Online Gamebook Reviews

This section contains reviews of a number of Fantasy Gamebooks that are available on the internet. All views given here are my own, and are, of course, subjective. You may not agree with what I have to say. If you want to give an alternative view, send me your comments and I will post them here, regardless of the extent to which they differ from my own. (Please note, though, that I may edit comments for language etc).

All books are given a score from 0 to 5 (5 being the best) for the following categories:

Writing Style:  Does the story flow well? Quality of descriptive passages? Repetition?
Size of book:  The larger the better...
Game design:  How well does the book mesh together? Is it clearly presented? Originality?
Gamebook disease: Has the author managed to avoid this pitfall? (see note below)
Additional features: Maps, diagrams etc

What is gamebook disease? It's difficult to describe precisely, but every time I see it in a book (professional, amateur, my own) I wince. It's basically when I consider the author is talking directly to the player rather than to the character. For example, "Do you have an apple" is talking to the character (does the character have an apple). "To use the pendant, subtract 100 from the paragraph you are on at that time" is an instruction to the player (the character does not knoe what a "paragraph" is as such). In this instance, the technique has been used to make the book harder, and is therefore (for me) "acceptable" to a degree. Sometimes, however, this "gamebook disease" can be taken to ridiculous extremes. "You enter clearing 10. If you have been here before, and cut the tree down, turn to XXX. If you have been here before but did not cut the tree down, turn to YYY. If you have not been here before, turn to ZZZ." Again, this is talking to the player. If a character entered the clearing for the first time, the thought would not run through his head: "Have I been here before, and did I cut the tree down?" These problems are easily resolved when live role-playing, or when using a computer- the games master/machine can remember exactly what has happened to date. The problem, then, is purely gamebook related, and is hence a "gamebook disease".

If you have an online fantasy gamebook that you would like to see reviewed on this page, or know of a gamebook that I have not inluced here, please email the URL to me at [email protected]

The books listed below are available at their host sites:

Scrolls of Titan
Moloch's Gamebook Garden Online Gamebook
Yaztromo's Tales of Yore (this site)

Rebels of The Dark Chasm
by Steven Taylor
Available at: Scrolls of Titan

A spinoff from Chasm of Malice, this book casts you as a Dwarf bent on rescuing your friend, Aspra, from captivity in a nearby citadel. Although fairly short (150 paragraphs) it is a complete FF adventure, with rules only slightly modified from the original series, most notably in the use of "companions". I'm not too keen on the use of these companions- I think a little more care should have been taken over this aspect of the book. It can be frustratingly tricky at times (I still haven't completed it), and the difficulty level of the battles seems to be set a little high on occasion. As a whole, though, this book is certainly worth having a go (or two, or three) at. There is a nice feeling of advancement throughout, and the writing style is fairly good.

Tower of the Nightlord
by Campbell Pentney
Available at: Scrolls of Titan

This is certainly not a Fighting Fantasy title, so I do not know what it is based upon (Campbell?). It is significantly more complicated than the easier Fighting Fantasy system, but the game design certainly "works". It is, however, not quite to my liking, (I prefer "roll a die" to "roll 1d6"), but that is purely personal preference. The author tells us that this book is part of of longer series, of which this is chronologically the second, although none of the others have been written yet. At 500 paragraphs, it is certainly a longer book. A lot of effort has obviously gone into this book, both in the design, and in the writing style. It does, however, suffer from quite a high level of "Gamebook disease". Download this book, lock yourself in a quiet room with plenty of provisions, and enjoy yourself. Thoroughly recommended.

Doom and Gloom
by various authors
Available at: Moloch's Gamebook Garden Online Gamebook

An interesting one this. There is no set plot, no script, no writing consistancy, no map. Anarchy is the name of the game here, with various authors writing six paragraphs at a time. The result is a complete hotch-potch of writing styles and ideas, with rapid changes from one paragraph to the next. Despite this, the system now seems to be working. Although not completed yet (and never will it be, if my understanding of it it correct), ideas are starting to mesh together. A point to the book is emerging from the quagmire of ideas, and a mutual sense of direction is slowly being developed. A lot of effort has been put into the packaging of this one- music, pictures, alternative rules and screen layouts. Its biggest failing, however, is a regular lapse into Gamebook disease. It's biggest strength is a wealth of original and truly innovative ideas. Currently about 100 paragraphs long, this book is still under development. Play the book now, then go back in a month or so's time to see how its coming along. Certainly worth a look. Watch this space.

(Game Design and Writing Style vary considerably, hence their rather ambiguous scores)

Tomb Time
by J.H.Brennan
Available at: Moloch's Gamebook Garden Online Gamebook

A tiny, spoof gamebook. Your quest: to get out of the gamebook. A truly awesome 13 paragraphs long, this has to be one of the shortest gamebooks ever written. Written by the author of the Grail Quest series, the writing style of this box is naturally better than for any of the other books on this site. It is also, quite frankly, hilarious. Play online, don't bother to download. You won't be reading it for long. Go and play it now.

Horror of Craggen Rock
by Nathanael Page
Available at: Yaztromo's Tales of Yore

Probably written by the youngest author of the bunch- the writer was only 14 when this book was written. It is designed as a prequel to "Citadel of Chaos", and contains a number of references to the original book. A complete 400 paragraph book, "Craggen Rock" somehow fails to feel as big as it should, probably because of the over-complex design- the player can take any one of three deparate classes (Warrior, Archer, Wizard). Its greatest strength is certainly the design of some of the traps to catch the player out, and the much welcomed return of the Ganjees. Room for improvement, but a worthwhile first attempt at the first full length Fighting Fantasy book on the internet. Grab a copy of "Citadel of Chaos", play "Craggen Rock", and then see how the two books fit together. I guarantee you will miss some of the references. Occasional "Gamebook Disease".

Since I wrote this book myself, I will not give it any ratings. However, if someone else would rate it, I will publish the scores.

Forest of Dreams
by Nathanael Page
Available at: Yaztromo's Tales of Yore

The second book by this author is a significant improvement on the first. This time, it is a prequel to the third Fighting Fantasy book- the Forest of Doom. You are also given the unusual role of a Shape Changer- creating opportunities that a human adventurer would never have. Evilly designed, this book will take many attempts before the true solution is worked out, despite the fact that the player has access to most of the map from shortly after the beginning of the game. Its biggest failing is that at times it feels rather rushed- particularly in the northern half of the forest itself. If you liked the original book, this one is a must.

Since I wrote this book myself, I will not give it any ratings. However, if someone else would rate it, I will publish the scores.

Knight's Quest: Morn Isle
by various authors
Available at: Moloch's Gamebook Garden Online Gamebook

This book is based around a similar idea to "Doom and Gloom", and will be created by the same people. However, it is to have a more structured plot. Although it has not yet been started, the rules and map are now available. This is intended to be the first book in the series, and has great promise.

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