Tigris & Euphrates

1997

In Tigris & Euphrates, strategize to build civilizations, manage conflicts, and balance your leadership roles. Experience an ancient world with the unique ziggurat expansion.

120
minutes

2 - 4
player(s)

14+

Medium Heavy

About the game

‘Tigris & Euphrates’ is a highly immersive and strategic board game. Set in the ancient fertile crescent, between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, it invites players to lead their own civilizations through three ages of development. The game elegantly combines elements of strategy, competition, and cooperation.

The core theme of the game revolves around the balancing of power. Each player controls four leaders: the King, the Priest, the Farmer, and the Trader. These leaders symbolize the key areas of city life: politics, religion, agriculture, and commerce, respectively.

Game components Unboxing the fun!

‘Tigris & Euphrates’ is a strategic board game that involves constructing and expanding civilizations through tile placement. It includes a variety of components, each with its own purpose and interaction with the game:

1. Game Board: The main component of the game is the game board, which is a map of the area between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. It is divided into a grid where players can place their tiles to build and expand their civilizations.

2. Tiles: The game includes four types of tiles, each representing a different aspect of civilization: temples (red), markets (green), farms (blue), and settlements (black). Players use these tiles to construct their civilizations on the game board.

3. Civilizations: Each player receives a set of civilization components, consisting of 16 tiles (four each of the four types), and four leaders: the King (black), the Farmer (blue), the Trader (green), and the Priest (red). These leaders are placed on the game board and used to control the tiles and score points.

4. Disasters: There are also ten disaster tiles which can be used to destroy a tile on the board. This can disrupt other players’ plans and provide strategic advantages.

5. Monuments: There are six monument pieces, which are built by combining two tiles of the same type. Monuments provide a steady stream of points to the player who controls them.

6. Point Cubes: The game includes a large number of point cubes in four colors (red, green, blue, and black), which are used to keep track of players’ scores. Players earn points in the color of the tiles they control or the monuments they build.

7. Treasure Tokens: There are also ten treasure tokens on the board. These provide extra points to the player who collects them.

8. Bag: All tiles are kept in a cloth bag and drawn randomly when required.

All these components interact to create a dynamic and strategic game, where players must carefully balance their use of tiles, leaders, disasters, and monuments to build the most successful civilization and score the most points.

Players'turn One turn to rule them all

In the board game ‘Tigris & Euphrates’, a player’s turn consists of up to two actions. These actions can be the same or different, and are chosen from four possibilities: placing a leader, placing a tile, placing a catastrophe tile, or making a monument. Understanding these actions and their strategic implications is key to mastering the game.

1. Placing a Leader

Placing a leader involves placing one of the four leader tiles on the board. This is one of the most important actions, as it determines the player’s influence over the different civilizations. The leaders are represented by four colors, each corresponding to a different aspect of civilization: black for kings, red for priests, green for traders, and blue for farmers.

Leaders are placed on the intersection of four squares and must be adjacent to a temple (red tile). Leaders can also be moved during the game, which can lead to conflicts with other leaders.

2. Placing a Tile

Placing a tile is the most common action. It involves placing one of the colored tiles from your hand onto the board. The color of the tile must match the color of one of your leaders on the board. Placing a tile can also result in internal or external conflicts, which are resolved immediately.

3. Placing a Catastrophe Tile

Placing a catastrophe tile allows a player to disrupt the board in some way. A player can place a catastrophe tile on an existing tile or on an empty space. When placed on an existing tile, the catastrophe destroys that tile and any leaders that were connected to it. Catastrophe tiles cannot be removed or replaced.

4. Making a Monument

Making a monument involves replacing four tiles of the same color in a 2×2 square with a monument of that color. Monuments provide ongoing benefits to the player who controls the corresponding leader, making them a valuable strategic target.

The strategic choices in ‘Tigris & Euphrates’ revolve around managing these actions to score points in the four different colors, while also dealing with the actions of the other players. Remember, the player’s final score is determined by their weakest category, so a balanced strategy is often the best approach.

End of the game All good games must come to an end

Tigris & Euphrates is a strategy board game in which players aim to establish dynasties in ancient Mesopotamia. The game ends under two specific conditions:

When all ten catastrophe tiles have been placed on the board.
When there are no more tiles left in the bag from which players draw their tiles.

In both cases, the current round is played to the end, ensuring that all players get an equal number of turns. Once the game ends, the final scoring takes place.

Before final scoring, players must take the following actions:

Remove any remaining tiles from their hand. These will not count towards the final score.

Count the number of victory points in each of the four colors: red, blue, green, and black. These points are represented by cubes or tokens of the corresponding color, earned throughout the game.

