How to Play

Wayfarers of the South Tigris

1-4 players 60-90 min 7.8 Board Game Geek Rating

Players are 9th-century explorers departing Baghdad to map land, waterways, and skies while managing caravans and workers. Victory points come from discoveries, caravan upgrades, noble inspiration, and guild influence. Progress must be regularly recorded in journals at the House of Wisdom. The game concludes when someone's journal marker reaches the final column.

Published 2022

Wayfarers of the South Tigris

Get Ready

Setup the game with these step-by-step instructions before diving into your turn.

1
Assemble the main board
Place the 3 Main Board Sections together in the middle of the play area; either side of each board may be used
2
Create card draw piles
Shuffle the Townsfolk, Space, Land, Water, and Inspiration Cards into separate decks and place in indicated spaces
3
Display faceup cards
Draw the top 4 cards from each Draw Pile and place faceup in spaces alongside their respective piles
4
Set up Journal Track
Shuffle Journal Tiles and place 1 faceup onto each empty space of the Journal Track
5
Place Green Workers on track
Place 1 Green Worker onto each space indicated along the middle of the Journal Track
6
Add Special Upgrade Tiles
Place all 10 Pink Upgrade Tiles onto their indicated spaces on the Main Board
7
Add standard Upgrade Tiles
Place 1 of each unique Green, Black, Yellow and Blue Upgrade Tile per player onto their spaces; return excess to box
8
Give each player a board
Deal 1 Player Board at random to each player
9
Distribute player dice
Give each player 5 dice in their chosen color; place 2 in reserve near the Minarets, roll 3 and place alongside their Player Board
10
Give players Influence tokens
Each player receives 15 Influence tokens in their chosen color
11
Place Player Markers
Each player places their Player Marker on the far-left end of the Journal Track
12
Give starting Workers
Each player receives 1 Yellow Worker and 1 Blue Worker
13
Set up Main Supply
Place Silver and Provisions alongside the Main Board
14
Determine starting resources
Based on turn order, give each player starting Provisions, Silver, and Guild Influence:

On Your Turn

What you can do during your turn.

1
Choose one action
On each turn, players must either place a Die, place a Worker, or Rest
2
Select a die from supply
Choose one of your rolled dice from your supply
3
Check Caravan for assets
The column matching your die face determines what Assets (Camel, Telescope, Ship, Pigeon) and bonuses are available
4
Use dice manipulation
Optionally chain dice manipulation icons on your Caravan to change die values; dice cannot wrap (1s cannot become 6s, 6s cannot become 1s)
5
Spend Yellow Guild Influence
Optionally spend 1 Yellow Influence to increase or decrease dice values by 2 total (once per turn)
6
Place die on valid space
Place the die on an empty space on your Player Board or acquired Cards that matches your available Assets
7
Resolve space actions
Perform the actions shown on that space in any order; all actions are optional but costs must be paid in full
8
Activate Townsfolk abilities
Resolve any tucked Townsfolk Card abilities before or after the Card's main ability
9
Acquire cards when applicable
When acquiring Land/Water Cards, optionally spend a Pigeon or 1 Provision to draw 3 and keep 1 instead of taking faceup cards
10
Gain Vista bonuses
When acquiring Cards or Upgrade Tiles, gain any applicable ongoing benefits from your Vista Cards
11
Resolve immediate effects
Gain any one-time effects shown with lightning bolts on newly acquired cards
12
Place Upgrade Tiles
When acquiring Upgrade Tiles, place them in your Caravan without covering other tiles or extending off the paper; resolve any covered icons immediately
13
Refresh a die
When gaining this ability, pick up a die from your Board/Cards, roll it, and return to supply; or reroll a die already in supply
14
Select a Worker
Choose a Worker from your supply (Yellow, Blue, or Green)
15
Pay Influence if needed
If an opponent has Influence on the target Card, pay them 1 Silver or 1 Provision
16
Place on valid card
Place the Worker on a faceup Card around the Main Board edges (not Space Cards) matching Worker type restrictions:
17
Resolve placement action
Perform the action shown on the Main Board edge where the Card sits; must resolve at least one part of the action
18
Cannot retrieve same Worker
A Worker placed this turn cannot be retrieved by any means during the same turn
19
Check eligibility for abilities
Count dice remaining in supply; if 0 or 1, Resting abilities will activate
20
Return all dice
Move all Dice from your panorama, roll them, and return to supply; optionally reroll any dice already in supply
21
Resolve Resting abilities
If eligible, resolve all blue-bannered Townsfolk abilities in any order (all optional)
22
Journal when Resting
Most players will Journal thanks to their starting tucked Townsfolk Card
23
Move Player Marker
When gaining Journal ability, move your Marker 1 space right on the Journal Track
24
Meet path requirements
To cross an ink splotch, you must have the required Tags or spend required Influence shown
25
Resolve space effects
When entering a new space, immediately resolve any Journal Tile or pre-printed effects
26
Claim Green Workers
The first player to move into a space adjacent to a Green Worker gains that Worker
27
Spend Black Guild Influence
Optionally spend 1 Black Influence to Journal one additional space per turn
28
Use Science Guild (Black)
Spend Black Influence when Journaling to move 1 additional space
29
Use Trade Guild (Yellow)
Spend Yellow Influence to increase or decrease your Dice by 2 total
30
Use Exploration Guild (Blue)
Spend Blue Influence when placing a Die to act as if it had a Ship
31
Place on Cards
When gaining this ability, place Influence from supply onto any faceup Card without Influence
32
Place in Guilds
When gaining this ability, place Influence onto the indicated Guild's Minaret
33
Move between Guilds
When gaining this ability, move 1 Influence from one Guild to another
34
Pay for opponent's Influence
To interact with a Card bearing opponent's Influence, pay them 1 Silver or 1 Provision first
35
Refresh at turn end
After acquiring a Card, slide remaining faceup Cards to fill empty slots, then reveal new Cards from Draw Piles
36
Slide directions
Townsfolk and Land Cards slide right; Space and Water Cards slide left; Inspiration Cards slide down
37
Keep tokens on cards
Workers and Influence remain on Cards when sliding

Winning

How to claim victory.

1
Trigger end game
Once any player reaches one of the 5 final spaces on the Journal Track (limited to 1 Marker each), the end game triggers
2
Complete final round
All players, including the triggering player, take 1 final turn
3
Score Primary Tags
Score each of the 4 primary Tag types (City, Vista, Harbour, Open Water) individually:
4
Score unique Tag sets
Score 5 VP for each complete set of 4 unique primary Tags
5
Score Space Cards
Calculate VP from all Space Cards:
6
Double with Inspiration
If an Inspiration Card's goal is achieved, double the Space Card's VP it is tucked above
7
Score Caravan
Add all printed VP values on Upgrade Tiles
8
Score Guild Majorities
3 VP to the player with the most Influence in each Guild; ties award no VP for that Guild
9
Determine winner
The player with the most total VP wins
10
Break ties
If tied, the player with the most Black Influence wins; if still tied, most Yellow Influence; if still tied, most Blue Influence; if still tied, share victory

watch & Learn

Let the pros teach you with these top videos.

Hoe speel je Reizigers van de Zuidelijke Tigris? (#599)

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FULL rules

Looking for the full details? Grab the complete rulebook as a downloadable PDF.

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