OBJECT OF 7 WONDERS: The object of 7 Wonders is to score the most victory points at the end of the game.
NUMBER OF PLAYERS: 2 to 7 players
MATERIALS: A rulebook, a booklet of scoring sheets, 7 game boards, 8 one military victory tokens, 8 three military victory tokens, 8 five military victory tokens, 22 negative one military victory tokens, 24 gold 3 coins, 26 silver 1 coins, and 157 cards (1 border card, 1 free city card, 7 A/B wonder cards, 49 age I cards, 49 age II cards, and 50 age III cards).
TYPE OF GAME: Card Drafting Game
AUDIENCE: 10+
OVERVIEW OF 7 WONDERS
7 Wonders is a card drafting game for 2 to 7 players. The goal of the game is to score the most victory points at the end of the game. This is achieved by drafting cards for your city and completing age objectives.
There are special rules for 2-player 7 wonders and if you would like to know how to play that version, check the bottom of the rules.
SETUP
The decks are separated by ages, to start the game the Age I deck must be made. The number of cards is based on the number of players. On the bottom of the cards, they will have a number and a plus sign on it (ex: 5+) you will take the cards with the number of players listen on it and all the previous numbered cards as well. For example, in a 5-player game, you will take the 5+, 4+, and 3+ cards to make up the deck. In age three you will also add guilds to the deck. The number of guilds added is equal to the number of players plus 2. So, 7 guild cards are added for a 5-player game. Once the deck is made all remaining cards are returned to the box.
Next players may choose their boards or be randomly assigned. If randomly assigned you will shuffle the wonder cards and deal each player a card. the player will flip it and that will be there wonder board, and whichever side (A or B) that was at the top of their card will be the side of the board they use for the game.
Next, all players receive three 1 coins, and the remaining money is placed centrally to all players. The military tokens are also placed centrally to all players.
Card Explanation
Age cards are used to improve your wonder and earn you points. There are seven different types of cards.
There are the brown natural resources and the gray manufactured resources. These only show up in ages one and two and provide your wonder with resources to build and for other players to buy from you.
Then you have the red military cards, green science cards, blues civilian cards, and yellow market cards. These are available through all 3 ages. The military cards increase your wonders defense and offense which comes in at the end of each round. The science cards score you victory points at the end of the game for how many of the three different kinds of science you collect. The civilian cards are just victory points. The market cards can do a lot, they can earn points or gold, create resources, and sometimes even change rules.
Finally, we have the purple guild cards. These are only in Age 3 and provide special ways for you to earn points based on the card drafted.
Card Details
Cards also have a lot of information on them including the name of the card, cost, resources, free upgrades, and how many players the card is used for. In the top left corner is the cost; it tells you what coin or resource is needed to build it. If it is blank the card is free to build. In the center top is the card’s output, or what you gain from building it. In the bottom left is the name of the card. This is important because you can never build two structures with the same name. Next,The number of players the card is used for is in the bottom center. And finally, the bottom right of the card has any cards that you can build for free just by owning this card. If its blank no cards fall under these criteria.
GAMEPLAY
The game consists of three ages with 6 turns each. You will score the game after the 3rd age. The dealer will deal each player a hand of 6 cards at the start of each age. Players play their turns simultaneously. A turn consists of three parts picking a card, playing a card, and passing the cards.
Each player will look at their hand and choose a card without showing other players. They will place the card face down in front of themselves and leave it until all players have chosen their card.
Turns
Next, each player will flip their card and complete one of three actions. You may either build your card, build the next stage of your wonder, or discard the card for money.
When building your card, you pay the cost and then place it near our board for the benefits. To build a card you must either have the needed resources or be able to buy it (for 2 coins unless changed) from your right or left neighbor. (you may only buy brown or gray resources produced by your two neighbors.) To build your wonder stages (these are the two or three sections marked on the bottom of your wonder board) you must have the resources needed and discard the card you are have chosen for this turn face down under the section of the wonder. You must build these in order. Finally, you may also just discard a card for 3 gold. You will remove this card from the game.
Next to end the turn players will pass the remaining hand to their neighbor. In Ages 1 and 3 you pass to the left. In age 2 you pass to the right.
During the 6th turn of the age, each player will receive a hand of 2 cards. Once again, you’ll choose one and play it, but the remaining card is just removed from the game and not passed on. This signifies the end of the Age.
End of an Age
After each age players compare their number of military to their left and right neighbors. If you lose you will receive a -1 military marker and if you win you receive either a 1 military marker for age 1, 3 for age 2, or 5 for age 3. If there is a tie neither person receives a token.
The next age then begins.
SCORING
After Age 3 ends and the military is completed, scoring begins. Use the scoring sheet to follow for how to score each player. First is military, then coins, then your wonder, then blue cards, green cards, yellow cards, and finally purple cards are scored.
Scoring Order
For military, you just add up your tokens and score the amount. It can be a negative amount.
For coins, you gain one victory point for every 3 coins you have.
You score any victory points you earned from completing your wonder stages.
Then you sore any points for civilian structures built.
Next science is scored. Science is scored two ways and then added together. You get 7 points for each set of three different sciences you complete then you also score for each match of science sign you make. You find the score for matches by squaring the number of matches you have. If you have 3 gears, 3 tablets, and 3 compasses. You score 7×3 for sets so 21 points and 3^2 x 3, which is 9 x 3 which is 27. 27 plus 21 is 48 points, which is what you would earn for science.
Next, any victory points from market cards are scored.
Finally, any guild victory points are scored.
End of Game
The player who has the highest score wins the game. If there is a tie the player with the most coins wins.
2-PLAYER
A 2-player game is played almost the same as a 3-player game with the addition of 2 cards and a “free city”.
Setup
The setup for the decks follows the 3-player setup. Then each player receives a wonder board. An additional wonder board is set to the side of the players, so three boards are set up at the table; the extra board is called the free city. The border card is placed between the two players and each player will receive a hand of 7 cards. The remaining cards are set to the center of the table, and the player to the left (left in ages 1 and 3, and player to the right for age 2) of the free city, takes the free city card. Each player and the free city receive 3 coins.
Game Play
The play is the same as any other game with the addition of an extra turn passed between the two players for the free city. The player with the free city card will take the top card of the pile left of the border card and put it in their hand. After this they will choose first their card to play and then the free city’s card to play. If a card to play to the free city is available it must be played, and free upgrades must be played first. If not, other cards can be played for the free city with the resources available and then a discard can be played for the free city to gain it 3 coins.
Players will place the remaining cards of their hand on their side of the border card and finally flip the card they wish to play. The play follows as above in regular play. After the play is finished the players take the deck on the other side of the border card and play again.
The end of an age happens similarly to the other game where the final card of each hand and the pile is removed from the game, and then military happens and then the next age starts.
Scoring
Scoring is the same as above.
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