7 | Game Brain — video game discovery

About

7 is a single player action game. It was developed by Zac and was released on January 26, 2018. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

7 is a puzzle platformer, literally, by the numbers.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

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74%

Audience ScoreBased on 117 reviews

gameplay12 positive mentions

stability5 negative mentions

Unique and interesting core mechanic where each number increases the player's jumps, adding fresh puzzle-platforming challenges.
The game features creative level themes representing the minds of numbers and delivers a subtle, environmental storytelling experience with emotional elements.
Free to play with a decent soundtrack and pixel art style, offering a chill, enjoyable challenge suitable for casual play sessions.

Controls are often described as stiff, frustrating, and sometimes unresponsive, with problematic wall-sticking mechanics that can cause players to get stuck and hinder progression.
Level design is inconsistent with some levels being poorly designed, overly difficult, or feeling repetitive and annoying, especially pixel-perfect jumps and maze-like areas.
Technical issues include glitches, bugs, crashes, lack of widescreen or modern OS support, and sound design criticized for being irritating without mute options.

gameplay
26 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
46%
42%
12%
The gameplay centers on an innovative puzzle platforming mechanic where players gain additional air jumps each level, offering fresh and creative challenges. While many appreciate its fun design and well-balanced difficulty, common criticisms include buggy controls, frustrating wall-grab mechanics, and occasional input issues that can hinder the experience. Overall, the gameplay is seen as unique and engaging but somewhat rough around the edges.
- “On the surface, '7' is a puzzle platformer reminiscent of old flash games. Its main mechanic of increasing the amount of air jumps every level is interesting, and the gimmicks of every level help keep the game fresh.”
- “The game did have potential though, I like the concept of starting with 0 jumps and getting more and more. Some of the mechanics are pretty cool, like the number cloning with the cloning blocks, the lighting blocks, and the dirt block.”
- “I'm only on the third stage but the game implements simple mechanics in an interesting and difficult manner.”
- “This game is pain in the ass, the mechanic and the gameplay feels horrible but it's a free game so what to come and offer?”
- “If you can deal with buggy mechanics, bad gameplay, and annoying levels; this game is for you.”
- “The jump key doesn't register every time you press it, the wall grab mechanic is just simply infuriating, and the green block bounce mechanic has you spending a majority of some stages just waiting for it to give you enough height as an awful bouncing sound plays.”
story
21 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
48%
14%
The game's story is primarily conveyed through environmental storytelling, with each level exploring the mind of a different character and unique thematic elements that reveal a deeper tragedy. While some players found the narrative engaging and emotionally impactful, others viewed it as minimal or open to interpretation, appreciating the story more as a complement to the gameplay rather than a traditional, explicit plot. Overall, the story is creative and thought-provoking but can be confusing or subtle depending on the player's focus.
- “If you look into it deeper, however, the game is a gem of environmental storytelling that tells the story of a tragedy. Every level in the game takes place in the mind of a different number and has a unique theme.”
- “The mind of 2 is a love story at sunset, but he isn't there on your first playthrough; it's only the woman she loves left alone. However, you can replay the level as 2, with her leaving everything behind to be happy with her love instead.”
- “Was a very good platformer game, genuine perfect controls, really loved the story of the numbers, cried about 9's death at the end.”
- “Confusing concept/story with confusing chapter transitions in terms of scenery and story.”
- “I did get some decent gameplay, but as I was playing, it kinda occurred to me that this game didn't seem to have a story.”
- “☐ story?”
graphics
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
42%
25%
The graphics receive mixed feedback, with some users finding them charming and creatively styled in retro pixel art, while others criticize certain levels for appearing lazy or overly simplistic. Overall, the visuals are not considered cutting-edge but contribute to the game's unique atmosphere and storytelling.
- “Developed by a visionary team, the game seamlessly blends breathtaking visuals, dynamic gameplay, and a thought-provoking storyline, creating an unparalleled gaming experience.”
- “Outstanding sound effects, astonishing graphics, truly a triple A title.”
- “The graphics are charming and the premise is so up for interpretation that you come to make your own story about the characters.”
- “Visuals look okay sometimes but other times are just flat out lazy looking, like level 4 which doesn't even have a special ground block and the background is just one color.”
- “They chose to use obsolete retro pixel art as a substitute for contemporary PC graphics.”
- “While my issues thus far have been solely aesthetic, the actual mechanics of this game are just awful.”
music
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
17%
33%
The music in the game is generally considered decent but unremarkable, with some players finding it repetitive and tiresome after extended play. While it creates a relaxed atmosphere initially, the soundtrack lacks variety and can become dull over time.
- “A short little game with nice levels and decent music.”
- “A short little game with nice levels and decent music.”
- “Music is nothing outstanding but still makes you chill a bit while thinking about the other games...”
- “I found myself getting quite bored after the fifth or so level as the one song being played was tiresome.”
- “The music is drab and the sound effects are hard to listen to.”
stability
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game suffers from significant stability issues, including frequent bugs and glitches that cause frustrating softlocks and problematic hitboxes, especially during platforming. These stability problems lead to unbalanced gameplay and can make progression difficult and aggravating.
- “There's a gamebreaking glitch where if you land on a duplicate block and move to another number, you get softlocked; walking prevents falling and jumping causes infinite upward movement unless you catch a wall, making it very hard to get unstuck.”
- “The game is really buggy; the hitbox is too large and gameplay is extremely unbalanced—you get stuck to everything and often spend minutes just trying to get off a wall.”
- “This game has really buggy platforming, which is not ideal for a platforming game.”
grinding
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
Grinding in the game is hindered by a restrictive lives system and stiff controls, making repeated attempts frustrating. Frequent hits and challenging collisions cause missed jumps, leading to a tedious and punishing experience during grinding.
- “When you start a level, you have 7 lives in total, but the fact there is a lives system in this game feels punishing, as you can get hit by a lot of things, mainly because the player controls very stiff and can sometimes even miss jumps due to how collisions are set, which feels tedious and can serve as a major problem for such a simple game.”
optimization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Optimization is criticized for causing bugs, particularly with collision detection, which sometimes prevents players from completing stages.
monetization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The monetization aspect is generally viewed negatively due to Gamemaker Studio's association with shovelware and cash grabs; however, this particular game stands out by being completely free.