game design: shem phillips & s j macdonald

illustration: mihajlo dimitrievski copyright 2024 garphill games

graphic design & layouts: shem phillips www.garphill.com
introduction aim of the game
Inventors of the South Tigris is set during the height of the Abbasid The aim of Inventors of the South Tigris is to be the player with the
Caliphate, circa 850 AD. Over the past decades, Baghdad has most Victory Points (VP) at the game’s end. Points are primarily
become home to thousands of mathematicians, astronomers, gained by Inventing, Building, Testing, and Publishing Devices.
chemists, and physicians. As inspired innovators, players are eager Players can also score points by training their Craftspeople,
to develop clever contraptions to impress their peers. Will your developing their Workshops, Researching, and Influencing the 3
ingenious devices adorn the House of Wisdom, or are they destined scientific Guilds.
for dust and decay?

components

13 Workers 4 Royalties Markers

(3 in each player colour + 1 (1 in each player colour) 4 Tent Tiles 8 Pass Tiles
Black)

27 Invention Tiles
102 Influence 120 Dice (6 in each player
(25 in each player colour + 2 (45 white, 25 in each other colour + 3 Neutral)
Black) colour) 20 Tower Tiles (4 of each)

16 Tents 24 Craftspeople
(4 in each player colour) (4 of each)

27 Research Tiles 42 Workshop Tiles 6 Starting

Workshop Tiles
4 Ships
(1 in each player colour) 50 Silver 1 First Player
Marker
8 Camel Tiles 3 Dummy
(4 of each) Tokens
2
components

44 Device Cards 6 Setup Cards 4 Player Aids 1 Reference Card 15 Scheme Cards 6 Dummy Cards

1 Score Pad 18 Device Boards 4 Player Boards

1 Main Board 3
setup: Main Board
Follow these steps to set up the Main Board area:

1 Place the Main Board in the middle of the play area.

2 Shuffle all Device Boards, placing them in a facedown Draw 1

Pile near the Main Board.

3 From the Device Board Draw Pile, reveal and place 4 faceup in
a column below the left end of the Main Board. Then reveal 2
more in a separate column to the right of the first column.

4 For each Device Board in the second column, place 1 Black

Influence on the Builder slot.
11 11
5 Shuffle all Device Cards to form facedown Draw Pile near the 13
Main Board, leaving space for a Discard Pile.
7
6 From the Device Card Draw Pile, reveal and place 1 Device 6
4 6
Card faceup onto the highest Device Board in the first column.
Also reveal and place 1 Device Card on each of the Device 7
Boards in the second column. Device Cards should be placed
7
over the right half of Device Boards so that the artwork lines up.

7 Shuffle the 3 Neutral Invention Tiles and place 1 faceup (the

side showing 2 Influence icons) over the bottom-left corner of
the highest Device Board in the first column. Place the other 3 6
Neutral Invention Tiles facedown in the top-right corner of the
Device Boards in the second column (also covering the tops of
the Device Cards there). 4

8 Place all Silver and Dice into a Main Supply near the Main
Board.

9 Shuffle all Pass Tiles and place 1 faceup onto each rectangular
space in the top-right area of the Main Board. Return the
unused Pass Tiles to the box.
3

xx4
setup: Main Board
8

10 Place the Envoy (Black Worker) in the indicated space to the

right of the 4th Pass Tile.

11 Separate the Research Tiles by their backs. Shuffle each set

separately, placing them in facedown Draw Piles on their
10
matching spaces of the Main Board.
9
12 Set aside the 6 Starting Workshop Tiles (grey backs). Shuffle all
other Workshop Tiles together, placing 9 of these in a facedown
Draw Pile at the far-right end of the Main Board.
12
13 From the remaining Workshop Tiles, place a number of them
facedown onto each of the 14 spaces along the River. Take note
11
13 13 of the icons on each space for how many Workshop Tiles to
place. Some spaces vary based on the player count. Once this
8 is done, turn over all 5 Workshop Tile Draw Piles in the left
section of the Main Board. Return all unused Workshop Tiles
to the box.

2 5

SETUP CHANGES FOR 2 PLAYERS

• Place only 1 Device Board in the second column. Return

the unused Black Influence and Neutral Invention Tile to
the box.
This space should This space should This space should
• Shuffle the 6 Dummy Cards into a facedown Draw Pile have 2 Tiles with have 2 Tiles with have 2 Tiles at all
nearby the Main Board. Also place the 3 Dummy Tokens 4 players, and only 3-4 players, and player counts.
nearby. 1 Tile with fewer only 1 Tile with
than 4. fewer than 3.
• Select an unused player colour. Place the Ship of that
colour on the left-most space of the River. Also place 1
of the Tents and 12 Influence of that colour in a nearby
Supply. Return all other player components of that colour
to the box.
5
setup: PLAYER Boards
Have each player select a player colour, then follow these steps to 9 Place each player’s Royalties Marker on the “0” space of the
set up each Player Board area: green Royalties Track of the Main Board (not pictured below).
The order in which these are stacked does not matter.
1 Give each player 1 Player Board and 1 of each Tower Tile. Note
the small numbers in the top-right corner of each Tower Tile. 10 Randomly determine a starting player, giving them the First
The fronts show numbers 1-5, while the backs show numbers Player Marker. Based on turn order (clockwise around the
6-10. Have each player place their Tower Tiles over the tower table), give each player a number of Device Cards to their hand,
illustration of their Player Board. These should be placed with and Silver to their Supply, as outlined on the Reference Card.
Tile number 1 in the lowest space, number 2 above that, then 3, The Reference Card can then be turned over for a reminder of
and so on. End Game Scoring.

2 If playing with fewer than 4 players, have each player place a 11 Give each player 1 Player Aid. Shuffle the 6 Setup Cards,
Tent Tile over the matching section of their Player Board, with dealing 1 to each player, and returning the rest to the box. Each
the side faceup showing the correct player count (note the small player then resolves the steps on their Setup Card.
numbers in the bottom-right corner).
12 Each player gains 4 Influence in the indicated Guilds. To do so,
3 Each player takes 1 of each Camel Tile, placing them on the move Influence from their Supplies to the matching coloured
indicated spaces near the top-right corner of their Player Board. Minarets on the Main Board.
The Tile showing the “plus” icon should be on the left, and the
Tile showing the “flip” icon should be on the right. Based on their Setup Card, this player would gain 1 Blue
Influence, 1 Orange Influence, and 2 Charcoal Influence.
4 Each player places 2 of their Workers near their Player Board,
and the other Worker in a reserve near the Main Board.
4
5 Each player places their 25 Influence nearby their Player Board.
12
6 Each player places their 4 Tents on the spaces near the top 5
of their Player Board (or on their Tent Tile with fewer than 4
players).

7 Each player shuffles their 6 Invention Tiles, placing them 13 1

faceup randomly across the 6 spaces in the bottom-right corner
of their Player Board. 14
10
8 Place each player’s Ship on the left-most River space
of the Main Board. The order in which these are
stacked does not matter for Setup. 15
17

xx6
setup: PLAYER Boards
13 Each player takes the indicated coloured Die from the Main 17 Each player takes a set of 6 Craftspeople and places them on
Supply and places it on the matching colour space at the bottom their indicated Tower Tiles. Note that the 2 Craftspeople on the
of the Study on their Player Board. Its value does not matter. 2nd Tower Tile must start Inactive (placed facedown).

This player places a Charcoal Die in their Study. This player has their Scribe at level 4, their Carpenter and
Blacksmith at level 2 (both inactive), and their Weaver,
14 Each player places the indicated coloured Die and 5 White Dice Chandler, and Tiler at level 1.
into the Ready section of their Player Board. These 6 Dice
must now be rolled, as their values will matter. 18 Players must now collectively decide if they will play the shorter
3 Round game, or the full 4 Rounds. We highly recommend the
15 Each player places the indicated coloured Die and 3 White Dice 3 Round game for your first game. It may even be preferable for
into the Exhausted section of their Player Board. The values some to always play the 3 Round game when there are 4 players
of these Dice do not matter. at the table.

