The 7th Continent, a game that emerged from a wildly successful Kickstarter campaign, has not only met but exceeded the high expectations initially set for it. It’s an immersive game that draws inspiration from choose-your-own-adventure novels, video games, as well as legendary authors Jules Verne and H.P. Lovecraft. It’s not just one of the best cooperative board games but also an exhilarating solo experience that has earned its place among the medium’s finest.
As with other successful board games, The 7th Continent has seen several expansions that further iterate upon the core gameplay and add more harrowing scenarios. Given the number of releases over the years, however, it might be difficult to decide which packages to consider and in which order. That’s why we have crafted this handy buying guide that will walk you through the various releases and what each offers. Luckily, starting isn’t too difficult as there is really only one place to begin, the base game.
The Base Game
The 7th Continent
MSRP: $69.00 USD
- Age: 14+
- Players: 1-4
- Play Time: 5-1000 mins
The 7th Continent is a heavily thematic board game that immerses players in the story of explorers returning to the newly discovered titular land. Together, they must remove a curse placed upon them during their last expedition. The continent, still largely uncharted, remains treacherous and mysterious, unfolding before players as they explore. The game doesn’t give players much direction when it comes to lifting the curse. Instead, players are dropped into a dangerous world, asked to explore, and must deal with various perils as they appear. This enveloping narrative, combined with the game’s unique mechanics, creates a challenging and captivating experience.
Mechanically speaking, The 7th Continent is a narrative-driven card game with an expanding board of tiles that are placed when players meet various requirements. Like other explorative survival board games, it features crafting, combat, and even RPG elements. However, it’s The 7th Continent’s unique mechanics that set it apart from other titles in the genre, making it an unforgettable experience. For example, the card deck players draw from to resolve actions and add to their respective hands also serves as their life force. Once players work their way through the deck, they risk pulling a curse card, ending the game and resulting in a loss. Also, you might notice that campaigns can run quite long; luckily, however, The 7th Continent includes a handy save feature that allows players to pause, pack up the contents, and pick up the story at a later time. Still, due to its length, it might be difficult to get the same group of players together, but you can also take The 7th Continent at your own pace as a single-player campaign, considering it is one of the best solo board games currently available.
The various curses in the box make up the scenarios, and there are four alone in the base game—each of which takes players hours to complete. Multiple curses can be combined in the same campaign to add even more variability to the base game. With plenty of random events baked in, the Core Box offers plenty of replayability on its own, but players looking to revisit the mystifying world on multiple occasions may want to check out one of The 7th Continent’s several expansions.
Main Expansions
The 7th Continent: The Crystal’s Song & Game Modes Expansion
MSRP: $12.00 USD
Components (REQUIRES THE BASE GAME)
- 1 New Curse
- 3 New Game Modes
- 1 Divider
- 40 New Cards
While The Voracious Goddess curse in the Core Box was initially the recommended starting point for new players, The Crystal’s Song curse in this expansion has since become the ideal first scenario thanks to its brief and tutorial-esque introduction to The 7th Continent’s mechanics. In fact, publisher Serious Poulp bundles The Crystal’s Song and the Core Box together as a starter pack. Additionally, the expansion includes an easier Prodigy Mode, an advanced Immortal Mode, and a tense Traitor Mode that gives players secret objectives. Not only is this the first expansion most players should pick up, but it’s actually a recommended purchase alongside the base game if possible.
The 7th Continent: The Icy Maze Expansion
MSRP: $20.00 USD
Components (REQUIRES THE BASE GAME)
The 7th Continent Website actually recommends playing The Icy Maze before The Bloody Hunt – the last curse in the Core Box, which requires an in-depth knowledge of the map and mechanics. It’s certainly not a requirement to play The Icy Maze before finishing the base game, or at all, even, but if you feel that cutting your teeth on the more advanced Bloody Hunt is trying your patience, just know it’s designed too. The Icy Maze places an emphasis on movement, eventually giving players a greater understanding of the various corners of the continent.
The 7th Continent: The Forbidden Sanctuary Expansion
MSRP: $20.00 USD
Components (REQUIRES THE BASE GAME)
The Forbidden Sanctuary is the next recommended curse from the makers of The 7th Continent. This curse takes players to a mysterious temple riddled with booby traps. Learning the secrets hidden inside can be treacherous, but it’s necessary to lift the curse. Like the other expansions listed here, The Forbidden Sanctuary is designed to fit right into the Core Box and requires the base game.
