I'll probably be picking up the new version at some point. Thanks for this vid! One thing I noticed you didn't mention was the fact that the new version has colorblind symbols! On the banner next to the names of all the cards there's a small symbol indicating the color of the card. Helpful small detail that makes a big accessibility difference. :)
I couldn't agree with Zee more on this one. It is likely the deciding factor for why I won't be getting the new version. I find it gaudy and doesn't align with the rest of the game.
@@TheGiraffehead Seriously, the back of the cards is the only thing stopping you from getting the, clearly superior, new version? That's pretty shallow. It's not like there is glitter all over them. That would be gaudy.
I love the new card design, including the shiny back side. And on the cost or effect changes, I wanna believe that they did it to balance cards a bit better, maybe with all the expansions in mind and their changes. I'm sure they have an internal memo somewhere that explains why these changes were made...
I will be buying the new version and expansions, mostly because I am such a fan of the Symbol upgrades from 7 Wonders Duel, and have wanted them to make the switch to them in original 7 Wonders for a long time
I'm definitely getting the new version as the rebalancing of wonders is a major plus for me. I won't get any expansions because I enjoy the base game immensely.
I’ll be sticking to the original. I could be talked into some sort of big box collection for storing all my expansions though. I like some aspects of the new look but prefer a lot of the aspects of the old look. My copy will be fine. Thanks for the info though!
It's a decent update. I really like that they switched card names with symbols for the prerequisites. However, I don't see that as a good reason to upgrade.
I spend years and a lot of money getting EVERYTHING for this game (including all the promos) and now they want to sell me on a new version?? What is this, an iPhone??
I am amused by the fact that everyone feels the need to point out to me that I don't need to buy this new edition, completely missing the point of my aggravation. Had they released an upgrade pack for owners of the original version I would not be upset. But since this edition has made changes to the cards, it feels like a new game. If they are going to rebalance the game an upgrade pack for the original version that updates that version with the new card effects would be nice, because otherwise it makes me feel like my game is not balanced. They made these changes for a reason (supposedly) but if you want to play with them, it's either pony up for the new copy or make your own.
I don’t think the tokens are a good improvement: a red flag with a white circle and a black number in it, and an eagle above it, well, this reminds me of another flag. But maybe I’m the only one!
That was my immediate thought when I saw those tokens and I'm not alone. A bunch of people on BGG noticed it too. They voiced their concern to the publisher and the publisher did respond. You can read their response and the rest of the thread here, www.boardgamegeek.com/thread/2468086/article/35517171#35517171
You may not be aware but the nazis stole a lot of symbology from history’s great civilisations. They raided the Roman Empire the most. So technically it fits with the theme just fine. Personally I find it far easier to distinguish than the red on red tokens previously used.
Ripped from the Crypt Hello! I am aware of that. It’s not the symbols that shock me. It’s the way they are shown. For example, I am not shocked by a svastika in an indian temple. I am shocked if it is drawn in a white circle inside a red flag. I haven’t seen a roman flag designed like that in books or museums I visited in Italy or in France (which is my country), this is why I wrote my comment.
One would think they are done with new expansions since they did this, but if they make a new expansion i am very certain that they will make to both the original and the revised one.
Even if they put out new expansions to the game in this new format it's not a big deal. there's plenty of game just in the original base box and the old expansions add nearly infinte replay anyway. For me it looks nice but i'll keep my old version for sure.
Instant buy for me. Always loved this game, never liked any of the expansions so I don't care about that. Seems like they changed costs and effects, I really hope now is more balanced. Can't wait to add it to my collection!!!
Even bigger player boards? Why? Playing this with a handful of people, all putting 15+ cards on the table, makes this game a real table hugger already.
I love 7 wonders and I see this as a great reason to jump on. Since two of my friends has the original I haven't had a good enough reason to get one for my self, now I think I will! I love the new backs btw.
Awesome to see this game updated. But as someone who has all of the expansions, etc., it is hard to say if I want to jump into this and hope and wait for all of the expansions to get a similar treatment.
The Leaders, Cities, and Armada expansions will be getting updates like the base game is getting. As for the anniversary packs, I believe those are being bundled into their respective expansions but do not quote me on that. As for the Wonder Pack, I think some of those wonders are getting baked into other expansions but again don't quote me on that. Finally, with regards to Babel, there is currently no plans to bring this expansion over to the new art style. Part of the argument as to why not is that because the Babel expansion does not add any cards to the age decks that you can technically then play it with the new version no problem. No word on any of the promo stuff as in the promo leader cards, alternate art palace cards, the Catan promo wonder board, or the alternate art wonder pack.
