<p>In the Days of Wonder app, if you reach a state where (say) there are only 2 colours of token available, it allows you to just take those two tokens, even though this doesn't meet <a href="https://www.ultraboardgames.com/splendor/game-rules.php" rel="nofollow noreferrer">the action as stated in the rulebook</a> of &quot;Take 3 gem tokens of different colors&quot;. (I've never set up a situation where there are no tokens at all available) Again, while not definitive, this <a href="https://boardgamegeek.com/filepage/103457/splendor-brief-liumas" rel="nofollow noreferrer">highly rated quick ref on BGG</a> states &quot;As many as possible if 3 colors not available&quot;.</p>
<p>Generalising this, I'd say you can take 0 tokens as your turn.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-07-29T16:03:47.260Z
2022-07-29T16:03:47.260Z
Philip Kendall
<h2>You pass the turn</h2>
<p>More formally, you take the &quot;take three&quot; action and follow the &quot;do as much as you can&quot; principle* to take zero.</p>
<p><a href="https://boardgamegeek.com/thread/1192043/article/16190546#16190546" rel="noreferrer">From a representative of Asmodee Games</a></p>
<blockquote>
<p>So, official answer:</p>
<p>If a player really has no possibility to make any action, he is allowed to pass.
And of course he has to prove this by showing his hand.</p>
<p>And regardless what the FAQ literally says, the official latest ruling is: If you want to use the action &quot;take 3 different&quot; and you can't because there are no 3 different, THEN, you can take 2 (or 1 if only one kind is available). Under no other circumstances you can take less and you can never take 0 unless you cannot take any other action as well, because this would be a pass turn.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>The app may not allow you to take the &quot;take three&quot; action when you have no tokens to take, but that is the official way to handle the situation.</p>
<p>*&quot;do as much as you can&quot; is a fairly common method in board games of resolving situations where the game state makes it impossible to fully complete an action. It's not universal, but very common.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-07-31T08:44:49.950Z
Doesn't the quote kinda contradict the statement in your first sentence? It says you can't choose "take three" to only take zero if there's any other move available, and explicitly calls it "passing" instead when you actually do get to pass because you can't do anything else.
ilkkachu
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-07-29T16:15:59.757Z
2022-07-29T16:15:59.757Z
Arcanist Lupus
<p>During a game of Splendor on Board Games Arena, I reached a state where no move can be made. My timer ran out and I was expelled from the game.</p>
<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/KsmYi.jpg" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/KsmYi.jpg" alt="screenshot" /></a><br />
<sub>(source: <a href="https://i.ibb.co/MCfd7Kg/image.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer">i.ibb.co</a>)</sub></p>
<ul>
<li>I can't reserve a card because my hand is full.</li>
<li>I can't take any token because none are available</li>
<li>I can't spend any card because I cant pay them</li>
</ul>
<p>How should this kind of state be handled by the game? What should I have done while in this state?</p>
<p>I opened a thread on bgg too: <a href="https://boardgamegeek.com/thread/2907875/what-do-when-you-cant-play" rel="nofollow noreferrer">What to do when you can't play? | Splendor</a> and someone created a bug report on bga: <a href="https://fr.boardgamearena.com/bug?id=68933" rel="nofollow noreferrer">When no action is possible, player is booted from the game (instead of passing automatically)</a>.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-07-29T16:48:15.817Z
It looks like you're playing on BoardGameArena.   If you believe there is a bug in there games you can report them here https://boardgamearena.com/bugs

You've got a screen shot so that will help the developers.
StartPlayer
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-07-29T16:52:49.057Z
Or more specifically Splendour bugs can be reported here https://boardgamearena.com/bugs?game=1394
StartPlayer
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-07-29T23:54:24.893Z
Am I missing something? It looks like you can pay for your second reserved card
Arcanist Lupus
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-07-30T08:38:39.033Z
@Arcanist Lupus BGA has an option to show either card cost (as per physical copy) or show how much more in needed.  for 2nd reserved card it looks like they have enough blue but need one more green.
StartPlayer
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-07-31T08:49:06.350Z
@StartPlayer, it doesn't show much of what you have you need to spend?? Even if you have enough, it'd seem like important information to know how much you're left with after...
ilkkachu
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-07-31T10:50:40.727Z
@ikkachu Its an option on the BGA version.  I don't use it.  I prefer the cards looking as the do in physical version.  I find it to confusing and cards wouldn't do that in a real game.   I agree I want to know what I have left.
StartPlayer
<splendor><board-game-adaptations>
What to do when you don't have any move available?
aloisdg
# What to do when you don't have any move available?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2022-07-29)

During a game of Splendor on Board Games Arena, I reached a state where no move can be made. My timer ran out and I was expelled from the game.

