Game 127: The 7th Guest - Introduction (1993)

Written by Reiko

PC front cover

Many of you will undoubtedly be familiar with The 7th Guest. From what I can tell, when it was released, it was an unprecedentedly huge multimedia-rich adventure puzzle game, doing for horror adventure what Myst did for mechanical puzzle adventure. Or at least, that's my general impression, knowing almost nothing about the game. Yes, you are getting as a reviewer someone who is going in almost completely blind to this classic game. I certainly played Myst back in the day, but I wasn't interested in horror, so I skipped over 7th Guest and never played it despite being very interested in puzzle games (for instance, you can see my definitely not-blind coverage of the first two Dr. Brain games here and here. I'm hopeful that as an adult, the horror aspects of the game won't bother me too much, and I'll be able to enjoy it more for its puzzle aspects.Another interesting thing about the 7th Guest is that it has seen a recent commercial re-release in the form of the 25th Anniversary Edition, which tells me that it really was a classic game, and popular enough to have enough interest even this many years later. Wikipedia says it was originally released on DOS in April 1993 (and the original manual says 1993 also). In fact, according to Moby Games, it has actually received several re-releases starting with Windows in 1997, iPad and iPhone in 2010, a "remastered" version for Android in 2015, and now the anniversary edition for digital distribution starting in 2019. The modern versions also include extras like a novel, a script, extra audio tracks, deleted scenes, and a Making of file.

Modern Trilobyte Games logo, displayed in-game

Oddly enough, the original developer, Trilobyte, went out of business in 1999, but it was resurrected in 2010 as Trilobyte Games specifically to port the 7th Guest series (7th Guest, 11th Hour, and 7th Guest: Infection) to mobile platforms. This really is an enduring game. I need to find out whether it stands up to all the hype.

The legacy edition of the 7th Guest seems to still be available on the Internet Archive, but as it's being distributed with the 25th Anniversary Edition, I decided to buy that version, and I would recommend anyone playing along do likewise.

Normally we try to play and review the version of the game that's closest to how it was presented when it was published, so I could just play the legacy version, as that's really the "original"7th Guest. I am going to show a few screenshots and comparisons between the legacy and Anniversary editions, but I decided to primarily play through the Anniversary edition, for several reasons.

Legacy edition’s game menu

Anniversary edition’s game menu

The Anniversary edition changes the framing interface somewhat, but as far as I can tell so far, it doesn't fundamentally change the in-game graphics or gameplay. The default look is rather softened, though, compared to the legacy version, but the settings also include options to use original graphics rather than "high" and original rather than "modern" aspect ratio. So wherever possible, I have set the options to use original settings, including graphics, controls, and music. I think enhanced controls automatically highlight hotspots when you mouse over them, but the original only changes the cursor shape, which is fine. There's a button to highlight all hotspots in the current view anyway.

Here's a comparison of the mosaic view in first the legacy version, then the "original" settings in the Anniversary version, then the "high" settings in the Anniversary version.

Legacy edition

Anniversary edition, “original” settings

Anniversary edition, “high” settings

One big improvement that's really helpful in the Anniversary Edition is the option to display subtitles. Yes, it's a feature that wasn't in the original, but it's not a change to the actual game, and it's a quality of life option that's exceptionally helpful for me as a reviewer to make sure I'm understanding the dialogue correctly and spelling proper names correctly and such. So you'll see subtitles on some of the screenshots here and there.

Another improvement is simply the movement speed. The legacy edition movement is incredibly slow, like four or five seconds just to turn 90 degrees or walk a few steps across a room. The Anniversary Edition cuts this at least in half, so it doesn't feel like you're wading through molasses to get anywhere.

The map is also very nice. It looks functional enough in the legacy version, but the Anniversary map is larger and clearer.

1st floor map (legacy)

1st floor map (anniversary)

With all that out of the way, what's this game even about? When I start up the game, I'm taken to the main menu first. The legacy menu only has Load, Start New, and FAREWELL (yes, in all caps), while the Anniversary menu has New Game, Save (grayed out when not in an active game), Load, Continue, Settings, and Exit. Starting a new game runs the intro sequence.

