7 Wonders is a game of resource management as you build your tableau to make the most impressive civilization.
Designer(s): Antoine Bauza
Artist(s): Dimitri Chappuis, Miguel Coimbra, Etienne Hebinger, Cyril Nouvel
Publisher: Asmodee
I know this is a more classic game, but I wanted to write about 7 Wonders because it is a staple game of my childhood. I cannot remember when 7 wonders entered my collection, but I know it was close to the start of when I was getting into board games. And while the games I play have gotten more complex, 7 Wonders still holds a lot of nostalgia for me.
But that’s not to say it’s a bad game. In fact, I do think that 7 Wonders holds up quite well. Just my tastes in games have shifted but I still find myself coming back to this game from time to time. That was a little bit of a ramble, but I think I got the point across.
Anyway, I wanted to take some time to really look at 7 Wonders and see what the game is about, what I like, and what could have been done a little better.
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Gameplay Overview
This is a general overview to provide context for the review, not an in-depth how to play. Some rules may be glossed over or missing.
I have played 7 Wonders are a variety of player counts. I have played with 3 players all the way through playing with 7 players (which was a little insane). The only reason I have not played 7 Wonders t two player is because we also own the Duel Version of the game.
Game Flow
7 Wonders is interesting in the fact that everyone takes their turn at the same time. This helps the game move quickly but can also mean that players might not be paying attention to their opponents’ tableau.
Anyway, there is an upkeep phase between Ages (there are 3 ages in total) but otherwise, 7 Wonders plays more like a group solitaire exercise during the player turns. Although, don’t get me wrong, you can still get in the way of your opponents. After the third age, final scoring
Setup
To set-up 7 Wonders, the three age decks need to be separated and shuffled independently. Each deck should have card equal to 7 times the number of players. It’s important to note which card should be taken out when playing. Each player is then dealt 7 cards from Age I, 1 wonder (out of the 7 available) and 3 coins from the bank.
Player Turns
As I said before, all players will take their turns simultaneously. However, that are technically stop points within a player turn that everyone must complete before the next part of the player turn can happen.
Choosing a Card
The first step is choosing a card. What can you do with this card? Well, we’ll talk about that in a moment. All players must secretly choose a card before going to the next step.
The remaining cards in your hand will be placed in the space between you and the player next to you (left for the first age, right for the second age, and left for the third age). This is a card drafting game so choose your card wisely!
Actions
After everyone has chosen their card, all players will then choose what to do with said card. They can build the structure represented on the card, build a stage of their wonder by placing their card in the corresponding slot (keeping the card hidden) or discarding the card to get 3 coins from the bank.
Both playing the structure and building a stage of a wonder will have some sort of cost (although some structures are free in the first age). Wonders will ask for certain resources but make some naturally while structures have a wide range of uses.
There are seven types of structures: Military (Red), Civilian (Blue), Worker / Raw Material (Brown), Craftsman / Advanced Raw Material (Gray), Trade (Yellow), Science (Green), and Guilds (Purple). Worker and Craftsman structure are important early because they will help you gain the resources to make other structures. Trade structure will allow you to trade materials or buy materials.
Military structure will add to your civilizations strength which will be important in between the ages. Civilian and Science structures will gain players victory points at the end of the game. Guild cards only show up in Act three and are meant to give you points based on your neighbor’s tableau.
Repeat
The last part of the players turn is picking up the hand of cards that was passed to them. And then the whole process begins all over again with drawing a card, passing your hand, and playing an action. It’s a drafting game!
End of an Age
When your hand is only two cards, you pick one and discard the other instead of passing the last card. The discarded card is kept hidden so players will not know what was thrown out (potentially). The chosen card is played normally, and the age comes to an end.
This is when military conflicts occur. Players will go to war with each of their neighbors. Each player counts the total number of shields in their tableau and considers that their military power. If it is higher than your neighbor, you get positive points, if it is lower, you get negative points, if it is equal, you get no points.