[![screenshot](https://i.sstatic.net/KsmYi.jpg)](https://i.sstatic.net/KsmYi.jpg)  
(source: [i.ibb.co](https://i.ibb.co/MCfd7Kg/image.png))

* I can't reserve a card because my hand is full.
* I can't take any token because none are available
* I can't spend any card because I cant pay them

How should this kind of state be handled by the game? What should I have done while in this state?

I opened a thread on bgg too: [What to do when you can't play? | Splendor](https://boardgamegeek.com/thread/2907875/what-do-when-you-cant-play) and someone created a bug report on bga: [When no action is possible, player is booted from the game (instead of passing automatically)](https://fr.boardgamearena.com/bug?id=68933).

**Tags:** splendor, board-game-adaptations

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: It looks like you're playing on BoardGameArena.   If you believe there is a bug in there games you can report them here https://boardgamearena.com/bugs  You've got a screen shot so that will help the developers.  
> **username_1**: Or more specifically Splendour bugs can be reported here https://boardgamearena.com/bugs?game=1394  
> **username_2**: Am I missing something? It looks like you can pay for your second reserved card  
> **username_1**: @username_2 BGA has an option to show either card cost (as per physical copy) or show how much more in needed.  for 2nd reserved card it looks like they have enough blue but need one more green.  
> **username_3**: @username_1, it doesn't show much of what you have you need to spend?? Even if you have enough, it'd seem like important information to know how much you're left with after...  
> **username_1**: @ikkachu Its an option on the BGA version.  I don't use it.  I prefer the cards looking as the do in physical version.  I find it to confusing and cards wouldn't do that in a real game.   I agree I want to know what I have left.  

---

## 2 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2022-07-29. Score: 11 | Accepted answer

## You pass the turn

More formally, you take the "take three" action and follow the "do as much as you can" principle\* to take zero.

[From a representative of Asmodee Games](https://boardgamegeek.com/thread/1192043/article/16190546#16190546)

> So, official answer:
>
> If a player really has no possibility to make any action, he is allowed to pass.
> And of course he has to prove this by showing his hand.
>
> And regardless what the FAQ literally says, the official latest ruling is: If you want to use the action "take 3 different" and you can't because there are no 3 different, THEN, you can take 2 (or 1 if only one kind is available). Under no other circumstances you can take less and you can never take 0 unless you cannot take any other action as well, because this would be a pass turn.

The app may not allow you to take the "take three" action when you have no tokens to take, but that is the official way to handle the situation.

\*"do as much as you can" is a fairly common method in board games of resolving situations where the game state makes it impossible to fully complete an action. It's not universal, but very common.

> **Comments:**
> **username_3**: Doesn't the quote kinda contradict the statement in your first sentence? It says you can't choose "take three" to only take zero if there's any other move available, and explicitly calls it "passing" instead when you actually do get to pass because you can't do anything else.  

---

### Answer by username_4 on 2022-07-29. Score: 4

In the Days of Wonder app, if you reach a state where (say) there are only 2 colours of token available, it allows you to just take those two tokens, even though this doesn't meet [the action as stated in the rulebook](https://www.ultraboardgames.com/splendor/game-rules.php) of "Take 3 gem tokens of different colors". (I've never set up a situation where there are no tokens at all available) Again, while not definitive, this [highly rated quick ref on BGG](https://boardgamegeek.com/filepage/103457/splendor-brief-liumas) states "As many as possible if 3 colors not available".

Generalising this, I'd say you can take 0 tokens as your turn.


---

