These board games have been around for quite a while. A bit of research shows that 7 Wonders first arrived on the scene in 2010 while Thunder Alley sprung forth around 2014. In gamer parlance, these games are old.
I tried to keep the aspect ratio of the box dimensions correct in the following stock photos.
I played both of these yesterday and happy to report that they stand the test of time.
As far as strategy games go, both games are on the lighter side of complexity. Boardgamegeek rates 7 Wonders as a 2.32 on complexity, while Thunder Alley is 2.39, This doesn’t mean that the games are simple to play, but mostly mean that they are simple to learn. The scale ranges from 1-5.
Both games combine strategic, or longer range thinking, with tactical, or short term thinking. Strategic thinking in these games requires you to evaluate your prospects for scoring points based on the relative strengths and weaknesses for your faction, or team, while tactical thinking requires you to respond to unexpected moves or actions by your opponents.
Both games are highly replayable, meaning that they don’t work like puzzles where once you develop a winning strategy then you have solved the game. The card play in each game, along with the different personalities of your gaming partners, provides a unique experience in each play.
Both games are highly interactive, providing many opportunities for table talk, attempts at negotiation with your opponents, and laughter. This appeals to the social gamer.
Good games are good games whether they are new (I read somewhere that over 6000 new board games are published every year!) or have been around for years. I hesitate to use the word “classics” to a relatively modern game, but both of these belong in a list of classic games.
I’ve played 7 Wonders every year since it came out. Evergreen largely because it scales so well (play time and down time) for higher player counts. It is also a good game. Julie plays 7 Wonders Duel a lot.
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