Category: Base Game
The aim of Scholars of the South Tigris is to be the player with the most victory points (VP) at the game’s end. Points are gained by translating scrolls, increasing knowledge in various areas of science and mathematics, influencing the 3 guilds, and by retiring translators after their years of faithful service. The game end is triggered once all 4 caliph cards have been revealed.
The knowledge tracks give you so many different paths to points that no two games feel the same. I lost by two VP because my opponent maxed out astronomy while I spread thin across three sciences. Already planning our next session.
The way VP flows from translating scrolls into different science tracks feels incredibly tight—every action nudges you toward a new decision. I've played three rounds back-to-back and still catch myself planning the next game before the table's cleared.
The rulebook took me about twenty minutes to get through, but once we started translating scrolls and chasing those knowledge tracks, everything clicked. We've already got three games in and I'm still noticing new tactical layers each time.
