How to Play 7 Wonders: Architects

Game Objective

In 7 Wonders: Architects, your goal is to build a Wonder so grand that it will leave its mark on history! The game is divided into several turns, where players choose cards to obtain resources, make scientific discoveries, and even wage war with their neighbors. The game ends when a Wonder is completely built. The player with the highest Victory Point score wins the game.

Setup

1. For each player:
   • Choose (or randomly draw) a tray and remove the 5 Wonder pieces along with the deck holder.
   • Assemble your Wonder pieces with the "Under Construction" side facing up, following the image on your tray.
   • Shuffle your cards and place them face up in the deck holder, so that it is between you and the player to your left.
2. For all players, in the middle of the table:
   • Shuffle the common cards to create a face-down central deck.
   • Reserve a space for the discard pile next to the central deck, where discarded cards will be placed face up.
   • Shuffle the Progress tokens and create a face-down pile with them. Take the top 3 Progress tokens from the pile and place them face up next to the pile.
   • Consult the table below to determine the number of Conflict tokens to use, placing them with the "Peace" side facing up. Remove any remaining Conflict tokens from the game.
     • 2 - 3 players: 3 Conflict tokens
     • 4 players: 4 Conflict tokens
     • 5 players: 5 Conflict tokens
     • 6 - 7 players: 6 Conflict tokens
   • Create a reserve of Military Victory tokens.
   • Finally, place the Cat marker.

Game Flow

A game of 7 Wonders: Architects is divided into several turns. Starting with the youngest player and proceeding clockwise, players will take their turns. On your turn, you must choose a card and perform actions. When you can no longer perform any actions, your turn ends and the player to your left begins their turn.

Turn Overview:

1. Choose a card: On your turn, you must choose one of the three available cards:
   • The top card of the deck to your left.
   • The top card of the deck to your right.
   • The top card of the central deck.

   If you have the Cat marker, at the start of your turn, you may secretly look at the top card of the central deck before choosing your card.

2. Place the card and perform actions: Place the chosen card in front of you, next to your Wonder. Depending on the cards and tokens you have, you can perform one or more actions in any order.
3. End of turn: Your turn ends when you can no longer perform actions.

Notes:

• If a deck runs out, it remains empty until the end of the game.
• Stack your cards of the same color so that only the colored header is visible.

Actions and How to Play

During your turn, after choosing a card, you can perform the following actions, depending on the cards and tokens you have:

Card Types and Their Effects

• Yellow Cards: Provide Coins that serve as a wild Resource. These Coins must replace any missing Resources needed to build a Stage of your Wonder.
• Green Cards: Provide Scientific symbols that allow you to gain Progress tokens. If you have 2 identical Scientific symbols or 3 different Scientific symbols, you must take a Progress token during your turn.
• Gray Cards: Provide Resources that will allow you to build Stages of your Wonder. If you have the necessary Resources to build a Stage of your Wonder, you must build this Stage during your turn.
• Blue Cards: Grant Victory Points. Additionally, a cat icon is shown on some Blue cards. As soon as you take a Blue card with a cat icon, take the Cat marker from wherever it is on the table and place it in front of you.
• Red Cards: Provide Shields that increase your Military power. Additionally, 1 or 2 horn icons are shown on some Red cards. When you draw a Red card with 1 or 2 horn icons, flip the corresponding number of Conflict tokens so that the "Battle" side is facing up. This activates a Battle at the end of your turn between all players. If you have to flip more than one Conflict token but there is only one token remaining, flip this token and ignore the remaining symbols.

