This is the 7 Wonders vs Dominion game comparison showdown. The main thing these two have in common is that they both deal with cards that have a variety of effects. The similarities end there. 7 Wonders is a drafting game about fueling your burgeoning civilization with resources. Dominion is a deck-building game about quick combos or efficient paths to outdoing your opponents just enough to edge them out by a point or two. We dive deep into both. Learn a little about the games then check out our 7 Wonders vs Dominion notes and final verdict.
ABOUT THE GAMES
About 7 Wonders (2010): This is one of the best drafting games out there. Over three eras (rounds), players pass around cards and take one from a stack turn after turn to take actions that help either build up your empire and resources or help construct your specialized wonder of the world. Collecting the right sets or making the right investments get you victory points that will help you win by the end.
FOR MORE: 7 Wonders Page | How To Play 7 Wonders | 7 Wonders Review | Games Like 7 Wonders | Buy 7 Wonders on Amazon
About Dominion (2008): In Dominion, a new set of 10 action cards each game and the standard treasure/victory cards are available for purchase. Everyone starts with the same basically nothing and has to buy cards and build up a deck to draw more and more powerful cards to get to big victory points. The game ends once any three piles are gone and whoever has the most points in their deck wins.
FOR MORE: Dominion Page | How To Play Dominion | Dominion Review | Games Like Dominion | Buy Dominion on Amazon
7 WONDERS VS DOMINION ANALYSIS
Theme: We probably see these as close but they are around 1500 years apart. 7 Wonders takes place during the times of Zeus and the ancient wonders, around 800 BC. Dominion takes place in the castle and knight medieval period, which was around 700 AD. In 7 Wonders vs Dominion, the win goes to 7 Wonders. It uses its backdrop in a far better way that brings you in. Dominion’s theme is also often criticized for being generic.
Gameplay: Sure they both have cards, but that is all you can say is the same in 7 Wonders vs Dominion gameplay. They are both at the same level of intensity, just a few decisions to make and easy rule but with deep strategy options. A hard thing to manage, both these games do it. 7 Wonders has you drafting with other players, taking one card at a time to add to your own area. Dominion is similar in you need to gain cards, but here you have to buy them to add them to your deck to eventually draw and use.
Mechanics: 7 Wonders is a secret draft game, so you need a bigger group of people and you will pass stacks of cards around a circle, taking one at a time, to build up your civ in a way that will generate resources, points and other things. In deck building and the case of Dominion, you start with nothing and need to buy cards from a communal area to add to your deck, in order to eventually draw and use them. Hard to make any kind of 7 Wonders vs Dominion winner here because it is like apples and oranges.
Time Commitment: Games are decently fast in 7 Wonders vs Dominion. 7 Wonders is always going to run you less time because all player actions happen at the same time instead of going player by player. No need to worry, both are very quick and well paced. In that sweet spot of being enough to unpack and dive deep but still less than an hour.
Player Count: Dominion is closer to what you see out of the majority of strategy games out there with 2 – 4 players. 7 Wonders, being a drafting game, is built for a larger audience but it is just as comfortable at 3 players. It runs 3 – 7 people as an option. If you want the 2 player version you need to get a completely separate games (7 Wonders Duel) because the way the classic version is built, it doesn’t work.
Cost: Dominion has been out for much longer than 7 Wonders and Dominion has a much bigger economy based on the success of their expansions so getting out bases versions is key. This benefits you. The same can pretty much be said about 7 Wonders, maybe just not as much.
VERDICT
Verdict For the Shelf: In the battle of 7 Wonders vs Dominion, the verdict is 7 Wonders (51% of the time) and Dominion (49% of the time). These are again very different and pretty much a toss up, but we will give a slight edge to 7 Wonders because it is a more interesting puzzle. Dominion can produce some action card combinations that are just not very fun, but 7 Wonders is always going to be a winner. Both have endless expansions and countless hours of fun within.
What did you think of this 7 Wonders vs Dominion board game analysis? Let us know on our BGH Facebook page or in the comments below.
OTHER SHOWDOWNS:
7 Wonders vs (All Others)
7 Wonders vs Sushi Go
7 Wonders vs Pandemic
7 Wonders vs 7 Wonders Duel