Main Title Screen

After the company logos, first we see a spooky, isolated manor (actually this opening shot reminds me a bit of the beginning of Castle of Dr. Brain), then the title logo appears over it and some opening credits roll. Shortly a book appears and we get a narrated sequence of short animated scenes about the origins of a toymaker, Stauf, who began as a no-good vagabond who killed a girl for her wallet.

Stauf trades the carved doll for food and lodging.

At the end of his rope, he suddenly had a dream of a unique doll, which he was able to carve and trade for some food and lodging. The next dream inspired him to make a wooden puzzle. Each toy was somehow so engaging that it was instantly popular, and he soon found himself becoming rather wealthy and eccentric. Unfortunately, a mysterious illness spread among the children of the town, many of whom coughed their lives away while clutching their Stauf toys. The final dream for this creepy toymaker was a vast manor, surely the one in the opening shot, and the one we're going to visit and explore in the game.

Elinor and Edward’s ghosts

The book closes and the view zooms away from it on a table in the house, and we are moved over toward a wall with what looks like a huge stained-glass mosaic. In turn, what look like the ghosts of several people appear out of the mosaic, walk forward, make a negative comment about the house or Stauf, and disappear. There's a woman, Burden, a couple, Elinor and Edward, another woman, Heine, a younger man with a cane, Dutton, and another man in a cloak and turban who doesn't say anything (and therefore the subtitles don't give me a name for him). That's six.

Am I as the player character the eponymous seventh guest for whatever strange party this is? The PC doesn't remember anything about why he's there (but clearly has a male voice). Are we just seeing flashbacks somehow? Are the other guests dead? Am I dead? I have no idea yet!

Main stairs, oddly inviting.

The PC comments while facing the wide stairs going up to the second floor, having been turned around so that the mosaic is behind, and then control is released to the player. Those stairs are intriguing, but first I turn back around and look at the mosaic again. If I click on it, another little scene plays, this one focusing on Dutton: he's been given a letter, presumably from Stauf, who reads it out while Dutton frowns. Stauf is telling Dutton about the final guest who is different from him and the others; he has a special task for Dutton, a puzzle to solve. He also warns him that in the morning, only one guest will walk free, with all of his desires granted.

Dutton reads his letter; did all six receive one?

I'm not sure if Dutton is meant to be different, or if this is just an example, that perhaps all six received this letter with the same kind of request/warning. Are they all out to get me? It's an efficient way to make the start of the game rather unsettling, in a way that makes you want to look over your shoulder every few minutes.

Normally I will carefully look around the first level before going to the second level, but to start, I'm going to walk up the incredibly inviting stairs and see what's up on the landing. The view smoothly moves me up the stairs and I end up on the landing with a large painting on the facing wall, some sort of gloomy landscape.

Is someone trapped inside the painting?

When I put my mouse over it, the cursor changes to a set of teeth, which the manual indicates means that some kind of supernatural event will occur. Indeed, when I trigger it, the painting ripples and then appears as if a pair of hands are trying to push their way out from behind it. After a moment, the hands disappear and the painting looks as it did before. This can be repeated if I want. Apparently it's just some ghostly flavor.

A woman in white appears briefly.

I turn to look around and am startled to see two ghostly figures, a woman in white and a man in brown, move toward me from down the hallway and disappear without saying anything. They disappear so quickly that I'm not sure if they are people I've seen before or different people. They could perhaps be Elinor and Edward in different clothing, or maybe a maid and one of the men? Even the screenshot I took is no more informative. I turn the other direction and another figure appears, a woman in white, maybe a wedding gown? Certainly a different outfit than the previous apparition. Am I going to see things every step I take? This place is positively full of ghosts, apparently.

Back down to the first floor I go. Now I'm ready to explore in earnest and start solving the puzzle of what is really going on here. See you next time! Leave your score guesses in the comments, but please don't spoil anything!