As you emerge from the swamp, you see the chapel in front of you. Inside, a special treasure that you are trying to steal before your enemies. Between you and the treasure, a plethora of puzzles that will challenge you to think outside the box, and if you aren’t careful the swamp demon will trap you here forever. Join me as I review the SideQuest 7th Sea escape game.
Gameplay Overview:
SideQuest 7th Sea is a three-dimensional escape game where you play as a treasure hunter looking for a dragonsteel shield that is hidden in a chapel located in a swamp. When you open the box you will be directed to build the exterior of the chapel and punch out the answer key pieces.
During the game, you use multiple cards to solve puzzles as well as punch out game pieces. Most of the puzzles are logic-based, with some abstract thinking for a few as well. The answer input key is a little clunky at first but once you get a hang of it, it becomes much easier to check your answers.
The initial puzzles deal with the exterior of the chapel and how to break into the front door. Once you get through the front door, the puzzles start to increase in difficulty. After repairing some windows and moving some statues around you can find the treasure of the dragonsteel shield. Then you will have a decision to make; do you enter the portal to fight the swamp demon, or do you retreat with your shield? If you decide to enter the portal, you will encounter the hardest set of puzzles yet as the demon tries to eliminate you. If you succeed you can escape and unlock 4 different endings.
Game Experience:
SideQuest 7th Sea was okay, but it was lacking in quite a few places. During the game we found ourselves looking for more hints just to get clarification on puzzle instructions. While the puzzles had variety and were complex, some (such as the totem and glass puzzle) were lacking in instructions or needed rules clarification.
One of the bigger problems we had with the game was the writing and story. Maybe it is because we don’t play 7th Sea, but even taking that into account the storyline and the writing was quite cringy at times. It didn’t create the sort of thematic atmosphere we had experienced with other games from this publisher. We found ourselves skipping some of the narrative writing about halfway through the game in lieu of getting to the next puzzle.
The answer key seems challenging to use at first, but once you get the hang of it entering the solutions becomes a breeze. There is also a great link between what puzzles need the answer key versus the ones that don’t. Speaking of puzzles that don’t, we were at a complete loss when fighting the demon at the end of the game. Each puzzle is a single card with the solution being a particular word or phrase. The problem is you aren’t given any instructions on how to complete them, which left us feeling frustrated.
Final Thoughts:
SideQuest 7th Sea was a miss for us. While the puzzles have variety, the instructions for each were lacking, and the narrative writing falls flat and leaves you wanting to just get through the game and finish it. We played a good variety of escape games and concluded that the puzzles in this game lack instructions to increase their difficulty, which we see as a shortcut. Some puzzles were fun once we had clearer instructions, so I feel like the bones for a good experience are there. Overall, I wouldn’t recommend this over SideQuest Nemesis, which is also recently reviewed.
Final Score: 2 Stars – An okay escape game with a clunky narrative and challenging puzzles missing intuitive direction.
Hits:
• Puzzles have a good variety.
Misses:
• Writing is a bit cringy and doesn’t create a good atmosphere.
• Puzzles lack instructions to make them difficult.
Source: Board Game Quest