16 Each player takes the indicated Starting Workshop Tile and If playing the 4 Round game, have all players return their Setup
places it into the left-most space of any chosen row on their Cards to the box. The game is now ready to begin.
Player Board. The value of the coloured Die in their ready
section may inform which row they choose to place this in. If playing the 3 Round game, have all players turn over their
Setup Cards, and place their left-most Tent onto the top space of
This player has chosen to place their Starting Workshop Tile in the Card. See page 30 for details on what this adds to the game.
the middle row. This will do a few things immediately:

• Each player draws 1 more Device Card to their hand, and

gains 1 more Silver to their Supply, as indicated by the icons
3 next to where they just placed their Tent.
6
2
• If playing with fewer than 4 players, all players return the
Camel Tile showing the “plus” icon to the box. This is
indicated by the icon revealed below their left-most Tent.

11 18
16
12
13
14
15
17
7
16

7
player board concepts: dice
Each player manages their Dice on the left side of their Player Board. Any time players gain a Die to their Study, they must take
it from the Main Supply and place it on the bottom Study
Inspired: Dice in the sky space of that Die’s colour. The value here does not matter.
space are available for use, and Dice will never enter the Study at a higher level. As indicated on the
may be physically increased by up bottom spaces, this will immediately require the player to remove 1
to 5 when being used. Die. This may be any Die not on a Camel or in a Workshop. It may
even be the same Die that was just placed. However, in most cases,
Determined: Dice in the water players will want to use this to remove an Exhausted White Die.
space are available for use, and Removed Dice are returned to the Main Supply.
may be physically increased by 1
when being used. Once in the Study, players can use brightening effects to either move
these Dice up 1 level in the Study, or out into the adjacent landscape
Ready: Dice in the sunlit dunes spaces. When moving a Die up in the Study, players move it to the
are available for use. next space matching that Die’s colour. They immediately resolve the
effects printed on that space. When moving Dice out to a landscape
space, they must be rolled and placed into that space.
Exhausted: Dice in the
darkened dunes are not available Once at the top space of the Study, the next brighten effect will
for use. move a Die out to Inspired. Note that this does not reward players
with any Influence, as the Die did not move from Determined to
Inspired.

Brightening Dice If players gain a Die to their Study, but there is already a Die
Any time players gain an effect to brighten a Die, they can of that colour in the bottom space, they must instead place
either move 1 Die up into the next landscape space, up 1 the new Die immediately into Exhausted, and remove 1 Die
space in their Study, or out from their Study into the adjacent following the rules outlined above. They have essentially
landscape space. If players gain more than 1 effect to brighten Dice lost the chance for it to enter the Study.
at the same time, they can use them on the same or different Dice
as they please. All players start the game with 11 Dice. It is possible for them to gain
up to 2 additional Dice by moving their Ship along the River. But
When Dice first enter the top 3 landscape spaces (from aside from that, their Dice quantity will remain the same throughout
Exhausted or from the Study), they must be rolled. the game.

When a player moves a coloured Die up from This effect allows players to swap any 1 of their White
Determined to Inspired, they immediately gain 1 Dice (even those on Camels on in Workshops) with a
Influence of that Die’s colour. coloured Die of their choice from the Main Supply. This
new Die retains the value and position of the Die being replaced.
This still counts as “gaining a Die” for all intents and purposes.
xx8
player board concepts: craftspeople
A number of effects will require players to pay their Craftspeople Any time a player has no Craftspeople on their
for their Skills. lowest Tower Tile, they must Progress their Tower
Tiles. Note how the lowest Tower Tile has a black 0
This icon indicates that the Weaver must be paid. bar that lines up with the black bar on the Player
Board.
This icon indicates that any 1 Craftsperson must be paid.
When Progressing Tower Tiles, first resolve the effects printed on
Any time players are paying Craftspeople for their Skills, they must the black bar of the lowest Tower Tile. All these effects can be found
pay the indicated Silver amount shown on the left of that specific on the last page of this Rulebook.
Craftsperson’s Tower Tile (where they currently sit). Note that this
is the number printed on the brown frame, not the green Income bar. Then, if the black bar shows a white “x” icon, return that Tower Tile
to the box, and slide all remaining Tower Tiles down 1 space.
Paying this Weaver or Scribe would cost 3
Silver. If the black bar shows a white “flip” icon, pick up that Tower Tile
and flip it over. Slide down the other 4 Tower Tiles, and place the
This Carpenter and Blacksmith cannot be Tile that was just flipped in the highest space. Note that the small
used as they are Inactive (facedown). Tower Tile numbers should always be kept in ascending numerical
order from bottom to top. Once they reach Tower Tile number 10,
Paying this Tiler would cost 2 Silver. Craftspeople will never move any higher.
The Chandler cannot be used as they are
Inactive (facedown). For example, this player just paid their Chandler 2 Silver to use
their Skill. After turning them Inactive and moving them up 1 level,
After paying the required Silver, players must immediately turn their lowest Tower Tile was left with no Craftspeople present. They
that Craftsperson facedown (to Inactive) and raise them up 1 level resolved the effect of advancing their Royalties Marker 1 space,
if possible. This represents them gaining more experience in their then flipped over the Tower Tile, placing it above the other 4 that
trade. Note that while a Craftsperson is at the highest visible Tower just slid down.
level, they cannot move any higher. It is usually wasteful to pay
them in this position, but players may still do so if they want to.

After being paid, the Tiler above would flip over to their Inactive
side, then move up to level 6 alongside the Carpenter and Blacksmith.

Any time players gain this effect, they may raise any 1
Craftsperson up 1 level. Note that this does not cost any
Silver. The Craftsperson also maintains their current state of
Active or Inactive.

There is no limit for how many Craftspeople may be on the same

Tower Tile. 9
main board concepts: ship movement
There are a number of ways that players can move their Ship during The first time any player enters a new section of the River, turn
the game. This signifies Inventors travelling along the Tigris to all Workshop Tile Draw Piles in that section faceup (flip the entire
Test and promote their various ingenious Devices. When moving Pile), much like the Tiles in the left River section were turned over
their Ship, players must move it the exact amount indicated while during Setup.
adhering to these rules:
If they stop at a space with a Workshop Tile, they must
• They must skip all spaces that do not have any Workshop Tiles collect the top Workshop Tile from that space and add it
beneath them. Whether or not there is a Research Tile has no to their Player Board if possible.
impact on this.
If reaching the last space of the River, they choose 1 of
• They must stop at the first spaces of each new River section the following: Collect the top Workshop Tile from that
(where the Research Draw Piles sit). space and add it to their Player Board, gain 2 Silver, or
collect any visible Workshop Tile on a space to the left
In the example below, Yellow would move to the indicated spaces of their Ship.
with 1, 2, or 3 movement. If Red were to move 2 or 3 spaces, they
would still only move 2 spaces, as they must stop at the first space Once players reach the last space of the River, they no longer move
of the centre River section. their Ship. If they would gain an effect to move any number of
spaces, they resolve the last space a single time, just as they did
when they first moved there.

When gaining a Workshop Tile, players must immediately place it

1 2 3 into an available space on their Player Board. If they do not have
any spaces remaining, they can no longer collect Workshop Tiles.
After finishing their movement, players must resolve the effect of
the space where their Ship now sits: Workshop Tiles can be placed into any of the 3 rows, but must
always be placed into the left-most empty space of the chosen row.
Immediately move all Dice from 1 of their Workshops to Placing Workshop Tiles into the left-most incomplete column on
Exhausted. Also gain 1 White Die from the Main Supply their Player Board is always free. If players want
and roll it into Ready. to place into a column further to the right, they
must pay 1 Silver per column beyond this.
Immediately retrieve any 1 of their previously placed
Workers to their Supply (this may be the Envoy if they Placing in the top row here
had control of it this Round). Also gain 1 coloured Die would be free. The middle
of their choice from the Main Supply and roll it into row would cost 3 Silver, and
Determined. the bottom row would cost 1
Silver.
Note: Players do not draw a Tile at these spaces.
After paying any Silver costs, players immediately resolve any
xx
10 printed effects that they cover on their Player Board.
main board concepts: royalties track
There are a number of ways that players can advance their Marker If the space they chose already had exactly 1 opponent’s Influence
along the Royalties Track during the game. The most common way present, the player currently Researching must place 1 of their own
is by Inventing and Publishing Devices. Influence on the empty Influence slot (always worth 1VP). They
immediately gain access to the Research below their Influence.
When players gain this effect, they must advance their
Marker to the next green space on the Royalties Track. The second space in the previous example already has a Research
Tile present (previously Researched by Red). Yellow could Research
When players advance their Royalties Marker and cross over here, but it would cost them 2 Silver due to their Ship being 2 spaces
a blue space, they can raise the level of any 1 Craftsperson. behind. Blue and Purple could also Research here at no extra cost.
Red could not Research here, as they already have an Influence on
If players were ever to move beyond 11 on the Royalties that space.
Track, they do not move, but instead may either refresh any
1 Craftsperson or gain 1 Silver. If the space they chose was completely empty of Tiles and Influence,
there are a few more steps to follow:

1. They must place 1 of their Influence on the left Influence slot.

main board concepts: research 2. They then draw the top 3 Research Tiles from that River section’s
Draw Pile. They select 1 to place faceup below where they just
There are a number of ways that players can gain the ability to placed their Influence. They return the other 2 Research Tiles
Research during the game (mostly by placing Workers). To Research, to the bottom of that River section’s Draw Pile in either order.
there must be an available space along the River. Players can only
Research on the left-most empty space (no Workshop Tiles present) 3. They immediately gain access to that Research.
of a chosen River section, or on any space with a Research Tile and
exactly 1 Influence not belonging to them. Researching on the left River section provides ongoing
abilities for the rest of the game.
After selecting an available space, players may need to pay a Silver
cost. For each space that the selected space is ahead of their Ship, Researching on the centre River section provides abilities
they must pay 1 Silver. This includes every space, regardless of that will trigger each time a player places 1 of their Tents
whether they are empty or not. (once per Round effects).

In the example below, Red, Blue and Purple would pay no Silver to Researching on the right River section provides
Research on the space below the Red Ship. This would, however, immediate effects that will only trigger once.
cost the Yellow player 4 Silver if they chose to Research there.
There is a complete list of all these effects on page 31.

11
gameplay overview component restrictions
Inventors of the South Tigris is played over 3 or 4 Rounds, as • Silver and Dice are considered to be unlimited. Use a substitute
selected during Setup. Each Round follows these 3 phases: if needed.

Start of Round (page 13) • Device Boards are limited. If they run out, do not reveal any
more.
Players simultaneously gain their Royalties and Income (this is
skipped in the first Round). • Device Cards are limited. If the Draw Pile ever runs out, shuffle
all discards to form a new Draw Pile. In the rare case that both
Piles run out, players cannot draw Device Cards until more
Player Turns (pages 14-23) enter the Discard Pile.

Players take turns in clockwise order, beginning with the player • The hand limit is 8 Device Cards. If players ever
holding the First Player Marker. gain more than 8 they must discard or play the excess
immediately.
On each turn, players will take a single main action of either:
• Placing 1-2 Dice on a Camel - pages 14-18. • Influence is limited. If a player needs to place Influence and
• Placing 1-2 Dice in a Workshop - page 19. has none left in their Supply, they may instead move 1 of their
• Placing 1 Worker - page 20. Influence from a Guild (never from a Device Board).
• Placing their Tent for the Round - page 21.

After placing their Tent, what players can do on each of their future
turns in the Round will change - page 23. rules around timings
Players continue taking turns, 1 at a time, until all players have
placed their Tent for the Round. There will be many times during the game that players may have
multiple effects to resolve as part of a single action. Players should
Players can also take any number of free actions at any point during always adhere to these key rules:
their turn, even during their main action - page 20.
• Costs come before effects. Players cannot pay using future
resources they would gain.
End of Round (page 23)
• Some costs may provide effects before the full cost of an action
Players simultaneously carry out their Resting actions (this is mostly is paid. It is permitted to carry out these effects immediately as
skipped in the final Round). they happen, or after all costs have been paid.
An example of this is when Craftspeople level up. Paying 1
After the 3 or 4 Rounds are completed, final scoring takes place, and Craftsperson could lead to Tower Tiles progressing before
the player with the highest score is the winner. remaining Craftspeople need to be paid (such as when Building
or Publishing).
xx
12
start of round: 2 player round setup start of round: royalties and income
If playing with 2 players, a few quick steps need to be resolved for At the start of each Round (excluding the first Round), players
the Dummy Player at the start of each Round: simultaneously gain their Royalties and Income. They may gain
these in either order.
1 Turn over the top Dummy Card from the top of the Draw Pile,
placing it on top of any previously drawn Dummy Cards. Royalties are gained based on each player’s Marker on the Royalties
Track of the Main Board. Note that players are allowed to share the
2 Place Influence of the Dummy Player’s colour in the indicated same space as other players on the Royalties Track. This does not
Guilds. affect what they gain.

3 Move the Dummy’s player Ship the indicated number of spaces In this example, Red and Yellow are both able to brighten 1 Die and
along the River. Note that it does not collect or reveal Workshop gain 1 Silver. Blue is able to brighten 1 Die and gain 2 Silver. Purple
Tiles, and does not skip empty spaces like players do. is able to brighten 1 Die and gain 3 Silver.

4 Place the indicated Dummy Tokens on their correct spaces.

2 of these will block spaces for this Round, and the other will
make 1 of the spaces cost an extra Influence to use.

2 1 3
Income gained is based on the lowest Tower Tile on each player’s
Board. Note how the lowest Tower Tile has a green bar that lines up
with the green bar on the Player Board.

In this example, this player would be able to raise the level of any 1
4 4 4 Craftsperson, and also gain 1 Silver.

2
2
4

4
In games with 3 or 4 players, the players who are
3 seated in 3rd and 4th position around the table
gain an additional Income effect: They both draw
1 Device Card to hand from the top of the Draw
Pile. There is a reminder of this on the First Player
Marker.
13
player turns: placing dice on camels
Players start with 2-3 Camel spaces available along the top of their For Invent, Build, and Publish, players are always looking in the
Player Boards, and have ways to get 1 more Hired Camel each same locations on Device Boards for costs and effects.
Round (the right-most Camel space).
The costs are always in the top-right corner.
Players permanently unlock their third Camel space after placing
their first or second Tent, depending on the player count. When this
happens, players must return the Camel Tile showing the “plus”
icon to the box. If playing the 3 Round game with fewer than 4
players, this would have already happened during Setup.

Camel spaces allow players to place 1-2 Dice to take 1 of the 4

Device-focused main actions in the game:

Invent (page 15) Build (page 16)

Test (page 17) Publish (page 18)

The effects are always in the bottom-left corner.
Regardless of which action is being taken, the same rule applies to
all Camel Spaces: Once at least 1 Die has been placed, no further As Devices are Invented and Built they will have Invention Tiles
Dice may be placed on that Camel. placed, flipped, and moved on them to change the various costs and
effects. Device Boards will also move between columns when Built
Tip for teaching: Take time explaining the quick reference icons. and Published.
For each action, there is a quick icon reference along the tops of
Player Boards. Each affected component on a Device Board for the Testing Devices is unique to the other 3 actions, as it is only
chosen action is highlighted in red. There is also a reminder of the concerned with the top-left corner of each Device Board.
Colour Bonuses for Invent, Build, and Publish.

For all 4 actions, players must first place their Dice, pay any costs, Reminder: Only Dice in Ready, Determined, and Inspired
and then resolve any effects. Any effects gained after placing Dice are considered “available” when placing Dice on Camels.
and paying costs may be resolved in any order (see page 12 for a
reminder on timings).

xx
14
player turns: invent
When choosing to Invent, players must follow these steps in order:

1 Place 1-2 of their available Dice onto a Camel space.

1 4
2 3
2 Select which Device Board they will be using to Invent a
Device. This must be a Device Board in the left column that
hasn’t already been Invented. The total value of the Dice they
just placed must be equal to or higher than the value required 5
by that Device Board.

3 Discard the 0-2 Device Cards indicated on the Device Board.

6
4 Place 1 Device Card from their hand onto the right side of
the Device Board. This cannot be a Device Card that was just
discarded.
7
5 Gain 1 Influence of the indicated colour for each match that
they make between the Device Board and Device Card (this
will always 0-2 Influence).

