World Wonders

Overview

In World Wonders, players take on the role of ancient city leaders, building their cities on personal map boards by purchasing and placing polyomino building tiles. Players construct roads, buildings, and monuments while managing gold economy and competing for limited monument tiles. Each tile placed expands the city and generates income for future rounds. The game combines spatial puzzle elements with economic management over 10 rounds.

Components

• 4-5 Map boards (double-sided: Side A with lake, Side B with river)
• Building tiles (polyomino shapes in various sizes)
• Monument tiles (representing World Wonders)
• Road tiles
• Gold tokens
• Population markers
• Natural resource tokens
• Building market board
• Round marker
• Score track
• Rulebook

Setup

1. Each player takes one map board (all using the same side).
2. Place the building market board centrally with building tiles sorted by type.
3. Arrange monument tiles in a shared display.
4. Give each player starting gold and resources.
5. Set the round marker to 1.
6. Determine first player.

Turn Structure

The game plays over 10 rounds. Each round:

1. Income Phase

Collect gold based on your city’s economy (determined by placed buildings).

2. Build Phase

Spend gold to purchase building tiles from the market. Place each purchased tile on your map board following placement rules:

• Tiles must be placed adjacent to existing roads or buildings.
• Tiles cannot overlap or extend off the board.
• Natural features (lakes, rivers) cannot be covered.

3. Monument Phase

If you meet a monument’s requirements (specific buildings, roads, natural resources, or water adjacent to the placement site), you may claim and place it.

4. Cleanup

Refresh the market with new building tiles. Advance the round marker.

Actions

• Purchase Building Tile: Pay gold to buy tiles from the market. Larger tiles cost more but provide greater benefits.
• Place Building Tile: Position the polyomino tile on your map board following adjacency and placement rules.
• Build Roads: Connect different areas of your city for adjacency purposes.
• Claim Monument: If requirements are met, take a monument tile from the shared display and place it on your board.
• Generate Income: Buildings provide gold income each round based on their type and position.

Placement Rules

• Buildings must connect to your existing city network via roads.
• Roads can be built alongside or within building placements.
• Natural resources on the board must be accessible (adjacent) for monument requirements.
• The board has a grid system; tiles snap to the grid.

Scoring / Victory Conditions

The game ends after 10 rounds or when a player reaches the maximum population limit.

Final Scoring:

• VP from monuments (highest value scoring items)
• VP from building sets (collecting different types)
• VP from population (citizens attracted by buildings)
• VP from gold remaining
• VP from completed districts (areas fully built)
• Penalty for empty spaces in designated areas

The player with the most VP wins.

Special Rules & Edge Cases

• Monument Competition: Monuments are limited and shared. Once claimed, no other player can build that wonder. First-come, first-served.
• Adjacency Requirements: Many monuments require specific buildings, roads, or natural features adjacent to their placement site.
• Map Sides: Side A features a central lake; Side B has a different river layout. All players must use the same side.
• Solo Mode: Includes a solo variant with target scores.
• Population Cap: If a player reaches maximum population, the game may end early.
• Tile Rotation: Building tiles can be rotated but not flipped/mirrored.
• Market Refresh: The market refreshes each round with new tiles, creating varying availability.
• Natural Resources: Terrain features on the board serve as requirements for certain monuments and scoring conditions.
• Road Network: Roads are essential for connecting distant parts of your city and enabling building placement in new areas.

Player Reference

Phase	Action
Income	Collect gold from buildings
Build	Buy and place building tiles
Monument	Claim and place monuments
Cleanup	Refresh market, advance round

Game Length: 10 rounds

Victory: Most VP from monuments + buildings + population + gold + districts