Osprey Games Sankoré: The Pride of Mansa Musa

This is a modern 'euro design': You manage the University of Sankoré in 14th-century Timbuktu to spread knowledge throughout West Africa. You enroll and graduate pupils, teach classes, add to your curriculum and fill the great library with books, in order to advance four main fields of scholarship: Theology, law, mathematics, and astronomy. Completing the university dramatically affects your score for acheivement in each domain.There're rules for solo play where you compete against the "Distinguished Scholar", an elegant automated system.Mechanisms:Action pointsArea majority / InfluenceContractsPoint-to-Point movementResource queueTech tracksPlacement of different worker typesBGG Stats:Complexity 4.12/5 (Heavy)Game score 8/10 (Excellent)1-4 players, best at 3. Highly solo suitable3 designers share the credit:Mandela Fernandez-Grandon: Glasgow, AyarFabio Lopiano: Autobahn , Baghdad, Ayar, Calimala, Ragusa, Shakelton Base, ZapotecDavid Digby: Annunaki, Autobhan, Chocolate Factory, Distilled, Eternal Palace, Venice, Fractured Sky, Luthier, Pillars of Heracles, Racoon Tycoon, Tinners Trail, Undaunted and Solar Sphere. I know and enjoy many of those. Some (like Sankore) are widely accepted as classics already. He also works to develop other games.Watch some of the online teaching videos first and you should really love this - New and younger players will probably need a veteran for a helping hand though.HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

Great game - medium / heavy euro style