Wayfarers of the South Tigris

Wayfarers of the South Tigris initially left me with a very positive impression: it clearly follows the familiar Garphill pattern, but with tableau building and a strong sense of progression and racing. It is charming, feelgood, and thoroughly enjoyable, while at certain moments it burns my brain in the right, honest way.

At its core, I build my tableau and advance my development through different paths. The first read can look a little intimidating, but once it reaches the table the flow becomes very smooth. The mechanisms fit together beautifully and, thankfully, do not feel like disconnected cogs: they connect thematically too.

Progression does not feel equally controllable on every path, though. Some depend more on RNG than others, so there is an element of luck that can affect how my attempt unfolds. As for interaction, I did not find much to chew on: in the second game my opponents passed countless times, I was allowed to send my score through the roof, and the game showed just how easily it can become multiplayer solitaire.

Although I had a good time on both visits, I do not find it as satisfying as Architects or Paladins. It is a very positive start to the new trilogy, but it is not one I would readily suggest replaying unless someone specifically wanted to see it.

Updated session

The second play did not reverse the positive first impression; it remained pleasant and feelgood. It did make clear to me, however, that with so little interaction, the experience wears thin faster for me and my desire to replay it immediately drops noticeably.