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The 7th Guest
Each of them came to find a gift. Each of them would pay dearly. Who would go willingly to a place of such evil? What dark enticements draw the fated guests? What appalling destiny awaits them?
Martin Burden, the small-town beauty who had learned how to please men, but not well enough to keep up her New York City lifestyle; Edward Knox, a kind man with a bad habit of losing other people's money at the races, and his dear, sensitive wife, Elinor; Brian Dutton, the cut-throat businessman who watched his brother die beneath the ice of a frozen lake; Hamilton Temple, the once-great magician still searching for true magic; Julia Heine, the fading, lonely alcoholic, forever dreaming of a new life and of being young again; and the little boy, Tad, who came to the house on a dare, only to be hunted as a sacrifice to Stauf's monstrous evil.
Seven guests will become entwined in a dark inferno tonight...
Martin Burden, the small-town beauty who had learned how to please men, but not well enough to keep up her New York City lifestyle; Edward Knox, a kind man with a bad habit of losing other people's money at the races, and his dear, sensitive wife, Elinor; Brian Dutton, the cut-throat businessman who watched his brother die beneath the ice of a frozen lake; Hamilton Temple, the once-great magician still searching for true magic; Julia Heine, the fading, lonely alcoholic, forever dreaming of a new life and of being young again; and the little boy, Tad, who came to the house on a dare, only to be hunted as a sacrifice to Stauf's monstrous evil.
Seven guests will become entwined in a dark inferno tonight...
224 pages, Hardcover
First published July 19, 1995
8 people are currently reading
137 people want to read
About the author
Matthew J. Costello
46 books5 followersMatthew John Costello (born 1948) is an American horror, Gothic, and science fiction writer. His articles have appeared in publications including the Los Angeles Times and Sports Illustrated. He scripted Trilobyte's bestselling CD-ROM interactive dramas The 7th Guest and its sequel The 11th Hour, as well as many other video games.
(source: Wikipedia)
(source: Wikipedia)
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
October 30, 2025
This was OK. To be fair, I was way too young for a game this scary when it came out. I tried to play it on my own once, but found the ghosts terrifying and the puzzles way too complex for whatever age I was at the time. Those skeleton hands too...pretty scary! So, I may not have the appreciation of the novelization of this game that someone who enjoyed the game would.
I think this book could have benefitted by being a little bit longer. The characters could have been a little better developed. We get a short introduction chapter to each person intermixed with chapters about Henry Stauf and how he became the notorious recluse that he became. Then the book basically covers what the game covers, though with far more depth than what the game showed you.
I guess I just have a lot of questions? The time period this book takes place in is the first one. When Stauf first begins making toys, you can place the time period in the 1920's, but by the time the events of the book take place...I'm not sure. Some people mention the house was built recently...some mention he's been a recluse for years...some think the children who owned his toys died recently....some think it was years ago. So....clearly this aspect is intentional but it doesn't really go anywhere.
The end of the book could have used a little more to it, in my opinion. I'm not really sure what happened. Not sure what the voices are, other than probably demons (??) or why the hundreds of already dead children weren't enough that they needed just one more. There's just a lot left open and I guess I don't really understand.
I was just hoping for an easy read close to Halloween, but this one just didn't do it for me. I assume fans of the old game will enjoy this.
I think this book could have benefitted by being a little bit longer. The characters could have been a little better developed. We get a short introduction chapter to each person intermixed with chapters about Henry Stauf and how he became the notorious recluse that he became. Then the book basically covers what the game covers, though with far more depth than what the game showed you.
I guess I just have a lot of questions? The time period this book takes place in is the first one. When Stauf first begins making toys, you can place the time period in the 1920's, but by the time the events of the book take place...I'm not sure. Some people mention the house was built recently...some mention he's been a recluse for years...some think the children who owned his toys died recently....some think it was years ago. So....clearly this aspect is intentional but it doesn't really go anywhere.
