
- BGG rank
- BGG #5,152
- BGG rating
- 7.3
Gateway Island
- 1–12 players
- 15–45 min
- Complexity 2.0/5
- 2022

2024
Rules assistance for Khiva
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
For 2 players

What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Khiva is a board game released in 2024 for 2–5 players, 30 minutes per game, and ages 8 and up. It was designed by Johannes Goupy and Guillaume Scholz and its main mechanics are Simultaneous Action Selection, Deduction, and Betting and Bluffing.
Since time immemorial, a continuous flow of caravans, loaded with riches, have crossed the desert. Khiva, a small setting in the heart of the desert, welcomes the most savvy merchants to acquire tremendous wealth. Welcome to Khiva! In Khiva, you play the role of a merchant and you try to attract the richest caravans thanks to a system whose sensations are reminiscent of tug of war. Bags of salt, luxurious carpets and teapots, so many riches to collect throughout the game to achieve your objective. Once setup is complete, 5 cards are dealt to each player. These cards will allow you to move a camel. Players place in front of them 1 face down card that they will play for this turn AND a card that they pass to their neighbor on the left for subsequent turns. Players reveal their card simultaneously. Each player moves the camel of the color they played in the direction of their Path. If 2 players have played a card of the same color, the one who played the lowest value moves the camel and collects the indicated wealth. The other player receives 1 gem as compensation. The played cards are put aside but still visible to everyone. The further we go, the more information we will have about the cards still present in the game. The game ends as soon as one of the resources is exhausted. The winner is the one who has accumulated the most riches. —description from the publisher
Khiva supports 2–5 players according to the catalogue. This range comes from the publisher’s listed player count, so the game can be set up for any group size within it. Some setups, rules and scoring details may still vary by player count, so check your edition’s rulebook for the exact configuration.
The listed playing time for Khiva is 30 minutes. This is the publisher’s estimate for a full game. The actual duration depends on the group, the player count and familiarity with the rules: first sessions usually run longer, while experienced groups often finish faster. Setup and teaching time are not included in this estimate.
The catalogue lists Khiva for ages 8 and up. This is the publisher’s recommendation and reflects reading demands, rule complexity and small components rather than theme alone. Younger players can often join with help from an adult, so check the age guidance on your edition and consider your group’s experience with board games.
Khiva has a complexity rating of 1.2 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a light game. The rating reflects how much rules knowledge, planning and decision-making a typical game demands. Expect a longer first teach for heavier games, and use a preparation guide before game night.
Khiva belongs to these categories: Animals and Arabian. Its main mechanics are Simultaneous Action Selection, Deduction, and Betting and Bluffing. Categories describe the theme and setting of a game, while mechanics describe what players actually do on their turns. Each mechanic links to a catalogue hub with similar games, which helps when you want something comparable.
The credited designers of Khiva are: Johannes Goupy and Guillaume Scholz. These credits come from the published game data and name the people responsible for the game’s design, not its illustrators or publishers. Designer pages on MeepleRules collect other titles by the same designers, which helps when you enjoy a game and want to find similar ones.
The catalogue lists Khiva as a base game. It can be played on its own with the components in the box and does not require any other title. Expansions, if any exist, add new content or rules on top of it and are listed separately in the catalogue with a link back to this base game.