Teach the Game
A table-ready introduction to The Great Library, grounded in Eagle-Gryphon Games' current English rules.
How you win
You are scholars helping build the Great Library of Alexandria. Gain Renown by translating manuscripts, collecting crafts and Great Works, and fulfilling the King’s Requests that place them in the shared library. Your final score also rewards your Pinax pattern, trained Scribes, invited Scholars and remaining resources. The player with the most Renown wins.
The official English core rules are currently version 15.1c. The publisher lists the game as a preorder, so later production rules may change.
The boards
- The main board holds seven Mouseion locations: Navigation, Harbor, Palace, School, Scriptorium, Garden and Academy. The Great Library grid and Generation track are central.
- The Time & Pinakes board holds the Time actions, turn order and face-up Pinax tiles.
- Your Workshop holds your shelf of translated Manuscripts, Crafts and Great Works; your Ship and Library location tiles; invited Scholars; King’s Requests; supplies; and Pinax tile.
- The Great Library is a shared grid. Players place requested works there, score from the current Head Librarian, and may improve the library’s benefits for later actions.
Use the board sides for 1–2 or 3–4 players as indicated in setup.
A Generation
The game runs for three or four Generations, depending on the end condition. Each Generation has three phases:
- Planning: In reverse turn order, each player places two Local Scholars below Generation tiles. Each placement grants Time based on the tile’s distance from the rightmost tile. In a two-player game, placing below your opponent’s Local Scholar costs 2 Time, and that opponent gains 2 Time.
- Execution: In turn order, take turns until everyone has Read. On your turn, you may take up to two different Executive actions, then take one Main action. Before your Main action, pay the pass cost for each player who has already Read; those players gain that Time. Read itself costs no Time.
- End of Generation: Retrieve scholars from the Generation track in the new turn order. Moving the last Scholar from a tile advances that Generation tile and grants its benefit or triggers its Event. Then return scholars from location spaces, advance the Head Librarian, clear used Scribes, refresh the specified Garden cards and reroll the Time dice.
Main actions
Choose one Main action each turn:
- Use a Location tile: Spend a Ship, Library or invited-Scholar tile to take its printed location action.
- Take a Time action: Use an available Time die to visit its adjacent location, or spend Silver to gain Time as shown on the board.
- Use a Scholar: Send a Local Scholar or available invited Scholar to a location, paying its Time cost and resolving its action.
- Fulfill a King’s Request: Move the required translated Manuscripts, Crafts or Great Works from your shelf into the Great Library. Score Renown from the Request and the current Head Librarian’s placement preference. A Craft can substitute for a requested specialty, but only as specified in the rules.
- Read: Pass for this Generation, take the chosen turn-order space’s benefit and gain its listed Time.
Executive actions are optional and limited to two different actions on your turn. You may spend a Library token to claim an uncovered Library benefit, or send an eligible invited Scholar to a matching Executive space. An invited Scholar sent from an Office may require its printed resource cost; Navigation grants the additional Time shown in the rules.
The seven locations
| Location | What it does |
|---|---|
| Navigation | Sail to collect resources, acquire Crafts or Translation Stones, and return to Alexandria with cargo. |
| Harbor | Build Ships to increase fleet capacity and gain Ship location tiles. |
| Palace | Gain King’s Requests and King’s Grace. |
| School | Recruit Scribes or train them in Arts, Laws and Medicine. |
| Scriptorium | Use trained Scribes and Time to translate Manuscripts onto your shelf. Scribes used here are discarded at Generation end. |
| Garden | Meet requirements to invite Scholars to Offices and gain their benefits. |
| Academy | Advance Research, gain Breakthroughs and Improvements, and acquire Great Works. A Great Work requires a matching Translation Stone; acquiring one resets the Academy track as instructed. |
Follow the location board and current rulebook for action costs, spaces, and limits; this overview does not replace their printed details.
How the game ends
The end is triggered during Execution when the second Event occurs or when two or fewer spaces remain empty. Spaces with a Library Location tile count as empty. Finish the current round; after the second Event, each player takes one more turn before scoring, while the Library threshold ends immediately after that round. Then score each player’s Pinax, Scribes, invited Scholars and remaining resources. See Final scoring.
Ways to score
| Source | Scoring |
|---|---|
| Fulfilling King’s Requests | Renown as printed on the Request plus the Head Librarian’s adjacency reward for the works placed. |
| Pinax | Score the matching seal pattern on your personal Pinax tile from seals in the Great Library; each Library space can contribute only once. Pattern values are 3, 6, 10 or 15 for one through four matching seals. |
| Scribes | Add the Knowledge values of your Scribes in the School and score 1 Renown per two; a Young Scribe’s Knowledge value is not doubled. |
| Invited Scholars | Score the Renown printed on the card back. |
| Remaining goods | 1 Renown per three combined Crates, King’s Grace and Research; 2 per Translation Stone. |
| Ties | Compare removed Seals, invited Scholar cards, then fulfilled King’s Requests; otherwise share the tie. |
What each resource is for
- Time pays for most actions and travel. It is capped at 20.
- Knowledge improves the Scribes you train and the end-game value of your School.
- Ink, Papyrus and Silver support translating, sailing and gaining Time; Crates and other supplies support actions and final scoring.
- Translation Stones allow you to claim Great Works on the Academy track and score if left over.
- King’s Grace can be used as any other supply or spent for +1 Time.
- Library tokens unlock benefits printed around your Workshop.
- Seals mark your works in the shared Great Library and shape your Pinax score.
Teaching tips
Teach the engine as sail and collect → translate → fulfill a Request → build your Pinax pattern. Then explain that Planning converts scholar placement into Time, while Execution offers several ways to reach a location. Demonstrate one King’s Request so everyone sees the distinction between placing a work on their shelf and donating it to the shared Library. Keep the detailed location costs beside the board for the first Generation.
Sources
- Official English core rules v15.1c (publisher file; 24 pages).
- Official English solo rules v07b (publisher file; 12 pages).
- Eagle-Gryphon Games product page.