Rajas of the Ganges - Playthrough & Review

[@steveg9939]

I love it when you present and teach "older" games. Your playthroughs and explanations are so clear and fun to watch. Got this game on sale almost 1 year ago. Still waiting to get it to the table. Might now be sooner than later. Thank you both and also to your patreon supporter for suggesting it!

[@BeforeYouPlay]

Aww thank you so much for your kind words! We have a soft spot for "older" games and want to make sure newer games get a chance to experience them as well =)

[@burgek1]

I love it when I start to research if a game is suitable for me and I find you have done a video on it! It's very much appreciated.

[@kev_G]

Dang, y’all are just so good at doing these playthroughs and reviews! While I might not always watch the complete playthrough, the teach and the final thoughts are always a joy to listen to. It’s succinct and helpful yet still casual. Both of you do a good job at balancing speaking time too which is great. Thanks for all your hard work!

[@JK001POPS]

I just wanna say that this is the first time I felt the rush!!! My god, good job I fell in love with this game... I know it's an old one going to a classic, I'm going to get it on Christmas from me to me!!! Congrats, I enjoyed really enjoyed this video!!!

[@bluekayak3029]

Monique and Naveen. Thank you for producing this video. I have had the game for about 6 months but haven't played it. After your outstanding teach and playthrough I am now excited to get it to the table. Also looking forward to your opinion of the extras/expansions in the wrapped box you are exploring in the near future.

[@BeforeYouPlay]

Oh that is so wonderful to hear! So glad you enjoyed it and we will definitely update you when we are able to play the expansions soon.

[@mkietzmann]

We're finally getting this back to the table tomorrow. Thanks for the refresher.

[@gbank44]

One of my top 5 games from my top boardgame content creating duo. Awesome stuff!

[@BeforeYouPlay]

Aw thank you! Glad you enjoy this one as well!

[@monkeyunit4533]

Such a great game. Love seeing you two play older games. Played this soo much in preparation for the dutch national boardgaming championship in 2019. It's so funny to watch and see great moves being played, and then complete silly mistakes like Naveen turning in a green 2 value die for 2 purple which he could have done in the palace and gotten an extra bonus chit. And after that Monique spends a 4 and 1 to buy a 5 tile, when she could have easily used Karma to flip that 1 to 6 saving the 4.

[@annereynolds7930]

Rajas of the Ganges is one of my favorite games. I agree that it is one that I don't play compulsively, but enjoy revisiting multiple times per year.

[@BeforeYouPlay]

It's so great to have a game that's feels so nice to return to!

[@marcoperilla9152]

It might be 6 years old, yet this game is really an EYE CATCH! Love Euro games and this one is going to be my next addition to the collection while I'm on the look out for Uwe Rosenberg games. Thanks for the great review!!

[@Felipe-st7tm]

You are my favorite couple of board games on KZbin. Very good video as usually.

[@sewaprolo]

This is one of my favorite games ever. Thanks for the reminder. Also, Monique's hair is divine, and Naveen is so handsome.

[@BeforeYouPlay]

Aww thank you so much! That is very kind of you to say.

[@DJ-ct6so]

You guys are intelligent and articulate IMO. An excellent review of a very well designed game. Perhaps I am slow witted, as I had to go back and watch parts of the video multiple times, because I found it difficult to see why you were choosing the options that you did from the myriad of available choices, in order for me to gain a feel for the strategy. But I enjoyed the video very much. Many thanks for posting.

[@yemendel]

I didn’t realize this was from the Brands! My first more-than-Catan game was Village, and I remember it breaking my brain and really not working for me back then. Now, many years later, I love it and am so happy to own it and introduce it to others.

[@JeanDubuc]

This game is so much fun! Watching you play it makes me want to get it to the table asap!

[@KanekHQ]

Great explanation and play through! I am playing it tonight, hopefully I can win with these tips

[@BeforeYouPlay]

Take 'em down!

[@LillaJag]

Maybe a playthrough with the new expansion and play with the advanced side!

[@BeforeYouPlay]

Ooooh that would be a fun revisit. We'll see if we can do one in the future

[@redantec]

One of my favorite games! So glad you did this one! Great work

[@nelsongalvao]

You guys are aewsome. I'm now wondering if a really want this game or if i just want to play with you. Great work guys!!!

[@sarahjoylagunzad6159]

Love this game, probably on my top 10 and is my favorite race game and end game mechanism.

[@AndrewCCleverley]

Love, love, love this game. Played it over the weekend for the first time in too long.

[@BeforeYouPlay]

Aw nice timing! Glad you enjoy it as well. Such a neat design

[@SteveRB511]

It will be interesting to see what the expansions add. Thank you for the review.

