Last Updated on January 9, 2026 by The Official Game Rules Team

7 Wonders is a civilization-building card game where players develop powerful ancient cities over the course of the entire game. Using simultaneous card drafting, resource management, and tactical decisions, players construct structures, advance science, wage military conflicts, and build one of the world’s great wonders.

Played over three Ages, the game rewards long-term planning, adaptation to your opponent and neighboring city, and careful use of every single card. Victory is determined only at the end of Age III, when all victory points are totaled and the most successful civilization is crowned the winner.

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How to Play 7 Wonders

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Object of the Game

The object of 7 Wonders is to score the highest number of victory points by the end of the game. Victory points come from many sources:

• Civilian structures (blue cards)
• Scientific structures (green cards)
• Military victories and defeat tokens
• Commercial structures (yellow cards)
• Guilds (purple cards)
• Wonder stages
• Coins remaining in your treasury

At the end of the game, the player with the highest number of points wins. In the case of a tie, the player with the most coins remaining is the winner.

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Game Components

Each game of 7 Wonders includes the following components:

• 7 Wonder boards (double-sided with a day side and night side)
• 7 Wonder cards
• 49 Age I cards
• 49 Age II cards
• 50 Age III cards
• 42 conflict tokens (victory and defeat tokens)
• 20 coins worth 3
• 30 coins worth 1
• 1 score booklet
• 1 rulebook
• 2 special cards for the two-player variant

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Beginning of the Game

Number of Players

The standard game supports 3 to 7 players. A special two-player variant is included and explained later.

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Setup

Wonder Boards

1. Shuffle the Wonder cards face down.
2. Deal one Wonder card to each player.
3. The card determines which Wonder board and which side (day or night) the player will use.
4. Each Wonder board represents the player’s home city and shows:
   • A starting resource
   • The number of stages in the Wonder
   • The resource cost and reward for each stage

For first-time players, it is recommended to use the day side, which is simpler and more forgiving.

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Coins

Each player begins the game with 3 coins placed in their treasury. Coins are unlimited during play and are worth victory points at the end of the game.

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Age Decks

The game is played over three Ages:

• Age I
• Age II
• Age III

Each Age uses a different deck of cards. Before the game begins, remove cards from each deck based on the number of players, following the icons printed on the cards.

For Age III, remove all purple cards (Guilds), shuffle them, and secretly add a number of Guilds equal to the number of players + 2 back into the Age III deck.

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Overview of an Age

Each Age follows the same structure:

• Each player receives a hand of cards (7 cards at the beginning of the Age).
• Each Age consists of six game turns.
• On each given turn, players:
  1. Choose one card
  2. Perform one action
  3. Pass the remaining hand to a neighboring player

Direction of Play

• Age I: Pass hands to the left (clockwise)
• Age II: Pass hands to the right (counter-clockwise)
• Age III: Pass hands to the left again

This change in direction forces players to adapt their strategy every Age.

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Turn Structure in Detail

Each turn has three clear steps.

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Step 1: Choose a Card

Each player secretly selects one card from their hand. The chosen card is placed face down in front of the player.

The remaining cards are kept together and will be passed at the end of the turn.

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Step 2: Perform an Action

Once all players have chosen a card, everyone reveals their card and performs one of the following actions simultaneously.

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Action 1: Build a Structure

Building a structure is the most common action.

Structure Costs

Each card shows its cost in the upper-left corner:

• Free construction (no cost)
• Coin cost (paid to the bank)
• Resource cost
• Or a combination

Some cards also show a free construction chain, allowing the card to be built for free if the required structure was built in a previous Age.

You may never build two identical structures, even if they appear in different Ages.

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Action 2: Build a Stage of a Wonder

Instead of building a structure, a player may build one stage of their Wonder.

