7 Wonders: How To Play – Simplified

Build an empire across three ages of card drafting. Collect resources, construct buildings, develop armies, and complete your Wonder to earn more Victory Points than any other city.

2 – 7Players

30 minPlay Time

10+Age

Our full review: 7 Wonders Review

Note: These simplified rules help you get started quickly. Read the full rulebook before play for complete rules.

The Big Picture

7 Wonders is a card drafting game. Each player holds a hand of cards, picks one to keep, then passes the rest to their neighbour. This happens simultaneously. Over three ages, you build a tableau of cards that generate Victory Points in various ways. Highest VP total wins.

Setup

Each player picks or is randomly dealt a Wonder board. Each Wonder has two sides — choose based on preference or experience level.

Pull out only the Age I cards (marked with a Roman numeral I on the back). Set aside Age II and III cards for later rounds.

Deal the Age I cards to all players. The number dealt varies by player count — check the rulebook.

How a Round Works

All players simultaneously choose one card from their hand and place it face-down.

All chosen cards are revealed at once and placed in front of each player's tableau.

Pass remaining cards to your neighbour: clockwise in Age I, counter-clockwise in Age II, clockwise again in Age III.

Repeat until 2 cards remain in each hand. Those last 2 cards are discarded.

At end of each Age, compare army values with both neighbours (see Military below).

Card Types

RESOURCE (Brown/Grey)

Building blocks

Generate raw or refined materials. Required to build most other cards. Only available in Age I and II — grab them early.

BUILDING (Blue)

Direct Victory Points

Immediately add VP to your total at end of game. Simplest scoring path.

MILITARY (Red)

Army comparison

Compare your army value to neighbours at end of each Age. Win = +VP (increases per age). Lose = −1 VP.

SCIENCE (Green)

Set and collect

Score VPs for having all 3 different science symbols (7 pts) or multiples of one symbol (number squared).

MARKET (Yellow)

Commerce

Reduce cost of buying from neighbours, generate coins, or provide other economic benefits.

GUILD (Purple)

End-game bonuses

Score VP based on your cards, neighbours' cards, or other game state. Only appear in Age III.

Buying a Card

Check the top-left corner of any card for its cost. Some are free. Most require resources or coins.

If you can’t afford a card, you have three options:

Buy missing resources from a neighbour for 2 coins each
Discard the card to receive 3 coins
Build the next stage of your Wonder (place the card face-down under it)

Military Scoring

At the end of each Age, compare your military shield count to the person on each side of you:

More shields: +1 VP (Age I), +3 VP (Age II), +5 VP (Age III)
Fewer shields: −1 VP per loss, any age

End Game

After Age III, count all VP from: buildings, science sets, guilds, military outcomes, Wonders built, and coins (every 3 coins = 1 VP). Highest total wins.

Can I buy from a neighbour I'm not adjacent to?

No — you can only buy resources from the players directly to your left and right.

Can I build multiple stages of my Wonder in one game?

Yes — each stage requires a specific payment, and you place any card face-down to build it. Most Wonders have 3 stages.

What happens to the last 2 cards in each hand?

They are discarded face-down at the end of each Age. Neither player uses them.