Review of 7 Wonders Architects: Medals
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Almost two years ago, I praised 7 Wonders: Architects as a worthy game in the 7 Wonders line, alongside its more mature counterparts, 7 Wonders and 7 Wonders: Duel. I talked about speed and charm like it was supposed to be a quintessential family game.
I still believe in all of this. In fact, 7 Wonders: Architects remains a constant game in our family and is one of the most popular games overall. Younger kids still adore her and teenagers still join us for the experience.
After weeks of post-release patience, we grabbed a copy of the first expansion, 7 Wonders: Architects – Medals, and brought it to the table on vacation. It was a great decision.
MY SURPRISES
Medals bring two new wonders - the Roman Colosseum and the ancient city of Ur. The Colosseum twice allows you to steal one card from another player—as a tribute—only to then provide a free card from the center as a benevolent compensation. Ur brings the beloved Kitty along with a free card. These mid-game triggers fit the game perfectly without feeling contrived.
More importantly, the title medals are a bunch of stick-on plastic targets for players to chase. One four-point medal sits next to each deck of cards, prompting players to the left and right of it to join in the chase: first player gets three blue cards, first player gets seven cards, first player gets two Miracles plus Kitty sections. . These mini races are fantastic. The "advanced" module rightly recommends adding two medals to the center of the table as common bait.
Throw in a few more progress tokens, including a third copy of the cherished 4PO/12PO token to bring the realm of science to life, and this slim box becomes a smooth performance of "more of what I love."
If I were to make a complaint about this additional offering, it would be that there is currently no solution to combine the bits into one box without giving up the game's greatest convenience: those player storage trays. If you are not against a box lift, you can combine the new with the old; but Medals have low prestige if you can't stand that thought.
If Medals changes the base game, then it opens the door to victory that doesn't require winning a race to complete a Miracle. The wonder can't be ignored, but there are sixteen potential points in the medals, as well as some progress tokens that enhance the scoreboard in other interesting ways. All in all, the new side paths are fruitful and also encourage players to play all kinds of games. For example, if you're a player who usually ignores the war game, you'll want to add some variety to the war medal to your right and the collect-all-five-type medal to your left. Better yet, a progress token that lets you hold on to your horned shield cards after a conflict can turn a fighter into a lover. Extensions are best when they enhance and encourage without rewriting the script.
All in all, Medals gently and convincingly sticks its grubby paws into every crevice 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 bit richer, offering an extra note to the player who wants to talk it up a bit more. If you love 7 Wonders: Architects, you won't regret adding medals to the table right away.
