie-breaks. Evolve when you are not short on points.
Common rule questions
Q. Are the rules the same as original Splendor?
No. Nobles are gone, rare and legendary Pokémon are in, evolution is new, and the winning score is 18.
Q. What happens to the original card's points when I evolve?
They are lost. The pre-evolution card is tucked face down under a Trainer tile and gives neither points nor a bonus.
Q. Does evolving use up my action?
No. Once per turn, you can do it separately from taking tokens or catching.
Q. Can I reserve rare or legendary Pokémon?
No. Only regular Pokémon cards can be reserved.
Q. The box says 10+. Can kids play?
The box says 10 and up, but the owner played it with a six-year-old.
Edition and sources
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Edition | Korea Boardgames / Space Cowboys Korean edition, product code SCSP1PKM01KO |
| Release | Came out first as the 2023 Korean edition (catalog record) |
| Players / time | 2-4 players · ages 10+ · 30 minutes |
This is not just a retheme of Splendor — it is a separate set. Do not mix its rules with original Splendor or Marvel.
Sources
Owner's physical Korean rulebook check (docs/owned-games.md, 2026-09-22)BGG: Splendor PokémonKorean distributor — Korea BoardgamesOfficial original Splendor rulebook (for comparison)Cross-checked against Namuwiki: Splendor (Korean)Rule summaries are reference content written by us, not quotations from the official rulebook. Always check the official rulebook for exact rules. Diagrams are original schematics, not rulebook illustrations.
Spotted a mistake? Tell us in the comments below →
Last updated 2026-10-10
💡 Master tip
Evolving costs no action. If you focus your bonuses on one color, you can catch a card and evolve in the same turn and raise your score twice, so focusing beats collecting colors evenly. If you want a legendary Pokémon, collect Master Balls early — they only come from reserving, and legendary and rare cards cannot be reserved.
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