The 13th Doll: A Fan Game of The 7th Guest

About

"The 13th Doll" is a fan-made game set in the world of "The 7th Guest," taking place a decade after the original events. Tad, the 7th Guest, is still haunted by the mansion's memories and resides in a mental institution. When a new doctor arrives, Tad sees an opportunity to return to the mansion, rescue those he left behind, and defeat the evil toymaker Stauf once and for all. This game continues the eerie and supernatural adventure that "The 7th Guest" began.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

The 13th Doll: A Fan Game of The 7th Guest screenshot

92%

Audience ScoreBased on 196 reviews

story32 positive mentions

stability10 negative mentions

The game is a great homage to the original 7th Guest, capturing its atmosphere and puzzle design effectively.
Robert Hirschboeck's return as Stauf adds a nostalgic touch, and the puzzles are generally well-designed and engaging.
The game offers multiple endings and the ability to play as two different characters, enhancing replayability.

The acting is often cringeworthy and can detract from immersion, with some performances feeling amateurish.
Puzzles can be unintuitive, leading to frustration and the need for guides, and some areas of the game feel unnecessary or tedious.
Unskippable cutscenes and poor sound mixing can disrupt the gameplay experience, making it less enjoyable for some players.

story
94 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
34%
63%
3%
The story of "The 13th Doll" is a blend of nostalgia and new elements, weaving in a new character while staying true to the original "7th Guest" narrative. Players can experience the plot from two perspectives—those of a doctor and a patient—though some find the storytelling inconsistent and recommend starting with the doctor's story for better context. Overall, while the game offers an engaging atmosphere and intriguing puzzles, opinions vary on the depth and coherence of the story itself.
- “The story, which wove in a new character through the 7th guest original story, was interesting and in keeping with its source material.”
- “Stauf returns with his same devilish taunts and puzzles, and getting to play both sides of the story as Tad and the good doctor was intriguing.”
- “In the 13th doll, you get to play as two different characters, who have two different, yet intertwined, storylines.”
- “The only downside I could say is that the acting and storyline is much more amateurish than the previous games, if you could believe that is possible.”
- “Since you already saw almost every aspect of the story, playing the second character feels a bit anti-climactic.”
- “Most of that is due to strange choices in the story.”
music
62 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
66%
5%
The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with many praising its atmospheric quality and originality, while others criticize the sound mixing, which often drowns out dialogue. Although it evokes the eerie essence of the original soundtrack, some players find it either generic or mismatched with the game's tone. Overall, while the music contributes significantly to the unsettling atmosphere, its volume issues and the inclusion of musical puzzles have drawn some negative feedback.
- “The music is also fantastic; it matches the eerie quality of the original soundtrack while being unique and not relying on the 7th guest's previously established melodic motifs.”
- “The music was exceptionally good for an indie game - very atmospheric and not at all annoying.”
- “The music is what truly makes this game so unsettling in the best possible way.”
- “The sound mixing is, unfortunately, not ideal, with voices easily lost in music and ranging up and down in volume from one scene to the next.”
- “The music is either generic or downright wrong.”
- “Music is really loud; to the point that it overshadows dialogue at times.”
graphics
34 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
41%
50%
9%
The graphics of the game evoke a strong sense of nostalgia, successfully capturing the retro charm of the original while incorporating modern elements. While some assets appear overly shiny and basic, leading to a somewhat artificial feel, the overall aesthetic pays homage to the 90s with a mix of campy live-action and 3D visuals. Despite minor glitches at launch, the developers' dedication to maintaining the original's atmosphere is evident, making the graphics a highlight for fans of the series.
- “Graphically otherwise the game is stunning.”
- “The graphics look authentically 90's 3D, the acting is that great, campy stuff just like the early FMV games, and the green screen effects fit so well.”
- “The graphics are modernized and look great, though they still maintain the retro feel of the original game.”
- “The graphics are extremely basic.”
- “The areas where the graphics were rushed stand out a bit.”
- “The graphics seemed like they used assets from the original game, which was nostalgic and cool on the one hand, but a little offputting on the other, because some of those assets were weirdly shiny which made everything feel extra fake.”
gameplay
20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
45%
15%
