Taj Mahal (EN)

In Taj Mahal, you step into 18th-century India just as the Mughal Empire is crumbling, leaving its provinces wide open to the ambitions of the sharpest princes and maharajas. Across the twelve stops of the Grand Mogul's procession through the twelve provinces, you play influence cards hoping to win the favor of the Vizier, the General, the Monk, the Princess or the Grand Mogul himself. The longer you push, the more you risk: each player can only bid one color per stop, turning every bidding round into a real battle of nerves and temporary alliances with your opponents. Winning favors lets you build lavish palaces and seize valuable commodities, two sources of prestige points that decide the eventual winner. Palaces connected across several provinces earn bonus points that reward long-term map vision, turning this strategy game into a real dilemma between immediate gain and the bigger picture.

Taj Mahal is for you if you love tense bidding games where every card you play is a calculated bet, and if you enjoy building a long-term strategy without ever losing sight of the immediate opportunities on the table. Fans of social bluffing and reading opponents' intentions will feel right at home, as will anyone looking for a board game that can hold up over dozens of plays without wearing thin.

Taj Mahal took home top honors at the prestigious Deutscher Spiele Preis in 2000, beating out now-classic titles like Torres and Princes of Florence, and also won the Goldene Feder (Best Written Rules award) that same year plus a Spiel des Jahres nomination. This 2018 English edition, published by Z-Man Games, adds official two-player rules, a first for a game originally designed for 3 to 5 players.

The game comes from Reiner Knizia, one of the most prolific designers in board game history, also behind classics like Lost Cities, Ra and Through the Desert. The artwork for this edition is by Atha Kanaani and Bree Lindsoe, who dress the twelve provinces in patterns inspired by real Indian textiles.

BOX CONTENTS
105 Palace pieces (5 colors, 21 of each)
96 Influence cards (4 colors, 21 of each, plus 12 colorless cards)
4 Prestige cards (double-sided)
12 Province tokens
24 Advisor tokens (double-sided, 4 types, 6 of each)
16 Bonus tokens
1 game board
1 crown
1 first player marker
5 scoring markers
1 pedestal

Number of players: 2 to 5
Duration: 45 to 90 minutes
Age: 14+

If you want to protect your cards, you will need:
59 x 92 mm (100 cards)