Khiva

About this board game

Khiva is a 2024 card-driven game for 2–5 players, playable in about 30 minutes, in which merchants compete to attract wealthy caravans across the desert.

Players seek riches including bags of salt, luxurious carpets, and teapots. The central contest has the feel of a tug of war: each card played moves a camel of the matching color in the direction of its player’s Path, bringing caravans and their rewards into contention.

After setup, each player receives five cards. For every turn, players simultaneously place one card face down to play and pass another card to their neighbor on the left for future turns. Once the cards are revealed, camel movement and the contest for wealth are resolved.

• Play a card to move the camel of its color toward your Path.
• If two players choose the same color, the player with the lower value moves the camel and collects the indicated wealth.
• The other player receives one gem as compensation.
• Played cards remain visible, gradually revealing information about the cards still in the game.

This open information creates a changing puzzle as the game develops. Visible played cards help players assess what may still be available, while the cards passed to the left shape future choices and keep the competition moving around the table.

Khiva ends as soon as one of the resources is exhausted. The merchant who has accumulated the most riches wins, making every camel movement and contested reward part of the race to build the greatest fortune in the desert.