Nearly two years ago, I sang the praises of 7 Wonders: Architects as worthy of a place in the Wonder-verse alongside its more mature colleagues, 7 Wonders and 7 Wonders: Duel. I spoke of speed and charm as if it were destined to be a staple family game.
I still believe all of those things. In fact, 7 Wonders: Architects has remained a steady play in our family and is one of our most-played titles overall. The younger kiddos still adore it (now six and eleven years old), and the teenagers still join us for the experience.
After demonstrating whole weeks of patience following the release, we grabbed a copy of 7 Wonders: Architects – Medals, the first expansion, from an out-of-town FLGS and brought it to the vacation table. What a great decision.
Wonder me this…
Medals brings two new Wonders to the table—the Roman Colosseum and the ancient city of Ur. The Colosseum twice allows for the theft of a single card from another player—as tribute—only to then provide a free card from the center as benevolent compensation. Ur brings the game’s beloved Kitty home to roost along with a free card. These mid-game triggers fit the game like a glove without feeling contrived.
More significantly, the titular Medals are a stack of stickered plastic targets for players to chase. One four-point medal sits near every deck of cards, goading the players to the left and right of it to engage the pursuit: first player to three blue cards, first player to seven total cards, first player to two Wonder sections plus the Kitty. These mini-races are fantastic. The “advanced” module rightly recommends adding two medals to the center of the table as communal bait.
Toss in a few more Progress tokens—including a third copy of the cherished 4pt/12pt token to spice up the realm of scientific exploration—and this thin box is a smooth execution of “more of what I love.”
If I were to conjure a complaint against this additional offering, it would be that there is no solution at present to combine the bits into one box without ditching the game’s greatest convenience: those player storage trays. If you’re not opposed to box lift, you can combine the new with the old; but Medals has a low profile if you can’t bear the thought.
If Medals changes the base game, it is by opening a door to victory that doesn’t require winning the race to finish the Wonder. The Wonder cannot be ignored, but there are sixteen potential points lingering in the medals, plus a handful of Progress tokens that beef up the scoreboard in other interesting ways. Overall, the new side tracks are fruitful, and they also entice players to engage every avenue of play. If you’re a player who typically ignores Military, for example, the Military medal on your right and the Collect-all-five-card-types Medal on your left might require a bit of diversification. Better yet, the Progress token that allows you to hang on to your horned shield cards after conflict just might make a fighter of a lover. Expansions are best when they enhance and encourage without rewriting the script.
All in all, Medals gently and compellingly sticks its grubby paws into every cranny of 7 Wonders: Architects. The result is a more complex experience—not complex like Vinhos, but complex like a good cup of coffee. The flavor profile is a little richer, offering that extra note to the player who wants just a bit more to talk about. If you love 7 Wonders: Architects, you won’t regret immediately adding Medals to the table.
7 Wonders: Architects details
- Designer: Antoine Bauza
- Artists: Etienne Hebinger
- Publishers: ADC Blackfire Entertainment, Asmodee, Galápagos Jogos, Gém Klub Kft., Kaissa Chess & Games, Korea Boardgames co., Ltd., Rebel Sp. z o.o., Repos Production
- Release Date: 2021
- Player count : 2 - 7
- Age range : 8+
- Time range : 25 minutes
- Mechanism(s): Open Drafting, Set Collection, Variable Player Powers
- More articles about 7 Wonders: Architects.
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