Space Cowboys | Jaipur 2nd Edition | Board Game | Ages 10+ | 2 Players | 30 Minute Playing time

Product Information

Snipe the high-value goods – It's not my strategy of choice but in a recent tournament I played, lots of my opponents sold the first good of everything they could get. It feels more like a traditional card game, like Rummy or something, in that your opponent’s move will always have a huge effect on what you are trying to accomplish with your own hand. New players may also fall into the trap of reaching their hand limit when the market is full of camels, except for a single card, forcing them to sell their goods to reduce their hand size, or draw all camels, which is likely to give their opponent the cards they need to complete or increase their sets of good. The box it comes in is relatively small, but it's really just a deck of cards and a couple of stacks of tokens, which can easily fit into an even smaller box, if you want to make it even more portable. Again, if I don't see myself getting together just to play a game, then I don't like to give it a 9 or higher, but that is really the only criteria that keeps this score so low.

Alex wrote video game coverage for outlets such as Kotaku, Waypoint and PC Gamer before entering the world of tabletop gaming with her current role on Dicebreaker. In fact, there is one other trader selling the same ware as you, and both of you pride yourselves on selling the finest goods.The drawing of camels from the market also opens up a range of new things to consider when taking your turn. This simplicity paves the way for some serious back-and-forth gameplay, with each round of Jaipur being filled with drama despite its fast pacing. You and your opponent both start with a hand of 5 cards, and play opposite a ‘market’ with 5 more cards face up.

It all depends on what your opponent is selling and collecting and it pays to watch them like a hawk.To do this, you have to take at least two from the market and replace them with cards from your hand, or those useful camel cards you’ve been stashing. This simple but satisfying blend makes Jaipur 2nd Edition a highly accessible choice – I have played it with a wide range of family and friends. Most games finish with the players on roughly equal points, and in most games, my wife and I shared between one hundred and forty and one hundred and seventy points. A general lack of luck (or at least the fact that it affects both players equally) and the tight gameplay ensures that Jaipur is usually a close affair.

Snipe the high-value goods – It’s not my strategy of choice but in a recent tournament I played, lots of my opponents sold the first good of everything they could get.There are a couple of multiplayer games that fit a similar bill to Jaipur, too: Splendor and Century: Spice Road. Jaipur never leaves players waiting between turns, you need to be constantly planning and ready for whatever your opponent might throw at you! In Jaipur, you are hoping to become the Maharaja’s personal trader by amassing more riches than your opponent at the end of each week. There are also two main modes of play, either the classic version where you have to remember what cards your opponent drew or the open version where new cards are put face-up in front of players, allowing you to reduce the demands on your memory completely, if you don't like the memory element in a game. You’re in such tight proximity that every single move you make will either excite your friend or have them screaming at you.