7 Wonders is one of my favorite games, but I only have the base game. I'm definitely going to buy the new version of the base game, and the new version of Leaders, Cities and Armada. Leaders and Cities will have their Anniversary Packs included in them, which will be great. Thanks for the comparison video!
I am really liking the way that the art is showcased on the cards and player boards. I am still not sure about getting the new version, but it is definitely on my radar, especially when new expansions come out...
Thanks for the video. They have the new version up on BGA now. A lot of the weaker monuments have been balanced out via small changes. They have removed the Stage 1 requirements where you were given one of the starting resources right on the card (meaning you only needed 1 wood, or 1 stone, or 1 of whatever it was) to complete stage 1. That makes a lot of sense to me, it made certain cards much easier to dive right into stage 2. And although I have yet to see the new backs in person, the bronze, silver, and gold look great from here. This game is all about building monuments to the Gods, it makes sense to have "gaudy" cards.
Thanks, Zee! Like many others I own base and the expansions. When I do get the game to the table I play with Leaders and sometimes Cities, but can't get my groups to play Babel or Armada. I just don't play enough to justify buying the new version and 2 expansions and we're not serious enough players to care about the card tweaks that balance the game.
Personally I love the new look, including the card backs. I don't own the game as we always play my friend's copy, however if I were to get one it would be this new version for sure!
I will probably buy the new edition because my base game is well-worn and I haven't purchased the expansions; I am also very likely to buy this for friends and family just getting into the hobby.
I've played a ton of 7 Wonders with my friend who owns it over the years, and I never pulled the trigger on my own copy because it felt like "his game". But I will definitely be buying the new edition base game+expansions. I've waited long enough. :P
I have a complete set of 7 wonders with the expansions. I always hate it when they bring out these "new" versions, because at some point there will be a new expansion and it does not fit with the old game anymore.... I don't like to feel forced to have to upgrade...
@@andyscout They have said there is no plans for a new expansion, that being said I fully expect there to be a new expansion in a year or two. What I would love in this game though is a complete rulebook and complete symbols help sheet. So if that could come next I would be really excited.
I’m a relatively new board gamer (only since the end of 2017), and have not purchased 7 Wonders yet (but I do have and really like 7 Wonders Duel). My timing to get this new version is perfect. I like what I see in the changes, and have pre-ordered this new version with the expansions that are also coming. I get why some folks won’t re-purchase. Board games are expensive, and if the prior version works well, why spend the money? My timing on buying a few games that have recently been updated has worked out well thus far. I sin on the side of re-buying things I like when released (comic book collected editions, for example), so it’s nice to not be tempted to spend the money when it really isn’t necessary. 👍
(1) because it’s prettier, (2) because cleaner and more concise rules are never a turnoff, (3) because balance tweaks based on years and thousands of plays and discussions are never a turnoff.
Actually some of those balance changes are pretty nice. The Arena I felt was too good before and some of the wonders were not as powerful as others, Babylon included.
7 Wonders is one of my favorite games for many reasons. I do not know if I'll upgrade my copy (I only have Leaders and Babel expansions) because I cannot remember the last time my copy hit the table. Even if I do upgrade, I won't get rid of the original - too many memories for that to happen. Great video and much appreciated!
I sold the old version back in 2014 after only a few plays as everyone I knew already owned a copy. I've since moved cities and become "the one with all the games", so might have to pick this new edition up! I certainly like the cleaner aesthetic.
As soon as I saw this I went and picked up the original version of the Cities expansion (already had Leaders) in anticipation of it going out of print and up in price.
This is a pretty mainstream game, that wouldn’t be practical for people who are new to the hobby. I remember a couple years ago 7 Wonders was a game I considered getting but I knew basically nothing about modern boardgames at the time. If it had all the expansions it would have been very difficult for me to understand and play.
I just ordered the Duel base, and I think I will buy this version eventually also. Since I haven't owned the game previously I have no attachment to the original card back design as I may if I had owned it. and I think they look nice in keeping with the theme of the game and nice to look at. I also LOVE the large boards with night and day designs. Simply stunning
The first one is in my top 3. I'd like to buy this new one but games are so expensive right now in my country that I'll just have to ignore it for now (it launches friday at double the cost of the original) and maybe pick up a copy in a couple of years after the expansions come.
Hi, and thank you for this comparison. I do have the old version, but now I bought the new version, used copy, manly becourse of the expansions. I could not find the old version expansions, and I wanted to try the Armada with the ships. Now I can see more of the changes made with the new expansion, and I like most part of these changes you show here.
I played this game a lot for about three years. Got leaders and cities expansion. After a while it just stood there not getting played so I got rid of it. Watching this video makes me think about jumping in that train again 🤣
I have everything from the original version (including al promo's and extra's) so no wont change to the new version. We enjoyed how it has always been. I do hope, if there is gonna be an expansion, that they think of the people who have supported them in the past (aka bought the original version), and release it in the old look as well. If they would make an upgrade kit with the bigger player boards in old style, replacement cards for what has changed and the new rules, I think I would buy that.
