Myst may have been the game that popularized the CD-ROM drive, but for many ’90s kids, it was The 7th Guest that truly captured our imaginations. Released in 1993, this puzzle-adventure game not only required a CD-ROM drive but also featured a mouse cursor that transformed into a skull with bulging eyeballs and a pulsating brain—an unforgettable experience for those who dared to play it.
The Journey to Remake
In a nod to its groundbreaking origins, a remake of The 7th Guest was launched for VR headsets in 2023. Following this, a non-VR version is set to debut on June 4 on Steam. This development prompted a conversation with Paul van der Meer, the director of the remake, and Rob Landeros, one of the original creators of the game.
The duo’s journey began under somewhat unconventional circumstances. According to Wikipedia, they founded Trilobyte Games after being “fired from Virgin Games.” Landeros recalls a moment of levity during a 2013 interview, stating, “When they approached me, I said to them: I hear everything you have to say, but you are fired. That’s the truth, that’s what I said.” This humorous anecdote, while exaggerated, reflects the spirit of their departure. Landeros explained that they wanted to pursue a project that was ambitious enough to warrant its own space, free from the distractions of other ongoing projects at Virgin.
“I’ve seen instances where a special project is set aside, and then the people go to work on it in another part of the building,” Landeros noted. “So I kind of wanted to avoid that. We felt this was a big enough project; it was going to take up all our time, we didn’t need distractions.” Thus, they decided to establish their own studio, Trilobyte Games, and began their creative journey in Oregon.
Crafting the Experience
At Trilobyte, Landeros and his team experimented with Autodesk’s 3D design software to bring the haunted interiors of The 7th Guest to life, along with the iconic animated cursors that players fondly remember. “We didn’t have Photoshop,” Landeros explained. “I was sitting there trying to make these animated icons in these old tools, and they kind of didn’t work. And then I just went, ‘Oh, wait a minute, Autodesk 3D animator came with a skull model.’” This moment of inspiration led to the creation of the now-iconic skull cursor, complete with a flapping jaw and rolling eyes, all crafted in just a couple of hours.
The remake embraces modern technology, incorporating “volumetric video” that allows players to view actors from any angle, enhancing the immersive experience for both VR and non-VR players alike.
A Passion for the Past
Van der Meer, a long-time admirer of the original game, had been in touch with Landeros via email before proposing the idea of a remake. It was during a birthday party that he pitched the concept to the CEO of Vertigo Games, known for titles like Arizona Sunshine and the new Thief VR game. The response was enthusiastic, leading to the development of the remake.
The upcoming non-VR version of The 7th Guest Remake promises to retain the essence of its VR counterpart while introducing a new interface and redesigning one puzzle room to accommodate non-VR controls. As anticipation builds for its release on Steam, fans of the original can look forward to revisiting a classic that has stood the test of time, now reimagined for a new generation of players.
