The 7th Continent Classic Edition - Core Box - English Version - Boardgame - Cooperative - 1 to 4 Players - Adventure - Exploration - Survival

Had been looking for something that I can play in a sort of "videogame" style or "dm-less" RPG. This very much fits the bill. The closest match I can say is that it is very much like an old "point and click" game with some survival elements added in. Also for the purpose of this review I have only played as a Solo experience, which is honestly how I would recommend playing at least at first. Drop in/Drop out of other players is quite doable if you see your time being mixed.RULES:The basic mechanics are fairly easy to learn. exploration is through revealing cards as directed based on your actions and if those actions succeed or fail. Those pass/fail conditions are based on drawing cards from an action deck (which doubles as your "energy" pool). then adding up the number of stars to see if you beat the required number. This uses an element of "push your luck" as drawing more cards gives higher chance of success while lower your overall "energy" to continue without finding a way to replenish the deck.GAMEPLAY:The strategy is where the difficulty ramps up. trying to decide how much you are willing to risk, when to fix problem states (injury, etc), and how far to explore before eating/hunting. These things will make or break your journey through the 7th continent. And occasionally that journey does end in your character(s) dying, which has you resetting the game to the starting state. This creates a "rouge-like" element, and I recommend taking notes so that you can remember key things from game to game. in between sessions there is a simple and elegant system to "save" your progress using specially marked cards. The game can be torn down in less than a minute using this feature and set back up in slightly more. the longer bit of setup is sorting out cards that were sent to "the past" section in your previous session and returning them to their places in the trays. I actually tend to do this when I pack up so that start up time is super quick next time.QUALITY:As for components and overall quality. The cards are made from good stock with a smooth finish. All of the cards are the same square cards so specialty sleeves (80mm x 80mm) will be needed. The publisher only recommends sleeving the action and other commonly used cards (around 100 cards). the punch out character standees are functional if a touch on the small side. Dice included are also small, but are the right size for what they are used for (durability counters for items not rolling). Box itself is also a good quality and sturdy. Shelf storage might be a bit awkward as the cards might slide around if placed on its side, but honestly it hasnt been on my shelf since I got it.VALUE:You definitely get a lot of game for your buck here. the game contains three different curses that can be played in any order or with multiple (or even all) at the same time. Each will take you several hours of play to work through. There are several expansions at a fairly decent price. I have not purchased any as of yet, but plan to do so once I get some more time in.

I purchased 7th Continent after hearing that it played much like Sleeping Gods. I love exploration games and as an avid reader that loved the choose your own adventure stories as a child, this game sounded really good. Upon playing the first curse and not surviving, I learned from previous actions and lasted longer. This game is fun to play, it is tile based and there are literally hundreds of possible cards to pull. The game is easy to learn but difficult to master. I love that aspect. I love that every action chosen will have a consequence rather good or bad. The game can be played solo or with up to 4 people. The expansions are very cheap ranging from 17-20 dollars. My game group really enjoys this and I also play solo a lot. There is more exploration than combat and you definitely have to use your brain. Of you like strategy mixed with a little luck, this game is a must.

This game is just what I was hoping it would be: soloable, exploration, survival, puzzles, light strategy, replayable, attractive, and rules that suit the theme and make sense. So much bang for the buck, I ordered a couple of expansions!I gave the overall game 5 stars but I’d take half of one away for the quality of the rule book which is made of regular paper (the cover ripped off a staple when someone flipped through) and will get used a LOT in the first dozen hours of game play. Maybe watch a video guide first to reduce wear and tear. The cardstock terrain cards are also a bit thin and warp a bit so the gorgeous map art doesn’t lay flat and line up perfectly. I didn’t buy clear protective sleeves so I’m not sure if they’d help with this issue.The learning curve is steep but nearly everything eventually makes sense and answers to most questions can be found online. The game takes up a lot of space as your map grows, although there’s a save mechanic and rules for reducing your map size.If you loved Choose Your Own Adventures as a kid, and video games like The Long Dark, you’ll love The 7th Continent!

I've heard that some people complain a bit about the amount of "filing" in this game. The base game includes hundreds of small square cards that contain all of the map locations and notes of what is happening. Keeping these in order and placing the correct ones does take a bit of work.However, the reason for all the filing does slowly come out. This is a deep game where a curse has been placed on your characters and you are attempting to solve it. The cards themselves are your timer as once they run out the game will end if a certain card is drawn once you reshuffle the discard pile.The game is not forgiving. You need to work together, and work fast to get through the adventure as quickly as possible. Yet, rushing increases the odds of failure for each skill check.Its not for everyone, and I will admit that I hesitate to bring it out unless i know the group I'm going to show it to are going to be interested. But with the right group its a great game.

The game was very well made and was a fantastic experience. I personally did not finish the game. The theme is dark and the game is very punishing. It seems the more you play, the worse off you are, and given the everything in life happening since March 2020 onwards... we stopped taking the time to set up the game because while fun, there was very little 'feel good' successes. Play felt very... one of two possibilities:Succeed without yet another setback, but not any better than before...continue as is.Or you are worsened. The game is less joy, harder, and there is no light at the end of the tunnel feeling. I cannot explain more without spoilers.TLDR A great, fun, and well designed game... that I stopped after 12 scenarios and likely will never play again. Still worth 5 stars as the game is great. My experience with it wasn't.