The end of the book could have used a little more to it, in my opinion. I'm not really sure what happened. Not sure what the voices are, other than probably demons (??) or why the hundreds of already dead children weren't enough that they needed just one more. There's just a lot left open and I guess I don't really understand.
I was just hoping for an easy read close to Halloween, but this one just didn't do it for me. I assume fans of the old game will enjoy this.
December 30, 2012
Amusing take on the back story behind the computer game. If you haven't played the game, don't bother. If you have, this reads fast and won't take much out of your life, but won't add too much either.
March 17, 2025
Who would have thought a silly puzzle-based video game from the 1990s would spur a novel based on that game? I had no idea until I came across this in my used book store. Of course I immediately bought it! It was published in 1995.
It was surprisingly good and I give credit to the two authors who constructed a dark, convoluted horror story using the characters from the game. We get all of their backstories, which are not a part of the game, and we even get to experience a few of the puzzles that made the game so unique - and frustrating. Things spiral out of control and the ending is truly a mess, but I enjoyed it thoroughly.
If you remember the game at all, you'll get a kick out of this novelization. I'll admit, I discovered there is an updated version of the game available for the PlayStation, and I bought it too. I'm stuck on one of the absurd puzzles and am not sure I'll be able to finish, but it hardly matters. I'm having fun in the bizarre, twisted world of this book and game.
It was surprisingly good and I give credit to the two authors who constructed a dark, convoluted horror story using the characters from the game. We get all of their backstories, which are not a part of the game, and we even get to experience a few of the puzzles that made the game so unique - and frustrating. Things spiral out of control and the ending is truly a mess, but I enjoyed it thoroughly.
If you remember the game at all, you'll get a kick out of this novelization. I'll admit, I discovered there is an updated version of the game available for the PlayStation, and I bought it too. I'm stuck on one of the absurd puzzles and am not sure I'll be able to finish, but it hardly matters. I'm having fun in the bizarre, twisted world of this book and game.
November 4, 2017
It was fun to dip back to the world of 7th Guest and learn more about the guests and the events of the night. Definitely recommended if you are a fan of the game.
December 30, 2014
Ah, The 7th Guest, the now 20+-year-old game with a blend of clever puzzle design, partially obfuscated storyline*, and really poor game design choices**. It was a watershed game, a breakthrough in both incorporating video in with gameplay elements and in pushing a surreal puzzle atmosphere leading to some great little moments of flavor. For those who remember it fondly, or have no care to solve the puzzles, this is the novelization of the game's story. No microscope puzzle rage required.
Now, the three-star review I gave it above is sort of for people who have played the game and/or have long been curious about what the story was. If you just wandered in off the street looking for a horror novel, this might warrant two-stars. The background has some nice notes—evil toy-maker, at the bidding of some otherworldly creatures, creates toys that absorb the life-energy of children—but the characters are generally bone thin and prone to stereotyping. There is basically no character development, very few moments of real conflict, no real sense of place nor time, no real tension.
Where it shines is for those who "know" the in-game story, the first third is mostly new material about the background of the seven guests and Stauf and how they came together. A director's-cut take on the tale. While some of it you know from the game, such as how the first toy came to Stauf in a dream, you get to find out how the death of Brian Dutton's brother lead to him being there and how Edward Knox is running from gambling debts. When you realize the whole story—toy empire and all the guests—are part of one relatively small town in the Hudson Valley, and it has only been months since the children started dying, it feels a bit too claustrophobic, but at least you know the background.
Much of the rest of the book are written-out versions of the cut-scenes, in what would be presumably the most-intended order, with a few extra notes and thoughts and some additional background flavor. Since the intention is to include all the cut-scenes, there are a few that tie into the start or end of puzzles that get puzzles written into them. That, along with the "ego" from the game—the nameless narrator and stand-in for the player—showing up as a nameless ego, again, in just a couple of chapters makes it perhaps unintentionally amusing.
To sum up: buy it if you are looking for a curiosity or if you want o know why some of the people are evil while some are good. Skip it if you want something more stand alone. Possibly buy it if you just want to see a surreal attempt at game novelization with certain odd elements of the game included (sadly, no ouija board).
