For more on The 39 Steps, check out our full The 39 Steps review. Or, for more of the best PC games for a 7 year old, why not try our Family Game Finder
The 39 Steps is a hybrid between a 'point and click' adventure game and an e-book. An adaptation of the novel by John Buchan, the story concerns Richard Hannay, and the web of espionage, disguise and politics he is swept up in. There's not much in the way of 'gameplay' on offer, though, as The 39 Steps is more concerned with presenting the story in a new way rather than turning it into a typical video game. As such, the controls are minimal and very easy. With little in the way of choices and decisions, you'll mostly just be clicking to advance from one scene to the next, reading the text on screen as the story unfolds, and occasionally performing click and drag actions to follow on-screen prompts (something which is probably more suited to the iPad and Android versions, where you can swipe your finger over the screen).
There are no real objectives in the game, other than to finish the story, but there are 'achievements' awarded for completing chapters, and cards featuring important characters and objects which are unlocked as you progress through the game. There's little here to really will struggle with, but it's important to remember that this is not a game intended for children. It's also worth bearing in mind that the game is only partially voiced, and is very, very text heavy. Being based on an old novel, it isn't the easiest of things to read, either, using some phonetic spellings of Scottish pronunciations, meaning your child will need to be a very confident reader to take this on.
The 39 Steps is clearly intended for an adult audience, and as such there are a few elements here which parents should be aware of if children are to have access to it. Each 'event' in the story is presented by a series of largely static illustrations, mostly of locations, with the occasional close up of a character's face. A murder scene is shown, although the body is covered with a sheet, and there is a fistfight towards the end. There is a recurring motif of a pair of hooded eyes staring directly out from the screen at certain points in the game, which is unsettling and could be scary for younger players. In keeping with the style of the game, most unnerving scenes are implied through the use of stylised images and sound effects rather than overly graphic depictions. The story is sometimes punctuated by brief animated interludes, usually when a character is telling a story, which are similar in appearance to shadow puppet performances and silent films. As such, these have a vaguely eerie quality. For example one tells the story of a man being attacked by a lion, and a skeletal horse is shown crumbling to the ground, although again, it's unlikely to upset your child.
There's nothing in terms of sex or nudity to be concerned with here, either, although as the story is set in 1914, there are social elements which may need explaining to children (the main character has a black manservant for example). Some characters are shown smoking cigars, and drinking spirits, but this is very much in keeping with the tone and setting of the story.
Age Ratings
Format Reviewed: PC
