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Tales & Games: The Hare & the Tortoise
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7 Kingdoms
2014
Rules assistance for 7 Kingdoms
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with saved question history.
Rules assistant for 7 Kingdoms
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
7 Kingdoms is a board game released in 2014 for 2–4 players, 20 minutes per game, and ages 10 and up. It was designed by Gary Kim and its main mechanics are Hand Management.
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About the game
In 7 Kingdoms, players are royal agents who want to collect as many followers as possible. Whoever does this best will win the game. The deck in 7 Kingdoms consists of 49 cards in seven types, with each type having seven cards in a particular number range: king (1-7), bishop (8-14), etc. up to peasant (43-49). Each number range has seven cards in it, with each being a different color and bearing a crest of that color. Each player starts with three cards in hand, and one crest card of each type is laid in a row, with one card placed face up next to each crest. Each round, players take turn laying one card face up in front of them, then they resolve the cards from high to low. Whoever played the highest card places it on the opposite side of the leftmost crest card, then takes 1-4 cards from those on display next to the crests as determined by the power of the card played. Then the player with the next highest card goes, etc. Any cards unclaimed are placed to the right of played cards, then the row is filled with cards from the deck until seven cards are on display once again. With each card claimed, the player can either add it to his hand (up to a maximum of three cards in hand) or place it in his scoring pile. Kings, for example, let you take any four cards on display, while generals let you take cards from three consecutive spaces, princesses let you take any two cards, and peasants let you take one of two cards from specific spaces. Thus, the low cards let you claim first, but put more restrictions on what you claim or have you claim fewer cards. The bishop scores himself, then let you place one of two bonus tokens on the leftmost crest card, reveal another bonus token, then claim one card. When the deck runs out or each crest card has a bonus token, the game ends and players score any cards remaining in hand. Each card claimed is worth 1 point (except for kings, which are worth 2), and whoever has the most cards of a crest claims the bonus token on that crest, thereby earning bonus points or doubling his score.
Editions
- 7 KingdomsENDeinko Games2014
Questions and answers
7 Kingdoms supports 2–4 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 Kingdoms is 20 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 Kingdoms 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 Kingdoms has a complexity rating of 1.8 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a 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 Kingdoms belongs to these categories: Card Game. Its main mechanics are Hand Management. 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 Kingdoms are: Gary Kim. 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 Kingdoms 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.