
- BGG rank
- BGG #4,528
- BGG rating
- 6.4
Grimoire
- 2–5 players
- 30 min
- Complexity 1.9/5
- 2010
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2011
Rules assistance for 7 Islands
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
For 1 player
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What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
7 Islands is a board game released in 2011 for 1–4 players, 50 minutes per game, and ages 10 and up. It was designed by Hayato Kisaragi and its main mechanics are Hand Management, Open Drafting, and Deck, Bag, and Pool Building.
You are a captain heading a crew of pirates. At first, it is just a small band, but you will gradually expand it into a large company. The winner of the game is the one who has the most victory points when the game ends. The system is like the system of Dominion. It's called "Deck building". The object is a player collect the VP card by using a crew card, item card and a treasure card. This cards are able to use any own turn. And the VP card is added as the more point card. The difference of Dominion is a player use a markers and resource chips. The player put Markers on island boards. There are several "quests" on each island, and players put their markers on them. A quest is completed each time it has as many markers as it requires. When a quest is completed, the player who has his markers on it uses its effect. ● Arrange the Arena To each player, give 7 Copper Coin cards, 2 Water cards and 1 Landing card; these 10 cards form his starting deck. If there are less than 4 players in the game, put the remaining Copper Coin? and ?Water? cards back in the box. You do not use all cards or all island boards during one game. The cards you use are placed in the center of the table so that everyone can reach them; sort the cards according to their names and place them in separate face-up piles. The area with these card piles and the island board is called "the Arena." All the Silver Coin, Gold Coin, Meat, Landing, and Exploration Action cards and the Medal Victory Point cards are used in any game. The number of Golden Medal cards that should be in a game is the number of players plus 2 (use 4 in a 2-player game, 5 in a 3-player game, etc.). Return the remaining Golden Medal cards to the box. Then, choose 8 of the other 16 types of Action cards and one side of any island board you like. Place the board with the chosen side up in the Arena, thereby making it your "island." Place all the cards of the chosen types in separate face-up piles, and put all the resource chips beside your island. Finally, return the remaining types of cards and boards to the box. ■ When the Game Ends The game ends if any of the following conditions exists at the end of a turn. ・Four of the card piles in the Arena have been exhausted (or 3 in a 2-player game). ・There are no Golden Medal cards in the Arena. ・Any player has 20 victory points or more from his VP chips. Once the game ends, all players calculate their victory points and the player with the most points wins.
7 Islands supports 1–4 players according to the catalogue. This range comes from the publisher’s listed player count, so the game can be set up for any group size within it. Some setups, rules and scoring details may still vary by player count, so check your edition’s rulebook for the exact configuration.
The listed playing time for 7 Islands is 50 minutes. This is the publisher’s estimate for a full game. The actual duration depends on the group, the player count and familiarity with the rules: first sessions usually run longer, while experienced groups often finish faster. Setup and teaching time are not included in this estimate.
The catalogue lists 7 Islands for ages 10 and up. This is the publisher’s recommendation and reflects reading demands, rule complexity and small components rather than theme alone. Younger players can often join with help from an adult, so check the age guidance on your edition and consider your group’s experience with board games.
7 Islands has a complexity rating of 2.8 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a medium-light game. The rating reflects how much rules knowledge, planning and decision-making a typical game demands. Expect a longer first teach for heavier games, and use a preparation guide before game night.
7 Islands belongs to these categories: Card Game and Pirates. Its main mechanics are Hand Management, Open Drafting, and Deck, Bag, and Pool Building. Categories describe the theme and setting of a game, while mechanics describe what players actually do on their turns. Each mechanic links to a catalogue hub with similar games, which helps when you want something comparable.
The credited designers of 7 Islands are: Hayato Kisaragi. These credits come from the published game data and name the people responsible for the game’s design, not its illustrators or publishers. Designer pages on MeepleRules collect other titles by the same designers, which helps when you enjoy a game and want to find similar ones.
The catalogue lists 7 Islands as a base game. It can be played on its own with the components in the box and does not require any other title. Expansions, if any exist, add new content or rules on top of it and are listed separately in the catalogue with a link back to this base game.