7 Wonders Dice is a fresh addition to the 7 Wonders series. It’s very different from the other games in the series. Instead of drafting cards, you’re rolling dice to determine actions, and writing on your board to build your city. Actions are taken simultaneously, making this a fast-paced, lightly strategic, fun and tactile game. This game offers high flexibility, as you can play with 2-7 players, and it works well as a two-player game or with a larger group. It’s simple to learn and easy to set-up, new players will be able to pick it up quickly. If you’re familiar with 7 Wonders games, you’ll recognise the vibrant artwork and symbols. Each of the 7 boards is different which adds a different strategy and increases the replayability of the game.
The Forum
Every turn starts with a player rolling the dice within the small box called the Forum. Inside the Forum, there are four sections which display the cost of an action (from 0-3 Coins). The symbol on the top side of the die is associated with a Building on your board. Where the dice land within the Forum determines the cost of that action.
After the dice have been rolled within the Forum, each player simultaneously takes a turn, choosing one of three actions: construct a Building within your City (by picking a die), construct your Wonder, or pass your turn. At the start of the game, there are 7 dice available in the Forum, but there are 3 extra dice you can unlock as the game continues. The dice remain in the Forum as several players can pick the same die.
Your City
Your board is split into two parts, the top is your city with different buildings, each corresponding to a die. The bottom is your economy, where your Resources and Gold are kept. At the start of the game, it’s essential you cross off some of your Resources, otherwise, you’ll be limited as to what you can do. There may come points in the game where you need to prioritise gaining Gold or Resources in order to unlock more buildings on your board.
To gain a Resource, you pick the die corresponding to that Resource, crossing it off on your board. Once you’ve gained a Resource, you have it for the rest of the game. You can gain Gold throughout the game through bonuses when you select certain Buildings, or through a die. When you gain coins, you circle the number of Coins you’ve gained, and when you spend Coins, you fill in your circled Coins.
Your Buildings
When you want to construct a Building, you find the symbol on your board corresponding to the die you’ve picked (ensuring you have enough Gold to pay for that die), then check the number of Resources required. If you meet all the conditions, you can cross off that Building in your City, and if there is an immediate bonus, claim it. Some of the bonuses are end of game Victory Points, others are actions you can take immediately, like crossing off another Building in your City or gaining Gold. Another bonus you can unlock is gaining one of the three new dice which give you access to new Buildings in your City, or unlock new actions to complete.
You have two Barracks buildings on either side of your board. Each side has defense and attack spaces. When you strengthen the defence of your Barracks, you affect how many Victory Points your opponent on that side of you can gain. Similarly when you choose to attack an opponent, you gain Victory Points which can be lowered if they have crossed off their defence spaces.
Remember to keep an eye on what other players are doing, it can be easy to zero in on your own game and not notice your opponents racking up points where you’re lacking.
When you’ve crossed off all the spaces in your building, announce it out loud and choose one of the three bonuses at the bottom of your board, you immediately benefit from its effect. When a player completes three buildings and crosses off all three of their bonuses, the end of the game is triggered. Each player gets to finish the current turn, and have one final turn before scoring. If you can’t or don’t want to cross off a space, you can pass your turn and gain 3 Coins to your Gold Reserve.
Your Wonder
It wouldn’t be a 7 Wonders game without the Wonders! The Wonders aren’t a huge part of this game, but they can offer extra bonuses and Victory Points.
You can construct your Wonder at any time in the game (as long as you have enough Resources and Gold) and you don’t need to choose a die to do so. You must cross off the spaces in order from left to right. Each Wonder on the seven boards has different bonuses, but they all have immediate benefits, like crossing off a Building in your City, and end of game Victory Points.
Final Thoughts
Personally, I would enjoy interacting with other players more in this game. It would be fun if your attacking actions caused more detriment to your opponents, rather than just lowering their Victory Points. For me, it doesn’t live up to the other 7 Wonders games, where there are many different ways to win, with less luck and more strategy. That being said, I really enjoy 7 Wonders Dice for a quick and tactile game. It’s a great game to play with friends that aren't into games as much, it’s a light introduction to the 7 Wonders series and quite novel to draw on your board.