* For those not in the know, The 7th Guest has a series of cut scenes that are triggered by a) entering a room for the first time, b) solving a puzzle, c) clicking on a story-line icon. The first few scenes happen in pretty much a single order. The last few scenes happen in order. The middle scenes depend on how the player finds the rooms and puzzles, leading to some guesswork as to how some of the confrontations go down.
** My "favorite" big mistakes of The 7th Guest were having Stauf pause your puzzle solving with verbal taunts, which in some puzzles were set to happen every small handful of moves; and having random secret doors use the same icons as other game events, meaning after your slow crawl through the mansion, you had a better than average chance of ending back up in the kitchen. Good. Times.
Now, the three-star review I gave it above is sort of for people who have played the game and/or have long been curious about what the story was. If you just wandered in off the street looking for a horror novel, this might warrant two-stars. The background has some nice notes—evil toy-maker, at the bidding of some otherworldly creatures, creates toys that absorb the life-energy of children—but the characters are generally bone thin and prone to stereotyping. There is basically no character development, very few moments of real conflict, no real sense of place nor time, no real tension.
Where it shines is for those who "know" the in-game story, the first third is mostly new material about the background of the seven guests and Stauf and how they came together. A director's-cut take on the tale. While some of it you know from the game, such as how the first toy came to Stauf in a dream, you get to find out how the death of Brian Dutton's brother lead to him being there and how Edward Knox is running from gambling debts. When you realize the whole story—toy empire and all the guests—are part of one relatively small town in the Hudson Valley, and it has only been months since the children started dying, it feels a bit too claustrophobic, but at least you know the background.
Much of the rest of the book are written-out versions of the cut-scenes, in what would be presumably the most-intended order, with a few extra notes and thoughts and some additional background flavor. Since the intention is to include all the cut-scenes, there are a few that tie into the start or end of puzzles that get puzzles written into them. That, along with the "ego" from the game—the nameless narrator and stand-in for the player—showing up as a nameless ego, again, in just a couple of chapters makes it perhaps unintentionally amusing.
To sum up: buy it if you are looking for a curiosity or if you want o know why some of the people are evil while some are good. Skip it if you want something more stand alone. Possibly buy it if you just want to see a surreal attempt at game novelization with certain odd elements of the game included (sadly, no ouija board).
* For those not in the know, The 7th Guest has a series of cut scenes that are triggered by a) entering a room for the first time, b) solving a puzzle, c) clicking on a story-line icon. The first few scenes happen in pretty much a single order. The last few scenes happen in order. The middle scenes depend on how the player finds the rooms and puzzles, leading to some guesswork as to how some of the confrontations go down.
** My "favorite" big mistakes of The 7th Guest were having Stauf pause your puzzle solving with verbal taunts, which in some puzzles were set to happen every small handful of moves; and having random secret doors use the same icons as other game events, meaning after your slow crawl through the mansion, you had a better than average chance of ending back up in the kitchen. Good. Times.
June 27, 2012
Is one boy’s soul strong enough to change fate?
Story:
The Stauf mansion is the source of many dark rumors and terrible speculations. It is the home of the famous, now infamous, Henry Stauf who became a successful toy maker almost overnight some years before. His toys were the most prized possessions of the children that were lucky enough to have parents that could afford them. That is until children began to become sick and pass away of a mysterious illness that no doctor could cure. The only common thing among them was that they became sick after they received their Stauf toy. Hounded by grieving parents and an outraged public Stauf retreated to his mansion and was not heard from for many years.
Until the day that six invitations went out to six people who needed what Stauf could provide. Whether it was the chance recapture a sense magic that was lost long ago, the hope that a lost lifestyle could be reclaimed or enough money to chase all the bill collectors in the world away forever. These people needed what Stauf was offering them. What they didn’t take into account is that Stauf also needed what these people were giving away at such a low price.
Stauf had only one obstacle left. He needed an innocent.
