Horrors and Heroes Alike - A Review of The 7th Continent

Adventure Is Out There!

Magic in discovery is true magic.

After starting my collection and developing my tastes over the course of about a year and a half, I really started to look into games that were geared towards open ended adventure and let players have agency in their actions on how they approached problems. I loved playing adventure video games, with The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom being two of my favorite all-time games, especially with the freedom that they allowed for.

I had experimented with dungeon crawlers for solo play, like One Deck Dungeon, but that hadn't really scratched the itch that I was looking to get my fix for. While I enjoyed the gameplay of Mice and Mystics, it felt a bit too "on-rails" for me to play solo and I wanted more agency and freedom to approach problems in any way possible.

Thus began my search for games that were excellent to play solo, but also featured an open ended exploration system in a fantastical or sci-fi system, or had a bent to that nature. It felt like it was a pretty narrow set of criteria for me to find a game that I really enjoyed, but I knew that the world of board games was huge, so I knew that I could find something.

Surprisingly, there were a ton of games that featured this set of parameters, but unfortunately for me, they tended to be on the pricier side of things. Games like ISS Vanguard and Earthborne Rangers seemed to be perfect for what I was wanting out of a solo experience, but I couldn't get my hands on a copy that was available secondhand, or they were too expensive, or a combination of both. It frustrated me since I was really wanting an excellent experience, but I had to work with what was available (and affordable).

That was when I stumbled on The 7th Continent.

I had been reading articles on games that fit my criteria and one of them mentioned the game as one of the best solo adventuring experiences that one can have on table top. Intrigued, I began looking into the game deeper as I had seen it a few times on several articles, BGG lists, other things here and there but I hadn't really looked into the game further as most information was very lacking.

As I delved into reviews of the game and how it played, I found out that it was a punishing game, but that it was extremely clever in it's design and players that were smart enough to learn how to survive could do very well in the game. It was noted that the game itself was tough, but mostly fair and that was what stood out to me the most with the reviews. I knew that I had found my unicorn and I just had to find it.

Fast forward a few months and I was able to pick up a second hand copy of the game with the What Goes Up, Must Come Down expansion for a very reasonable price and it hit my table almost immediately after.

After ten games of The 7th Continent, I knew that I had enough gameplay under my belt to write a review, but also knew that there was so much more left to explore. I've gotten a good grasp of what the game has, but there's a bunch left for me to discover, so take this review with a grain of salt as there's so much more in this box than I've found. Additionally, I will be a bit more sparing on details about the game as much of what makes The 7th Continent amazing is the sense of exploration and I'll be limiting my photos as well as to not spoil the surprises.

An Imposing Towering Box

This box just oozes imposition and horror. I love it.

Like with many of my posts, I would like to go through the various components of the game, but with this being a game that utilizes mystery as much the main point of the experience, I'll try to keep things to a minimum here with this review. The box itself is fantastically minimal with only an icon of the game featured on the front of the box. The name of the game is emblazoned on the side of the box, alongside the publisher name and logo, but that's really about it. The back of the box doesn't feature much information about the game either, providing only basic publishing information, and nary a whisker of what is inside can be found.

Each box really only has the logo for the game and the publisher. That's it.

Opening up the box reveals hundreds of cards sitting in the box underneath the rules, which are hefty in and of themselves. These card sit with numerous numbered dividers in three cardboard card trays that fit neatly inside the box and provide much of the box's heft. I was fortunate enough to get the version that contained the miniatures as well as the cardboard chits, but both would work just fine with the game when it's all out on the table. In addition to the cardboard chits, miniatures, and cards, there is a set of miniature black D6 that are contained within the box. Additionally, I was fortunate enough to have the version that contained a card receptacle for the discard pile and that can be assembled and disassembled easily.

The components of the main box and expansion box, all laid on the table.

The box for the expansion comes with additional cards, miniatures, cardboard punches for the new characters and hot air balloon(!) and raft miniature, as well as a cool little book to hold your cards that you keep in your backpack, rather than having to store them on the table. A small little booklet is also included with the new rules and additions that the expansion adds to the game, including a new "Immortal mode" as well as "prodigy modes" and a "Traitor" mode as well.

Miniatures are well designed and despite their size, are also very detailed.

Surprisingly enough, this is all that is contained within the boxes and one might think that there's not too much game in the box, but that is where that individual would be wrong. The 1000+ cards that are contained in the box that are on display above contain a wide and deep set of mysteries that are sure to draw players in again and again, just like the curse that seems to follow the 10 potential explores you could choose (7 base, 3 expansion).

The heart of the cards also holds the heart of the curse.

Within the cards, there are the characters that players can choose from, along with their respective abilities, basic abilities, advanced abilities, and 13 curses (8 Base, 5 expansion) as well as their respective clue cards and additional curse cards to be shuffled into the player deck. From the rest of the hundreds of cards that remain in the box, there are different terrains, challenges, and other items waiting to be found by the player as they proceed through this dangerous land.

A Tribute to Adventure and Horror

HP Lovecraft is one of the starting characters you can choose on your journey.

Here's where we get into the meat of the review: the gameplay. I'm sure that there are a lot of reviews out there that have said this, but be forewarned when going into this game: it's not easy. The game is punishing in the most brutal way possible as there are no tutorials with the game and it expects you to figure out things as you go along.

