Kuldhara Strategy Board Game

About this product

Every gemstone tempts you. Every drop of water matters.

Explore the ruins, manage your water and craft the most valuable jewellery before nightfall.

A 1–4 player strategy game of resource management, gemstone collecting and pattern building in the mysterious ruins of Kuldhara.

Product Description

Two hundred years ago, the village of Kuldhara vanished in a single night, leaving behind stories of curses and hidden gemstones. Now you enter its abandoned ruins as a fearless treasure hunter, searching for precious gems before darkness falls. 

In Kuldhara, every action costs water. Travel across the desert, dig for gemstones, return to camp to unload your discoveries, or reserve jewellery designs you hope to complete later. Your supply is limited, so deciding where to go and when to stop can be just as important as the treasure you find. 

Back at your personal rotating workbench, arrange your gemstones into the patterns shown on the Jewellery cards. Tools let you shift, swap, recolour or remove gemstones when your plans need adjusting, while Protection tiles can preserve valuable gems for future creations. 

The game unfolds across four phases of the day. As the sun moves from morning towards evening, your water is refreshed and the changing desert keeps your route planning important. When night finally falls, completed jewellery, remaining resources and unfinished reservations determine who leaves Kuldhara with the greatest treasure. 

Prefer to explore alone? Kuldhara also includes a dedicated solo mode against the automated opponent Kadhan, with multiple difficulty options and additional challenge cards for players looking for an even tougher puzzle. 

View the Kuldhara Rulebook (PDF)

Why You’ll Love It

• Every drop counts: Water powers your actions, making careful timing and route planning essential.
• Build the perfect pattern: Arrange coloured gemstones on your rotating workbench to complete increasingly valuable jewellery.
• Useful tools, tough choices: Rearrange, swap, recolour or remove gems when your original plan needs rescuing.
• A changing desert: The four phases of the day keep the journey moving as you race towards nightfall.
• Rewarding solo play: Face Kadhan in a dedicated solo mode with multiple difficulty levels and optional challenges.
• Plenty to puzzle over: Beginners can leave out the level 3 Jewellery cards for a gentler first game before adding the full challenge. 

Quick Details

• Publisher: Jolly Dutch
• Designer: Glenn Dejaeger
• Illustrator: Nicholas Westgård
• Players: 1–4
• Age: 8+
• Play time: Approximately 30 minutes per player
• Game type: Strategy board game
• Key gameplay: Resource management, gemstone collecting and pattern building
• Solo mode: Yes
• Rules: Dutch and English

Good to Know

• Game contents: 1 central board with turntable, 4 rotating workbenches, Kadhan's solo workbench, 4 dromedaries, 50 gemstones in 5 colours, 40 Protection tiles in 5 colours, 20 Tool tokens in 4 colours, 4 Water tokens, 1 Round marker, 1 Starting token, 66 Jewellery cards across 3 levels, 4 Starting cards and 18 Solo cards.
• Player Aids: The box contains 2 Player Aid cards — 1 English and 1 Dutch. The component list in the rulebook incorrectly states 8 Player Aids.
• Solo challenge: The solo game includes Easy, Standard, Hard and Expert play, plus additional challenge cards for increasing the difficulty. 
• Eco-conscious components: Product imagery identifies Re-Wood and recycled materials.
• First game option: Level 3 Jewellery cards can be left out while learning the game.