Enter the 7th Guest, lured into the house on a dare he enters a mansion that is haunted by its past and cursed by an almost certain future. Can he change his Fate?
,,,,,,,,,,
This was decent video game book. I’ve heard about this game but never had the chance to play it when it first came out, though I hear it was one of the better Full Motion Video adventures out there at the time. So when I saw it at my local good will I picked it up on a “why not”. I wasn’t disappointed as the story as a whole is good and does have a twist at the end that ties together the little side story throughout the book with the main story. It can be taken a couple different ways depending on how you think the story is being told. The twist also kind of explains why there is no real date setting to the story and why some of the scenes seem kind of loose in the overall narrative. All in all though a decent read for anyone looking to see what the 7th guest was about or anyone looking for a light horror novel. m.a.c
Story:
The Stauf mansion is the source of many dark rumors and terrible speculations. It is the home of the famous, now infamous, Henry Stauf who became a successful toy maker almost overnight some years before. His toys were the most prized possessions of the children that were lucky enough to have parents that could afford them. That is until children began to become sick and pass away of a mysterious illness that no doctor could cure. The only common thing among them was that they became sick after they received their Stauf toy. Hounded by grieving parents and an outraged public Stauf retreated to his mansion and was not heard from for many years.
Until the day that six invitations went out to six people who needed what Stauf could provide. Whether it was the chance recapture a sense magic that was lost long ago, the hope that a lost lifestyle could be reclaimed or enough money to chase all the bill collectors in the world away forever. These people needed what Stauf was offering them. What they didn’t take into account is that Stauf also needed what these people were giving away at such a low price.
Stauf had only one obstacle left. He needed an innocent.
Enter the 7th Guest, lured into the house on a dare he enters a mansion that is haunted by its past and cursed by an almost certain future. Can he change his Fate?
,,,,,,,,,,
This was decent video game book. I’ve heard about this game but never had the chance to play it when it first came out, though I hear it was one of the better Full Motion Video adventures out there at the time. So when I saw it at my local good will I picked it up on a “why not”. I wasn’t disappointed as the story as a whole is good and does have a twist at the end that ties together the little side story throughout the book with the main story. It can be taken a couple different ways depending on how you think the story is being told. The twist also kind of explains why there is no real date setting to the story and why some of the scenes seem kind of loose in the overall narrative. All in all though a decent read for anyone looking to see what the 7th guest was about or anyone looking for a light horror novel. m.a.c
October 19, 2013
The book has a nice story that moves at a steady pace, it takes place during one nigth and doesnt feel like a dragged on thing.
The book has short story line with a HIM person , an daltough it gets revealed in the end who this person is supposed to be, this side story is a little of a frowner.
The ending is a little confusing to me, now that i am older since rereading it i am still wondering what happend at the end, this is becuas of the HIM story line . (your free to private message me and explain your vision on the ending)
The guests all are nicely introduced in their own little chapter , explaining their desperations and ambitions, it is nice to see those getting the better of them inside the house of Stauf.
The 7Th guest gets the least introduction and makes you want to read on to get to know this boy better.
it took me 2 days to finish the book wich is a record for me making the book exciting to read on .
The naration skips from guest to gyuest to the HIM and even to Stauf himself, TYhe origins of Stauf are the first half of the book but to me it still felt a little underwelming we get to know how he got into toymaking but more then a wretched oldman he never becomes, where the guestson their turn under go a change from who we see them in their introduction to who they became for the "price"
This might be an old book but is a great travel companion so if you have a plane flight or bus trip take this book with you and you wont even notice the trip.
The book has short story line with a HIM person , an daltough it gets revealed in the end who this person is supposed to be, this side story is a little of a frowner.
The ending is a little confusing to me, now that i am older since rereading it i am still wondering what happend at the end, this is becuas of the HIM story line . (your free to private message me and explain your vision on the ending)
The guests all are nicely introduced in their own little chapter , explaining their desperations and ambitions, it is nice to see those getting the better of them inside the house of Stauf.