The best analogy that I could think of when describing this game is the original Legend of Zelda on the NES. There weren't any hints given to the player at the beginning of the game and players could potentially play the entire game without picking up the sword from the old man in the cave at the beginning of the game. The 7th Continent plays the same way, as it doesn't give any hints to players on how to win the game. The rulebook does do a good job of explaining to players how the various actions work, but it doesn't go beyond that and leaves much to the player to figure out on their own.

Players must move about the continent using the draw deck as a "life force" to perform actions. Some cards have a star, or half a star, or a combination of the two, which indicate a success. Often, actions will require a specific set of successes in order to have the good outcome be received at the risk of having a worse outcome take place. The clever nature about this game is that, unless otherwise stated on the challenge, players can choose to draw as many cards as they want from the action deck, at the risk of running out of life force. There will be actions that will require players to draw a certain number of cards without a success requirement, indicating the slow descent of madness and the toll of the elements on the player character.

This is where the true nature of the game becomes apparent. Players can choose to utilize their action deck freely, potentially running out of their cards to complete necessary actions, at the risk of running out of the draw deck for their action cards. However, unlike most games where your deck is your life, and once out, the game is done, The 7th Continent takes this idea and throws it out the window for another, more sinister way to play.

See throughout the draw deck, there will be several curse cards that will be interspersed through the deck. They are more of a nuisance than anything when trying to get successes in the game, but once the draw deck is out, that is when their true sinister nature becomes apparent. Players can continue onward with their journey once the draw deck is out, but the discard pile is required to be shuffled and then flipped over so the cards face downward. If any action requires a player to draw cards, they can take it from the face down discard pile to perform the action. If players draw a curse card however, the game is over and the curse has consumed the character, ending the run.

The land will slowly appear before your character on the table, as soon as you clear the fog.

It's a brutal end to a game that features exploration that hearkens to a Jules Verne story, sprinkled with a dash of HP Lovecraft and eldritch horror thrown in. Players can mitigate this potential by going hunting and fishing, which allows players to add more cards to their deck, utilizing items that they can build from cards in their hand that were earned through successes, as well as leveling up their characters at specific locations. The 7th Continent is a tough, but fair mistress if you begin to delve into her secrets and learn the metagame of how to survive her horrifying waters.

While I did use the Legend of Zelda reference earlier, I think that a better analogy to a video game might be Dark Souls. The game is brutally difficult at times, even seemingly unfair. But, as you begin to play the game more and more, patterns start to emerge. Bosses that seemed impossible start to show you their weaknesses if you are clever enough. Enemies that you encounter are weak to a certain type of damage and so on. The 7th Continent is the same way: if you look closely, you'll start to see the nuances and how you survive in this brutal realm.

That's what stands out to me the most with The 7th Continent and why I think I loved the game so much. While the surface of the game looks like another exploration game that is brutally punishing, once you get past the veneer of difficulty, you begin to see a well-balanced and clever game that rewards those that lean into it's machinations. Sure, the game will be difficult and you might find your character sitting with a poisoned status for the entire final half of a game, but if you play well, then that will be more of a nuisance rather than a game-ending status.

I do also want to note that it is stated directly in the rulebook that players should take breaks when playing the game. There is a "Save" system that allows players to pack away the cards and put it away to play again at another time. While this might seem counterintuitive, the game rules note that this allows certain things to be reset and allows you to survive better in the game. Smart players will heed the advice that is noted in the rulebook: "Play an hour to two at most and then save the game before coming back. There are certain cards that require you to save in order to be reset."

Weighing The Consequences of Actions

Your backpack is your best friend, and it might just save your character's life with all the knowledge that you'll pack into it.

I am not going to come out and say "This game is absolutely perfect and you should try your hand at it because you'll absolutely love it!" In fact, I'd go as far to say, "Don't play this game unless you're willing to know that you're not going to succeed the first few times, and that's ok."

The 7th Continent is an amazing game. A true 10/10 in my book. But that doesn't mean that it's for everyone. It's a terribly hard game that throws horror after horror at the player and doesn't really allow for but a few breathers to really replenish your character and to deal with the many adverse effects that come upon your character. But it also rewards that sense of exploration and wonder that comes with adventuring in a new land. It's an incredible experience that houses so much to find. Even after 10 games of this, I still find myself looking forward to what else I will find hidden away in the cards. There is so much to find here and I'm so happy I got my hands on this incredible game.

Final Score: 100/100

Final Thoughts

This was a really fun game for me to review and one that I wanted to give enough time and plays before I launched a glowing review of the game. I really enjoyed The 7th Continent, but as I noted in my review, this game is not going to be for everyone. I personally have enjoyed the solo experience of the game and will most likely be seeking to figure out how to get the remaining expansions for the game that I have yet to add into my game.

I compared the game to Dark Souls in my review and I feel like that's an apt comparison. While there are going to be those that don't like it, and usually pretty vehemently, there are those of us who have been able to peer into the void of madness and understand the chaos that surrounds it doesn't necessarily have ill intent. It's just a force of nature without any driven cause to harm aside from what it inherently does.

The 7th Continent is hard. It's brutal. It's a meta-game within a game. It's agonizing. And it's frustrating.

But it's also clever. It lends itself to a sense of adventure that is unparalleled. And there's so much in the box that is available to be discovered.

I love it.

Give me your thoughts:What are some of your favorite portions of media that have a sense of adventure in them? It could be anything form games like the 7th Continent, video games like Uncharted, movies like Indiana Jones, or even books! What has been your favorite "Aha" moment when playing games? What game do you thoroughly enjoy, but know that it's not really going to be the game for everyone?

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*Originally Posted on BoardGameGeek on  16/8/2024*