6 Advance their Marker 1 space along the Royalties Track.

In this example, Purple has used 1 Die with a value of 6. This is
7 Place 1 of their Invention Tiles over the bottom-left corner of enough to Invent using the selected Device Board. They must
the Device Board and resolve any revealed effects from placing discard 2 Device Cards from hand. Before doing so they decided to
an Invention Tile (if it was the second Invention Tile from a draw 1 new Device Card, as they used an Orange Die for this action.
single column).
They chose a Device Card to play onto the Device Board, Inventing
Colour Bonus: At any point during this action, players may draw 1 the Robotic Hourglass. This pairing created 2 Influence matches,
Device Card from the top of the Draw Pile for each Orange Die that gaining them 2 Blue Influence.
they are using. These may be drawn before step 3 in order to pay the
Discard cost. Players can even use a Device Card they just drew as They advanced 1 space along the Royalties Track, and chose to
part of the Device they are Inventing. place their top-centre Invention Tile onto the Device Board. Doing
so revealed an immediate effect on their Player Board to brighten
Note that players cannot Invent if they have no remaining Invention 3 Dice.
Tiles on their Player Board, or if there are already 4 Invented Devices
below the Main Board. They also revealed a 3VP icon from the row, but this won’t be scored
till the game’s end.

15
player turns: build
When choosing to Build, players must follow these steps in order: 2 3

1 Place 1-2 of their available Dice onto a Camel space. 1

2 Select which previously Invented Device in the left column they

will Build. The total value of the Dice they just placed must be
equal to or higher than the value required by that Device (on the 6
Device Card).

3 Pay all 3 Craftspeople indicated on the Device, following the 4

rules outlined on page 9.

4 Both the Builder and the Inventor (in that order) resolve the
effect shown on the Invention Tile. If a player is both the 5
Inventor and Builder, they only resolve this effect once.
3
5 Turn over the Invention Tile and place it over the top-right In this example, Red has used Dice
corner of the Device (covering the Build costs). with a value of 7, which is enough
to Build the selected Device. They
6 Place 1 Influence on the Builder slot of the Device Board. must pay their Tiler, Weaver, and
Chandler for their Skills.
7 Move the entire Device Board and all its contents into the next
column to the right. Their Tiler is currently Inactive, but
they could use the Colour Bonus
Important Rule: There can never be more than 4 Built Devices from 1 of their Charcoal Dice to
in play. If there are already 4 Device Boards in the second refresh them. They must pay a total
column, players cannot Build. It’s time to start Publishing all of 8 Silver to pay for all 3 Skills.
those Built Devices! After doing so, all 3 Craftspeople
move up 1 level and become
8 Reveal and place a new Device Board from the top of the Draw Inactive.
Pile so that there are once again 4 Device Boards in the left
column. Both Red (Builder) and Purple (Inventor) gain 1 Influence of their
choice from the Invention Tile. That Tile is then flipped and placed
Colour Bonus: At any point during this action, players may refresh over the Build costs. Red then places their Influence on the Builder
any 1 Craftsperson for each Charcoal Die they are using. Each Colour slot.
Bonus may be resolved before or after using any Craftspeople for
this action. The Device Board is then moved into the next column, and a new
Device Board is revealed to replace it. Red also has 1 more Colour
xx
16 Bonus to resolve. They decide to refresh their Tiler.
player turns: test
When choosing to Test, players must follow these steps in order:

1 Place 1 White Die from the Main Supply onto an available

Camel space. Its value does not matter.
2
1
Always do this first. It can be easy to forget!

2 Place 1 of their available coloured Dice onto a Device Board 3

with an empty Die space of the same colour. This may only be
on a Built or Published Device (never a Device Board in the 4
left-most column). In addition to this, the Die they are placing
must be of an equal or greater value than each other individual
Die already on that Device Board.

3 If the space where they placed their Die on showed an Influence

icon, they gain 1 Influence of that colour.

4 Move their Ship the exact amount of spaces along the River as
indicated by the number of Ship icons below the Die they just
placed. They then resolve that space’s effect.

Other than the immediate effects players resolve (gaining Influence In this example, a player would like to Test the Robotic Hourglass.
and moving their Ships), Testing also increases how many Victory They first place a White Die from the Main Supply onto 1 of their
Points the Builder or Publisher will get for their Devices at the Camel spaces.
game’s end. Players will usually want to Test Devices they have
Built or Published, but may decide to Test other players’ Devices for The only remaining Dice spaces on this Device are Blue and
more favourable immediate effects. Orange. Based on the other Die already there, they would need a
Die with a minimum value of 3. Their Orange 4 will suffice. They
See page 10 for a reminder of Ship Movement. gain 1 Orange Influence from placing their Die, and move their Ship
exactly 2 spaces along the River.

17
player turns: publish
When choosing to Publish, players must follow these steps in order:
2 3
1 Place 1-2 of their available Dice onto a Camel space.
1
2 Select which previously Built Device in the second column
they will be Publishing. The total value of the Dice they just
placed must be equal to or higher than the value required by that
Device (this is always 8 when Publishing). 5

3 Pay 1 Silver to the Inventor (or to the Main Supply if it is a

Neutral Invention Tile). Players ignore this cost if they are the 4
Inventor. They must then pay their Scribe, plus any 1 other
Craftsperson, following the rules outlined on page 9.
3
4 Advance their Marker 1 space along the Royalties Track. In this example, Blue has used Dice
with a total of 8, which is enough
5 Place 1 Influence on the Publisher slot of the Device Board. to Publish the selected Device.
They must pay Purple (Inventor) 1
6 Move the entire Device Board and all its contents into the next Silver, and also their Scribe and 1
column to the right. other Craftsperson.

Important Rule: Unlike Built Devices, there is no limit to how Their Scribe will cost 3 Silver.
many Published Devices may exist. Published Devices may be They could pay their Carpenter 2
arranged in any number of rows and columns, so long as they Silver, but they won’t be able to
are kept to the right of the first 2 columns. raise them up 1 level. They decide
to instead pay their Tiler 3 Silver.
Colour Bonus: At any point during this action, Their Scribe and Tiler would move
players may brighten 1 Die for each Blue Die that up 1 level and become Inactive.
they are using. This may even be done before step
3, in order to brighten a Die in their Study. Doing so They advance 1 space along the Royalties Track, and place their
could gain them the Silver they need or the ability Influence on the Publisher slot of the Device Board. The Device
to refresh a Craftsperson. Board is then moved into the next column.

As an example, brightening this Charcoal Die twice Unfortunately they didn’t use any Blue Dice, and therefore do not
up the Study Track would gain this player 1 Silver gain any Colour Bonuses for this action.
and allow them to refresh 1 Craftsperson.

xx
18
player turns: placing dice in workshops
All Player Boards feature 3 Workshops, each with their own starting 2 5 3 1
ability. While these starting abilities are not technically Workshop
3
Tiles, they are included when talking about Workshop Tiles below. 4
Players can improve their Workshops by adding more Workshop
Tiles to each row. Workshop spaces allow players to place 1-2
available Dice to activate all Workshop Tiles in that row. Once at In the example above, this player has a value of
least 1 Die has been placed, no further Dice may be placed in that 7, with Blue and Charcoal colours. They decide
Workshop. to resolve their Workshop Tiles in this order:

1 They gain 1 Blue Influence.

2 They draw 1 Device Card, refresh any 1 Craftsperson, and gain

2 Silver.

3 They pay their Tiler to collect a Workshop Tile from a space

behind their Ship. This turns their Tiler Inactive, and raises
them up 1 level. They decide to place the new Workshop Tile
in the same row, allowing them to immediately refresh all their
Craftspeople (including their Tiler).

4 They use their newly acquired Workshop Tile, paying any 1

Each Workshop Tile requires a certain value and sometimes a Craftsperson to increase the value of their Dice for this action
particular colour. Note that these colours and values are not spent, by 6 (up to the max of 12).
just required.
5 They now have the 11 Blue required to activate their final
This would require a value of 12, and is not concerned Workshop Tile in this row, advancing their Marker 1 space
12 about colours. along the Royalties Track.

