In the last few years many terms have developed around the hobby of gaming classifying them to fit their level of difficulty and utilised mechanics; ameritrash, gateway, 4E, and many others. Many games can be fit into a few of these categories while there are some that span more than one would expect; one such game is 7 Wonders.

Released: 2010
Designer: Antoine Bauza
Plays: 2-7
EPT: 30 minutes

In 7 wonders each player develops their nation in the areas of economy, trade, technology, warfare, and other industries with the goal of having the most points at the end of the game. Each player begins the game with 3 coins at a value of 1 and a wonder board; each board representing one of the 7 wonders of the ancient world. The game composes of 3 ages each represented with a deck of cards; before play can begin players must construct the 3 card decks according to how many players are in the game. Each card is marked on the bottom with the a number 3+, 4+, etc. The final deck, age III, also has guilds added to it in accordance to the number of players; this is calculated by number of players +2.

Once all decks are composed play is ready to begin. All players act simultaneously and thus there is no need to determine a 1st player. Each turn the players will take the cards before them and choose on to play; when all players are ready they will play the cards at the same time; playing any necessary cost, then pass the hand to the next person; on the first and third ages this exchange goes clockwise while in the second age it goes counter clockwise.

Some cards have a cost associated in the upper left which must be paid from your available economy cards and/or any money you have available. Alternatively if you lack a resource that your neighbors can produce a player can pay 2 coins to that player to use the resource (doing so does not disallow the player from using that resource themself), they can buy 1 resource from each adjacent player in this manner so long as the resource can be provided from the player’s brown or gray cards or their wonder’s default item. Other cards can be built for free so long as the player has certain prerequisites; this is shown with the name of the prerequisite building being displayed next to the card’s cost in the upper right; alternatively if a building acts as a prerequisite the building that can be built upon it is listed in the lower right.

The prime card types are resource (brown), commodity (gray), military (red), commercial (yellow), scientific (green), civilian (blue), and guilds (purple). Each structure has various mechanics and purposes. Resource and commodity cards provide resources to be used for future purchases, commercial cards can provide money when played, points at the end of the game, reduced trade costs, or a mixture of them, science, civilian, and guild cards serve as end game score bonuses. Military cards act in post phase combat; after all three ages once players have competed their last pick they combat with their neighbors; each player comparing their total military strength to that of their neighbors. The player with the lower military will take a -1 marker and the player with the higher might will take a marker corresponding to the age; +1, +3, and +5 respectively. Players can also use a card to develop their personal wonder by placing a card under their wonder board playing the cost on the board rather than the cost on the card or they may discard a card to take money from the bank.

Each round ends after a player has picked a card from a hand size of 2, discarding the final card. After which the military levels are checked and the cards of the next age delt. After the third age is completed players tally their end score in all areas and the winner is declared.

My first game of 7 Wonders was rocky; I love card drafting as a mechanic, a carryover from my days playing in Magic the Gathering booster drafts, unsure of what to expect, however, led to many difficult choices. Like many games of the genre after the first game strategies begin to emerge and evolve. The best strategy I have found thus far is simply; be different. The game’s balance shows clear signs of great effort in play testing as multiple strategies are valid until everyone fights over the same thing leading the one person who choose to go a different route to be the victor.

I have used 7 wonders as a gateway game as well as a game for my typical game night, simply by altering how aggressively I play to fit the group I am playing with. The art on the cards and the player boards is well done and feeds the theme while the icons are simple enough to understand and aid in understanding how each card works. The largest problem the game faces is the occasional pacing hiccup when a player begins to over analyze their hand. The games mechanics, visuals, and theme take center point in taking 7 Wonders to a 8 out of 10.
Visuals – 2 // 2
Skill/Luck – .5 // 1
Pacing – 1.5 // 2
Theme/Immersion – 1.5 // 2
Mechanics – .75 // 1
Fun Factor 1.75 // 2

Come back Monday when look at the mechanic of Simultaneous Action Selection! Until then you can find us on social media;
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