7 Wonders (Second Edition)

When you take a card you must immediately either (A) play it and pay its cost, (B) discard it for 3 coins, or (C) use it to build one Stage of your Wonder (paying the Wonder’s stage cost); these are the three choices each pick gives you. (pages 19, 71)

Starting in Age II, many cards show an alternate cost: if you already own the specified predecessor card you may build the new card for free instead of paying its resources — this is called Chaining. The card’s lower-right area and the Alternate Cost icon describe which cards chain to which. (pages 23, 25)

You may buy each missing resource from the immediate left or right neighbor for 2 coins per resource (some Yellow cards reduce that to 1), and players may not refuse to sell; Sailors/Maritime sources cost 3 coins per resource and special cards can alter prices. (pages 19, 25)

At the end of each Age compare your total shields to each neighbor separately: if you have more you take a Victory Token for that Age (Age I +1, Age II +3, Age III +5), if you have less you take a Defeat Token (−1), and ties give nothing; if using Armada, Naval Conflicts are resolved additionally with ranked naval tokens. (pages 20, 72)

Hands are passed left in Age I, right in Age II, and left in Age III; on the final turn each player receives a two‑card hand, chooses one to play and the other is discarded, then the Age ends and conflicts are resolved. (pages 19, 71)