Martin Jørgensen🧭 Seven Cities of Gold – Explore the New World as a royal explorer.
Seven Cities of Gold is a historical exploration game from 1984, developed by Ozark Softscape and published by Electronic Arts. You play as a 16th-century explorer sent by the Spanish Crown to map, colonize, and bring wealth back from the unknown New World.
Inspired by real figures like Christopher Columbus and Hernán Cortés, the game lets you sail into the unknown, establish trade relations, meet indigenous tribes—and write your own story of discovery.
⛵ Travel, explore, and map
You begin in Spain, where you:
- Recruit your crew
- Stock up on provisions, weapons, and gifts
- Set sail for the New World
From there, you head out across a vast open world map where you can chart coastlines, travel up rivers, discover villages, and decide how to interact—through diplomacy or dominance.
The game offers:
- Free exploration of a generated or historical continent
- Dynamic encounters with indigenous peoples
- Choose between trade, conversion, or conquest
- Build missions, forts, and routes
🗺️ A living and dynamic system
Seven Cities of Gold was far ahead of its time:
- No fixed path—you choose where to sail
- Receive feedback from the royal court based on your success and conduct
- The game remembers your actions, and tribes can become hostile
You earn points for discovery, mapping, wealth, and loyalty to the Crown, but greed and brutality can also lead to anger and punishment.
🎨 Graphics and presentation
The graphics are simple (it is from 1984, after all), but:
- The world map is large, readable, and surprisingly atmospheric
- Cities and native villages are presented symbolically
- Color-coded areas and a simple sound palette create a surprisingly tense atmosphere
It is functional, minimalist, and still effective for the right player.
💾 Availability
Originally released for:
- Commodore 64, Apple II, Atari 8-bit, and later PC
- Modern players can use emulators (e.g., VICE for C64)
- There is also a 1993 remake with updated graphics and audio
It is a game that demands patience but rewards curiosity and imagination.
