7 Wonders is a board game that allows you to essentially build up your own little civilization. There are several strategies and the hand of cards that you pick from gets passed around to a different player after each turn, so the tides can turn on a dime. The scoring is tricky and there are varying strategies, making this a fairly complex board game but still a fun one!
Good for the 4 year old?
Nope! My 4 year old lost interest while I was shuffling the decks and setting up. There are not really any pieces that are fun for him to distract himself with either. This one he sat out.
Good for the 7 year old?
Sort of. My 7 year old had previously played 7 Wonders Duel with me, which is a simpler version of this game adapted so that two players can easily enjoy it, so he actually caught on to this game rather quickly. That being said, he still did not fully grasp the many categories of scoring points. There are just so many directions one can go in this game; either trying to score lots of points in one category or trying to gain points across several categories, and it was a little much for him. We still had a great time playing this game but I would honestly recommend it for an older kiddo.
Basic overview of gameplay
The game is played in three stages and the goal of the game is to earn the most points at the end of the three stages (“Ages” in the game). Scoring can be a bit tricky and there is a handy little score pad to help you keep track of the many categories of points that can be earned. This game is intended for 3-7 players but there is a modification that can be employed to make it a 2 player game.
I really enjoy this game but I recommend playing it with people who have played before or people who enjoy board games. I have tried this game with friends who are not big board game fans and they found it too complex for their liking. If you like complex games (like my nerdy self) then this is a good one! There are also different expansions that I have enjoyed as an adult that I did not try with the kiddo yet (my personal favorite is the Leaders expansion).
Ages recommended
Although my 7 year old and I had a great time playing this game (both using the 2 player modification and playing with another adult) I would still recommend this game for kids 10+. The complexity of the varying strategies can be overwhelming for the younger kids and I believe that by 10 there is some more understanding of multi-strategy gameplay that can serve the player well.
