At a time when the empire has almost reached its greatest dimensions and is in a phase of relative stability, players, representing rajas and ranis, are called upon to live up to the requirements of their role as venerable sovereigns. They must improve their estates into magnificent and wealthy provinces. Keeping in mind the important role of karma, players balance their growth in a demanding interplay of prestige and prosperity. The one with the most successful outcome will truly become one of the nation’s legendary leaders (from the game manual)
For my birthday a few weeks ago (this year marked big Double 4’s) my wife spoiled me by allowing me to get a few games that has been on my radar for a bit. A few weeks before my actual birthday we traveled down to our favorite FLGS (Friendly Local Game Store) to pick up the last copy of the Lost Ruins of Arnak expansion which they were holding for me and while we were there she let me pick up Rajas of the Ganges with the Goodie Box 1 & Goodie Box 2.
It was the same trip where my mother picked up a few editions of Spot It! that she didn’t have and my daughter did NOT pick out a game (instead she got a Beauty and the Beast display figurine).
I knew that I wanted to table the game soon after getting it because of the popularity of it from people in the Facebook gaming groups I belong to. It looked beautiful but how does it play?
BGG Description
Through tactics and karma to wealth and fame...
In 16th century India, the powerful empire of the Great Moguls rises between the Indus and the Ganges rivers. Taking on the role of rajas and ranis – the country's influential nobles – players in Rajas of the Ganges race against each other in support of the empire by developing their estates into wealthy and magnificent provinces. Players must use their dice wisely and carefully plot where to place their workers, while never underestimating the benefits of good karma. Success will bring them great riches and fame in their quest to become legendary rulers.
Weight 2.89/5
A Little More Info
Everyone starts of a equals with one die of each color, nothing in the provinces, the ships all in the same spot on the river, the same number of workers except the person who rolled the lowest total of the four dice goes first and starts with the lowest amount of coins.There is four areas in which you can place your workers. The quarry, marketplace, harbor and palace.
The quarry is where you spend dice of a color to build up your province by placing tiles connected to your residence. You earn money and/or fame based on what bonuses are on the tile as well as bonuses for connecting path to various locations on the edges of your providence.
The marketplace is where you can earn money for the different markets on the tiles in your providence.
The harbor is where you can spend a 1, 2, or 3, die to move your ship up the river up to the number of spaces of the value of the die. There are over a dozen different river spaces that can give you a boost including but not limited to money, fame, karma, and dice.
The palace is a major area where you give up a die, a number or a color (if required), based on what action you want to take. If you give up a number, there are six different actions you can take. If you give up a certain color die you get two dice of another specific color. There are also spots where you don’t have to give anything up to earn a new die.
A few more things to note is that the karma you have can be used to flip a die to the other side (a six to a one, a five to a two, a four to a three, and vice versa) and does not count as your action because you don’t need to place a worker in the spot.
You also can earn up to two more workers (out of three) by reaching certain benchmarks on the money and fame tracks and by passing a bridge the crosses the river. The fame and money tracks also provide a few bonuses by reaching various spots on them.
And to win the game, you want your fame and money levels to pass each other on the tracks around the board.
What we like about the game
We like that there isn’t much of the “take that” or “action blocking” in the game since you will always have at least one move that you can do, even if it just collecting a die in the palace.
Though the game looks busy, we like how simple it is to play. The worker placements are easy to understand, the iconography is not difficult at all (though we did have to refer to the instructions a few times when we first used certain spots in the river), and the overall beauty of the game is one that draws you in.
For myself, I do like the win condition of the game (see below) because not many games do that and the final scoring is one of the easiest I have seen in an elaborate game of this caliber.
What we don’t like about the game
I am fine with how well the game is, I do not feel that there is anything lacking or bad about it. My wife and sister both feel that the end game condition and final scoring is awful.
Having to increase both tracks to pass each other to score points is something new. I enjoy it because you need to figure out what moves will help you to do that better, however, my wife and sister have struggled with it so far. Maybe after a few more plays it will grow on them.
FINAL THOUGHTS
This is a game that I could table with beginner gamers and the most advanced players. The additional modules to the game allow it to stay new and fresh. I am looking forward to trying each one with continued plays.
Will you rise to the top and become the best Raja of the Ganges?
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