7 Wonders

Overview

Rome wasn’t built in a day and neither were the great structures that would be recognized as the 7 Wonders of the World. Each phase of construction required much resources, much manpower. As a result, they required an Empire’s strength, both military and economically. Militarily because they needed to defend cities from those who would seek to destroy such marvels and economically because they needed the talents of men like artisans and masons to build such structures.

7 Wonders is a 3-7 player game in which players draft cards by picking a card to keep and passing the remainder of their hand to their neighbors. In the course of playing 7 Wonders, players will build structures capable of producing various resources, create trade operations to bring in more coin or make it easier to buy certain materials, build up a military, build minor monuments, and even construct guilds for artisans and scientists. And, it goes without saying, building the special Wonder of the World to completion will be a key component of the game.

So beware the forces that will be arrayed against you for every part of the game will be important to securing your victory. Neglect military and your neighbors will thrash you and dance around the smoldering ruins of what could have become a mighty city. Forget about science and watch in dismay as other civilizations race ahead of you in their pursuit of glorious scientific discoveries. Ignore the minor monuments and you just might be deprived of the chance to tell your story and have your civilization stand the test of time.

Core Mechanics: Card drafting.

Victory Condition: Winning at 7 Wonders means scoring the most points. Again, there are many ways in which to obtain points. For example, having a stronger military than your neighbors will allow you to earn points during the conflicts that erupt at the end of each age. Specializing in science or collecting science sets is also a good way to earn points as is building minor monuments. And again, don’t ignore the impact that your Wonder can have on the final score.

Ease of learning: Very easy to learn in Age 1, a bit more difficult in Ages 2 and 3 because of the symbols and icons. The whole drafting mechanic is easy to pick up since it’s been used in games such as Sushi Go. What’s difficult is explaining the symbols/icons. That’s not really an issue in Age 1, but from Ages 2 and on, there are so many symbols that it can be hard for new players to absorb immediately. In your first game, you can expect players to nudge you and ask you what certain symbols mean, requiring you to explain a few times before the logic sinks in. On top of that, scoring for science can be a bit tough to keep straight. Once people get it, it’s all good, but getting that straightened out is what’s hard.

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Basic 7 Wonders Strategy Guide
7 Wonders Review
7 Wonders Video Guide

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