Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be the leader of an ancient civilization?  Back in ancient times, when the wonders of the world were an astounding sight to see, inspiring awe in the hearts of man?  With the card game 7 Wonders, you get to experience the same sense of awe by building your very own timeless architectural wonder.

In this card game, you’re the leader of one of the 7 great cities of the ancient world.  Your job is to gather resources, develop trading routes, and best your competitors in military strength in order to earn points.  As you build your city, you’ll also seek to construct your very own wonder that will last throughout time.  7 Wonders has rhythm and a fast-paced sense of fun that makes this dynamic card game one you won’t want to miss.

The Three Ages

7 Wonders lasts for three Ages, with each Age offering players the opportunity to build their civilization by drawing cards.  Players will receive seven cards from a deck during each Age, choosing one of those cards and passing the rest to the next player.  Once everyone has drawn a card, each player will reveal their cards at the same time.  

Players are all given their own boards with which to organize their cards, representing their “Wonder”.  In order to play cards, you’ll have to pay the cost, which may require either certain raw materials or manufactured goods.  Some cards have no cost to play, however.  With these cards, players can add markets and routes to facilitate the growth of their civilization as well as scientific discoveries or military power.

Coins and Resources

Players are allowed to discard their cards to acquire coins.  Coins can be used to buy resources from your opponents, allowing you to play more cards.  Trading with the other players is a major part of 7 Wonders, so you’ll have to find a strategy that allows your civilization to thrive without giving the other player what they need to beat you.

Certain cards will have immediate effects, while others will give you bonuses you can use later on.  Some cards will give you discounts on future purchases, while others will give you military strength.  Once each Age comes to an end, players will compare their strength with their neighbors based on their military cards.  Victorious players will earn points, while the defeated players will lose points.  

Once the third Age is finished, players will add up the points from all of their cards, military victories, and coins.  They’ll also add points from any sets of cards collected as well as if they completed certain levels of their Great Wonder.  Whichever player earns the most points is the winner of the game!

7 Wonders Later Editions

7 Wonders has released a sequel card game called 7 Wonders Duel that turns this multi-player card game into a one-on-one competition.  In 7 Wonders Duel, players will draw cards from a display of face-down and face-up cards that are arranged each round.  You can only take a card if none of the others are covering it, giving you the additional element of timing in drawing cards.

Each player is given four wonder cards at the beginning of the game.  If you construct a wonder, you get a special ability.  However, only seven wonders can be built, so one player will end up with only three wonders.  There are several paths to winning 7 Wonders Duel.  Players must either reach the opponent’s capital, acquire six out of seven different scientific symbols, or win the most points at the end of the game.

Explore the 7 Wonders

7 Wonders is playable by 2-7 players, which means you can play the game just as easily with one other person as you can with the whole family.  This card game is suitable for ages 10 and up, so younger players can learn about card development and set collection skills.  Playing time lasts around 30 minutes, so you can fit in a round or two in a night without losing interest.

Buy 7 Wonders and build your own civilization today!