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7

7 is a fantasy game which uses the well-known themes which created the genre: a kingdom endangered by an ancient Evil, and a need to repeat a great deed of the first hero. Here the similarities end, however. 7 isn't your typical adventure game in which the heroes journey around the board and complete missions. Instead, it focuses on a strategic and economic aspect of the plot, by joining two elements: a traditional model of constructing a party and completing adventures, and a resource management mechanic. To retrieve the elements of the First Hero's armor, or to seal the portal through which the enemy of the world may arrive, the players have to utilise their characters' talents and think which challenges are worthy of undertaking.

The foe is common, so the players have to cooperate to win – they complete journeys together and decide what path the game should take. This is accompanied by a rivalry though, because as much as strategic alliances are a must to defeat the game's mechanisms, there can be only one winner – which is unlikely for regular cooperation games. The most important issue then, is to balance between private gain, which helps your character become better than all the others, and cooperation which is required to beat the game. The winner is a single person, but in case of defeat, all players lose.

Evil corrupts, and it's not any different in 7. If a player focuses too much on personal gain and plays against the other players instead of helping them out, his hero may betray his comrades and join the enemy. From that point on, his goal is to work with the game mechanisms, because he wins if other players lose. Corruption is an option for players who were left behind during normal gameplay, and if chosen, it balances the chances for all the players to win, without introducing the popular element of a Traitor, arbitrarily chosen at the beginning of the game.

7 offers several alternative ways to victory, a cooperative style gameplay with a strong element of competition and an unconventional merging of a fantasy theme with a resource management mechanic. It's a good choice for both players who seek competition, as well as those who would rather slowly and methodically complete their goals while working with others.

English rules can be found here[boardgamegeek.com].
German rules can be found here[boardgamegeek.com].
Polish rules can be found here[boardgamegeek.com].