Mesopotamia, around 1500 BC: The Mesopotamian region on the Euphrates and Tigris is home to a melting pot of different cultures. Achievements such as writing and the wheel lead to the construction of the first large cities and lively trade. In the mountains, the coveted lapis lazuli is mined, and papyrus is made from reed grass.

In Papyria, you explore the region to create an extensive network of canals; discover inventions; develop mines; and build temples, sanctuaries and cities.

During your turn, you move your wanderer or ship. On the target space, you choose two of the three possible actions, which can mean taking a new tile for your display or a multiplier for later scoring; building a city, a temple, or a mine; or producing lapis or papyrus, which you need for building, special actions, or special scorings.

The game ends as soon as the last good has been taken from several spaces and a certain number of "end-of-game" tiles have been revealed and fulfilled. After several final scorings, whoever has the most points wins.