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

The 13th Doll is a puzzle adventure and semi-official sequel to The 7th Guest. The premise is that Tad Gorman was able to leave the house at the end of the first game, but the house never really left him, and 10 years later he returns with Dr. Richmond, his new psychiatrist, to try to free the souls of those he left behind. The gameplay here is mostly just solving logic puzzles, just like the first two games. You'll see some series regulars again, like chess puzzles and a maze, but none of them are exact repeats. These puzzles were all really well-designed and a huge improvement over the puzzles in the previous games. They were pretty challenging, and there were some that took a lot of time to figure out, but they didn't feel unfair or rely on lack of explanation to be difficult in the way either of the first two games sometimes did. Most of the puzzles had pretty clear instructions, and the ones that were more vague were pretty easy to figure out just by looking at them or playing around with them a little. I only ended up needing help for one of the puzzles, although I did consider looking things up a couple of other times. The story... sure is there. You can play as Tad or Ri…

I loved that the puzzles were solvable. The needed information was readily available and just took a little time to put things together. As puzzle games go, this one was nowhere near as difficult as Myst/Riven type of game are and that's just fine by me. I've been working on Riven for months! LoL Sometimes it's fun to work on a game that is just fun to play. For me, this fit the bill.

What more can I say? It has that feel of the original, with each room having an isolated mechanical puzzle that you'll solve to open other rooms. Just sooooo friggin good. Now please, please, PLEASE, do a remake of Clandestiny. That was a hidden gem of the same character as the 7th Guest, 11th Hour and 13th Doll, that was given just as much love as this. I just wish I could find it again (Or a fan game version 'hint hint).

First off, thank you Attic Door Productions for sending me the boxed Collector's / Backers Edition! I was really eager to find out what became of this game, of which I first heard back in 2004. It then vanished in 2008 to re-emerge many years later. Now, after having completed both the game's narratives I can safely say The 13th Doll, a Fan game of The 7th Guest is a success. It achieved what it set out to do and even excelled in some aspects over the original. The sheer determination of the team is commendable and the love for this project can be seen in every scene. I would however only recommend it if you played the (original) The 7th Guest and (somewhat) enjoyed it. There are also a lot of hits and misses that even for a die hard 7th Guest fan, I'm still not sure what to think of it. Let's take a look at a few: [u]Visuals[/u] + The FMV looks crisp - 3D models look outdated + excellent animation (skeleton in bath, classic cursors) + paintings/photos/documents and drawings are astounding - low res textures + fun animations (the 'pool' table being my favourite) [u]Setting[/u] + new (story relevant) locations to visit - some are 'underdressed' (too empty, too s…

The 13th Doll feels like stepping back into the strange, creaky magic of early-90s FMV adventure games—and I loved every minute of it. As a fan-made love letter to The 7th Guest, it absolutely nails the atmosphere: eerie rooms, moody pacing, and puzzles that feel thoughtfully designed rather than frustrating. Solving them gave me that same slow-burn satisfaction I remember from sitting in front of a CRT monitor, notebook in hand, feeling clever when things finally clicked. The FMV-inspired style fits the era beautifully, and the game clearly understands why those old adventures worked: mystery first, spectacle second. That said, I couldn’t help wishing there were more nods to The 11th Hour, which I personally consider the stronger sequel—those extra references would have pushed the nostalgia even further. A few areas also show unpolished or mismatched textures, which slightly breaks visual consistency, but never enough to ruin immersion. Despite those rough edges, The 13th Doll succeeds where it matters most: it captures the feeling of classic FMV horror-puzzle games with genuine care and respect. It’s made by fans who clearly understand the soul of the series. If The 7th Gue…

Now THIS is what I call a true sequel to The 7th Guest!