# 7 Wonders: Cities ## General Info - **Year Published**: 2012 - **BGG Rating**: 7.8 - **BGG Rank**: — - **Players**: 2-8 (Best with: 4) - **Duration**: 40 min - **Weight**: 2.34 / 5 - **Designers**: Antoine Bauza - **Artists**: Etienne Hebinger, Miguel Coimbra - **Publishers**: Repos Production, Asterion Press, Galápagos Jogos, Lautapelit.fi, Rebel Sp. z o.o. - **Categories**: Ancient, Card Game, City Building, Civilization, Expansion for Base-game - **Mechanics**: Closed Drafting, Hand Management, Set Collection, Simultaneous Action Selection, Team-Based Game, Variable Player Powers ## Verdict Perfect for those seeking more conflict and interaction, turning a solitary experience into something more dynamic.Much higher player interactionImposing new wondersSupport for up to 8 playersBlack cards bring creative effectsIncreases game complexityRequires base game to functionRECOMMENDED ## Description If you thought 7 Wonders was already intense, get ready to level up with the Cities expansion. This add-on cranks up the heat, making the game significantly more aggressive and increasing the interaction between players. The star of the show is the new set of black cards, representing city remains. These cards introduce a variety of game-changing effects: from embassies that remove you from the military struggle of the age, to spies that copy science symbols from your neighbors. There's even a black market for those desperate for resources and cemeteries that drain your opponents' gold while earning you victory points. Beyond the black cards, Cities expands the horizon with two magnificent new wonders: Petra and Byzantium. If you have a large group, this expansion is a lifesaver, as it introduces optional team rules allowing up to 8 players to join the fray. In team mode, partners sit side-by-side, allowing them to communicate and coordinate their card choices to dominate the age together. For those already using the Leaders expansion, there are new leader cards that specifically synergize with the black cards, adding deeper strategic layers. The game maintains its fast-paced drafting and building rhythm, but now with more ways to sabotage your neighbors or protect yourself cunningly. It's the perfect expansion for players who feel the base game is too 'solitary' and crave more direct conflict and interaction. Get ready to manage debts, negotiate resources, and build the most imposing city of antiquity, all while trying to avoid being sabotaged by both allies and enemies. ## How to Play Game Objective In 7 Wonders: Cities, players explore a new aspect of the great cities of the ancient world. The goal is to develop your city by constructing new structures, hiring Leaders, and founding Guilds. The victory condition is to accumulate the highest total of Victory Points at the end of the game. Setup To set up the game, follow these steps: City Cards: Add to each of the three Age decks (I, II, and III) a number of black cards (from the corresponding Age) equal to the number of players. Choose them randomly and without looking; the remaining cards are set aside and not revealed. Guilds: The new Guild cards are added to the old ones. The total number of Guilds used must be equal to the number of players + 2. Central Components: Place the Debt tokens, Diplomacy tokens, Coins, and Conflict tokens in the center of the table. Wonders: The Al Khazneh in Petra and Hagia Sophia in Byzantium boards are added to the existing Wonder boards. Scoring: Use the score pad to sum the Victory Points from certain City cards and team points. Game Flow The game follows the structure of the base game, with the following change at the beginning of each Age: Hand of Cards: At the beginning of each Age, each player receives a hand of 8 cards (instead of 7). This allows players to play one extra card per Age. Turn Resolution: Monetary losses are always resolved at the end of the turn, after players have played their cards and performed trades. Conflict Resolution: Occurs at the end of each Age. If a player possesses a Diplomacy token, they must use it during this phase. Actions and How to Play In addition to the base game actions, the expansion introduces new mechanics and card types: Debt When a card causes the loss of Coins, affected players must pay the amount to the bank. For each Coin not paid, the player receives a Debt token. It is possible to pay part in Coins and the remainder via Debt tokens. Incurred Debt cannot be paid off later. Diplomacy When playing a card with the Diplomacy symbol, the player receives a Diplomacy token. During the next Conflict resolution, the player MUST discard this token and does not participate in the resolution (they receive neither Conflict victory nor defeat tokens). Their neighbors are then considered adjacent to each other to dispute military supremacy. Card Types and Abilities City Cards (Black): A new category of cards with varied effects. Mask: Allows copying the scientific symbol of a green card from one of the two neighboring cities at the end of the game. Special Resources: Smuggler's Dock: Grants a discount of one Coin on the first resource purchased from the indicated neighbor. Secret Warehouse: Produces a resource of your choice among those already produced by brown or grey cards, or the starting resource of the Wonder. Black Market: Produces a resource of your choice among those not produced by brown or grey cards, or the starting resource of the Wonder. Leaders: Cards with permanent abilities (e.g., Berenice increases Coins received from the bank by 1; Caligula allows building one black card for free per Age). Guilds: Cards with end-game scoring or immediate effects (e.g., Forgers' Guild grants 5 Victory Points and removes 3 Coins from other players). End of Game and Scoring The game ends at the end of Age III, after the resolution of Conflicts. Point Counting: Sum all Victory Points from the city. Coins and Debt: Debt tokens are subtracted from the points obtained from Coins (e.g., 5 Coins [1 point] minus 3 Debt tokens results in -2 points). Black and White Cards: Points from black cards are summed together with those from Leaders (white cards). The player with the highest total points is the winner. In team mode, the scores of teammates are summed to determine the winning team. Tips for Winning Resource Management: Use the Architect's Office to build stages of your Wonder without paying the resource cost (though Coin costs must still be paid). Diplomacy Strategy: Use Diplomacy to avoid Conflict resolution when your military power is low, avoiding Defeat tokens. Card Synergy: Combine the Smuggler's Dock with the Market or Trading Post to make the purchase of the first resource free. ## FAQ ### Do I need the base game to play? Yes, Cities is an expansion, so you must own 7 Wonders to use it. ### How many people can play now? With the team rules, the player limit increases to 8 players. ### Does it make the game harder? Slightly. The black cards add new rules and interactions, but base game veterans will pick it up quickly. ### Does it work with the Leaders expansion? Yes! In fact, Cities includes new leaders that specifically synergize with the new black cards. ### What do the black cards do? They provide various effects, such as generating gold, copying science symbols, or removing you from the military struggle. ## Price Comparison ### Best Offers in Brazil - **Ludostation**: R$ 143,99 (https://ludostation.com.br/produtos/7-wonders-2-edicao-cidades-1vrfh/?utm_source=boardgamesbot.com) - **Cangaia Jogos**: R$ 160,88 (https://www.cangaiajogos.com.br/todos-os-jogos/jogos-para-familia/7-wonders-cidades?utm_source=boardgamesbot.com) - **TabuLoja**: R$ 179,91 (https://www.tabuloja.com/jogos-de-tabuleiro/expansoes/7-wonders-2a-edicao-cidades-expansao?utm_source=boardgamesbot.com) - **Loja Nerdz**: R$ 229,90 (https://lojanerdz.com.br/produtos/7-wonders-cidades-expansao/?utm_source=boardgamesbot.com) - **Dalaran Games**: R$ 237,40 (https://www.dalaran.com.br/7-wonders-2a-edicao-cidades?utm_source=boardgamesbot.com) - See all on Compara Jogos: https://www.comparajogos.com.br/item/7-wonders-cidades ### Best International Offers - **BoardGamePrices.com**: $ 28.72 (https://boardgameprices.com/item/go?source=A&storeitemid=2309894&utm_source=boardgamesbot.com) - See all on BoardGamePrices: https://boardgameprices.com/item/show/994/7-wonders-cities?utm_source=boardgamesbot.com