Available Actions

• Take a Progress token: If you have the necessary Scientific symbols (2 identical or 3 different), discard any used Green cards and choose a Progress token from the 4 available: one of the three face-up tokens or the top token of the face-down pile of tokens. Whenever a face-up Progress token is taken, immediately replace it with the top token from the pile of Progress tokens. Place the chosen Progress token face up in front of you. You immediately apply the effect of the token until the end of the game.
• Use Progress tokens: During your turn, you can use Progress tokens in any order and whenever you want. Each of the Progress tokens can only be used once per turn, except for those that give Victory points, which will only be used at the end of the game.
• Build a Wonder Stage: The construction cost of each Stage is shown on each of the pieces (e.g., 2 different Resources, 2 identical Resources, etc.). Each Wonder is built Stage by Stage and always from bottom to top. A Stage becomes available for construction only after all Stages below it are built. When you have the necessary Resources (Gray Cards and/or Yellow Cards) to build an available Stage, discard them and flip the "Built" side of the Stage piece face up. Once built, certain Stages will immediately activate special effects. If you have the necessary Resources to build more than one Stage during your turn, you must build them.
• Resolve a Battle: This action is activated at the end of a player's turn if they flip one or more Conflict tokens to the "Battle" side. Each player counts how many Shields they have on their Red cards and compares it to the number of Shields of their 2 neighbors (players to their left and right). For each neighbor, if you have more Shields than them, take 1 Military Victory token. You can earn 0, 1, or 2 Military Victory tokens per Battle. Then, all players discard their respective Red cards with 1 or 2 horn icons. Only Red cards without horn icons should remain in front of you. Finally, flip all Conflict tokens to the "Peace" side.

Wonder Effects

• Alexandria: Draw the top card from any deck on the table and place it in front of you.
• Ephesus: Take the top card from the Central deck and place it in front of you.
• Olympia: Take the top cards from the decks to your left and right and place them in front of you.
• Rhodes: Add 1 Shield to your total Shields.
• Halicarnassus: Take the top 5 cards from the decks to your left or right. Choose 1 and place it in front of you. Reshuffle the remaining cards back into the deck from which they were taken.
• Babylon: Choose 1 Progress token from the 4 available and place it in front of you.
• Giza: This Wonder has no special effects, but gives more Victory points than the other Wonders.

Progress Token Effects

• Urbanism: When taking a Gray card or, choose 1 additional card from the 3 available and place it in front of you.
• Manufacturing: When taking a Gray card or, choose 1 additional card from the 3 available and place it in front of you.
• Jewelry: When taking a Gray card or a Yellow card, choose 1 additional card from the 3 available and place it in front of you.
• Science: When taking a Green card, choose 1 additional card from the 3 available and place it in front of you.
• Propaganda: When taking a Red card with 1 or 2 icons, choose 1 additional card from the 3 available and place it in front of you.
• Architecture: When building a Stage of your Wonder, choose 1 additional card from the 3 available and place it in front of you.
• Economy: 1 of your Yellow cards is worth 2 Coins instead of 1.
• Engineering: When building a Stage of your Wonder, you can use any Resource, ignoring "identical" or "different" restrictions.
• Tactics: Add 2 Shields to your total Shields.
• Decoration: At the end of the game, gain 4 Victory points if your Wonder is still under construction or 6 Victory points if it is completely built.
• Politics: At the end of the game, gain 1 Victory point per cat icon on your Blue cards.
• Strategy: At the end of the game, gain 1 Victory point for each Military Victory token you have.
• Education: At the end of the game, gain 2 Victory points for each Progress token you have (including this one).
• Culture: There are 2 copies of this token. At the end of the game, gain 4 Victory points if you have 1 of these tokens or 12 Victory points if you have both.

End of Game and Scoring

The game ends at the end of a player's turn as soon as they have finished building their Wonder.

To calculate your score, add all the Victory Points shown:

• On the built Stages of your Wonder;
• On the Cat marker (if you have it);
• Blue Cards;
• On the Military Victory tokens;
• On the Progress tokens.

The player with the highest score wins the game.

In case of a tie, the player who has built the most Stages wins.

If there is still a tie, both players share the victory.

Tips for Winning

• Pay attention to the Resources needed to build the Stages of your Wonder. Prioritize collecting Gray Cards and Yellow Cards to ensure you can build when Stages are available.
• Observe the available Progress tokens and their effects. Some can offer significant advantages in card collection, construction, or final scoring, such as Engineering for Resource flexibility or Education for additional Victory Points.
• Do not underestimate military power. Accumulating Shields through Red Cards and Progress tokens like Tactics can yield valuable Military Victory tokens at the end of each Battle.