Lopiano

A dynamic, interactive, mid-weight eurogame for one to four players, following the rise in fortunes of the prestigious University of Sankoré in 14th-century Timbuktu.

Tasked by the emperor, Mansa Musa, with spreading knowledge throughout West Africa, players must each manage a prestigious school within the Sankoré Madrasa as this great university is raised around them.

By enrolling and graduating your pupils, teaching classes, adding to your curriculum, and filling the great library with books, you will advance knowledge in four main disciplines: theology, law, mathematics, and astronomy. Once construction of the university is complete, the value that the empire places on each discipline will dramatically affect how you score the knowledge you have passed on.

In a dedicated solo mode, you will be competing against a distinguished scholar, a passionate and ambitious academic controlled by an elegant automated system. They may not be as nimble as you, but they are focused and driven and will strive to produce the best possible students.

Can you navigate the corridors of academic competition and bring renown to Mansa Musa’s prized university?

Ages: 14+
Players: 1-4
Playing Time: 150-180 minutes
Contents: Main Board, 4 Player Boards, 260+ Wooden Pieces, 190+ Tokens, 25+ Cards

Fabio Lopiano has recently turned his attention toward game design, having enjoyed a distinguished programming career, working for Google, Facebook, and DeepMind. With many well received and critically acclaimed titles in the last few years, including Merv and Zapotec, Fabio is widely considered one of the most promising up and coming designers in the UK. After growing up in Sicily and studying in Tuscany, Fabio now lives in London, UK.

Mandela Fernandez-Grandon is an up-and-coming designer based in the UK. He studies pheromones in an academic setting and designs games in his free time. His first game, Glasgow, was released in 2020 and received a very positive reception from both reviewers and the general public.

Ian O’Toole is an Irish graphic designer and illustrator working out of Perth in Western Australia, particularly acclaimed for his work on titles such as Lisboa and The Gallerist. Focused primarily on tabletop gaming, Ian’s work combines his experience in concise visual communication with his flexible approach to illustration.