Which 7 Wonders expansion after the base game?

3-7 players (base) Card drafting About 30 min

The game

Already own 7 Wonders? Here is which expansion to buy next, and the big trap: the 2010 and 2020 editions do not mix.

The current base game seats 3 to 7. Every expansion below is for the 2020 edition and needs that base game.

Two editions, two card backs. Leaders, Cities and Armada exist in both editions. A 2020 expansion will not shuffle cleanly into a 2010 base. Edifice is the stated exception, made to work with both.

Duel and Architects are other games. 7 Wonders Duel (2 players) and 7 Wonders Architects (lighter, family) are standalone games, not expansions of this base game.

Which boxes do you already own?

Put on the table what you already have, and how many of you play.

You usually play with

3-7

Release timeline

Base (current edition) 2020, Leaders 2020, Cities 2020, Armada 2020, Edifice 2023. The first edition ran 2010 to 2018.

The graph

How the 7 Wonders boxes connect, plus the mechanics. An arrow starts at the expansion and points to the box it needs.

needs another box
contains this box
part of the line
game mechanic

Depending on what you want

You want	Get
More interaction before the draft	Leaders
Black cards and a 8th player feel	Cities
Naval battles on the side	Armada
A shared building project	Edifice

Tick your boxes at the top and the answer follows.

At the table

Box	What it brings
7 Wonders	3-7 players. Draft cards, build a wonder.
Leaders	A leader draft before each age.
Cities	Black cards, debts and diplomacy.
Armada	A naval board and sea battles.
Edifice	Shared projects everyone can join.

Compatibility

Box	Needs	Players
7 Wonders	standalone base	3-7
Leaders	needs base + 7 Wonders	with the base game
Cities	needs base + 7 Wonders	with the base game
Armada	needs base + 7 Wonders	with the base game
Edifice	needs base + 7 Wonders	with the base game

7 Wonders Duel, Architects, the first-edition boxes (Wonder Pack, Babel) and promos are outside the picker.

FAQ

Which 7 Wonders expansion first?

Leaders for most groups: it adds a draft before each age and barely slows the game. Cities next if you want direct interaction.

Can I mix the 2010 and 2020 editions?

No, not cleanly: card backs and balancing changed. Edifice is the one expansion sold as compatible with both.

Is 7 Wonders Duel an expansion?

No. It is a standalone 2-player game with its own expansions.

How many players with expansions?

The base game already seats up to 7. The expansions change the game, not the seat count.

Who publishes 7 Wonders in English?

Repos Production. Designer: Antoine Bauza.