Fan-made 7th Guest sequel The 13th Doll finally releases this October
And it's officially licensed too.
Attic Door Productions has announced that The 13th Doll, its officially licensed follow-up to developer Trilobyte's classic CD-ROM adventure The 7th Guest, will release this October.
Attic Door Productions, a collective of self-proclaimed 7th Guest fans, launched The 13th Doll on Kickstarter back in 2015, where it successfully raised $60,266 USD. It's designed as a direct follow-up to Trilobyte's seminal 1993 title - considered to be one of the CD-ROM format's earliest "killer apps" alongside Myst - sidestepping the events of divisive 1995 sequel, The 11th Hour.
The 13th Doll sees Tad, the unwitting seventh guest of the first game, now fully grown and preparing to return to evil toymaker Henry Stauf's spooky old mansion to confront his past - and, probably, the many and varied spirits that haunt its halls.
In game terms, The 13th Doll largely replicates The 7th Guest's original formula. Players roam the interior of Stauf's mansion (as well as an asylum and abandoned toy store this time around), solving puzzles and watching story events unfold in classic 90s-style FMV. The most significant difference is that free-roaming exploration is now possible, although fans can opt for the on-rails movement of the original game if they prefer.
You can see just how closely The 13th Doll adheres to The 7th Guest's compellingly cheesy aesthetic in the announcement trailer above.
Attic Door says that The 13th Doll will include 26 unique puzzles in 35 environments, two playable characters - each with their own unique plot lines, locations, and puzzles - plus five possible endings. Actor Robert Hirschboeck reprises his role as Henry Stauf.
The 13th Doll is currently expected to launch on PC and Mac on October 31st this year, and pre-orders are now open on Attic Door's website.