7 Wonders (2nd Edition)

Great game to chill out with.
Pros:
- It scales super well to different player groups and is very easy to teach to newcomers.
- Lots of different strategies to try and interesting decisions to make with the drafting.
- Having to balance out building up your economy while also thinking about your point scoring is a fun puzzle.
- Artwork with easy to understand iconography and card design.
- Super fast gameplay - can easily play multiple games in a row.
- The Civilization theming is very appealing.

Downsides:
- Box is overly big for the amount of actual game components this has.
- I find the Duel version is better overall, but they obviously serve different player counts.

Great fun which really makes you think too. I played it for the first time and found it quite tricky to get my head around all the different types of symbols, so I would need 10 or 20 games to really get used to them. It seems endlessly re-playable, due to the different base card choices, strategies you can employ, variety of cards available and playing with different people who would have different styles of play, as how your neighbour is playing affects your choices. Already addicted!

The game comes in a good quality box although there is a fair bit of wasted space which tends to annoy me. There is a plastic insert to help organise the pieces and boards which works quite well although some fall out if the box is stored on it's side.
The rules initially look a little overwhelming but there are videos which give an overview and explain the setup too. We used one of these videos to help with our first playthrough then checked on details in the rules as we played.
We played with an age range from just under 10-mid 50s and the game was enjoyed by all. The gameplay is fairly fast paced, we took around an hour from opening the box to the end of the game with 4 players. I can see the 30min playtime would be achievable once you've played a few games (maybe not when playing with younger players though). I like that you play simultaneously as it reduces the game time and you have less time waiting while others think.
The 3 round system worked well, I wasn't as keen on the military element as felt too easy as a way to gain/loose points and was difficult to come back from if you missed out on the right cards. It definitely feels like you could modify the game to leave it out if wanted or to reduce the points gained/lost through it.

Overall we enjoyed our experience playing, I have to admit it's not a game I'd want to have paid full price for but definitely one I would have considered at some point. I'm interested to see some of the expansions and how they add to the gameplay.

Disclaimer: I received this product for free (not from Thirsty Meeples) but this is an honest opinion.

There are very few games that are so good with up to 7 people, 7 Wonders is great.
There is some interaction with your neighbours around the table, which I like as it makes it a more sociable game.
I would say medium complexity - certainly understandable, but you have to put in the effort and have the energy to try and get your head around it!

Thirsty Meeples - wonderfully packaged and delivered product, as always.

Bought this with having been a fan of games like Sid Meier’s Civilization and also looking for a good physical board/card game to play with friends. The game play is thoughtful but still fun and has a some good layers to decision making. It’s an accessible game with a little explaining and a few trial runs but does not lack tactical depth adding to replay value. The paraphernalia and cards are of good quality with lovely art that adds to the overall experience.