[@BeforeYouPlay]

Thanks for checking it out!

[@susanoerter1419]

Love watching you play games. this one is new to me. I get to play Ark Nova this afternoon.

[@Excuse711]

Just ordered this. can't wait!!

[@michaelmueller8675]

So glad to see you two covering one of my favorites. Add the Mango Village expansion and the advanced side plus 1 more player and you got a perfect mid-weight game going...

[@BeforeYouPlay]

Oooooh We'll make sure to play the mango expansion at 3-P then

[@m-sousa]

This one was a big surprise for me too. I was not expecting anything from it, and I enjoyed it quite a bit. But I am there with you too, I think it is a game to play here and there, leave it a bit on the shelve and get it back at some point.

[@Vadimaster]

“A game you come back to after a while” basically says that it’s an evergreen. I have the same feeling. It’s the first game I took to the game club after COVID restrictions finally lifted because I knew how to teach it, even after not playing it for a year and a half. It’s one of my favorites. The expansions from the 2 goodie boxes are great to spice up the game and increase replay ability.

[@BeforeYouPlay]

Yes it's an evergreen! Thank you, that's the perfect term. We just opened the expansion yesterday so hoping to try it very soon!

[@Cid_Hi]

This is the second time that I take an old board game to the table and days later you guys take it too!

[@BeforeYouPlay]

What! We're such in sync!

[@Viragomp]

Wait-- Rajas is "old"? 😄

[@BeforeYouPlay]

@@Viragomp LOL yea, it's not actually that old. Board games age after 2 years it seems!

[@cornichon2580]

I was pleasantly surprised to see you playing this “older” game, which is a favorite of mine. Great video as always. One nitpick that I know doesn’t really matter but does bug me every time I hear it said incorrectly: it should be “die” for singular and “dice” for plural. Thanks!

[@dwarrenmsp]

Just got The Dice Charmers and it really captures the essence of the full game. After watching this I'm keen on trying the full game as I think they could scratch different itches.

[@boardtoplay]

Loved this play through, I haven’t played this one yet, I have played The Dice Charmers. This made me really want to try this version though. Great breakdown at the end as well!

[@mananshah267]

I love Rajas of the ganges and it sits high in my collection. Wasn't aware of the expansion, will look at it and see if I can get it.

[@BeforeYouPlay]

It's a fun one. The expansion definitely adds different types of new tiles

[@inezkestens5561]

Owh Rajas :D I adore this game, mostly because it was the game that really brought me into the hobby. I come from a boardgaming family but I had a hard time with those "next-step-games" that are supposed to bring you into the fold :p Think Dominion, SmallWorld, Pandemic, Ticket to Ride. They are loved by my family, but I always found them boring. And I remember reading about Rajas of the Ganges back in 2018 when it was out for a while and it had gathered some buzz with experienced players but of course this wasn't a game you could find in normal stores at the time. Saw it in a comic store in a cinema complex, bought it, and never looked back :D It's great to see it in more normal toy stores these days, here in Europe it really became a beloved family game. However I've seen this game being won in so many ways! Most of the time you go for one strategy, but I've seen some weird strategies work out great.

[@BeforeYouPlay]

Oh that's so lovely to hear! I'm so glad you were able to find a game that really caught your eye. That's great to hear btw that there are multiple strategies. We need to expand our horizons haha

[@raymyers700]

I bought this game in 2018 and finally got to play it a month ago. I LOVED IT! One of my favorite games is Stone Age because it's so easy to teach and is an enjoyable romp through just a few scoring paths. Raja, to me, is the gamer's version of Stone Age: just as enjoyable but I would NOT put this out for a person who has never played modern games. I'm playing it on Yucata now which is a BIG sign I love a game because I really don't like digital games as much as playing for real. I got both Goodie boxes and haven't touched them yet because I still love the puzzle. I can see where Naveem would say it would get stale, but I think the work around to that is rather than playing ideally EVERY time...try to get an avenue and see if you can get it to work. Instead of the market, I tried the palace route for as many points as I could get on the board and it worked!

[@ankab7158]

I really like this game, especially how the end of the game is triggered. First, it spent some time on my shelf of opportunity as I bought it spontaniously in a very good price. But later when I started to playit, I felt in love. Now I play this from time to time and always have good feelings.

[@BeforeYouPlay]

That's wonderful to hear! We associate the game with good feelings as well. We don't really care who wins or loses, it's just fun to play haha. Glad you fell in love!

[@seth7447]

We enjoy this game as it has some interesting mix of mechanics. We have gotten a couple mini expansions but have not played with them yet. Love the river and tile building in way that activates bonuses.