The 7th Continent: The Veins of the Earth Expansion
MSRP: $25.00 USD
Components (REQUIRES THE BASE GAME)
- 1 New Curse
- 149 New Cards
- Barge Standee
- 4 Dividers
The Veins of the Earth expansion gives players a look at what lurks below the continent. Underground waterways span the entire continent, which players will discover as they float along on their barge. The added layer to this mysterious land is accompanied by its own set of perils for explorers to stumble across. Initially, The Veins of the Earth was bundled with A Prison of Clouds, Forgotten Passages, and The Crystal’s Song in a collector’s expansion box available through Kickstarter. All of these, except for The Crystal’s Song, can still be purchased in the What Goes Up, Must Come Down bundle – a nod to the title of the original expansion title.
The 7th Continent: A Prison of Clouds Expansion
MSRP: $25.00 USD
Components (REQUIRES THE BASE GAME)
- 1 New Curse
- 169 New Cards
- Hot Air Baloon Standee
- 4 Dividers
While The Veins of the Earth explored the underground passages of the continent, A Prison of Clouds has players taking to the skies in a hot air balloon. The two expansions together serve to expand the map vertically, and A Prison of Clouds even allows players to land on the continent whenever they choose and explore on foot. In fact, it’s a necessary excursion as you will certainly face strong headwinds and intense hunger along your journey that will require you to trek on foot for a bit.
The 7th Continent: Forgotten Passages Expansion
MSRP: $20.00 USD
Components (REQUIRES THE BASE GAME)
- 3 New Explorers
- 115 New Cards
- 3 Character Standees
While Forgotten Passages doesn’t include any new curses against which players can test their skills and luck, the expansion does include plenty of new cards and three new explorers with various abilities. Joining the cast are the skilled hunter Anjika, American aviator Amelia Earhart, and English Gentleman Phileas Fogg, along with his valet Jean Passerpartout. Not to mention, new alternate terrain cards change up the map enough to keep players on their toes.
The 7th Continent: Facing the Elements Expansion
MSRP: $20.00 USD
Components (REQUIRES THE BASE GAME)
- 40 New Cards
- 5 Cardboard Figures
- 5 Plastic Stands
As if curses and traps weren’t enough, Facing the Elements adds various acts of nature to the world of The 7th Continent. These random events can throw a wrench in your excursion entirely, or they can perhaps aid you in your exploration. Again, there’s no new curse here, but these wild card events can help keep things interesting and add even more depth to an already content-rich game.
The 7th Continent: Fear the Devourers Expansion
MSRP: $20.00 USD
Components (REQUIRES THE BASE GAME)
- 30 New Cards
- 7 Rock Worm Standees
Fear the Devourers adds the fearsome Rockworm to The 7th Continent. These random exploration cards fold right into the base game and can pose quite a challenge. If not immediately dealt with, these creatures will remain a persistent threat. Players who want a bit of extra challenge added to the base game without a ton of extra rules should check out Fear the Devourers.
The 7th Continent: The Flying Roots Expansion
MSRP: $20.00 USD
Components (REQUIRES THE BASE GAME)
- 40 New Cards
- 6 Flying Roots Standees
Like Fear the Devourers, The Flying Roots adds another interesting element to the base game. Unlike the Rockworms, however, it’s initially unclear what the flying roots’ intentions actually are. While these plants aren’t necessarily nefarious, their presence can serve as quite a hindrance. This new mysterious addition is perhaps a bit deeper and has more in store for players who choose to investigate them further.
Mini-Expansions
The 7th Continent: Path of Repentance Expansion
MSRP: $10.00 USD
Components (REQUIRES THE BASE GAME)
Path of Repentance is a small but meaningful expansion that further deepens the thematic experience of The 7th Continent. This mini-expansion builds upon the sleep mechanic from the base game but goes the extra mile to illustrate just how mentally distraught the crew is over the looming curse. To speak too much about the Path of Repentance would spoil the experience, but just know that, especially at $10, this mini-expansion is well worth the price of admission.
The 7th Continent: Comfort Creatures Expansion
MSRP: $10.00 USD
Components (REQUIRES THE BASE GAME)
Comfort Creatures inserts a bit more randomness and fun into the 7th Continent experience. This mini-expansion adds an egg that will hatch into a mysterious creature if cared for. Hatch and raise the newborn beast to potentially gain a powerful companion to aid you on your journeys across the strange land.
Bottom Line
The 7th Continent is an excellent cooperative board game for small groups and a great solo experience as well. The base game is required for all expansions, many of which add new curses that can either replace or supplement the base scenarios. Other expansions add new players, foes, and mechanics. The Crystal’s Song is a great purchase alongside the base game, as it helps onboard new players with its streamlined tutorial scenario.
For even more great tabletop recommendations, see our picks for the best board games to play right now. Our list of the best dungeon crawler board games is another great resource for those looking to pick up some more great solo and cooperative titles.
Bobby Anhalt is a contributing freelancer for IGN covering board games and LEGOs. He has more than 8 years of experience writing about the gaming industry with bylines at Game Rant, Screen Rant, TheXboxHub, and Ranker. You can follow him on Twitter.
