7 Wonders Duel

Officially 7 Wonders Duel (2015, Antoine Bauza + Bruno Cathala, Repos Production)

A tightly-tuned two-player standalone reimagining of Antoine Bauza's 7 Wonders, using a pyramid-shaped card display and three age eras — considered one of the best two-player strategy games ever made.

📐Pyramid card display + conflict track + progress tokens⏱~30 min🌤indoor

What is 7 Wonders Duel?

7 Wonders Duel is a 2015 two-player game co-designed by Antoine Bauza (7 Wonders) and Bruno Cathala. Rather than drafting cards, players take turns claiming face-up cards from a pyramid-shaped display during three ages. Each card is a building, wonder, or guild that provides resources, military strength, science symbols, coins, or victory points. The game has three victory paths: (1) Civilian VP (highest total wins), (2) Military supremacy (advance conflict token to opponent's capital), (3) Scientific supremacy (collect 6 different science symbols). All three paths are viable and force constant strategic decisions. Only 7 wonders may be built per game (chosen from 12 during setup drafts). BGG-consistently ranked in Top-3 2-player games alongside Star Wars Rebellion and Twilight Struggle. Expansions Pantheon (2016) + Agora (2020) + duel edition Sunset Boulevard added Greek/Roman gods + senator agora + climate. Won 20+ major awards including As d'Or 2016.

Quick facts

How it works

Objective

Win via Military supremacy, Scientific supremacy, or highest end-game Civilian VP score.

Match structure

Three Ages (I, II, III). Each Age deals cards face-up/face-down in a pyramid. Players alternate picking any 'free' card (no other card on top). Choose to: (a) build it, (b) discard for coins, (c) use it to build a wonder. Ages end when all cards taken; military + science checked for instant-win conditions after each card.

Rules

Basic rules

Pyramid card layout
Ages I + II have alternating face-up/face-down; Age III similar; face-down flip when uncovered.
Choose any free card
Only cards with nothing overlapping on top may be taken.
Build / discard / wonder
Three actions per card.
Pay resource costs
Own the resources OR buy from opponent (2 + opponent's resource count coins per missing resource).
Chained builds free
If you own the 'chain-in' card, Age II/III card is free.
Military conflict pawn
Each shield advances toward opponent's capital; passing loot spaces takes coins from opponent.

Advanced rules

Military supremacy win
Push conflict pawn all the way to opponent's capital = instant win.
Scientific supremacy win
Collect 6 different science symbols = instant win.
Progress tokens
Match a pair of same-color science symbols to take a progress token from central row.
Wonders
8 wonders total (4 per player); building all 7 built triggers game end after current turn.
Guilds (Age III)
Guilds award VP based on card types both players own.

Scoring

Instant win via military/science supremacy, OR civilian VP totalling after Age III.

Action	Points
Blue civilian card VP	Card printed VP
Wonder VP	Wonder printed VP
Yellow commercial card VP	Variable, scored via progress tokens
Purple guilds	Variable — often 5-15 VP
Treasury / 3	Every 3 coins = 1 VP
Military conflict pawn position	1-6 VP based on final position

Win condition · Instant: 9-shield military OR 6-science-symbol collection. End-game: highest sum of VP from cards + wonders + guilds + treasury/3 + progress tokens.

Playing area

Called

Pyramid card display + conflict track + progress tokens

Dimensions

20 cards per age arranged in pyramid; 9-space conflict pawnline

Three-age pyramid display with alternating face-up/face-down cards; central conflict track for military.

Equipment

73 building cards (23+23+20 across Ages I/II/III)
Buildings + wonders.
12 wonders
8 chosen at start (4 per player).
10 progress tokens
Science-earned bonuses.
1 conflict pawn + 9-space track
Military supremacy tracking.
9 coins (currency)
Buy resources + wonder discounts.
Scorepad
End-game civilian VP tallying.

Positions & roles

Player (Civilization Leader)
×2
Manages own tableau, coins, wonders.

Officiating

Casual + tournament — self-officiated with judge on call at large events.

None

Penalties & fouls

Penalties

Cannot afford card
Cannot be built (must discard or use for wonder).
Losing military supremacy
Instant loss.
Losing science supremacy
Instant loss.

Strategies

Track opponent's win conditions
Never let opponent reach 6 science OR 8+ shields — deny key cards.
Diagonal science strategy
Aim for 6 different science symbols with 3-4 dedicated cards + progress tokens.
Yellow economy early
Coins + resource-buying cards prevent expensive resource purchases later.
Choose wonders defensively
The Great Library (extra science token) + Statue of Zeus (opponent discard) are S-tier.
Age III guild focus
Purple guilds can swing 10-15 VP — pick early in Age III.

Terminology

Age I / II / III: Three game phases with progressively better cards.
Wonders: Special player buildings (4 owned per player).
Chain link: Symbol on Age I card that lets you build Age II/III card free.
Conflict pawn: Military token on 9-space track.
Progress token: Bonus effect earned by matching science pairs.
Loot: Coin penalty on conflict track squares.

Major competitions

7 Wonders World Championship
annual · rotating (Cannes + Essen) · since 2011
As d'Or Jeu de l'Année Expert 2016
once · France · since 2016
Golden Geek 2-player Award 2016
once · USA (BGG) · since 2016

Where it is played

Governing bodies

Repos Production
Founded 2005 · Brussels, Belgium
Official site ↗
Asmodee (parent)
Founded 1995 · France

Famous names & records

Famous athletes

Antoine Bauza (designer, 7 Wonders + Ghost Stories)
Bruno Cathala (designer, Cyclades + Kingdomino)
Miguel Coimbra (artist)

Records

As d'Or Jeu de l'Année Expert
7 Wonders Duel — Winner 2016 (2016)
BGG Top 2-Player Game rank
7 Wonders Duel — #1-3 continuously 2016-2024 (2024)

Learn this sport

beginner

1
First game with default wonders
Use recommended wonders instead of drafting for first play.
2
Learn the three win conditions
Military rush, science speed-run, civilian VP grind.
3
Practice chain-link planning
Age I picks should chain into Age II/III to save resources.

advanced

1
Master wonder drafting
Some wonder combos (Great Library + Divine Theater) are dominant.
2
Aggressive Age I
Rush military + science early to force opponent into defense.
3
Play with Pantheon expansion
Adds gods + tokens for deeper strategy.

Frequently asked

Is 7 Wonders Duel a standalone or expansion?+

Standalone — no relation to the base 7 Wonders except thematic. Duel is completely separate ruleset.

Best expansion to buy?+

Pantheon adds most content + variety; Agora is more complex + niche.

How long is a game?+

25-40 minutes; often ends earlier via military or science supremacy.

Is it a good gateway 2-player?+

Yes — one of the best. Simple rules, deep strategy, quick play, three win paths.

Is there a solo mode?+

Not in the base game. Some fan-made solo variants exist online.

Sources & provenance

Last verified 2026-08-29.verified