[@BeforeYouPlay]

Totally agree, it's such an interesting design. We have yet to explore the advanced side actually because we've always been so happy with the standard game. Which way do you prefer to play?

[@seth7447]

@@BeforeYouPlay if I recall the advanced side allows you to choose bonuses to place on your city board. This way you can customize the bonuses you believe will help you the most. The word “advanced” sounds like it raises the weight. It really doesn’t. Variation would be a better word. I like the idea of picking which bonuses I want to activate later.

[@Johannes_W]

Oh nice, another "older" game which I also still like a lot. I would always recommend to play the back of the player boards which enriches the game a lot and doesn't really make it more complicated. We played it four times with the beginner's side and then really regretted it when we saw how the game improves.

[@guandjs]

Great review and analysis/tips! I really enjoy the racing aspects of this game. Adding the Mangos expansion from Goodie Box 1 does give another good spot for that first worker, so you should try that soon. I think it is good that there are some strong spots as it focuses attention on the player order and whether to take the first player spot. Changing the Ganga tiles also changes the puzzle each time. Overall, I find the best way to do well is to look for combos so you can keep moving forward while also reloading dice. I will add that I am from India too and I mostly like how the theme was implemented. It doesn’t have much colonial overtones. The use of Kali Ma wasn’t the best idea but I find it okay and appreciate seeing the colours and visuals of India.

[@BeforeYouPlay]

Hi Gaurav! Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts on the theme. Naveen was very curious to know how gamers in India would like it. Yes, it's an artistically beautiful board with thematic colors! We will start with the Mangos expansion!

[@guandjs]

@@BeforeYouPlay To clarify, I was born in India but came to Canada at age 12 so my cultural perspective is also much blended. I too would be curious to hear from gamers in India about their view on the thematic implementation in Rajas. I like seeing a great variety of cultures being represented in games. Hopefully in the future more companies will hire designers, developers & consultants from the represented cultures to do it more and do it better (rather than retreat back to basing games primarily in Europe). You both are great examples of making diversity more visible and providing excellent gaming content to our community! Thanks!

[@MichaelZimmer-q6g]

Great video :-) I like your dice bowl, very cool. Could you tell me where to get some?

[@wsiegel9539]

Really like playing this game. After teaching Carccassone and Lord of Waterdeep to new gamers, I break this out for new players understanding the mechanics. Not considered a real gateway game but a great stepping stone game. ( is that even a thing? )

[@BeforeYouPlay]

Haha Yes, it's definitely a thing! I've heard others mention "next step" for that weight, and great idea! This game is perfect for really honing in those mechanics.

[@wuuduu609]

2 BIG expansions yet - Goodie Box 1 and Goodie Box 2, btw. just got them last week and theyre adding to game a LOT! In a good way. :-)

[@BeforeYouPlay]

Oh that's awesome! Glad you're enjoying them. We're excited!

[@picach335]

Monique et Naveen, French player here! I'm new to the channel but I wanted to say thanks for your smile and energy! Love your reviews and playthroughs. This one seems great! My wallet won't make it to the end of the year. Quick question : what's the name of the thing where you roll your dices? Thanks a lot and can't wait for the next one!!

[@thomasrippert5827]

A dice tray

[@picach335]

@@thomasrippert5827 thanks!

[@play-it-or-not]

@@picach335 piste de dés en français

[@jg7634]

Nice. I just picked this up too.

[@shinjial]

I really like this game. The dice action is cool, and gives you ways around what you have, though most of the time you want to roll high. I’ve always had close games of this, in which the winner won by one move difference. The ending is always tense.

[@BeforeYouPlay]

Haha yeah that ending! Always such a tight finish

[@bugscheese]

The money strategy 'seems' the best way, but I've played many many games and had some prestige-heavy outcomes. It's a brilliant design. Fun thinky medium weight euro.

[@BeforeYouPlay]

Yes, exactly! Fun, thinky, medium weight. It's easy to love haha

[@GKEK]

Time for an unboxing video! XD

[@Tabletop_AshleyRose]

Awesome video, guys! I’ve been eye balling this game when it goes on sale and now I’m convinced to give it a shot. Thanks! Have either of you played the roll and write version out of curiosity?

[@BeforeYouPlay]

Hi Ashley! Thank you, glad you enjoyed it! No, we haven't tried it actually but we both really want to. Maybe we'll look for a copy. Have you played?

[@Tabletop_AshleyRose]

@@BeforeYouPlay Yes, it’s cheap and super similar to the original game. I enjoy it because it’s a portable version. :)

[@cleftturnip7774]

Hi. I was wondering. If one player has 5 workers and the other player only has 3 still. How does the turn order work? Can the player with 5 workers use the extra 2 anytime they want or do they wait till the other player has used their 3? Cheers

[@bobbyjustbobby1]

Does the first player token pass in a two-player game? I've played this game only multiplayer. And a player has to place his/her meeple in that spot on the board to take the first player elephant.