The cards for the next age are dealt and the card drafting begins again.
End Game: Types of Victory Points
There are 7 ways in which players can earn victory points throughout the game. Number one is military where players will count the tokens they received during the military conflict after each age. Next players get one point for every three coins they have at the end of the game.
After that, points are awarded for constructed parts of their wonder. They must be built for a player to receive any points. The wonders do offer an uneven number of points so keep that in mind. Next up is scoring for civilian structures which should be just counting the points as indicated on the structures.
And then we get to science. Arguably the weirdest part of scoring. There are different types of symbols on the scientific buildings. For each set of symbols, played will win the number of points equal to the number of identical symbols squared (i.e., 1 is 1 point, 2 is 4 points, 3 is 9 points, 4 is 16 points, etc.,) For each set that contains all three different symbols, you get 7 points.
Next, some commercial building from Age three give points that need to be covered. And finally, the guild cards are scored based on the configuration of your city and / or your neighbors cities as the guild specifies
Who Will Like it?
7 Wonders is a great game for resource management and tableau building. The game is fun as there are some strategies and opportunities to take advantage of while it can be difficult to lock yourself out of the game. Although, a mix of randomness and other players drafts may put you in a disadvantageous position.
What I Think
What did I like?
I love a drafting game and the tableau building is the perfect balance between the two mechanics. Having to pick up structures that make materials is just important as getting points as future structures will need more resources to build.
There is such an interesting balance between current and future. And always a desire for more actions which is what I think a good game should do. It should leave you wanting more. More turns, more time, just more.
I also love to hate draft. If I know someone is waiting for a card, or I want a card, but I don’t want other to have it, I will trash it to make sure no one can get it. It’s a way to throw a wrench in others plans since you can’t affect their tableau directly.
What didn’t I like?
Science. Oh, my dear dear science. I don’t know why science has the dynamic scoring that it does. It can truly make or break a game (same game, different players). There was a game when I got 49 points from science and that just felt wrong. Due to this, I do think that the game strategy can lean towards being the same every play.
My Take
7 Wonders is a fun game to play occasionally. It’s an interesting mix of drafting, resource management, and tableau building that really comes together in a fun way. While it is light on player interaction, I do like the multiple scoring revenues. One thing to always keep in mind is that decisions in the early game will affect decisions in the late game so not gaining resources could prove to be a major problem.
Breakdown
Rulebook/Learning the Game
The rulebook for 7 wonders is well laid out and has clear information. I do like the use of colors to help instill the meaning of each card even before seeing the cards. The only real “problem” I have with the rulebook is the lack of examples and images. It is very concise and doesn’t elaborate than it needs to. I think having some extra explanations are beneficial but not necessary.
First Play
Even though it has been years and years since my first playthrough, I actually do still remember it. Mainly because it went so poorly. I had a lot of fun but made terrible decisions. At the time, I wasn’t as familiar with board game mechanics and economy in general.
I gained a lot of things during the 1st age but not enough raw materials or ways to acquire more materials (through commercial structures). So, when Age 3 came along, I struggled to really build anything that costs wasn’t covered by a building upgrade from the previous age (which got past the material requirements). That was rare though, so I ended up floundering.
Subsequent Plays
On subsequent plays, I started taking a hard liking toward science because it felt overpowered and it kind of still is. Being able to square points just feels ridiculous. Over the course of the game, a card can go from being 1 point in value to up to 4 points in value. And this can be done across multiple sets if you’re able. I found it to be a winning strategy, and while it is not the only winning strategy, it won often if other players ignored science too much.
Rating
6/10
7 Wonders is a solid drafting game that I really enjoy. Are there other drafting games that outcompete it? Yea. But I do have a soft spot for 7 wonders as you can see how worn the box is. It is one of my oldest and most treasured games because it’s part of my descent into board games.
*See my rating scale Here
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