BoardGamesBot

game design - shem phillips & s j macdonald
illustration - mihajlo dimitrievski
graphic design & layouts - shem phillips

copyright 2025 garphill games
www.garphill.com

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introduction
In Wayfarers of the South Tigris: Tides of Trade, new opportunities for commerce have opened up beyond
Mesopotamia. We must document new lands, establish trading posts, and oversee a greater increase in advanced
technologies for the work ahead.
components
35 Various Cards
(Marked with a )
6 Trader Tiles
4 Hourglass Tiles
32 Red Worker
Upgrade Tiles
(16 Tops and 16
Bottoms)
1 Pink Upgrade
Tile
4 Player Board
Extensions
Cards Included: 1 Scheme, 8 Water, 3 Space, 8 Land, 2 Inspiration, 13 Townsfolk (including 10 Overseers).
2 Double-sided Main Board
Extensions

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setup
Set up Wayfarers of the South Tigris as described in the original rulebook, with the
following changes:
1. Place the 2 Main Board Extensions side by side at the left end of the original
Main Board Sections. Use either side of each Extension for variety between
plays.
2. Shuffle all new Cards into their respective piles. The 10 Overseer Cards are a
new type of Townsfolk Card, which will be explained in detail later. For now,
shuffle these in with all the other Townsfolk Cards.
3. Place the Trader Tiles onto the matching spaces of the Main Board Extensions.
With 3-4 players, include the 2 duplicate Tiles. Stack each matching pair onto
their respective space. With fewer players, return the duplicates to the box (use
only 1 of each unique Trader Tile).
4. Separate the Worker Upgrade Tiles by type (A = Tops / B = Bottoms), shuffling
each set separately. Create 4 stacks of Tops, and 4 stacks of Bottoms. The number
of Tiles in each stack should be equal to the number of players in the game.
For example, in a game with 3 players, there should be 3 Upgrade Tiles in each
stack.
Place each stack faceup onto 1 of the corresponding A or B spaces of the Main
Board Extensions. Return all other Worker Upgrade Tiles to the box. Notice
how the Tops and Bottoms should line up, like 2 halves of a single domino.
5. Place the new Pink Upgrade Tile onto its space of the Main Board Extension.
6. Give each player 1 Player Board Extension and 1 Hourglass Tile. They should
place their Extension to the left of their Player Board, and keep their Hourglass
Tile nearby with its empty side faceup.
3

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4
Red Influence
Players can now gain and spend Red Influence. This works just like Influence of the original 3 colours. Red
Influence is kept on the new Red Minaret illustration of the Main Board Extensions.
This icon still only allows players to gain either Black, Yellow, or Blue Influence. Not Red!
This icon allows players to move Influence from Black, Yellow, or Blue to any other Guild, including to Red.
This will be one of the main ways for players to increase their Influence in the Red Guild.
The player who has the most Red Influence at the game’s end will score 5VP.
As with the original Guilds, players can only use the ability of the Red Guild once per
turn. This ability allows players to spend 1 Red Influence in place of spending 1 Influence
of a different colour (only once!). They can even use this ability if they have no Influence
of the other colour.
For example, a player could spend 1 Red Influence as if it were Black when journaling to
move 1 additional space on the Main Board (using the Black Guild’s ability).
As another example, a player could spend 1 Blue Influence and 1 Red Influence (as if it were Blue) when acquiring
a Water Upgrade Tile.
Each player has 1 Market Icon on their Player Board Extension. This is only referenced by the 10 Overseer
Cards in the Townsfolk Draw Pile. This is the only area where Overseer Cards can be tucked beneath.
Trading Posts are featured on some Land Cards and Water Cards, and on the Player Board Extensions.
They are also referenced for scoring on some Space Cards and Inspiration Cards. These have a very similar
function and presence in the game to Observatory and Library Tags. There is a new Pink Upgrade Tile
featuring a Trading Post, available to players when they would gain a Pink Upgrade Tile.
New tags

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5
Tides of Trade brings in a new use for Card Influence. Any time players would gain Card Influence, they can
either place Influence on a Card following the original rules, or instead, place it on the large black Ink Well
illustration of the Main Board Extensions.
As with Guild Influence, players can spend Card Influence from the Ink Well (not from Cards) for a chosen ability.
There are 4 abilities available. Players can only use 1 effect per turn, and only once:
• Spend 1 Card Influence, along with 1 Silver to spend 1 fewer Provision.
• Spend 1 Card Influence, along with 1 Provision to spend 1 fewer Silver.
• When placing a Die, spend 2 Card Influence to act as if that Die had 1 Pigeon, 1
Camel, and 1 Telescope.
• Spend 3 Card Influence to either Capture 1 Worker, or gain 1 Red Influence.
Alternative Rules
Before starting the game, players should decide as a group which Card Influence rules to use:
1. The new rules alongside the original rules.
2. Just the new rules: Players no longer place Influence onto Cards.
3. Just the original rules: Players do not place Influence on the Ink Well, or use its abilities.
Card influence

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player board extension
6
Each player has a new Player Board Extension.
Along the top are 2 new scoring reminders: Players score 3VP for each complete
set they have consisting of 1 Observatory, 1 Library, and 1 Trading Post. Players
also score 1VP for each 2x2 square in their Caravan covered by Upgrade Tiles.
This area is not a Space Card, and therefore an Inspiration Card cannot be placed
above it to double any of the scoring effects mentioned above.
In the middle is a new Caravan area for Worker Upgrade Tiles. This is a 3x2 grid
providing space for 1 Worker Upgrade Tile pair (Top and Bottom parts) below each
Worker colour.
The bottom half features the Market. While this is not a City or Vista, it is still
considered a Land Card for effects that would reference Land Cards.
In the middle of the Market is room for housing a single Trader Tile.
Along the very bottom is a new Dice placement space. A Die of any value can be
placed here as an action. This action allows players to either Employ a Trader, or
Acquire a Worker Upgrade Tile.
Players can also tuck 1 Overseer Townsfolk beneath their Market. This
will provide them with a special ability when they Rest, so long as they
have a Trader Tile on their Market at that time.
Important Rule: After resting, players must always return any Trader Tile from
their Market, back to the matching space of the Main Board Extensions.
All effects from tucked Overseers should already be familiar from other areas of
the game.

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7
Any time players gain the ability to Employ a Trader, they may select 1 Trader Tile from those currently
available on the Main Board Extensions.
After selecting a Trader Tile, players must pay any costs before resolving any other effects. After resolving all
effects, the Trader Tile must be placed onto the player’s Market. If they already had a Trader Tile there, that Tile must
immediately be returned to the matching space of the Main Board Extensions.
Side A: Spend 2 Red Influence to acquire a Space Card with a 3-Silver discount, or acquire an
Inspiration Card.

Side B: Spend 2 Red Influence to acquire a Basic, Space, Land or Water Upgrade Tile with a
3-Silver discount, and gain 1 Card Influence.
Side A: Spend 2 Red Influence to acquire a Land Card.

Side B: Spend 2 Red Influence to acquire a Water Card.
Side A: Spend 1 Red Influence to gain 2 Provisions and Refresh 1 Die.

Side B: Spend 1 Red Influence to gain 2 Silver and acquire a Townsfolk Card, paying any usual
costs.
Side A: Gain 1 Red Influence and acquire a Basic Upgrade Tile, paying the usual costs.
Side B: Gain 1 Red Influence and move 1 Influence.
Employing a trader

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8
acquiring worker upgrade tiles
When acquiring Worker Upgrade Tiles, players must first pay the cost. This is always either 3 Silver or 2
Red Influence.
Each Worker Upgrade Tile is made up of 2 parts (Top and Bottom). These parts were randomized and pieced
together during Setup. While they are 2 separate parts, together they are considered just 1 Upgrade Tile for all intents
and purposes. After paying the cost to acquire a Worker Upgrade Tile, players must select 1 of the pairs from those
available on the Main Board Extensions.

Worker Upgrade Tiles can only be placed onto the new Caravan area of Player Board Extensions. No other Upgrade
Tiles may be placed in this Caravan. When placing a Worker Upgrade Tile, players gain the benefit of any icons
covered (1 Red Influence or Retrieve a Worker).
From now on, whenever players place the coloured Worker shown above a Worker Upgrade Tile, they may resolve
any effects on the Tile in addition to the effects of where they placed the Worker. All these effects may be resolved
in any order.
In the above example, this player has placed a Worker Upgrade Tile beneath their Yellow Worker space. This
immediately gained them 1 Red Influence. When they place Yellow Workers in the future, they will also be able to
gain 1 Yellow Influence and 1 Provision.
Acquiring a Worker Upgrade Tile will usually reveal a new pairing of Tiles below. If a stack runs out of Tiles, it
remains empty for the rest of the game.
This icon includes Worker Upgrade Tiles,
despite not showing the red colour.
This icon does not include Worker
Upgrade Tiles.

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Upgrade Tiles like this have both a cost and an effect. The cost must be paid before resolving the effect. Card Influence for this left Tile can be removed from the Ink Well or from a Card. These Upgrade Tiles provide some Dice manipulation, such as altering Dice values or Refreshing a Die.
Some Upgrade Tiles provide simple immediate effects, such as gaining Silver, Card Influence, Guild Influence, acquiring Basic Upgrade Tiles, and more.
Tags and VP can also be found on Worker Upgrade Tiles. These function just like those found on other Upgrade Tiles.
This particular Upgrade Tile allows players to ignore all other Workers on a Card when placing Workers of the coloured tied to this Tile. In other words, they can never be blocked.
worker upgrade tile effects
When acquiring a Townsfolk Card, players have a new option if there are any Overseers above the Main Board.
Rather than acquiring an Overseer to tuck below their Market, players can instead dismiss them to resolve the effects shown in the top-right corner of the Card. Note that this still costs 3 Silver, as shown on each Overseer Card.
Dismissed Overseers should be returned to the game box.
All effects from dismissing Overseers should already be familiar from other areas of the game.
dismissing overseers
9

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10
hourglass tiles
Each player has 1 Hourglass Tile to aid them when they Journal.
Empty Side:
If players cannot advance forward when Journaling (or choose not), they may flip their empty Hourglass to its full side. However, this can only be from resolving their first and only movement. They cannot flip their Hourglass if using the Black Guild to move an additional space.
Full Side:
While on its full side, players can flip their Hourglass Tile back to its empty side in order to reduce the requirement on an ink splotch by 1 when Journaling. This can be to either lower the printed number by 1, or to prevent spending 1 Influence in cases where Influence must be spent. Full Hourglasses are also worth 2VP at the game’s end.
new actions & effects
Capturing Workers
This can either be resolved like a normal Worker Retrieval (taking a Worker from a Card around the Main Board), or it can be used to take a Worker from an opponent’s personal supply. To take a Worker from an opponent’s personal supply, players must pay that opponent either 1 Silver or 1 Provision.
Some Cities and Harbours have an Influence cost. Dice of any value can be placed here, but players must spend the required Influence before resolving any of the Card’s effects. If a tucked Townsfolk Card can provide the required Influence, they may be activated as the Dice is placed (much like how some Townsfolk can provide Assets for Cities and Harbours).
This effect allows players to immediately Capture a Worker, and then place and resolve any Worker from their supply following the normal rules.

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In addition to the original scoring, players also score for the following:
1. Secondary Land and Water Tags
3VP for each complete set of 1 Observatory, 1 Library, and 1 Trading Post.
Remember to also count any Tags in the Caravans.
2. 1VP per 2x2 filled square in the Caravans
Each Upgrade Tile may be used to help complete multiple squares.
The maximum scoring for the Worker Caravan is 2VP.
The maximum scoring for the Dice Caravan is 8VP.
Also be sure to count any VP on Worker Upgrade Tiles when scoring the Caravans.
3. 2VP for having a Full Hourglass
4. 5VP to the player with the most Influence in the Red Guild
The player above would score a total of 4VP from the 2x2 filled squares in their Caravans, as seen outlined in white.
scoring

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12
solo play
Setup
Shuffle the new Scheme Card into the Scheme Card Draw Pile. Do not give your opponent a Player Board Extension or Hourglass Tile. There should be 2 Worker Upgrade Tiles per stack, and only 1 of each Trader Tile.
New Scheme Card
If the AI can spend 2 Red Influence, they will do so to gain 1 Inspiration Card. If they do not have the Influence to spend, they will instead gain 1 Worker Upgrade Tile, and 3 Red Influence. Regardless of which effect they resolved, they will immediately turn over another Scheme Card and resolve that as normal. There is an icon at the bottom of this Scheme Card as a reminder.
Acquiring Worker Upgrade Tiles
The AI will use the same priority rules as for when they acquire Basic (green) Upgrade Tiles. For example, a sum of 4 would target the left-most stack of Worker Upgrade Tiles. They place their Upgrade Tiles on their Caravan as they would any other Upgrade Tile.
Trader Tiles
The AI does not interact with Trader Tiles. However, whenever you would return a Trader Tile, place it below the Main Board Extensions. This Tile is no longer available. Once there are 2 Trader Tiles below the Main Board Extensions, immediately return all those below to their matching spaces, making them available again.
Card Influence
The AI only uses the original Card Influence rules. It does not place Influence on the Ink Well.
Scoring
The AI does not have any additional scoring steps from the original game, aside from potentially controlling the Red Guild for 5VP.
Pink Upgrade Tile
The AI can collect the new Pink Upgrade Tile if looking clockwise from the bottom row.

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