This would require a value of 4 or higher, and needs at least Note that if they had not added the new Workshop Tile, they
4+ 1 of the Dice being used to be Blue. would not have had a high enough value to resolve that final
Workshop Tile.
After placing their 1-2 Dice on a Workshop space, players may
resolve each Workshop Tile in that row in any order. Each of
these may only be resolved once, and each of them are treated as Reminder: Only Dice in Ready, Determined, and Inspired
a separate task (see page 22). Players may always choose not to are considered “available” when placing Dice in Workshops.
resolve a Workshop Tile if they wish.

There is a complete list of all Workshop Tile effects on pages 32-33.

19
player turns: placing a worker
If they have any remaining Workers in their Supply, players may These 3 Worker placement spaces each offer either 1 Research (see
take a main action to place a Worker onto any of the available spaces page 11 for a reminder of Research) or other effects specific to their
on the Main Board. Guild:

There are 2 types of Worker placement spaces: Add a Blue Die to their Study and
raise the level of 2 Craftspeople
• Smaller closed spaces around the Guilds (the Minarets). Each (this may be the same 1 twice).
of these 12 spaces may only hold a single Worker, and all cost
some combination of Influence, Silver, paying Craftspeople, or Add an Orange Die to their Study
discarding Device Cards. and draw 3 Device Cards to hand
from the Draw Pile.
To lose Influence, players must return their own Influence
Markers from the indicated Guild to their Supply. Add a Charcoal Die to their Study,
gain their Royalties, and gain 1
There are some Workshop Tiles that require players to lose additional Silver.
Influence, but it mostly happens when placing Workers.
Gaining Royalties from the Charcoal Guild works the same way as
• Larger open spaces near the middle of the Main Board. Both of during Start of Round. Note that it does not include gaining Income
these spaces may hold any number of Workers, and have no cost from Player Boards.
associated with them.
Brighten 2 Dice (this may be the same Die twice),
After paying any required costs, players may then carry out the and increase any 1 available Die by 1.
effects of their chosen space.
Draw 1 Device Card to hand from the Draw Pile,
Hire a Camel: This player may flip the matching refresh any 1 Craftsperson, and increase any 1
Camel Tile on their Player Board till the end of the available Die by 1.
Round, and immediately brighten 1 Die.

Refresh all their Craftspeople (or as many as

possible), and draw 1 Device Card to hand from the
Draw Pile.
player turns: placing the envoy
This player may advance their Ship 1 space along the Based on where they placed their Tent in a previous Round,
River (see page 10 for a reminder of Ship movement), a player may have the Envoy (Black Worker) in their Supply.
and gain 1 Silver.
The Envoy functions just like any other Worker with 1 additional
benefit: Placing the Envoy costs 1 fewer Influence.

20
xx
player turns: placing a tent
At some point during each Round, players may run out of Workers,
available Dice, or spaces to place their Dice. Even if they have
other actions they could take, players may decide to use their turn to
instead place their Tent.

There are 5 spaces on the Main Board where players can place their
Tent each Round. Each of these 5 spaces can only hold 1 Tent per
Round. When placing their Tent for the Round, players must place
the left-most Tent still on their Player Board. They then carry out
these steps, in any order (all effects are optional):

• For each Worker and/or Camel they have not used this Round,
they may refresh any 1 Craftsperson and brighten 1 Die. In this example, Yellow and Red have already Tented for the Round
(it’s now Round 2). Purple has decided to place their Tent onto 1 of
the 3 remaining spaces.

While they used all of their Camels, they have 1 unused Worker.
• Resolve the effects of the Pass Tile next to their placed Tent. Because of this they can refresh any 1 Craftsperson and brighten 1
Die.

From their Tent’s Pass Tile they are gaining 1 Influence in a Guild
of their choice, and can brighten 3 Dice (this could be all on 1 Die,
or spread across up to 3 Dice).
• Resolve any Tent abilities from Research Tiles where they have
Influence (in any order). It is permitted for players to activate They have 2 Research with Tent abilities. They can refresh any 2
Tent abilities from Research Tiles in the same turn they are Craftspeople, and draw 2 Device Cards to hand from the top of the
acquired, but not retroactively on later turns. Draw Pile.

Now that they have carried out all 3 steps, they gain the benefit
revealed from the space on their Player Board, unlocking their third
Camel Space for the rest of the game.

If playing with the Dummy Player, the first player to Tent each
After this they must resolve any effect revealed on their Player Round must immediately place the Dummy Player’s Tent on an
Board from where they moved their Tent (always from left to right). available Tent space, denying it for their opponent that Round.

When raising Tents during the End of Round, simply return the
Dummy Player’s Tent to their Supply.
21
player turns: free actions
Players can take free actions any number of times, at any point Important Rule: Each Craftsperson can only be used once per task.
during each of their turns, even during their main action. Players
cannot take free actions outside the Player Turns Phase. As an example, a player could not use their Blacksmith to avoid
paying 1 Silver, then play a Device Card to refresh their Blacksmith,
1. Playing Device Cards and then use them again to avoid paying another Silver for the same
Players can play a Device Card from their task.
hand to the Discard Pile. Doing so lets
them resolve the immediate effects printed While players only take a single main action each turn, that can
on the right edge of the Device Card. This sometimes result in a number of individual tasks being resolved.
is always the ability to increase 1 available Note that the restriction above is per task, not per turn.
Die by 1, and either the ability to brighten
1 Die or refresh a specific Craftsperson. Examples of tasks where you might use Craftspeople:
When taking this free action, players may • Paying to Build or Publish a Device
resolve 1 or both effects. • Paying to Place a Workshop Tile
• Resolving the effect of a Workshop Tile
• Placing a Worker below the Blue or Orange Guild
2. Discarding Device Cards • Paying to Research beyond a Ship’s position
Players may discard any 2 Device • Resolving the effect of a Research Tile
Cards to either brighten 1 Die, or • Clearing Dice from a Workshop
refresh any 1 Craftsperson.
To be clear, when resolving a task listed above, players may only
use each Craftsperson once, either for their Skill, or to spend 1
3. Using Craftspeople fewer Silver during that task.
Players may use a Craftsperson to spend 1
fewer Silver for a task. To use a Craftsperson,
turn it facedown from Active to Inactive.

This Chandler is Active and ready for use.

This Chandler is Inactive and needs to be refreshed. As an example of what is permitted, this player could pay their
Chandler to gain an Orange Die to their Study, then refresh the
Players can use any number of Craftspeople during a task. For Chandler and gain 1 Silver, then pay their Chandler again to gain
example, they could use 3 different Craftspeople to save 3 Silver on an Orange Influence. This is permitted because resolving each
the task they are resolving. Workshop Tile is a separate task.

22
xx
player turns: actions after tenting end of round
Once a player has placed their Tent, they can no longer use any of 3. All Dice that were used this Round must be placed into
their Camels or Workers for the Round. On each future turn they Exhausted. This includes all Dice on Camels and in Workshops.
may choose from 1 of the following main actions:
Note: There are a few Workshop Tiles and Research Tiles to pay
1 2 3 4
attention to when carrying out this step. Some abilities can bring
back Dice to Ready or Determined, rather than to Exhausted.

1 Use 1-2 Dice in a Workshop (see page 19).

2 Brighten 1 Die.

3 Refresh any 1 Craftsperson. 4. If any players have their Hired Camel flipped at this point (the
right-most Camel Tile on their Player Board), they must now
4 Pay any 1 Craftsperson to move all Dice from 1 of their flip it back facedown.
Workshops to Exhausted (making that Workshop available
again for use later this Round).

5. All players retrieve their Workers. If the Envoy was in play, it is

end of round returned to the space beside its Pass Tile.

Once all players have placed their Tent for the Round, the Round 6. All players raise their Tent up to the left-most space of the
ends. The last player to place their Tent still carries out their Tent Tenting area directly above. If they are the first player to raise
placing action in full as normal. After this, all players simultaneously a Tent into 1 of the 3 left Tent areas, they gain the indicated
carry out their Resting actions in the following in order (note that Influence that their Tent covers.
steps 1-5 are skipped in the final Round):

1. The player who placed the left-most Tent on the Main

Board this Round takes the First Player Marker for the
next Round.

