
- BGG rank
- BGG #1,418
- BGG rating
- 7.9
Inventors of the South Tigris
- 1–4 players
- 90–120 min
- Complexity 4.5/5
- 2024

Rules assistance for Scholars of the South Tigris: Body of Books
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.

What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Scholars of the South Tigris: Body of Books is an expansion for Scholars of the South Tigris released in 2025 for 1–4 players, 60–90 minutes per game, and ages 13 and up. It was designed by Shem Phillips and S J Macdonald and its main mechanics are Hand Management, Dice Rolling, and Area Majority / Influence.
In Scholars of the South Tigris: Body of Books, the Caliph has called for a greater focus towards the study of medicine. Doctors from near and far bring books and scrolls, wishing to share their latest discoveries. With this recent influx of knowledge and understanding, there seems no better time to start publishing our latest findings across all fields of science. Body of Books introduces a new black Medicine Research Track, black Dice, and the concept of publishing books. The expansion brings in more of a focus towards engine building and creating interesting combinations of retired translators and published works. —description from the designer
Scholars of the South Tigris: Body of Books supports 1–4 players according to the catalogue. This range comes from the publisher’s listed player count, so the game can be set up for any group size within it. Some setups, rules and scoring details may still vary by player count, so check your edition’s rulebook for the exact configuration.
The listed playing time for Scholars of the South Tigris: Body of Books is 60–90 minutes. This is the publisher’s estimate for a full game. The actual duration depends on the group, the player count and familiarity with the rules: first sessions usually run longer, while experienced groups often finish faster. Setup and teaching time are not included in this estimate.
The catalogue lists Scholars of the South Tigris: Body of Books for ages 13 and up. This is the publisher’s recommendation and reflects reading demands, rule complexity and small components rather than theme alone. Younger players can often join with help from an adult, so check the age guidance on your edition and consider your group’s experience with board games.
Scholars of the South Tigris: Body of Books has a complexity rating of 4.0 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a heavy game. The rating reflects how much rules knowledge, planning and decision-making a typical game demands. Expect a longer first teach for heavier games, and use a preparation guide before game night.
Scholars of the South Tigris: Body of Books belongs to these categories: Medieval, Arabian, and Expansion for Base-game. Its main mechanics are Hand Management, Dice Rolling, and Area Majority / Influence. Categories describe the theme and setting of a game, while mechanics describe what players actually do on their turns. Each mechanic links to a catalogue hub with similar games, which helps when you want something comparable.
The credited designers of Scholars of the South Tigris: Body of Books are: Shem Phillips and S J Macdonald. These credits come from the published game data and name the people responsible for the game’s design, not its illustrators or publishers. Designer pages on MeepleRules collect other titles by the same designers, which helps when you enjoy a game and want to find similar ones.
The catalogue lists Scholars of the South Tigris: Body of Books as an expansion for Scholars of the South Tigris. Expansions add new content, rules or scenarios to the base game and usually cannot be played on their own, so you need Scholars of the South Tigris to use it. Check that your edition of Scholars of the South Tigris is compatible, as some expansions were revised between editions.