I’ll probably end up buying this since I don’t own a physical copy. Looks flatter and classier overall. How many more components would they need in order to provide “Duel” in-box?
Since this is my #1 game of all-time, I'm probably going to give my older copy away and get this new one. I never added any expansions, so now is probably a good time since I "assume" they'll be changing the expansions to match and I've wanted to add expansions for quite some time now. I like everything about this new edition.
The graphic design improvements are huge, also it helps to arrange the cards in straight columns, you don't need a gigantic table to play this game now.
Bought 7 Wonders a while back, punched it but haven't played it yet. The day after my friend told me a new print was coming out which made me feel a bit stupid for not checking first. So, I feel that I have to stick to my original version after all.
Our first edition that we enjoyed so much got wet and torned so we are looking for a replacement. Glad to see that there has been a newer edition that we can consider as a replacement. The newer edition is tempting because it's "new" and balanced, and only makes sense to buy a newer version but also will greatly miss the older edition that drew us to love this game!
I only have the base game and was going to stick with it thinking the expansions would go on sale/clearance sometime... but now I think I'll upgrade to future proof as my bet is they invest in the IP with a lot of new content.
I think the link icons in the previous version of the game is easier for sporadic boardgame players, since they clearly say what cards you get to build for free. That's a plus for me, since I often have sporadic players mixed in with seasoned boardgame players.
I wouldn't upgrade until all the content 7 Wonders-related (expansions, boards, etc.) get a second edition. I like the cleaner looks and I'm curious about the small gameplay tweaks, but I always play with expansions these days. Plus to upgrade would be a huuuge investment all over again.
I wish they kept at least the back of the cards the same to keep the old explanations compatible. My copy of the base game is really banged up. I'll have to buy the old version of the base game otherwise I'll have to buy the expansions again.
I'm kind of thinking about upgrading. I love 7 Wonders but have never bought any of the expansions. I've played with Leaders on someone else's copy once, and over the Pandemic played the Tabletop Simulator version with both Leaders and Cities and I liked the experience so much that I feel like it'd be tough to go back to just the base game. So I'm thinking that it might make sense to upgrade my base copy before starting to add onto it. And I do like the idea of stacking/splaying resources to the left of the board and just putting new cards on top of the old ones. It was always mildly annoying to try to slide cards under a diagonally splayed stack that juts out of your board at a weird angle. Not THAT annoying, but it'd be nice to not mess with it.
I love love love the 2 player variant in original base game of 7 Wonders! Such a shame that they removed it. I really enjoy the strategic options afforded to you in the 2 player variant. You can manipulate the non-player mat to your benefit (ex. getting coins) while also hurting your opponent (ex. building up non-player's military). I'm SO glad I have the old version! Also... I think Repos should have kept the awards on the front of the box - one of the most awarded board games ever.
Thanks for the video Zee. Nice to see the comparison. I have the base game and most of the expansions, so I think I will stick with my original version, but I like that it makes the game a bit more accessible for new players.
@@Keithustus Well, I like my cards nice and new. Plus, in my country (Brazil), board games (as with much of the geek hobbies around here) are expensive as fuck, think like, a big box game like Scythe costing almost half our monthly minimum wage, just so you have an idea exactly how expensive I'm talking about, and you can understand why it's best to take good care of games instead of just getting new ones if they get too worn out.
Diego Lima, sure, I get that. The only game I have sleeved is my Battlestar Galactica with all expansions. Since it’s been out of print so long, it would be too hard to get a replacement expansion nowadays. But I still don’t like touching the sleeves.
Call me corny but I fell much more in love with 7W because of the minimalist metallic backs. So much so that I wish Duel had a reprint with the same redesigns too
I think this looks really nice. I even like the foil backs to the cards. 7 Wonders is one of my favorite games, but I’m not sure I’m going to buy this edition. It’s just hard to justify paying for a game I already own.
I like 7 Wonders a lot and have the Leaders and Cities expansions, and I don't see any need to buy a new copy over the minor cost/power changes and a new aesthetic. Certainly nothing wrong with a new coat of paint and some minor card balance tweaks for new buyers, though.
As someone who already owns the base game (and loves it) and owns many of the expansions, upgrading based on some minor graphic design changes and supposed balance adjustments, when almost everything else is the same, (including the most of the art!) is a pretty big ask. And with it retailing at a higher price, I don't see myself shelling out that kind of money for such relatively minor tweaks.
I love and own 7 Wonders + two expansions. All cards are sleeved. I will not buy the new edition, I'm happy with the old version. However it's nice for new customers to have the opportunity to buy this maybe slightly better version.
