Make The Most Of Game Night

‘Dominion,’ ‘7 Wonders’ work for any group

By Mark Taliaferro

Two of the most popular board games on the market right now are actually card games, which is nothing unusual.

“Dominion” has had amazing success since its release in 2008, while “7 Wonders” is off to a similarly hot start since its release last fall. The two games share some similarities, such as play time of about 30 minutes or less, but their differences are what make both must-own titles.

Finding the right game for your group can be difficult. Most games work best with four players, while many are designed for exactly two players. The problem is that while many games have a range, such as three to six players, they don’t really work well with just any number in that range. They don’t scale well.

“Dominion” is designed for two to four players, though most people prefer the game with just two or three. “7 Wonders,” on the other hand, is built for three to seven players and scales nearly perfectly, meaning the game experience is mostly the same no matter how many players you have.

When you have two extra people show up to your normal four-person game night, “7 Wonders” is a great thing to have around. And when your friends cancel at the last minute, leaving you and your significant other hanging, “Dominion” is a great two-player game.

Both games have expansions available. “Dominion” has several, and while you don’t need any of them to enjoy the game, buying one or two will extend the life of the game. Each time you play “Dominion,” you will use 10 decks of cards.

The base game comes with 25 decks, so that game could get a bit stale if you play it several times using only the base cards. Each expansion adds card types, and with them, varying game mechanics. If you try “Dominion” and like it, you will probably want at least one or two expansions.

“7 Wonders” has one expansion, “Leaders,” which adds some new mechanics that don’t necessarily make the game better. It mostly
adds variety.

In addition to fitting any group size and playing very quickly, both games are just fun.

Owning both should be a priority for anyone who has a semi-regular game night.