It’s hard to imagine what gaming life would be like had PopCap not released Bejeweled. Not only would millions of cell phone users have to actually pay attention to the road while driving, but other casual game developers would have to come up with their own gameplay mechanics. The horror! Like many before them, Hot Lava Games and publisher Mumbo Jumbo owe PopCap a debt of gratitude, as 7 Wonders is nothing more than Bejeweled with some interesting motivations wrapped around the familiar gem matching gameplay.
In 7 Wonders, your goal is to build the seven wonders of the ancient world, as the title would suggest. Each stage consists of a differently shaped board covered in runes of many colors. Match three or more runes, either horizontally or vertically, and you’ll clear the stone tiles behind the runes. These stones are then transported to the DS’s upper screen where they’re grabbed by waiting workmen and used to construct the wonder du jour. Matching four or more runes grants power ups that removed entire columns or column-row combinations. As you progress through the stage, one or more corner stones will appear that have to be moved to the bottom row for the workers to be able to finish the stage. If you go to long without sending stones up to the workers, they’ll go on strike and eventually walk out, leaving the stage unfinished.
Unfortunately, there’s not much more to the game than that. Sure, the playing board changes shape, and some stages require multiple matching’s to completely clear the stones, but other than that, building the Great Pyramid of Giza is no different than building the Colossus of Rhodes or the fabled city of Atlantis, right down to all of the wonders using the exact same corner stones and head stones. The picture of the wonder you’re building changes to match the current stage, and the music does change a bit from wonder to wonder, but other than that, there’s nothing in the gameplay to differentiate from one stage or wonder to another.
Once you’ve completed all of the Wonders, you can go back to attempt a better time, or tackle the game’s Free Play or Rune Quest modes. Free Play, is just what it sounds like, and allows you to pick any unlocked wonder and get to building. Rune Quest adds a wrinkle to the gameplay by not allowing you to clear a stage until you’ve amassed a certain number of matched runes. These modes and the main “story” mode are it, as there’s no multiplayer to speak of.
Unless you’re the world’s worst Bejeweled player, or you decide to leave the game running and unattended for hours at a time, you should be able to complete all seven wonders within five hours. Some of the differently shaped boards can make it tricky to clear tiles out of the corners, however if you keep making matches invariably you’ll get a power up which will clear out even those tough to reach places. Even with the threat of a labor shortage, you’ll finish the game with lives to spare. The lack of any real challenge to the game, coupled with almost zero variety among the different stages or game play modes, turns the game into somewhat of a chore for all but the most devoted Bejeweled freaks.
7 Wonders does have a nice artistic side going for it, with brightly colored runes and cute animations for the workers. As the workers have fewer and fewer blocks to work with they’ll take water breaks or read the newspaper. Eventually, they’ll start picketing with signs consisting of nothing but giant blocks. Upon completing a stage they’ll applaud, which is a nice touch.
7 Wonders has an interesting premise, and the tidbits you learn about the seven different wonders are fun to read, however interesting premises and random factoids don’t add up to a great game if the gameplay isn’t there. With so many excellent puzzle games for the DS, it’s hard to recommend picking up this game at full price; serious puzzle heads should leave this one behind with the seven wonders of its namesake—buried in the sands of time.
