Unlike traditional card games like War or Rummy, Jaipur tells a decadent and captivating story. Each player is one of the most powerful traders in the city of Jaipur, which is the capital of Rajasthan. However, the two traders are determined to become the best merchant in the city in order to earn an invitation to the court of the Maharaja. In order to beat the other player and earn your invitation, you’ll have to buy, trade, and sell enough goods to earn two Seals of Excellence. But don’t forget about the camels in the other player’s herd, or else they might bite you when you’re not looking!

Take or Sell?

Jaipur is set up with an incredibly simple turn-based structure. Players get one of two moves to make each turn: to take cards or to sell goods. If you choose to take cards, you have several different options. Taking one card allows you to draw for free, while taking multiple cards requires you to replenish the market with cards from your own hand. You can also take all of the face up Camel Cards from the marketplace during your turn, adding these precious beings to your Herd. You can only have up to 7 cards in your hand at a time.

If you choose to sell goods, then you’ll discard anywhere from 1-5 cards of the same type (these can be Diamonds, Gold, Silver, etc). This will earn you the same number of Goods Tokens as the number of cards you sold. However, there is a catch. The value of the Goods Tokens goes down throughout the course of the game, so there is a huge incentive to sell as much as you can as early as you can. You also get greater rewards for selling multiple cards at once, so it’s up to you to figure out the best time to sell.

Goods vs.Camels

Jaipur is played in three rounds, each round of which ends once 3 of the 6 sets of Goods Tokens have been depleted. At the end of each round, the player with the highest number of points wins a Seal of Excellence Token. The first player to win two tokens is declared the winner. To win a round, you’ll need to sell a decent number of goods. Selling 3-5 cards of the same type will earn you Bonus Tiles, while certain goods cannot be sold in quantities of less than 2.

That being said, there is another way to earn points besides selling goods. Whoever has the biggest herd of camels is awarded the 5-point Camel Bonus Token, which might be just the thing you need to push you over the edge. Who knew just how valuable these spitting creatures could be?

However, in order to take a Camel Card, you have to replace it with cards from the draw pile. This can result in new cards being added to the marketplace at just the wrong time, allowing your opponent to nab the card they need in order to best you. You’ll also need to keep an eye on the number of Camel Cards you and your opponent each draw. This is because there are only 11 in the deck, but you cannot view the number of cards your opponent has in their herd.

Trade Your Way To the Top with Jaipur

Jaipur is a two-person card game, which is perfect for one-on-one rounds between friends or family. It’s suitable for ages 12 and up, so siblings can definitely get some good enjoyment out of playing a few rounds at home or on the go. Playing time lasts around 30 minutes, although you can easily play Jaipur through a couple of times without getting bored of it.

Jaipur excels at being a fast-paced card game that expertly blends strategy and luck. Gamers and non-gamers alike can enjoy its simple gameplay and high risk, while children will be able to learn about things like set collection and how to keep an eye on your opponent. The rounds go pretty quickly, which is great to keep the pace going throughout the game.

Buy this card game today and enjoy the spoils of your wares!