Victory Conditions:

The player with the most balanced civilization wins the game. This means that the player’s final score is determined by the color category in which they have the fewest victory points. If there is a tie for the fewest points in a color, then the player with the most total victory points wins. If there is still a tie, then the player with the most treasures wins.

Treasures are special tiles that players can collect during the game. They serve two purposes: they can be traded in for a victory point of any color, and they can break ties at the end of the game.

In summary, the game of Tigris & Euphrates is not just about gathering the most points, but about maintaining a balanced development across all four color categories.

Scoring Did you outsmart your rivals?

‘Tigris & Euphrates’ is a strategic board game where players aim to build and expand civilizations through four different types of leaders: Priests, Farmers, Traders, and Kings. The scoring system is based on the accumulation of victory points in each of these four categories.

Scoring points:

Monuments: Players can earn points by placing a monument on the board. Monuments earn one point per round for the two categories they represent.
Conflicts: Players can also earn points through conflicts, which can be either internal (revolutions) or external (wars). The winner of a conflict receives points in the category of the defeated leader.
Treasures: Treasures are collected by leaders and each treasure counts as one point in the player’s weakest category at the end of the game.

Tie-breaking rules:

In the event of a tie at the end of the game, the following rules are applied:

The player with the most points in their weakest category wins.
If there is still a tie, the player with the most total points wins.
If there is still a tie, the player with the most treasures wins.
If there is still a tie, the player who was the starting player wins.

It’s important to note that in ‘Tigris & Euphrates’, balancing your strengths across all categories is crucial. A player’s final score is determined by the category in which they have the fewest points, encouraging a balanced civilization that excels in all areas.

Particular Cases and Exceptions Wait… is that legal?

Tigris & Euphrates is a highly strategic board game with a few rare rules and exceptions. Here are some of the most important ones to keep in mind:

1. Tile Placement:
While the general rule is to place tiles adjacent to other tiles or monuments, there is a rare exception when placing tiles on the river squares. Tiles can be placed on the river squares without needing to be adjacent to another tile or monument.

2. Leader Placement:
Leaders can only be placed adjacent to temples, with the exception of the first round of the game when leaders can be placed on any square. Also, importantly, leaders can’t be placed in kingdoms where there is already another leader of the same color.

3. Conflicts:
There are two types of conflicts in Tigris & Euphrates – internal and external. An internal conflict is triggered when a leader is placed in a kingdom with another leader of the same color. An external conflict occurs when two separate kingdoms are connected by tile placement. Understanding the difference is crucial as the rules and consequences for each conflict type are different.

4. Monuments:
Monuments can be built using four tiles of the same color, but they cannot be destroyed or replaced once they are built. They continue to supply points to the leaders in the kingdom for the rest of the game.

5. The End of the Game:
There are two rare ways the game can end apart from the standard depletion of two tile stacks. The game can end if all ten monuments have been built or if a player uses all of their victory point cubes. In these cases, the game ends immediately, and points are counted as usual.

6. Scoring:
The unique scoring system in Tigris & Euphrates counts a player’s lowest-scoring color, not their highest. This means that a balanced strategy across all four colors is necessary for victory.

Understanding these special rules and exceptions is key to mastering the game of Tigris & Euphrates.

Tips and tricks Play smarter, not harder!

Advanced Strategies:

In Tigris & Euphrates, it’s crucial to maintain a balance among your four leaders. Always aim to have each leader collect an equal number of points to keep a level playing field. Remember, your final score is determined by your weakest link.
Try to avoid conflicts unless you are sure you can win. Conflicts can cost you valuable resources and can potentially strengthen your opponents.
Use monuments to your advantage. Building monuments can provide a consistent source of points every turn, but be aware that they can be exploited by other players’ leaders.

Beginner Tips:

Start by placing your leaders in different regions. This allows you to gain points from multiple areas on the board, increasing your chances of scoring in each category.
Don’t ignore the power of the tiles. They can be used to instigate or prevent conflicts, form and break kingdoms, and build monuments.
Try to understand the basic principles of internal and external conflicts and how they can change the game dynamics.

Common Mistakes to Avoid:

Ignoring one of your leaders: Neglecting one leader can severely limit your scoring potential. Aim to balance the development of your leaders.
Engaging in unnecessary conflicts: While conflicts may seem like a shortcut to gaining points, they often result in wasted resources and potential backlash from other players.
Overbuilding monuments: While monuments are beneficial, building too many can paint a target on your back and attract unwanted attention from other players.

Ways to Optimize Gameplay:

Plan your moves carefully: Always have a plan for your tiles and try to anticipate your opponents’ moves. This can help you make strategic decisions and avoid unnecessary conflicts.
Stay flexible: Adapt your strategy based on the state of the board and the actions of other players. Don’t stick rigidly to one plan.
Use your tiles wisely: Tiles are a valuable resource. Use them strategically to gain points, instigate conflicts and control the board.