[@Wunder]

Maybe this would be too much post-production but I would appreciate it if you have some extreme close ups as you talk about the mechanics and board set-up. The zoomed out view is probably fine for the gameplay section but as it stands I have a hard time reading and understanding what Monique means as someone who is seeing the board for the first time. Regardless, thanks for the video and gameplay!

[@BeforeYouPlay]

She's done it for some videos in the past but it did add quite some time to production. She'll see if she can at least do it for the teach. Thank you for the feedback, we really appreciate it!

[@Wunder]

@@BeforeYouPlay All good! I imagine it isn't a big deal for people who actually have the game and would be the primary ones who are interested in the video so it's fine if it adds a good chunk of editing/filming time

[@whothennow24]

I noticed you guys didn't use any of the six people in the palace except to get fame (and once to go up the river). So do the other four spaces in the palace that correspond to those characters not get used usually?

[@jessem4656]

Great video! I have a question for you both, (and no pressure in answering.) In a comment recently, Ant Lab claimed that you contacted them when you were first starting out asking for setup tips, organization, and industry contacts and that they mentored you until you chose to disassociate with them. Is this accurate? Thanks for all the videos you do!

[@BeforeYouPlay]

Yes, we had messaged them a couple of years ago when we first started about how they do their camera setup. We eventually went on to contribute 2 playthrough videos to their channel before it was mutually agreed upon early last year for us to no longer continue. Not sure what is meant by "organization," but we didn't ask for industry contacts and weren't mentored outside of lighting/studio setup. We haven't spoken much since we stopped contributing and haven't spoken in a long while actually. That is the extent of it. Thank you for the kind words!

[@ylein6508]

Did you play rajas dice charmers? Would you get both or you prefer the main game?

[@j.r.cilliangreen4083]

I love this game…I like Dice Charmers slightly better…but I only think we play it on the “advanced” side…the bonus opportunities are slick…

[@quibily]

I actually have a crush on an Indian guy who I'm starting to game with, so it's good to hear the thematic portrayal isn't insensitive to Indian culture. I was worried he'd spot something, and I'd feel bad... Though, he grew up in India until he was a eighteen, so maybe there's still a risk. Also, highly recommend the mango expansion! It can make for bigger, more satisfying turns.

[@BeforeYouPlay]

Oh that's wonderful to hear! It might be an interesting conversation to see how he feels about it. Someone further down in the comments mentioned that they are from India and enjoy the theme since the colonial overtones are lacking, and we found their take on it to be interesting. Thank you! We will try the mango expansion

[@jamesbarnes9097]

You guys seemed like you really liked this game 🙂

[@KBK_85]

It's possible that you play Bonfire ?

[@benleague3115]

Super!

[@coyotemoon722]

Agricola, Caverna, A Feast for Odin

[@BeforeYouPlay]

Ooooooh such good ones!

[@coyotemoon722]

@@BeforeYouPlay Yeah I can't wait to see you continue the series since Uwe is my favorite designer

[@sarag8925]

Hi! great game and playthrough video! 🎲Could someone please help me... I wonder, Can I use several karma at the same time?

[@J-Wheeler-G]

We like this game a lot but I fortunately it doesn't hit the table often because we don't love it at two.

[@BeforeYouPlay]

That's fair! It can feel more open at 2 with less competition for tiles. Which side do you play on/prefer? The standard or advanced?

[@J-Wheeler-G]

@@BeforeYouPlay Navarantas (Advance) I also think the dancer it's a little bit too strong in the "easy" mode. I also like the customizing your board aspect of it. You can also get all 6 workers which makes you approach the game differently.

[@shanks9874]

It said 11k game wtf 11k ka konsa material use hai isme

[@TheNerdShelves]

Really great game, but I like a bit better with at least 3 players... Either way, such a great game.

[@BeforeYouPlay]

That's what a lot of others were mentioning too. Next time we play, we'll make sure it's 3-P

[@doggyaugie]

always get more workers*... *unless it's dune imperium and you'd rather afford better cards on the regular

[@Chuckyarou333]

GET GREG!

[@Chuckyarou333]

Referencing minute 1:01:20

[@BeforeYouPlay]

@@Chuckyarou333 LOL CHONK, You noticed!

[@waferjuice]

My god ur hair is like a horses mane. So amazing and thick !

[@MuztabaAhmed]

I understand you guys are heavy gamer so I’m not sure why you played the standard the game here and complaining it gets samey. Honestly it doesn’t once you flip the board, thanks