Maharaja is a strategy game where players build palaces across Indian cities to impress the traveling Maharaja. Players earn gold from their houses and hire architects to build palaces (costing 12 gold each). The game ends when one player builds their 7th palace. Players use dual-action programming and compete for majority in cities the Maharaja visits.
Components
1 game board showing 7 Indian cities connected by roads
Maharaja figure
Player pieces: architect figures, houses, palaces
Gold coins
Action discs (2 per player, for programming actions)
Governor tokens
Character cards (7 roles per player)
Setup
Place the board centrally with the Maharaja on the starting city.
Each player takes components in their color: architect, houses, palaces, 2 action discs, character cards.
Each player receives 6 houses from the quarry and starting gold (varies by turn order).
In a 2-player game, only 1 house may be built per village.
Turn Structure
Each round:
Program actions: Each player secretly selects 2 character cards to program their actions for the round.
Reveal and resolve: Players reveal their first character card and execute the corresponding action in turn order. Then reveal and resolve the second character card.
Maharaja scores: The Maharaja evaluates the current city. The player with the most palaces and houses in that city earns rewards. The player with the fewest may face penalties.
Maharaja moves: The Maharaja moves to the next city (determined by player votes or a fixed route).
Actions
The 7 character roles provide different actions:
Character
Action
Builder
Build houses in the current city (costs gold)
Architect
Build a palace in a city where you have enough houses (costs 12 gold)
Trader
Earn gold from your houses on the board
Governor
Gain influence in the current city
Monk
Move houses from one city to another
Princess
Move the Maharaja to a different city
Yogi
Take special actions or gain bonus gold
Building
Houses cost gold to build and are placed in city villages.
No more than 2 houses per village (1 in a 2-player game).
A palace costs 12 gold and replaces/rewards the builder.
Scoring / Victory Conditions
The game ends immediately when any player builds their 7th palace.
That player wins.
If multiple players could build their 7th palace in the same round, the player with more remaining gold wins.
Special Rules & Edge Cases
The Maharaja visits cities in an order influenced by player actions.
When the Maharaja arrives, the player with the most presence (houses + palaces) earns bonus gold.
Players may freely move their architect around the board between turns.
Careful timing of when to build palaces vs. accumulate houses is key strategy.
Two action programming adds a layer of bluffing and anticipation.