variable player powers

You are the leader of one of the 7 great cities of the Ancient World. Gather resources, develop commercial routes and affirm your military supremacy. Build your city and erect an architectural wonder which will transcend future times.

7 Wonders lasts three ages. In each age, players receive seven cards from a particular deck, choose one of those cards, then pass the remainder to an adjacent player. Players reveal their cards simultaneously, paying resources if needed or collecting resources or interacting with other players in various ways. (Players have individual boards with special powers on which to organize their cards, and the boards are double-sided). Each player then chooses another card from the deck they were passed, and the process repeats until players have six cards in play from that age. After three ages, the game ends.

In essence 7 Wonders is a card development game. Some cards have immediate effects, while others provide bonuses or upgrades later in the game. Some cards provide discounts on future purchases. Some provide military strength to overpower your neighbors and others give nothing but victory points. Each card is played immediately after being drafted, so you'll know which cards your neighbor is receiving and how his choices might affect what you've already built up. Cards are passed left-right-left over the three ages, so you need to keep an eye on the neighbors in both directions.

Though the box of earlier editions is listed as being for 3-7 players, there is an official 2-player variant included in the instructions.

Baba Yaga is the board game of Russian folklore and heroism. Extensively researched to be true to Russian folklore it is epic in scale, but simple and fun to play with an atmosphere of high adventure. With up to six players, two main play modes (cooperative or competitive), a solo play option and variant multiplayer rules, there is endless replayability.

During the game players take on the role of one of six heroic characters, adventuring in the wilds of a fantastical medieval Russia sculpted by the legends and folklore of the land. As you play the game, you are attempting to complete one of six heroic quests by traveling around the board and having encounters based on Russian myths while also dealing with Baba Yaga's perilous minions. As you have these encounters, you will gather items and allies that will help you by granting you advantages or bonuses to your statistics. You will also gain reputation as you adventure, but be careful, the great witch Baba Yaga doesn’t care for uppity heroes and soon you’ll be fighting her off as well as dealing with your individual quest.

In order to win in competitive play, you must either be the first to complete your quest, or have the most reputation when the game ends. In cooperative play, all of the players must complete their quests or manage to defeat Baba Yaga before time runs out.

Game description from the publisher:

In the wake of one of Tempest's namesake storms, a new area near the city-state has opened up for development. Your faction looks to you to carve out your power in this new area.

Place canals to connect your buildings to resources and to the harbor. Ensure the peasantry looks to you for employment. Improve the prestige of your work by placing scenic gardens. And wouldn't the Senate Annex look most aesthetically pleasing right there, where it completely blocks the view of your opponent's building?

Canalis is a game of building a new district in the City-State of Tempest, arranging the canals and placing buildings in such a manner as to benefit you the most. Players use a mixture of card drafting and tile laying to build the district, and each player's secret missions keep the outcome in doubt until the last card is played.

The social elite of Tempest live in a world of power, intrigue, and alliances that can often shake the very foundations of the city's society. In Courtier, you move within these circles of social power to further your goals. Work with established courtiers to gain influence and stymie the rise of your rivals as you attempt to earn or cheat your way into their world.

In Courtier, 2–4 players compete for recognition in the royal court. Your mission is to act as an influence broker, manipulating the levers of power and granting favors to important supplicants. You accomplish this by influencing key people to act at your behest.

Play influence cards to gain sway over a key courtier, or play power cards to manipulate the board in your favor. Control each of the courtiers listed on a given petition, and you earn victory points for completing that request. Bonus points can be earned from cards and abilities. The winner is the player with the highest score at the end of the game.

Number 1 in the Tempest Shared World Game Series

Escape: Quest includes two new expansion modules – Quest Chambers and Character abilities – for Escape: The Curse of the Temple that can be used individually or combined with any other modules for the base game.

Quest module: In addition to activating gems, players now need to complete special quests before they can leave the temple. At set-up the quest tiles are shuffled separately, and 1-3 of them are then shuffled (unseen) into the deck. This means you never know what challenges you will face.

Character module: Each player plays one of six different characters: Doc, Mechanic, Discoverer, Dark Priest, Muscleman, Mentalist. Each character comes with two unique abilities, and at the start of the game you pick one.