Good video. I do love the board art and card layout upgrades, but I won't be upgrading. The larger board seems unnecessary, and I don't think that I would like the metallic backs.
at this point the only way I could see buying it again is if there was a big box of all of it ... since I only have the base and that could make since to get it all. My expectation is that we will pick up expansions for the old version.
I love 7 Wonders but don’t own the game. Played a lot on the app version. I may pick this one up, I like the card format changes and the gilded backs don’t really bother me. I was hoping for a bit of artwork updates as my wife hated the bathhouse cards and artwork.
Love the link indictor is now like duels. Much smarter design. Wish they added in babel or something alike since a system that connects all players with 4+ player count was what was really missing in the original vanilla version
I kinda wish they would have stuck to the old card sizes and background. Then you'd be able to mix and match new and old expansions. To answer the question... I don't feel tempted to upgrade
Old sizes? The cards are the same size across both editions but even so the backs are different. Technically, if you can find card sleeves of that size with opaque backs then you could potentially mix and match the two editions, but good luck finding such sleeves. On top of that have fun with the nightmare of separating the cards after the fact. :)
I feel that the new look does coincide with the whole theme of 7 Wonders in terms of most Wonders in the world are decked with loads of Bronze, Silver and Gold. Will I buy it? No, there is just too much to replace in terms of the expansion. Also, for the expansions that I haven't bought before, it means I have to get them before they go out of print. (or they update the look and it wouldn't go well with the old version).
i'm a little bit worried that now, with the new edition, the expansion will also get an upgrade and so if people with the old edition wants expansion they couldn't get one because the expansion will be with the new bigger card, if they made the card size and back the same as the old one, it would have been far better
Cosmetic change that wasn't mentioned: The new box no longer has a bunch of awards plastered on it. I assume this is because the tweaks mean it's technically a different game?
I won't buy the new version: miss the 2p variant, currently miss the expansions and the "rebalance" seems to me more of a "make some changes to have them re-buy the game" scheme, as the feel of the original is that of a pretty solid and well-balanced game.
The 2p variant is just...weird. Not a fan so seeing it go is kinda expected. And I mean, if you want to play 2-player, play Duel, that's so good for a 2-player game.
Can you not play the 2p variant with the current edition using the previous rules? I never really looked into it, but I just assumed that you could easily still play it with old 2 players rules (despite what the box says). If you can’t, this new edition is going to drop for Rahdo! 😜
@@jeremyslayton Yes, you can. There are two extra "cards" needed to play the variant but even then the card is more like a marker of some sort so just print it out or use something else as a substitution and you'll be fine.
Shame that they've removed the 2 player variant, my wife and I spent quite a number of games playing just the 2 player variant and it worked quite well.
Thanks for doing this comparison. 7 Wonders is my favorite game and I was excited when they announced the 2nd edition but the more I learn about it the less excited I get. I don't like the look of the new tokens especially the military ones. I think they missed an opportunity to add some more diversity to the wonders themselves. Since there are a day and night side and some of the wonder levels have changed, I would have liked to have seen different starting resources for both sides. I am also not a fan of the design of the backs of the new cards. Overall, I don't see enough good changes to justify getting the 2nd edition in my opinion.
I like the new look a lot, especially the day/night on the wonders and the symbols for chaining. The back of the card is not a problem for me, I don't care either the old and the new look is fine. The tokens are meh at best, and like some other people mentionned, might be reminiscent of some world war 2 symbology. Not worth buying if you already have a copy of the original game however. The old version is fine. But great for people who don't have the game yet and were always tempted to get it.
Interesting way of making any future new expansions/promos incompatible with people's current sets of 7 Wonders. I do like the change of how the cards stack, and the symbols for chain building as in 7 Wonders Duel. However that's not enough to spend a couple hundred dollars re-buying the game and new expansion versions to upgrade.
I'm gonna buy 7 wonders, but the original printing with all the expansions... after 1000+ games, my copy is kinda worn down. I'm gonna wait for all the expansions to be released for the 2nd edition
Do you think you guys will do a play through of the new version and let us know of the game feels different with the different card costs? I’m curious if something that small can make a big difference. This version looks awesome! I diddo what people are saying about the military tokens looking a bit nazi 😬.... some people might be too off put by that. The changes as a whole look great. I don’t currently own this but this is making me think about picking it up!
Looks like a really nice game, clean neat and shiny. For new fans, I'd tell them to pick this up. For people who own the original game, doesn't look like a reason to upgrade, unless you need too from playing it too much.
I like the new version and the changes they made but I think i will remain with the old versions as i have all the expansions. I needed a bigger table when we played 4 persons with the Armada expansion.
