Jaipur is a 2009 game designed by Sébastien Pauchon, and published by Space Cowboys
Jaipur is a two-player game where players compete to earn the most money by trading and selling valuable commodities and having the most camels. Best of three rounds wins!
Is it fun?
I tend to really enjoy hand management + set collection games, and Jaipur is no exception. It occupies a lot of the same space Splendor does, but in a more focused way. Jaipur is one of those rare gems I find myself enjoying no matter what. Even when I’m losing. Even when I think I’m winning, but I find out later that I’ve lost.
Although I am putting one large caveat on the enjoyability of this game, it is good enough that I am inclined not to dock it any points in this category. My caveat is I feel that unbalanced player skill can taint your enjoyment of this game. It’s not an especially complicated or strategically deep game (though enough to be good), but I think, as with many two-player-exactly games, it is best if both players have a similar level of experience.
Do the components/aesthetics improve the experience?
The cards are decent stock with pretty good art, and the individual tokens themselves feel good to play with. A game can always up the ante a little bit with components like “gems/crystals” (Ascension) or “eggs” (Wingspan) but sometimes less is more.
Heck yes! This game is beautifully bright and colorful and the artwork all more than visually distinct enough to get by with no text on them. The camel looks so happy, too. Who doesn’t love a happy camel!? My only complaint is that the Silver cards are mostly blue, while their corresponding tokens are decidedly silver in color.
Does playing the game create an immersive experience?
The theme and story are that you are vying with another to be the greatest trader in the land. And to prove it you, well, trade. To that end, swapping out gold and silver and spices for varying amounts of coin does make me feel a little bit as though I am exercising my entrepreneurial muscles.
Yeah; players are merchants bartering goods in the markets of Jaipur, the more of a good that is sold the less valuable it is (i.e. simplified supply and demand), and camels are wonderful. Nailed it.
How often does a player make meaningful choices?
Any one turn could make or break you, depending on what cards show up next on the table and which items your opponent is holding on to and how fast you can manage to put together a decent trade and… Oh, hrm, yes. Meaningful choices. Every turn.
I love it when a game, as this one does, presents you with a clean set up and says you can do one of 3 simple things on your turn. But then those decisions carry such weight, especially since trading makes more of something available to your rival, oh but just taking 1 card is so slow…
Does the level of player interaction encourage continual engagement?
With a shared common card pool and the ability to swap in (or out) your camels at any time, every turn demands attention, and turns are quick. Since you have only one other player to worry about, constant engagement is a slam dunk.
Absolutely. This may be my top-pick (currently) for a 2 player head-to-head game. You feel every move your opponent makes deeply, for good-or-ill, and making the game best out of three by default is an excellent decision.
Is the game balanced such that it feels like a fair experience?
Absolutely. Any chance that randomness will strike out against you is limited by the rules of the game. You can only get so tripped up — and so can your opponent. Higher skill opponents may even be able to make the most of this particular feature. My games of Jaipur tend to be both fun AND close, which is really what I’m after in a two player game. Two player games are experiences most commonly shared with those close to us, and who really wants a blowout in these conditions? With Jaipur, there’s a little bit of luck, a little bit of skill involved.
There are a number of games that I’ve criticized for mechanics where you take cards from a row and new cards are dealt out to replace them. Luck of the draw could leave you with no good options, then you reluctantly make the least-bad choice and unveil something priceless for the next player. While that risk exists here, it is adequately well countered with the option to take only 1 card, trade several for either goods that aren’t worth much anymore or camels, or to sell and avoid the issue entirely. Then playing best of three further cuts the chances of just having an unlucky match.
How often would you want to play this game?
A lot. It’s good for a few games in a row every couple of weeks. It’s not a “game night” game — it’s a “date night” game. Or a “go out for coffee” game. Or a “in the backseat on long camel trips to market” game. You get the picture. If you’re seeing more people at your table, this one might not come out as often.
While I am generally delighted to play this game, it is simple enough that after a few rounds I’m ready to move on, for a while at least.
Is the game accessible?
There’s no rules text to read on the cards themselves; everything is numeric and pictographic. It’s easy to pick up, easy to explain, and not complicated to play. You might be worried about your choices on any given turn — should you really swap out your camels now? — but you shouldn’t ever feel overwhelmed by play lines or information.
It is well designed to be taught/learned very easily. You don’t have any game text to read (numbers on tokens aside), and is both intuitive enough to be picked up by fairly young players, and strategic enough to be enjoyed by older ones as well.
Is the game good value?
It can be such a challenge to find really solid two player games, and this one is a standout pick: easy to pick up, extremely replayable. This is my first two player game suggestion for anybody who asks, now. It’s gonna get annoying. I don’t care.
At time of writing this I’m seeing $20 for a copy. I’d be happy to pay that, or trade you some cloth, to have this on my shelf.
Je ne sais quoi?
Certainly. When I look out at my two player games currently and I see all that life has to offer, more often than not I find myself reaching for this one and saying, “maybe a couple games of Jaipur.”
This is a great little card game, but as much as I love the Camel, it’s just a little too quick and simple to fully get its hooks in me. Partial credit, though, for the smiling Camel.
Final Thoughts
Jaipur is a game that all other two player games should aspire to emulate, at least in some fashion. It ticks a lot of boxes. Complex enough to be interesting without feeling heavy. Light enough to teach to newer (and even younger) game players without overwhelming them. Not a lot of fiddly components. Virtually no notes. Like, the only thing we can think of to improve the experience would be to support more players, which would probably ruin the experience.
Final Scores