Gamebooks / Choose Your Own Adventure / Fighting Fantasy

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For gamebooks like Chose Your Own Adventure, Fighting Fantasy, Lone Wolf, etc. whether that's in book form or apps or other formats of interactive fiction.

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Emperor

Which Gamebook to choose? - Guide for Beginners (gamebooksguide.blogspot.com)

submitted 2 weeks ago by Emperor to c/gamebooks

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If you just found out about Gamebooks, or you're a returning aficionado after some years of hiatus, this simple guide might help you get into this hobby. If you're a current Gamebook veteran, you might find something new in this list.

Before I start, here is a short disclaimer:

This list will be updated every couple of months.

All of the books I show here are IN PRINT and can be bought new at regular prices in most places.

This list only shows books that I know a lot about or I've read.

You can suggest other books, and I'll try to add them to this list.

This entire list is just my opinion.

The gamebooks listed here should be great for someone completely new to this hobby. It doesn't mean they are easy or hard to complete, but, they are easy to understand and progress. But, before we start, consider reading these two guides I've made. One is about what you need to have on hand before you read a Gamebook, and the other is more important since it'll teach you how do to mapping, which will be a useful skill to have in a lot of Gamebooks.

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[–] Hossenfeffer 1 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

Warlock of the Firetop Mountain (The first Gamebook ever)

There was a series of books called ‘Choose Your Own Adventure’ which were published earlier. I had the third one, ‘By Balloon to the Sahara’ which was published in ‘79.

Warlock of Foretop Mountain was ‘82.

[–] Emperor 2 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (1 children)

They are making a distinction between a Gamebook and a CYOA:

These books created by Dave Morris are more of a "Choose your own Adventure" than a full-on RPG Gamebook since there are no dice rolls, and it's mostly just choice-based.

In the Gamebook you are rolling dice and, perhaps, tracking stats or an inventory (so a solo RPG in book form) rather than just picking an option.

I am unsure it's distinction I'd make but it's what they went with.

[–] Hossenfeffer 1 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

Fair enough if that’s the distinction they’re choosing to make but, as per my other comment, Buffalo Castle did have rules/dice and was quite a bit earlier.

[–] Hossenfeffer 1 points 2 weeks ago

Oh, and the Buffalo Castle solo adventure for Tunnels and Trolls came out in 1976, so even earlier.