Calvin’s Commentaries: Seven Waters

While this summer series is focused on print-and-play games, this week is sort of only print-and-play adjacent.

What does that mean?

Well, Seven Waters is a card game from Kevin Privalle which can be played with a standard deck of 52 cards – plus two jokers.

So, all you need is to download the rules to a cellphone, or laptop, and you are set.

However, if you visit www.boardgamegeek.com and check out the page dedicated to Seven Waters there is a themed deck that can be downloaded. While not required the deck, with card backs, is very nice and adds aesthetically to the appeal of the game and its water park theme. In terms of PnP the card set is certainly recommended.

As for the game; Seven Waters is a two-player card-drafting and placement game.

Twenty-eight of the cards are laid out in a pyramid tableau which players will take cards from.

You will take the collected cards and eventually play to the table as you attempt to create a water park, filled with four slides, a lazy river, and a wave pool – created under specific rules from your cards.

Each turn a player may draft an available card from a shared pyramid, or play a card from their hand into your water park, or rarely toss a card because you have a hand limit.

This is a game where players have quite a few card placement options, but as you select only one card at a time – there are limit to play options.

Final scores usually seem close, and it will take some plays to determine how you might best ‘build’ to achieve the most points – that’s part of the fun.

Overall, this two-player card game feels rather different from others we’ve played, and the in-game choices offer some depth.

In the end, a high recommendation if you like card games.

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