• The chosen card is placed face down beneath the Wonder board
• The resource cost comes from the Wonder board, not the card
• Wonder stages must be built in order
• Each stage of a wonder provides a powerful benefit such as:
  • Victory points
  • Coins
  • Military strength
  • Extra turns
  • Scientific symbols

Building a Wonder stage is optional, but it often provides strong advantages and helps deny cards to opponents.

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Action 3: Discard the Card for Coins

A player may discard a card to gain 3 coins.

• The discarded card goes into a face-down discard pile
• This action is mandatory if a player cannot build a structure or a wonder stage
• Discarding is often used to:
  • Gain coins for future turns
  • Prevent an opponent from gaining a powerful card

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Step 3: Pass the Hand

After resolving actions, players pass their remaining cards to the next player according to the Age’s direction.

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Sixth Game Turn Rule

At the beginning of the sixth and final turn of each Age:

• Each player receives a two-card hand
• One card is chosen and played normally
• The last card is discarded face down without gaining coins

This ends the Age.

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Card Types Explained

Brown Cards – Raw Materials

Produce basic resources:

• Wood
• Clay
• Stone
• Ore

These are essential early in the game and often form the backbone of a city’s economy.

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Gray Cards – Manufactured Goods

Produce advanced resources:

• Glass
• Papyrus
• Textile

Gray cards are rarer and highly contested, especially in Age II and Age III.

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Blue Cards – Civilian Structures

Provide straightforward victory points and are often a safe, consistent way to score.

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Green Cards – Scientific Structures

Each green card shows one of three different symbols. Scientific scoring rewards:

• Sets of identical symbols
• Sets of three different symbols

Science can produce explosive point totals but requires careful planning.

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Yellow Cards – Commercial Structures

Yellow cards provide:

• Coins
• Resource flexibility
• Discounts on buying resources
• Victory points (mostly in Age III)

They often synergize with other strategies.

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Red Cards – Military Structures

Red cards add shields to a player’s city. Shields determine outcomes of military conflicts at the end of each Age.

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Purple Cards – Guilds

Guilds appear only in Age III and score victory points based on:

• Your city
• Your neighboring cities
• Specific card combinations

Guilds can swing games dramatically.

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Resources and Commerce

Producing Resources

A city’s resources come from:

• The Wonder board
• Brown cards
• Gray cards
• Some yellow cards

Resources are never consumed and can be used every turn for the entire game.

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Buying Resources from Neighbors

If you lack required resources, you may buy them from a neighboring city.

• Cost: 2 coins per resource
• Only left and right neighbors may sell
• Players cannot refuse to sell
• Bought resources are used only for that turn

Some yellow cards reduce the coin cost of buying resources.

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Military Conflicts

At the end of each Age, military conflicts are resolved.

How Conflicts Work

Each player compares their total shields to each neighboring city:

• Higher shields → gain a victory token
• Lower shields → gain a defeat token (-1)
• Equal shields → no token

Token Values

• Age I: +1
• Age II: +3
• Age III: +5

Defeat tokens are always worth -1 victory point.

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End of the Game

The game ends at the end of Age III, after military conflicts are resolved.

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Scoring Breakdown

Victory points are counted in this order:

1. Military conflicts
2. Treasury (1 VP per 3 coins)
3. Wonder stages
4. Civilian structures
5. Scientific structures
6. Commercial structures
7. Guilds

The player with the highest total wins.

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Strategy Tips for 7 Wonders

• Always watch your neighboring cities
• Science is powerful but risky if contested
• Military can be ignored early, but not forever
• Coins provide flexibility and break ties
• Denying opponents key cards is often as important as building your own city

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FAQ

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Conclusion

7 Wonders remains a cornerstone of modern board gaming thanks to its elegant drafting system, strategic depth, and minimal downtime. Every Age presents new challenges, and every card decision shapes not just your city, but the fate of your opponents.

If you enjoy 7 Wonders, you should also try 7 Wonders Duel for a focused two-player experience, or Splendor, another highly regarded engine-building game that rewards efficient resource use and long-term planning.