2. All remaining Dice are brightened in the following order:

Determined, Ready, Exhausted, Study. These should be resolved If they are raising their Tent into 1 of the other 2 areas they
following all the same rules for brightening Dice as outlined on either gain the Envoy into their Supply for the next Round or
page 8. they get to turn their Hired Camel Tile faceup. Ignore
these effects if gained in the final Round.
23
end of game & scoring
The game ends immediately after all players have raised their last 2. Royalties Track
Tent during the final Round. As printed next to spaces 4 and higher.
The Golden Rule of Tie-Breaks
For all ties in the game, including Guild Majorities and final
scoring, the relative position of each player’s Ship is used to break
ties. Ties are broken in favour of Ships which are further to the right.
If they share a space, lower Ships are considered to be ahead. 3. Research Tiles
Each Influence along the River scores its printed amount.
In this example, the Ship order is Purple, Red, Blue, Yellow.

4. Craftspeople
Each Craftsperson scores the VP
Players should add up their scores in the following areas: amount printed on the right edge
of their Tower Tile.
1. Guild Majorities
As printed above each Guild. The player with the most Influence It does not matter if they are Active or Inactive.
scores the higher VP amount, and the player with the second
most Influence scores the lower VP amount. 5. Workshop Tiles
All VP printed on each collected Workshop Tile.

If playing with the Dummy Player, they will compete for

Guild Majorities, potentially denying players 1st or 2nd 6. Invention Tiles
place. Their Ship is also used for breaking ties. Any uncovered VP on Player Boards where Invention Tiles have
been removed (each horizontally adjacent pair).
Important Rule: Each Tent in the 3 left
Tenting areas counts as 2 Influence of
the indicated colour for Guild Majority
scoring and all end-game purposes.

24
xx
end of game & scoring device scoring example
7. Builder & Publisher Influence
For each Built Device: The Builder scores 1VP per Testing Die
on that Device.

For each Published Device with 2 different Influence: The

Builder scores 3VP, and the Publisher scores 1VP per Testing
Die on that Device.

3 1

For each Published Device with 2 of the same Influence (1

player is both the Builder and the Publisher): They score 1VP,
plus 1VP per Testing Die on that Device.
In this example, Red is the Builder of the Robotic Hourglass, and
1 1 Blue is the Publisher. The Device has been Tested twice.

As it is a Device with 2 different Influence, Red scores 3VP as the

8. Built and Published Devices Builder, and Blue scores 2VP as the publisher (1VP per Testing Die).
For each Device where players are the Builder or the Publisher,
they score 0, 2, or 4VP depending on how well they met the The scoring condition of the Robotic Hourglass is Blue Influence.
scoring condition of that Device. If 1 player is both the Builder They need to have 4 Blue Influence to score 2VP (the green bar), or
and the Publisher, they score these conditions twice. 7 Blue Influence to score 4VP (the blue bar).

x 2 y 4 They count up all their Blue Influence, including any Tents in the
left-most Tenting area. Red has 5 Blue Influence and scores 2VP.
Blue has 12 Blue Influence and scores 4VP.
9. Remaining Silver & Device Cards
Every 4 in any combination scores 1VP.

The player with the most total Victory Points is the winner!

Need some help tallying up the scores? Download our free

Garphill Games Companion App for Android or iOS.
25
solo play
Setup Gameplay Overview
Set up Inventors as you would for a 4-Round 2-player game For the most part, the solo game plays very much like the multiplayer
(including the Dummy Player), with a few changes. Do not follow game. Unless stated otherwise, all rules remain the same. You win
the player setup on pages 6-7 for your opponent. Instead, assign the game if you score higher than your opponent.
them a player colour, giving them only the following items:
Your turns function exactly the same. On each of your opponent’s
1. Separate the 15 Scheme Cards by their type. Shuffle all cards of turns you will be revealing a Scheme Card and resolving 1 task for
each type into their own facedown Reserve Pile. them (or giving them 1 Silver if they have Tented).

Your opponent ignores all icons on the Main Board, Device

Boards, Device Cards, and Inventions Tiles, unless specifically told
otherwise.

If your opponent ever needs to place Influence in a Guild, but have

Faceup side of Faceup side of none left in their Supply, they simply place none. If they ever need
Dice Schemes (9) Worker Schemes (6) to place Influence on a Device, but have none, move 1 from the left-
most Guild where they have Influence.
2. Place their 3 Workers next to their Worker Scheme Reserve Pile,
as a reminder for which Reserve Pile is which. Start of Round
During this Phase, add 3 Silver to your opponent’s Supply, and form
3. Place 1 of their Influence into each Guild. Place the rest of their their Scheme Card Draw Pile. There is a reminder of this on the
Influence in a Supply nearby. backs of all Scheme Cards.

4. Place their 4 Tents nearby, and their Ship on the left-most River As seen here, there are 4 columns of
space of the Main Board. numbers. These columns represent
the 4 Rounds of the game from left to
5. Shuffle their Invention Tiles and place them in a facedown right. Each row indicates how many of
Draw Pile. each Scheme Card type is needed to
form their Draw Pile for the Round.
6. Only reveal 3 Device Boards in the first column. For the solo
game, there may never be more than 3 Device Boards in each • Round 1 = 4 Dice Schemes + 2 Worker Schemes
column. • Round 2 = 5 Dice Schemes + 2 Worker Schemes
• Round 3 = 5 Dice Schemes + 3 Worker Schemes
7. Give yourself the First Player Marker. • Round 4 = 6 Dice Schemes + 3 Worker Schemes

8. Carry out the “Start of Round” phase for your opponent (you Take the required number of Scheme Cards from each Reserve Pile.
still skip this in the first Round). Shuffle all these Scheme Cards together to form your opponent’s
Scheme Card Draw Pile for the Round.
26
xx
solo play
Opponent Turns Invent
On each of their turns, turn over the top Scheme Card from their Your opponent will use their number focus to Invent a particular
Draw Pile, and place it faceup into a Discard Pile. Each Scheme Device. If there is a Device Board available, turn over the top
Card has 2 options for your opponent. They will always try to do Device Card from the Draw Pile. If placing it would create at least
the top option first. If they cannot complete the top option, they will 1 Influence match, place it on that Device Board. If not, discard it
instead take the bottom option. Some options also have 2 possible and reveal a new Device Card. Keep doing this until there is at least
tasks that they might take. In those cases, they will attempt the left 1 match.
task before the right.
After placing the Device Card, your opponent gains 1 Influence for
For this Scheme, they would like to pay each match. Take the top Invention Tile from their Draw Pile and
3 Silver to Build. If they cannot do that place it on the Device. They ignore all other costs and effects that
for any reason, they will instead Test if players are usually concerned with.
possible, or gain 2 Silver (in that order).
Build
If any of these conditions are true, they will move on to the next They must first spend the indicated 3 or 4 Silver on the Scheme Card.
possible task: Your opponent will use their number focus to Build a previously
Invented Device. Turn over and move the Invention Tile as normal.
• They cannot afford the Silver or Influence cost of a task. If it was your Invention Tile, you still gain the effect. Place their
• They want to Invent, but there are already 3 Invented Devices, Influence on the Builder slot of the Device Board, and move it into
or they have already Invented 6 times. the highest possible row of the next column.
• They want to Build, but there are no Invented Devices, or there
are already 3 Built Devices. Test
• They want to Test, but there are no available Dice spaces on Your opponent will use their colour focus to decide what colour
Built and Published Devices. Die to place. If there are no spaces on Built and Published Devices
• They want to Publish, but there are no Built Devices. of that colour, they will look for their next colour preference. Use
• They want to place a Worker, but have none left to place. their number preference to determine which row they will place the
• They want to Research, but there are no spaces to add new coloured Die in. If there is 1 or more available space in that row,
Research Tiles. they will place it on the left-most Built or Published Device in that
row.
Many tasks will require your opponent to focus. This is done using
the numbers and colours down the left side of most Scheme Cards. Take the coloured Die from the Main Supply and roll it. Place it on
The numbers show their preference for focusing on a top, middle, the indicated Device Board (it does not matter if the rolled number
or bottom row. The card above shows their preference to be bottom was lower than other Dice on that Device Board). If the Die covers
(1), middle (2), then top (3). If all 3 options are unavailable, they an Influence icon, your opponent gains 1 Influence of that colour.
will move on to the next task on their Scheme card. The colours Move their Ship the indicated number of spaces, following the same
show their Dice preference when Testing Devices. movement rules as you would.

