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2022 · 1-4 players · 90min · weight 3.81 · 6,641 ratings
At a glance — v4 wide
Controlled-vocabulary primitives + 8-axis MDA aesthetic vector. Vocab v1.
Place a caravan worker, dice worker, or scribe on land/sea/sky map zones, then recall to journal discoveries before the track ends.
- [3]action_blocking— “worker placement, different worker types; three_worker_types across land_water_sky_split”
- [3]worker_recall_phase— “cycle home to journal progress; journal recall phase is the core tempo mechanism”
- [2]attrition_clock— “game ends once one player's marker has reached the far right column of the journal track”
- [2]set_collection_diversifying— “players gain points from mapping land, water, and sky; influencing three guilds of science, trade, exploration”
- [2]engine_growth— “upgrading caravans; reward_schedule: engine_compounding”
Translation candidate
Composite fit_score = bayes×0.30 + wish×0.18 + compress×0.17 + difficulty×0.20 + headroom×0.15.
Three-worker-type system maps to digital cleanly; the iconography and three-track scoring need careful tutorial work.
Rules card
Synthesized from sources below. Readiness: needs-source. Confidence: 0.12.
Readiness
needs-source (confidence=0.12, rules=0.10, fun=0.15). BGG rank: 345; year: 2022; weight: 3.81; playtime: 90 min
| Source | Quality | Role | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
llm_memory | 0.10 | draft synthesis | sonnet-self-rated-5-unknown |
Core Loop
Wayfarers of the South Tigris is set during the height of the Abbasid Caliphate, circa 820 AD. As brave explorers, cartographers and astronomers, players set off from Baghdad to map the surrounding land, waterways, and heavens above. Players must carefully manage their caravan of workers and equipment, while reporting back regularly to journal their findings at the House of Wisdom. Will you succeed in impressing the Caliph, or lose your way and succumb to the wilderness?
The aim of Wayfarers of the South Tigris is to be the player with the most victory points (VP) at the game's end. Points are primarily gained by mapping the land, water, and sky. Players can also gain points from upgrading their caravans, by gaining inspiration from nobles, and by influencing the three guilds of science, trade and exploration. As they make discoveries, players will want to quickly journal their progress. The game ends once one player’s marker has reached the far right column of the journal track.
—description from the publisher
Turn Structure and State
- No manual/BGA/transcript source is present; card relies on memory plus BGG context.
- BGG description anchor: Wayfarers of the South Tigris is set during the height of the Abbasid Caliphate, circa 820 AD. As brave explorers, cartographers and astronomers, players set off from Baghdad to map the surrounding land, waterways, and heavens above. Players must carefully manage their caravan of workers and equipment, while reporting back regularly to journal their findings at the House of Wisdom. Will you succeed in [...]
Win Condition and Arc
Win/scoring arc needs verification from a rules authority.
Decision Primitives
BGG mechanisms: Area Majority / Influence, End Game Bonuses, Modular Board, Open Drafting, Race, Set Collection, Solo / Solitaire Game, Tags, Tile Placement, Track Movement, Worker Placement with Dice Workers, Worker Placement, Different Worker Types
v4 controlled primitives: action_blocking, worker_recall_phase, attrition_clock, set_collection_diversifying, engine_growth
Why It Is Fun
Fun read needs player-voice synthesis.
Friction and Failure Modes
- Treat Sonnet-memory edge rules as draft until confirmed by manual, BGA, or transcript.
- Needs at least one stronger rules authority before final extraction use.
Translation and Design Hooks
- Use this card to ask: which primitive carries the fun if theme/licensing is removed?
- For iOS, look for short-session compression, clear state visualization, and a digital-only twist.
- For new tabletop design, look for the tension source and decide whether to preserve or invert it.
Edge Rules and Gotchas
No verified edge-rule section yet.
Sources Used
[
{
"kind": "llm_memory",
"path": "data/llm_memory_sonnet/350316.md",
"quality": 0.1,
"note": "sonnet-self-rated-5-unknown"
}
]
Sources (1)
Inputs to rules-card synthesis. Click any pill with ↗ to open the original source.