Wayfarers of the South Tigris, one of the newest additions to the popular series of games by Garphill Games, offers a captivating blend of popular mechanics such as worker and dice placement, set collection, and tableau building.

One of the most intriguing aspects of this game lies in the way actions are taken. Players have dice placement spots on their individual player boards and the cards they add to their tableau during the course of the game, along with a pool of three dice that can expand to five. Additionally, there are 16 worker placement spots on the main board. At the beginning of the game, each player starts with a blue and a yellow worker, which are shared resources. This means that any player can claim a placed worker either by obtaining the card that holds it or by performing an action that grants workers.

The dynamics of worker placement play a crucial role in shaping your strategy. If you are aiming for a particular card, ideally, you would place your worker on it to take the corresponding main board action and then, on a subsequent turn, acquire the card to retrieve your worker. However, by doing so, you make that card more enticing to other players, increasing the likelihood that they might seize it before you have a chance to do so. The tension created by these choices and its impact on decision-making make the game incredibly fun!

Exploring different avenues while building your tableau is at the heart of the game. Your cards and their tags are the main source of victory points. Whether you opt for a diversified strategy or focus on specific types of cards, there are numerous ways to achieve your goals and score big. However, it’s important to note that the wide array of options available to players can also lead to analysis paralysis for some.

The journaling and set collection aspects of the game add an enjoyable layer of depth. Advancing on the Journal Track grants bonuses, allows players to acquire wild green workers, and unlocks additional dice. Each step on this track has specific requirements, mostly tied to the types of cards acquired, necessitating careful planning. Since the cards are the primary source of points, balancing progress on the Journal Track while maximizing points from cards becomes a crucial aspect of gameplay.

The only drawback to this game, in my opinion, is the mechanism of placing influence tokens on cards. Some abilities allow players to place influence tokens on cards displayed on the main board, making interactions with those cards, including acquisition or performing associated actions, more expensive. It can be frustrating when another player disrupts your plans by placing an influence token on a card you need, right before your turn. As someone who prefers games without negative player interaction, I’m not particularly fond of this mechanism.

It’s worth noting that, similar to other games from the same designers, Wayfarers of the South Tigris heavily relies on iconography. During your first few plays, you may find yourself frequently referring to the reference section at the back of the rulebook until you become familiar with the symbols.

The artwork and component quality of the game are exceptional, leaving little to be desired. The illustrations on the cards align in a satisfying manner, creating beautiful panoramas and an impressive table presence. One minor aspect to note is that the game does not come with scoresheets. Given the absence of a scoring track and the need to calculate points across multiple categories separately, you will likely need to use a piece of paper or a scoring app to add up the points at the end of the game.

In conclusion, Wayfarers of the South Tigris stands as one of the best games in Garphill Games’ catalogue. With its engaging gameplay and beautiful artwork, this game proves to be an excellent choice for those who enjoy heavier games.

Disclosure: We received a review copy of this game. Also, there may be an affiliate link in the links included at the end of this article.