If they stop at a space with a Workshop Tile, place it

facedown in their Supply for end-game scoring. 27
solo play
If they stop at the last space of the River, take the top The other 3 Worker Scheme Cards
Workshop Tile there. If the Draw Pile has run out, take require them to place a Worker at
the right-most Workshop Tile from the River. If there are 1 of the 3 spaces to the right of
no Workshop Tiles remaining, they gain 2 Silver. the Guilds. They use their number
focus to place on the top, middle or
If they stop at the first space of a new River section, the carry out bottom space of the Main Board.
the following:
This will always cost them 1 of each Influence. Regardless of which
Without looking at it, shuffle the top Dice Scheme Card space they place on, they will carry out the effects at the top of the
from the Reserve Pile into their Draw Pile. Scheme Card (not those on the Main Board).

Without looking at it, shuffle the top Worker Scheme The Scheme Card shown above makes them shuffle the top Dice
Card from the Reserve Pile into their Draw Pile. Scheme Card from the Reserve Pile into their Draw Pile (much
like reaching the centre River section with their Ship). The other 2
Publish Worker Scheme Cards like this make them move their Ship 1 space
They must first spend the indicated 3 or 4 Silver on the Scheme Card. (following all the normal rules), or carry out a Research task.
Your opponent will use their number focus to Publish a previously
Built Device. If you were the Inventor, gain 1 Silver from the Main Important Rule: If your opponent takes the second option on any of
Supply. Place their Influence on the Publisher slot of the Device the 6 Worker Scheme Cards, they do not place a Worker.
Board, and move it into the highest possible row of the next column.
Do not slide other Built Devices up if spaces appear above them. Research
Note: Place Published Devices in columns of 3 Devices high. Once When Researching, they will only carry this out on spaces that are
there are 3 in a column, start a new column to the right. completely empty - no Workshop Tiles or Research Tile. They will
always prioritise spaces in the following order:
Important Rule: If you Publish a Device that your opponent Invented,
you must still pay 1 Silver to their Supply. 1. The left-most empty space within the River section where their
Ship rests, but not to the right of their Ship.
Worker Placement
Your opponent will only ever place a Worker when resolving the top 2. The left-most empty space in the River section to the left of the
option on a Worker Scheme Card. section where their Ship rests.

There are 3 Worker Scheme Cards that show the action below (1 for 3. The left-most empty space on the entire River, even if this is to
each Guild). In order to take this action, they must be able to place the right of their Ship.
a Worker below that coloured Guild. Their priority for placing in
these spaces is left, right, bottom. Regardless of which space they After selecting a space, place their Influence on the left Influence
use, they will always need to lose 2 Influence of that Guild’s colour. slot. Reveal the top Research Tile from that River section’s Draw
After doing so, they will carry out a Research task. pile, and place it faceup on that space. They ignore all icons on
Research Tiles.
28
xx
solo play solo play
Tenting Scoring
Your opponent will place their Tent when revealing the last Scheme Your opponent scores for the following:
Card from their Draw Pile. They will ignore the other options on
the Scheme Card, only looking at the Tent section along the bottom. 1. Guild Majorities
They score just as you would. Remember to consider opponent
The brown Tent icon shows where they want to place their Tent in Tents when calculating Guild Majorities. The Dummy player
reference to the 5 spaces of the Main Board. If that space is blocked, will also compete, as outlined on page 24.
they take the next space to the right, wrapping back around to the
left if needed. 2. Research Tiles
Each Influence along the River scores its printed amount.
The white Tent icon shows where they will place the Dummy
Player’s Tent if they Tent before you. 3. Workshop Tiles
They score 2VP per Workshop Tile they have collected. They
They can also Tent earlier than expected. If they take the ignore all printed VP on those Tiles.
1 bottom option on their second to last Scheme Card, they will
finish that action then immediately reveal their last Scheme 4. Invention Tiles
Card and place their Tent. They score 3VP per Invention Tile they have placed.

After Tenting, your opponent will simply gain 1 Silver on all future 5. Builder & Publisher Influence
turns that they take in the Round. They score just as you would (see point 7 on page 25).

End of Round 6. Built and Published Devices

The First Player Marker will move between you and your opponent They score 4VP per Influence they have on Device Boards.
based on who placed the left-most Tent each Round. When raising They ignore all scoring conditions on Device Cards.
their Tent, they will gain any Influence they cover. If they raise
their Tent on either of the right-most Tenting areas, they gain the 7. Remaining Silver
following bonus instead of gaining the Envoy or a Hired Camel: They gain 1VP per Silver remaining in their Supply.

• Envoy - Shuffle in 1 more Worker Scheme into their Draw Pile Increased Difficulty
next Round. There are a few ways to increase the difficulty. Try these if you want
a greater challenge:
• Hired Camel - Shuffle in 1 more Dice Scheme into their Draw
Pile next Round. 1. Give your opponent 3 additional Silver and 1 more of each
Influence during Setup.
Before proceeding into the next Round, shuffle all played Scheme
Cards back into their respective Reserve Piles. 2. Shuffle in 1 more Dice Scheme each Round.

3. Shuffle in 1 more Worker Scheme each Round.

29
Setup card - goals
When playing the 3 Round game, players each start with 1 of their Tents on the top space of their Setup Card. These provide goals that players
can achieve throughout the game. Goals must be achieved in order, from top to bottom. As soon as players achieve the next step, they move
their Tent down 1 space and resolve the immediate effect to the right.

If players achieve a lower goal first, they must still fulfill the higher goal before they can move their tent down to the lower space. This can
lead to players resolving 2-3 goals 1 after the other, all as a result of a single effect during the game.

For each of the 3 goals, players have the choice to fulfill it by some combination of Inventing, Building, or Publishing, or instead by
Researching within a specific River section.

Players place their Tent here during Setup.

Effect: They draw 1 Device Card to hand, and gain 1 Silver.

Goal: Invent, Build, or Publish twice (the same action twice), or Research once in the left River section.
Effect: Advance 1 space along the Royalties Track, and raise the level of any 1 Craftsperson.

Goal: Invent, Build, and Publish (all 3 at least once), or Research once in the centre River section.
Effect: Remove 1 Invention Tile from their Player Board. Resolve the printed effect on the Tile, then remove it
from the game. This may trigger revealed effects on the Player Board, but does not count as an Invention.

Goal: Invent, Build, or Publish 3 times, or Research once in the right River section. Note that the Invention
Tile that was removed on the previous goal does not count as 1 of the 3 possible Invents.
Effect: Raise the level of 3 Craftspeople (this may be the same Craftsperson multiple times).

30
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research tile reference
When gaining a Blue Die by When placing your Tent: Immediately: Brighten 4
any means: Draw 1 Device Gain 1 Influence Dice (or the same Dice
Card to hand and gain 1 multiple times)
Silver
When gaining an Orange When placing your Tent: Immediately: Flip your
Die by any means: Refresh Gain 2 Silver Hired Camel, making it
any 1 Craftsperson and gain available for this Round
1 Silver
When gaining a Charcoal When placing your Tent: Immediately: Gain 1 Die of
Die by any means: Draw 1 Brighten 2 Dice (or 1 Die any colour to your Study,
Device Card to hand, and twice) and swap a Die (see page 8)
refresh any 1 Craftsperson
When completing a column When placing your Tent: Immediately: Gain 1 of
of Workshop Tiles: Gain 1 Draw 2 Device Cards to each Influence, and 1 more
Influence and raise any 1 hand Influence of your choice
Craftsperson 1 level
When gaining a Workshop When placing your Tent: Immediately: Gain 1
Tile: Brighten 1 Die Gain 1 Die of any colour to Influence, and collect a
your Study Workshop Tile from your
Ship’s space or to its left
When Researching: Gain When placing your Tent: Immediately: Advance your
1 Silver (only for future Pay 1 Silver to return all Marker along the Royalties
Research) Dice from 1 Workshop to Track, then gain your
Exhausted Royalties
When advancing your When placing your Tent: Immediately: Raise the
Marker along the Royalties Pay any 1 Craftsperson to level of 2 Craftspeople (this
Track: Brighten 1 Die advance your Marker along may be the same 1 twice)
the Royalties Track
Dice on Camels: The sum When placing your Tent: Immediately: Move your
of all Dice being used is Refresh any 2 Craftspeople Ship 1 space following the
increased by 2 (a 7 would normal movement rules
be treated as a 9)
End of Round: All colorued When placing your Tent: Immediately: Refresh all
Dice on Camels are rolled Raise the level of any 1 your Craftspeople,
and return to Ready, rather Craftsperson and gain 2 Silver
than Exhausted 31
workshop tile reference
Pay your Tiler to gain a Pay your Carpenter to draw Pay any 1 Craftsperson to
Blue Die to your Study 1 Device Card to hand, and increase the value of the
gain 1 Influence of your Dice for this entire action
choice by up to 6
Pay your Chandler to gain Pay your Chandler to draw Increase the value of the
an Orange Die to your 2 Device Cards to hand Dice for this entire action
Study by up to 3