The gameplay of "The 13th Doll" is praised for its smooth mechanics and balanced puzzles, offering a mix of challenging and easier tasks that enhance the overall experience. It successfully captures the atmosphere and gameplay style of its predecessors, "The 7th Guest" and "The 11th Hour," while incorporating modern improvements such as subtitle options and efficient map navigation. Overall, the game is seen as a refined homage to classic FMV gameplay, appealing to both nostalgic players and newcomers.
- “I appreciated the classic FMV style gameplay with real actors.”
- “Gameplay is awesome and smooth; puzzles are pretty balanced with some pretty difficult ones and some easier ones.”
- “25 years later, developers like Attic Door are ready to revisit FMV games with 20/20 hindsight, perfecting the gameplay and storytelling.”
- “I think it would have been much better if they simply combined their stories and puzzles into a single gameplay, and switched between them at critical story points.”
- “If you remember the original CD-ROM version of the 7th Guest, (myself, having bought my first CD-ROM drive just to play that game) a crappy mechanical load doublespeed CD drive from Radio Shack.”
- “4 - the gameplay.”
atmosphere
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
36%
21%
The atmosphere of the game is generally praised for its nostalgic ties to the original titles, with improvements like smooth movement and new creepy elements enhancing the experience. Reviewers describe it as "playfully creepy" rather than outright scary, complemented by exceptional music that adds to the overall ambiance. Despite some plot inconsistencies, the game successfully captures the essence of its predecessors, making it a must-play for fans.
- “The atmosphere of the original game is nicely combined with a few improvements like the smooth movement and new creepy ghosts.”
- “13th Doll truly captures the atmosphere and gameplay mechanics of 7th Guest and 11th Hour.”
- “The music was exceptionally good for an indie game - very atmospheric and not at all annoying.”
- “But weirdly enough, that kind of diminishes the atmosphere.”
- “Although it has some plot inconsistencies, the general tone and atmosphere of the game stays closer to the original than with the 11th Hour.”
- “I got jump scared a couple of times, which was funny; the overall tone is what I would call 'playfully creepy'—not scary, just a bit of atmosphere.”
stability
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game has been reported to have several bugs, particularly during puzzles, which can lead to a frustrating experience. While minor graphical and audio glitches have been noted, they are not game-breaking, and developers have committed to addressing these issues in future patches. Overall, stability remains a concern, especially for players experiencing it on launch day.
- “The game is slightly buggy during puzzles.”
- “This game is super buggy still.”
- “Yes, this game is buggy.”
replayability
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
50%
17%
The game offers good replayability due to the option to play as one of two characters, each with unique storylines and puzzles. However, some users note that the overall length of the game and the nature of the puzzles limit their replay value.
- “It also has great replay value because you can choose to play as one of two characters with their own unique storylines and distinguished puzzles to solve.”
- “Also, this type of game is not very long and puzzles don't really have any replay value.”
grinding
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be generally tedious, with some puzzles being overly simplistic or repetitive. However, the removal of lengthy cut scenes has been noted as a positive change, making the grinding experience slightly more bearable.
- “Some are just tedious.”
- “Only small complaint is several of the puzzles were too simple and several others a bit tedious to complete.”
- “Plus, you no longer have to watch tedious cut scenes for every step you take.”
humor
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is characterized by a "playfully creepy" tone, blending macabre and weird interactions with jump scares that are more amusing than frightening. Cutscenes and atmospheric elements contribute to a lighthearted yet eerie experience, enhancing the overall comedic effect.
- “I got jump scared a couple of times, which was funny. The overall tone is what I would call 'playfully creepy'—not scary, just a bit of atmosphere.”
- “There are some cutscenes in between and some objects that will have some scary, weird, or macabre humor interaction.”
optimization
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The optimization of the game is praised for its compatibility with modern processor speeds, particularly in comparison to older CD-ROM versions. This enhancement has encouraged players to revisit the original games, highlighting the improved performance and experience.
- “Buying this also encouraged me to buy the original games again. I still have my old CD-ROMs, but they are not optimized for modern processor speeds like the Steam versions are.”
emotional
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users express that the emotional aspect of the game is lacking, as it often features characters with whom players have no prior connection or investment, resulting in a diminished emotional engagement.