The 7Th guest gets the least introduction and makes you want to read on to get to know this boy better.
it took me 2 days to finish the book wich is a record for me making the book exciting to read on .
The naration skips from guest to gyuest to the HIM and even to Stauf himself, TYhe origins of Stauf are the first half of the book but to me it still felt a little underwelming we get to know how he got into toymaking but more then a wretched oldman he never becomes, where the guestson their turn under go a change from who we see them in their introduction to who they became for the "price"
This might be an old book but is a great travel companion so if you have a plane flight or bus trip take this book with you and you wont even notice the trip.
April 26, 2024
I needed something light and fun to read in the midst of the serious material I’ve been reading. This was a brisk read but mostly a laborious one. It’s a complete novelization of the 1993 video game. Unfortunately, it’s a Tad too faithful. The first 1/3 of the book, roughly 80 pages, retells the opening seven minute cutscene. It drags as much as it sounds. The video game benefitted from not delving into the backstories of its admittedly one dimensional characters. The novel gleefully strips away that intrigue and reinforces their one-dimensionality. The backstory behind the villain, Stauf, completely ruins the character and makes him subservient to supernatural voices in a comical way. In the beginning, he’s simply wandering around town hoping the voices guide him to where he needs; whereas the game simply says the voices came to him at random times, not exactly guiding his every thought and action. It’s only recommended for die hard fans of the game, and even then, it’s better if you simply play the game instead.
August 20, 2025
A really fast read. Doesn’t do much to expand on the game, but is more cohesive than understanding the story trying to play the game.
I dunno, I feel like the story to The 7th Guest has so much potential but just fails on the execution. It’s as if they had a great starting point and didn’t really know or want to dive deeper in what could be a truly terrifying story or series.
I wouldn’t recommend reading this if you didn’t love the game growing up as a kid; I would’ve given it a ✪✪ review if I didn’t.
I dunno, I feel like the story to The 7th Guest has so much potential but just fails on the execution. It’s as if they had a great starting point and didn’t really know or want to dive deeper in what could be a truly terrifying story or series.
I wouldn’t recommend reading this if you didn’t love the game growing up as a kid; I would’ve given it a ✪✪ review if I didn’t.
December 20, 2019
The 7th Guest is a novelization of the computer game, released in April of 1993. Matthew Costello also wrote the screenplay for the game. This review will be a bit different as it's a novelization of the game.
The story of the game is as the synopsis says. Stauf is an alcoholic who, after killing a woman, begins to design toys. Toys with a diabolical purpose. To take his revenge on the townspeople that looked down on him through their children. With his newfound wealth Stauf builds himself a mansion on a hill. The game seems to be a bit inspired by House on Haunted Hill (Vincent Price is a much more attractive host, though). One evening he invites six desperate people for a chance to fulfill their wish. If they win his game and solve his puzzles. He's also "invited" one very special guest. The 7th Guest.
The novelization adds a good bit of backstory and keeps the timeline of events in a nice chronological order. In the game your progression is not linear so you run into different cut-scenes at different times and it can make the game's story a bit confusing. The novelization makes it clearer.
The main draw to the book was the detail on the backgrounds of the guests. The game gives you snippets as they're introduced but it's nice to have a little more fleshing out. When I bought the book I didn't realize that Matthew Costello had also done the screenplay as well. It is the exact story of the game just with more details.
The main character that you play as is a man wandering the house with no memory of how you got there or why you're there exactly. You run into scenes from the past but, like I said before, they're dependent on where you went so they weren't in any kind of order so it was nice to have some context for them.
I would definitely recommend it for fans of the game but I wouldn't read it before playing as you'll have the story spoiled for you.
The story of the game is as the synopsis says. Stauf is an alcoholic who, after killing a woman, begins to design toys. Toys with a diabolical purpose. To take his revenge on the townspeople that looked down on him through their children. With his newfound wealth Stauf builds himself a mansion on a hill. The game seems to be a bit inspired by House on Haunted Hill (Vincent Price is a much more attractive host, though). One evening he invites six desperate people for a chance to fulfill their wish. If they win his game and solve his puzzles. He's also "invited" one very special guest. The 7th Guest.