Pay your Blacksmith to Pay your Weaver to brighten Gain 3 Silver

gain a Charcoal Die to your 2 Dice (or 1 Die twice)
Study

Pay your Weaver to gain Pay your Carpenter to Gain 2 Silver

any coloured Die to your advance your Marker along
Study the Royalties Track

Pay your Carpenter to swap Pay your Scribe to Research Gain 2 Silver
a White Die with a coloured
Die from the Main Supply
(see page 8)
Pay your Tiler to gain 1 Pay your Scribe to refresh Gain 2 Silver
Blue Influence all your Craftspeople
(including your Scribe)

Pay your Chandler to gain 1 Pay your Weaver to raise Brighten 1 Die and gain 1
Orange Influence the level of 2 Craftspeople Silver
(this may be the same 1
twice, even the Weaver).
Pay your Blacksmith to gain Pay your Blacksmith to Increase 2 available Dice 1
1 Charcoal Influence move your Ship 1 space (or 1 Die twice), and gain 1
following the normal Silver
movement rules
Pay your Tiler to collect a Brighten 1 Die, increase 1
Workshop Tile from your available Die by 1, and gain
Ship’s space or to its left 1 Silver
32
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workshop tile reference
Gain 1 Blue Influence Advance your Marker along Gain 1 Silver, and refresh
the Royalties Track any 1 Craftsperson

Gain 1 Orange Influence Collect a Workshop Tile Draw 1 Device Card to

from your Ship’s space or to hand, and refresh any 1
its left Craftsperson

Gain 1 Charcoal Influence Lose any 1 Influence to Brighten 1 Die, and refresh
move your Ship 1 space any 1 Craftsperson
following the normal
movement rules
Draw 2 Device Cards to Lose any 1 Influence to End of Round: All Dice in
hand Research this Workshop are rolled
and return to Ready, rather
than Exhausted
Raise the level of any 1 End of Round: All Dice in End of Round: All Dice in
Craftsperson by 1 this Workshop are rolled this Workshop are rolled
and return to Determined, and return to Ready, rather
rather than Exhausted than Exhausted
Refresh any 2 Craftspeople End of Round: All Dice in End of Round: All Dice in
this Workshop are rolled this Workshop are rolled
and return to Determined, and return to Ready, rather
rather than Exhausted than Exhausted
This Workshop has the Blue End of Round: All Dice in
colour for all Workshop this Workshop are rolled
Tiles that require it and return to Determined,
rather than Exhausted
This Workshop has the Important Reminders:
Orange colour for all • Only Dice in Ready, Determined, and Inspired are considered “available”.
Workshop Tiles that require • Paying Craftspeople always raises them up 1 level and turns them Inactive.
it • Craftspeople can be used to activate Workshop Tile abilities, even if their
This Workshop has the effects cannot be resolved.
Charcoal colour for all • Players can resolve their Workshop Tiles in any chosen order.
Workshop Tiles that require • If the Dice being used to activate a Workshop are removed mid-turn, no
it further Workshop Tiles in that row may be used. 33
device card reference
NAME SCORES FOR NAME SCORES FOR

Astrolabe Your collected Workshop Tiles that require Drum The Tower level of your Scribe
Orange
Eyeglasses Devices you have Built
Basin Your Research Tiles from the left River section
Flask Your Research Tiles from the right River
Basket Devices that you have both Invented and Built section

Beacon Position of your Royalties Marker Flute The Tower level of your Weaver

Beaker Each row on your Player Board where you Fountain Devices that you have both Built and
have removed 2 or more Invention Tiles Published

Boat Each set of 3 different Influence (including Funnel The Tower level of your highest Craftsperson
Influence from Tents)
Glider The number of unique Tent areas where you
Bookshelf The Tower level of your Tiler have Tents (if playing the 3 Round game, your
Setup Card counts as a Tent area)
Bowl The Tower level of your lowest Craftsperson
Goblet The number of White Dice you own
Chair Devices you have Published
Grab Your Charcoal Influence (including Influence
Clock Each set of 3 different coloured Dice you own from Tents)

Compass Your collected Workshop Tiles that have Helmet Each pair of 1 collected Workshop Tile and 1
no colour requirements (starting abilities of refreshed Craftsperson
Workshops do not count)
Hourglass Your Blue Influence (including Influence from
Crane The number of Charcoal Dice you own Tents)

Dial Each pair of 1 Charcoal Die and 1 Blue Die Lamp Each set of 3 Research from different River
that you own sections

Door Each pair of 1 Orange Die and 1 Charcoal Die Lantern Each set of 1 Research and 1 refreshed
that you own Craftsperson

Lens The Tower level of your Blacksmith

34
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device card reference
NAME SCORES FOR NAME SCORES FOR

Mill Your collected Workshop Tiles that require Toy How many spaces your Ship has moved
Blue 12 = The first space of the right section
17 = The last space of the River
Needle Devices that you have both Invented and
Published Vase Your Research Tiles from the centre River
section
Pinhole The number of Orange Dice you own
Camera Wheel Each completed column of Workshop Tiles on
your Player Board
Pump Each Workshop row where you have 4 or more
Workshop Tiles

Puzzle The number of Blue Dice you own pass tile reference
Reed Pen The Tower level of your Chandler
The icons for most Pass Tiles can be found on the next page. This
Sail Each column on your Player Board where you particular Pass Tile may require more clarification:
have removed both Invention Tiles

Saw Your Orange Influence (including Influence

from Tents)

Scales Each individual Device Board where you are This allows you to either:
either the Inventor, Builder, or Publisher
• Collect a Workshop Tile from your Ship’s space or from a space
Statue Each pair of 1 Blue Die and 1 Orange Die that to its left along the River, or
you own
• Discard 1 Device Card to advance your Ship 1 space along the
Table The Tower level of your Carpenter River (following normal movement rules).

Telescope Your collected Workshop Tiles that require

Charcoal

Torch Each pair of 1 Workshop Tile and 1 Research

Tile

35
iconography
Blue Die Inspired: Research Royalties
(Merchant) Increase by up to 5
Ongoing Research Gain Royalties
Orange Die Determined:
(Scientist) May increase by 1 Tent Research Invent
Charcoal Die Ready
(Builder) Immediate Research Build
Exhausted
Swap a Die Workshop Tile Test
(see page 8)
Move Workshop
Dice to Exhausted Workshop Tile at Publish
White Die
Ship’s space or to its
Remove a Die Workshop left Any Craftsperson

Gain a White Die Camel Refresh any

Draw a Device Card
to Ready Craftsperson
Unlock 3rd Camel
Gain a coloured Discard a Device
Refresh all
Die to Determined Hire Camel Card
Craftspeople
Gain a Blue Die in Blue Influence
the Study Worker Use a Craftsperson

Gain a Orange Die Orange Influence Raise the level of 1

Retrieve a Worker
in the Study Craftsperson
Charcoal Influence
Gain a Charcoal Unlock 3rd Worker
Scribe
Die in the Study Lose Blue Influence
Gain Envoy Chandler
Gain a Coloured
Die in the Study Lose Orange
Start of Round Influence Weaver
Testing Die
End of Round Lose Charcoal Tiler
Brighten a Die Influence
Increase an Tent Blacksmith
available Die by 1 Any Influence
Carpenter
Study Victory Points
Ship / Move Ship