Our Interview With Repos Production Studio About the New Edition of 7 Wonders
What’s new for the new edition of 7 Wonders?
We’ve performed a visual redesign of the cover, the cards, the Wonders, the insert: everything was redesigned! The rules have been entirely reformatted to make them more easily accessible to new players. And it’s now even adapted for colorblind players.
What part of the game are you most excited about?
Our goal was to make the game more attractive and easier to learn for new players and give players who already know how to play a chance to discover it again with an increased sense of immersion while playing. We are very excited to existing and future players’ reception to all the improvements we put inside this new edition.
What was the biggest challenge in updating the game?
Being released 10 years ago, now with several expansions and add-ons, the biggest challenge was to improve the experience without changing the soul of the game and to make sure players will enjoy the new layout of the game. One of the great new feature is players will now have more space on the table, even with the larger Wonders.
What sources of inspiration helped the team during the process?
The two player version, 7 Wonders Duel, was a great source to work on the ergonomics and new layout of the game. It was also great for the Repos Production studio to work again with the designer Antoine Bauza and the artist Miguel Coimbra. Some members of our team weren’t there when we released the original edition, so it was a chance for them to take a look inside the making of 7 Wonders.
What’s a recent game that you didn’t work on but you wish you did?
Unlock!, by the Space Cowboys. We were already sold on the concept, but they did a great job to reach our expectations (very high) and keep up the interest with all the expansions they’ve made. Easy to learn, hard to master, and enjoyable for dedicated gamers and/or more casual groups. But who knows, with the way they work on this title, maybe one day we will have some spare time and work on a scenario.
What does a game designer notice about a game that a player might not?
One of the many things we see differently is all the work behind a game. The hidden path the game designers and the developers did (or didn’t) take to achieve the result players see on the tables. Sometimes what can be seen as default or perks were in fact put in the rules for a reason (after many hours of playtesting and tons of coffee): to make a game as enjoyable as possible.
