Splendor

intro

As a long-time Splendor player, I wanted to create a version that better matched my own taste and imagination while keeping the core gameplay intact. I rebuilt the theme around a magical fantasy world, turning gems into sources of magic and currency, and redesigned the cards, illustrations, characters, and UI into one consistent visual system.

WHAT I DID

Illustration, AI, Coding

Year

2026

Process

From Game Rules to a Magical World

I started by breaking down Splendor’s original colors, levels, costs, and point system, then rebuilt its theme without changing the core mechanics. Each gem color was tied to a different magical domain, such as nature, water, ice, fire, sacred relics, or mysticism. Cards were then matched with suitable magical objects, creatures, buildings, or legendary artifacts based on their color, cost, and value.

Higher-value cards were not assigned to strict categories, but I made them feel rarer, grander, and more legendary.

Building a Consistent Illustration System

To keep the full deck visually consistent, I created a strict illustration system instead of generating each image independently. I defined fixed color palettes, 1:1 compositions, subject scale, geometric angles, shape complexity, outline rules, perspective, and background density, then embedded these constraints into the prompts.

AI mainly worked as an execution tool: I defined the subject, composition, and visual rules, then iterated until each illustration fit the same system.

Redesigning the Card UI

After the illustrations, I redesigned the full card UI in Figma and built reusable templates, gem components, and cost components. I also changed how gem costs are displayed: instead of shifting positions from card to card, all gems now follow one fixed order.

This removes the inconsistency of the same gem appearing in different positions and makes cards faster to scan, compare, and recognize.