The novelization adds a good bit of backstory and keeps the timeline of events in a nice chronological order. In the game your progression is not linear so you run into different cut-scenes at different times and it can make the game's story a bit confusing. The novelization makes it clearer.
The main draw to the book was the detail on the backgrounds of the guests. The game gives you snippets as they're introduced but it's nice to have a little more fleshing out. When I bought the book I didn't realize that Matthew Costello had also done the screenplay as well. It is the exact story of the game just with more details.
The main character that you play as is a man wandering the house with no memory of how you got there or why you're there exactly. You run into scenes from the past but, like I said before, they're dependent on where you went so they weren't in any kind of order so it was nice to have some context for them.
I would definitely recommend it for fans of the game but I wouldn't read it before playing as you'll have the story spoiled for you.
October 20, 2017
Super fun read for fans of the game!
January 5, 2022
Too quick of a ending. Good defeated bad and that was it.
October 8, 2022
Ein überaschendes Buch
Read
February 19, 202390s throwback to this classic game
September 14, 2025
Passable as an obscure curiosity in the history of PC gaming, but very weak as a book.
November 9, 2025
I finished playing the game and then read the book. It was definitely a fun read. If you are a fan of the old game, it is worth checking out.
October 7, 2015
I'm a shameless fangirl, I know. Only bought this book because The 7th Guest was a huge part of my childhood and I felt like I needed it to complete my collection. I'm glad I did buy it, though, as it gave me a greater understanding of the character of Henry Stauf, as well as the 6 guests that were invited to the house and what their motives were. For anybody wanting to know more about the background of the game, it is a must-read. I only with Matthew. J. Costello had written The 11th Hour to go along with it.
Read
August 4, 2008Horrid! Call me a prude, but BLECH! What the heck are we teaching our kids by allowing such graphic books and glamorizing this kind of evil? Okay, so the bad guy got it in the end, and I'm sure there was some reason almost everybody else bought it too, but my idea of a good-vs-evil plot doesn't have to describe quite so graphically just how easy and fun it can be to start into a life of violent crime. A definite to-burn novel....
August 8, 2010
I'd played the game before, however never made it past the first few puzzles--so it was nice to get farther! I enjoyed how evil built around Stauf through his actions and really enjoyed stories and fates of the six guests (though did not like when Templeton and Elinor died!). Very interesting ending!
May 11, 2015
A fun book for any 7th Guest fan...
A chronological retelling of one of the first macabre and enjoyable puzzle games ever created. If you ever wanted to know exactly how everything played out in The 7th Guest game (since you encountered events out of order), this is definitely worth your time.
A chronological retelling of one of the first macabre and enjoyable puzzle games ever created. If you ever wanted to know exactly how everything played out in The 7th Guest game (since you encountered events out of order), this is definitely worth your time.
May 18, 2017
I read this years ago, and read it again in the past few years. I've played the game, and had enjoyed the book. The back stories add to the game. It is also written by the game's script writer. A definite plus, and worth the read.
August 7, 2014
Not a bad read if you're a fan of the games as I am. Somewhat predictable, lackluster ending but still worth a read. It was nice to read a little background on the game characters especially Stauf himself.
March 6, 2008
Okay so I read this like 10 years ago and it was amazing then, so I'm giving it 4 stars. :P
January 21, 2011
I loved the game and was so excited to see the book
Read
July 10, 2015Odd. Fills in some of the gaps quite nicely though - now the game makes (a bit) more sense. They even found a way of including the multiple endings
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 30, 2015
My Rating System:
* couldn't finish, ** wouldn't recommend, *** would recommend, **** would read again, ***** have read again.
* couldn't finish, ** wouldn't recommend, *** would recommend, **** would read again, ***** have read again.
June 2, 2016
It's written to be fun. A fun little gothic horror. But, unfortunately, the characters are just completely one dimensional, and there's very little character development throughout.
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews