Step back into 1739, an era where scientific curiosity was at its peak! In Encyclopedia, you take on the role of an ambitious naturalist hired by the Comte de Buffon. Your mission? Help create the world's first great encyclopedia of natural history. To achieve this, you'll need courage, organization, and a bit of luck (or a solid strategy to mitigate it) with your dice.

The game employs a clever dice-based worker placement system. At the start of each round, you roll your dice and arrange them on your player board. The color and value of each die determine your available actions: need funds? Visit the Bank. Need contacts? Head to the Embassy. Want to assemble an elite research team? The University is the place to be. Once prepared, you set off on expeditions to observe fascinating creatures in their natural habitats and eventually publish your findings to earn glory and victory points.

The real highlight is how the game handles randomness. If you roll a poor number, there's no need to panic. There are several ways to modify the color or value of your dice using tokens. Even more interesting: you can 'borrow' a die from another player's board! It costs you nothing, but the owner of the die receives a bonus, creating an intriguing dynamic of involuntary favors. With stunning artwork and mechanics that blend seamlessly with the theme, Encyclopedia is an expert-level game offering multiple paths to victory, rewarding those who plan long-term and build the best animal collections. If you enjoy management games with a touch of exploration and want to feel like an 18th-century scientist, this is the title for you.