Part of my own solo rpg journey is rediscovering Gamebooks, and now categorising them. I'll add more as I read them.
gamebook articles - all | library | gamebook diaries | solo interviews
Aug 2024: Added modern section and more gamebooks.
Classic Gamebooks
classics | open-world | modern | to-try
These are mostly gamebooks from the 80's, with a branching path through a consistent plot.
Fighting Fantasy
These green-covered books are the ones that got me started as a gamer at the age of 11. My first character in Caverns of the Snow Witch died when they met a mammoth, and a love for gamebooks and gaming was born.
All you needed was two dice and something to write with. This series defined the adventure gamebook in the UK, with 50+ books across several genres.
My personal favourites were Scorpion Swamp, Dead of Night and Sword of the Samurai. Plus Sorcery! At times they were frustrating (Crypt of the Sorcerer), with linear paths to victory and arbitrary death scenes (I choose the left tunnel, I die).
I've recently written a series converting the Warlock of Firetop Mountain into a dungeon using random tables. And the running a group of Warlock! adventurers through it solo.
Lone Wolf
The other major name of adventure gamebooks in the UK (along with FF), the books spanned 20+ books in 3+ series. I only played them haphazardly but they had a different tone and pace to the Fighting Fantasy ones.
They also had a more consistent tone, and you played the same character (except for a second character in later books). In addition, the combat was slightly quicker and there were a number of secondary skills which were important, and also provided a way of character improvement across the books.
There are more recent ones on my list to try, such as the Huntress series
All of the original Lone Wolf books are available for free.
Way of the Tiger
A series by Mark Smith and Jamie Thomson, where you play a ninja, advancing in experience and plot each book. So far I've played the first two books, Avenger and Assassin.
The books ooze with flavour of playing a ninja, with a selection of abilities such as acrobatics, poison needles, shurikenjutsu and arrow cutting. Then there's special equipment like garotte, flash powder and iron sleeves, plus combats having choices of throws, kicks, punches and blocks.
The story is well written and plays with a nice difficultly level, having fewer insta-deaths than many fighting fantasy books. But I found the fantasy world to be little jarring. You're playing a ninja, but in a mishmash fantasy world with dwarves, hobgoblins, wizards, dark elves, barbarians, sea-elves, and elder evils.
Played but still to add
- Cretan Chronicles. Played these a long time ago, and will re-try them. Was different to the FF books as they had a Greek flavour and a few unique mechanics such as Honour.
- Sorcery! should probably have it's own entire section. You played the same character through multiple books and it had it's own magic system.
- Grailquest. Not my favourite so far. Interesting books, set in Arthurian legend with a sense of humour. Need to track down some.
Open-World Gamebooks
classics | open-world | modern | to-try
Steam Highwayman
Steam Highwayman is a series of open-world gamebooks set in a steampunk Britain, riding a steam motorbike, stealing from the rich and whoever else is around, and (maybe) helping the common people. There's an interview with author Martin Barnabus Noutch on Rand Roll.
It's my favourite series of gamebooks so far. It uses the chassis of Fabled Lands, but improved and streamlined. It's focused in a few areas of England (and eventually Wales in book 5), lurking in ambush spots on roads for likely targets, making Friends and Enemies, dealing with quests, some local to the book and others spanning multiple books. Improve your Velosteam, perform Great Deeds, shmooze with the rich or plot a revolution...
Death can happen from too many injuries / healed injuries, but it's not got the many arbitrary deaths of Fabled Lands or Fighting Fantasy.
Fabled Lands by Dave Morris and Jamie Thomson
I only found out about these in 2023, but they were published in the 80's. With a 7th added a few years ago. You play a character that can go from one book to another and back again, choosing what kind of adventures you want to get into.
My characters have died and lost their stuff many times, and you can see the changes in game design since when they were written.
Vulcanverse by Dave Morris and Jamie Thomson
From the same authors as Fabled Lands is another open world series of gamebooks, this time tied to Greek myth and legend. Companions can join you, fights are no different to regular skill checks, and lots has been learnt since the first series.
It's an interesting series well-written and plotted. There are a series of great tasks (3 per first 4 books) to complete. The gameplay is more about solving puzzles than many other gamebooks.
Also, if you die, you generally come back.
Modern Gamebooks
classics | open-world | modern | to-try
Heart of Ice by Dave Morris
A linear gamebook, set in the future a century or so from now, where humanity is stuck in an ice age of it's own making and nearing extinction. It's part of a larger series, the Critical IF gamebooks (which I'll get to more of in future).
There are no random rolls or choices in the book, you get to choose four skills from a list of twelve instead. These skills, your companions on the way and the equipment you make, plus codewords you pick up, determine your fate.
Citadel of Bureaucracy by J. D. Mitchell
This is laid out with the rules and structure of Fighting Fantasy (400 pages, Skill, Stamina, Luck), with attributes listed as Core Competencies, alongside Time, Merit, Medications and How to Cheat Fairly.
For you are playing a bureaucrat, trying to get through a stressful day in the civil service. Navigating workmates, avoiding your boss, dealing with acronyms, preparing a presentation and trying to find time for lunch.
It's very different from the normal fantasy, and lots of fun. Unless, maybe, you have an office job, in which case it might just be a painful read. Such was the opinion of my fantasy book group.
Played but still to add
- Rider of the Black Sun. by Swen Harder, it's big, atmospheric and split by chapters
High on List to Try
classics | open-world | modern | to-try
Either I have these, awaiting to be played. Or will be trying to play in next few months...
Endless Destinies - The Clockwork City
An open-world gamebook with cards for combat. Aimed at a younger audience, it has unique visuals and a map you wander around! Hope to see more, once I've played this one!
Destiny Quest
These look very different, getting hard and with lots of item based quests. Have the first one waiting!
Legendary Kingdoms by Oliver Hulme
These are more open-world gamebooks where you control a group of up to 4 adventurers. So far only listened to an actual play on a podcast but looking forward to getting Valley of Bones.
Plus
- Tales of Quahnarren is on list to try! from DriveThru RPG
Finishing Up
Still lots of gamebooks to find, play and add!
