Seven Sisters (2012)

The King's birthday has arrived! Wealthy aristocrats from across the land have gathered to throw a lavish ball in the King's honor, sparing no expense in an attempt to impress him. Of course, everyone knows that the best way to impress a father is to win the favor of his daughters. At the ball, one more bit of business needs to be settled – each aristocrat has bet a parcel of land that he can curry the most favor from the seven sisters over the course of the party! With their land and honor on the line, each aristocrat is rushing to gain the favor of the daughters, and to cast derision on his opponents. In Seven Sisters, a hand-management, area-control Euro-style board game, the players play the roles of wealthy aristocrats who are trying to gain the favor of the king's seven daughters, who happen to be named after the seven deadly sins: Wrath, Greed, Gluttony, Lust, Sloth, Pride, and Envy. The game consists of four rounds, with the players being dealt six cards each round. Using five of the six cards, players influence the sisters by sending servants to do the sisters' bidding. Multiple options when playing each card create opportunities for players to use both strategic and tactical play to influence the sisters more than their opponents do. Each round after cards are played, scoring occurs with each sister granting her favor (victory point) and a special reward or action to the player who has influenced her most that round. These rewards and actions are thematically tied to the name of the sister (e.g., Greed rewards players with gold). Gaining this favor is important not only for the victory point, but also to gain advantages and resources for following rounds. After four rounds are played and scored, another scoring round happens immediately. Victory points are tallied, including bonus points for having gained the favor of all seven sisters and for having the highest quantity of unused resources remaining (gold, fruit, and servants). The player with the most points wins!