2014/10/19
It’s Board Game Friday at Pug Pharm again! This week six of us played 7 Wonders, a pick-and-pass card drafting game where players compete with each other as they make meaningful choices and gather resources to build their Ancient Wonders.
So what’s 7 Wonders like? Each player is assigned an Ancient Wonder to build (think the Pyramids, Petra, Gardens of Babylon, etc). Building each stage of a Wonder requires different resources and carries unique benefits. The cards circulate to all players over the course of a game; on each turn, each player picks one card to play and then passes the remainder to their neighbour. Because of this mechanic, you have some control over what cards your neighbour gets—by the same token, you only get what your neighbour passes on to you! It often comes down to whether you want to focus on your own plan, or spite your neighbour by denying them a card they would want!
7 Wonders isn’t conducive to having a fixed strategy. Since each Wonder is different, each player has a unique supply and demand for resources. And because the unique way the cards are circulated, unless you are particularly astute, you may not know what cards are still in play, especially when playing with a larger group. Adapting to changing circumstances is essential, and your initial strategy can easily be thrown into chaos! The plus side of all this uncertainty is that 7 Wonders constantly presents players with opportunities to make meaningful choices that may trigger significant impact.
What exactly is a meaningful choice? When players have a number of options, understand the outcomes from each option, and make a conscious decision based on the perceived rewards or consequences, they are making a meaningful choice. In 7 Wonders, each turn is an example of a meaningful choice: Do you play a card that benefits you, discard a valuable one to spite a neighbour, redeem one for coins, or use one to construct a stage of your Ancient Wonder? Making these choices grant autonomy and fuel competition, sometimes leading to deeply emotional experiences!
7 Wonders is an expertly designed and balanced system for 2-7 players—and there’s no single way to win! It’s a complex game so patience is a virtue, especially in the set-up phase. But if you get through that, you’ll be rewarded with a dynamic game that, due to all the variables and the choices each player makes, will be different every time you play it!
Want to learn more about meaningful choices?
Check out our recent post outlining how Pug Pharm’s second collaboration with Kimberly Clark Mexico empowers the brand’s community to make meaningful choices in the “Mis Momentos 2” engagement campaign.