My wife and I bought the board game version of Splendor for ourselves last Christmas, and it was money well spent. The simple game for two to four players is easy to learn and quick to play, making it a great way to kill time. As Renaissance-era merchants you must collect and invest in rare gemstones in an effort to become the most powerful (and influential) merchant.
Now, the game is also available on iOS and Android mobile devices, and for the most part it captures the feel of the game nicely. You don't get to collect the awesome physical chips the tabletop game has, but the flow of play itself is the same.
Don't worry if you've never played Splendor before. It's a simple game to pick up anyway, but the tutorial walks you through the rules in a very easy-to-understand manner.
There are a couple of issues that make it hard to recommend to everybody, though.
First off, while you can get a multiplayer game going with pass-and-play (where all players share the same device and just hand the phone/tablet to the player whose turn it is), there is no option for online or even local network multiplayer. Playing against the AI is fine if you want to, but if you want to play Splendor with your friend in another city or state, this digital version can't help you.
Secondly: It's $6.99 (at least on iOS). This is quite a bit less than the physical version of the game, but it's pricey compared to many other mobile experiences. That's not to say it isn't worth it, and it's in line with other digital board game prices (like Carcassonne and Ticket to Ride, which are similarly priced on the App Store), but it's worth pointing out all the same.
Personally, I like having Splendor on my iPhone. It will be a nice pocket version of the game for my wife and I to have on hand if we're, say, on a plane or waiting for a movie to start. But if I had to choose between them, the physical version of the game is much better to own for social gatherings.
