This is a card game in which each player is working independently to create their own civilization. You start off with a hand of 7 cards, of which you can pick one to build. The rest get passed to the person next to you. You usually start by building resources, which are often free, and then you have to use resources to pay for bigger things you want to build later. There are also ways to earn coins, which can help you pay to build cards. There’s a variety of different card types of build, and it is often good strategy to pick one or two card types of focus on that. They include military, civilian structures, commercial structures, scientific structures, and guilds. The game has 3 rounds, and at the end you add up the points that your structures are worth and whoever has the most points wins.
One other aspect of the game is your wonder. There are seven different ones, and each one has different rewards on the bottom. At any point during the game instead of playing a card you can choose to build a level on your wonder and get the reward for that.
2-7 players. 1 expansion available (Leaders) and one coming out soon (Cities). 30-45 minutes. Medium learning curve.
Becky says:
For one reason or another, I was a little bit hesitant about trying this game, and didn’t really care for it the first time I played. All of the different cards just seemed so overwhelming, and I was playing with people that had played several times before. I didn’t even understand what those “green cards” were, and so I ignored them – while other players were getting 30 points from them! When it comes down to it, though, I really enjoy the game after playing it more. It is very similar to other card playing, point gathering games, such as Race for the Galaxy and Dominion. While I am not great at those games I really like them. I think one of my favorite things about such types of games is that it doesn’t feel as competitive as other games. You are working on your own little thing and not caring what other people do very much, except maybe when passing cards or building military structures. That’s not to say that you shouldn’t pay attention to what other people are doing – that’s a good way to lose the game. But it’s not usually your main focus.
Another plus – I really love the little scoring pad. It seems like such a simple thing, but it helps a lot for tallying up the points at the end. Speaking of scoring, while some of the areas are straightforward in terms of scores, other ways to gain points are a bit more subtle. Science, for instance, is probably the trickiest type of card to go after. Military is somewhat straightforward but the results can vary greatly depending on what the person next to you is doing. I like the fact that there are different ways to play the game. I often alter my strategy based on which wonder I get, which makes the game fun and a little different every time.
The biggest downfall for me is that sometimes you just can’t get the right cards. I was stuck in a game once where I built the resources I thought I would need, and then it turned out there were a few other things I needed later on – which neither of the people next to me had. So I just went turns where I couldn’t build anything at all, or had to build pathetic little things. Those games are very frustrating, though that may just be bad luck. You also have to keep in mind that the game changes based on the number of people playing. If you have less than 7 you remove cards from the deck. If you’ve played a lot and have specific cards in mind that you might be searching for, it can be difficult to remember which ones remain in play with fewer people.
Overall I give the game an 8.5 out of 10. I enjoy playing it a good deal but it doesn’t quite make it to my list of favorites.
Jason says:
Before having played this game, I had been exhausted of all of the "point-scoring" games out there because it had become a stale mechanic to me. Ticket to Ride, Carcassonne, Master's Gallery, tons and tons of other games out there are just mathematical processes (these are all games that we will review some day). They just bored me (I'll also talk/rant about that some day). But when 7 Wonders came around, it was unique, it was entertaining, it was complex, and most importantly, it was just plain fun.
One of the best parts of 7 Wonders is that everyone takes their turns at the same time. Fast thinkers and impatient people can breathe a sigh of relief when they play this game, because every turn is your turn. On a turn, each person selects a card from their hand, then everyone plays their selected card simultaneously. When you have seven people playing the game, that's seven turns for the price of one! For comparison, imagine how long it would take if seven people all played Carcassonne.
Alright, so far, I've given this a pretty good review. What's the catch? Glad you asked. The learning curve is steep and high. Someone playing for the first time shouldn't expect to know what they're doing at all. You can have an expert teacher who can literally insert information directly into your brain, but you won't completely understand what a good strategy is until you play the game through once. Maybe even several times, depending on 1) how experienced you are with games in general, 2) how genuinely interested you are in trying to learn the game, and 3) what hints your teachers give you through those playthroughs. The game is great though, provided you stick it out for that first game. or five.
So I think I'll give this game a 2.7/3, but of course, if you run through the math, 2.7/3 is exactly the same as saying 27/30, and if you divide both the numerator and the denominator by three, you end up with a 9/10. So there it is. 9/10. Or a grade of 90%. Revel in this, because not many more games will get the "A" rating that I've been giving out lately.
PS: Yes, I know that Carcassonne only holds up to five people.
PPS: If you've never played Carcassonne, then just substitute your own experience with a game that's wretchedly long because everyone takes their turns separately.
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