# Tigris & Euphrates

Tigris & Euphrates is a board game for 2–4 players. It plays in 60–120 minutes and is meant for ages 14 and up. Ludoya players call it best with 4. It is rated 6.2 out of 10 by 80 Ludoya reviewers.

- **Players:** 2–4 (best with 4)
- **Playing time:** 60–120 minutes
- **Minimum age:** 14+
- **Complexity:** 3.5 out of 5
- **Year published:** 1997
- **Categories:** Territory Building, Civilization, Abstract Strategy, Ancient
- **Mechanics:** Income, Chaining, Tile Placement, Hand Management, Take That, Area Majority / Influence, Set Collection, Highest-Lowest Scoring, Connections, Force Commitment, Square Grid, Hidden Victory Points
- **Ludoya rating:** 6.2 out of 10, from 80 reviews
- **Owned by:** 122 Ludoya players
- **Plays logged on Ludoya:** 374
- **Unique players:** 402

**Designers:** Reiner Knizia

**Artists:** Stephen Graham Walsh, Ricarda Thiel, Tom Thiel, Ian O'Toole, Bascu, Doris Matthäus, Christine Conrad

**Publishers:** Hans im Glück

## Expansions

- [Euphrat & Tigris: Die Zikkurat](https://www.ludoya.com/games/euphrat-and-tigris-die-zikkurat)

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## Rules questions

### Can I place a leader on any empty space—including river spaces—or place one so it unites kingdoms?

No. A leader must be placed on an empty land space adjacent to a temple, cannot be placed on a river space, and may not be placed so as to unite kingdoms (leaders can be repositioned or withdrawn under other rules) (page 6).

### What exactly happens when I play a catastrophe tile on an existing tile or an empty space?

A catastrophe permanently blocks that space and may be placed on an empty space or on top of an existing tile (removing that tile), but it cannot be played on a tile bearing a treasure or monument or on a leader; if it removes the last temple adjacent to a leader, that leader is immediately withdrawn (page 7).

### How do revolts work—how is strength counted and who wins ties?

In a revolt the attacker and defender count temples adjacent to their conflicting leaders, then attacker then defender may each once commit extra temple tiles from hand; highest total wins and the defender wins ties; the loser withdraws his leader, the winner gains one amulet, and all committed temples are removed from the game (page 8).

### How are wars resolved and how do you get victory points from them?

For a war count each side’s supporters (connected tiles of the leader’s color) and then attacker then defender may commit matching-color tiles from hand; the higher total wins and the defender wins ties; the loser removes his leader and all supporters, and the victor gains one victory point for the withdrawn leader plus one for each supporter removed (committed tiles do not score) (pages 9–10).

### When can I build a monument and do the flipped tiles still count for conflicts/supporters?

If a tile completes a 2×2 square of like-colored tiles the active player may flip those four tiles facedown and place a monument (one monument color must match the facedown tiles); the facedown tiles still count as part of regions/kingdoms and link leaders but do not count as supporters in conflicts, and monuments cannot be destroyed (page 11).

### How is the winner decided at game end and how are treasures used for tiebreaks?

The game ends when only one or two treasures remain or the bag is empty; players then allocate their treasures among the four spheres as they choose and compare players’ weakest sphere—whoever has the highest lowest-sphere wins, with ties decided by comparing next-lowest spheres (if all four spheres are equal, tied players share victory) (page 14).

## Links

- [This page](https://www.ludoya.com/games/tigris-and-euphrates)
- [Tigris & Euphrates in the Ludoya app](https://app.ludoya.com/g/tigris-and-euphrates)
- [BoardGameGeek entry](https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/42)

_Data from Ludoya, updated 2026-09-19. Ratings, ownership and play counts are Ludoya's own._