Monday, March 29, 2021

ANOTHER Gamebook Kickstarter - Defenders: Throne of the Bandit Lord

So there's ANOTHER gamebook Kickstarter out there right now.

Pictured: analogy for gamebook Kickstarters.


This one is called Defenders: Throne of the Bandit Lord. It is written by Derick William Dalton, a science teacher and physician assistant. It is already funded, so you will get what you pledge.


The system is based on a solo sandbox RPG card game called Lone Wilderlands which Derick also designed.

So get on over to Kickstarter. The pdf is available for $6.

Sunday, March 28, 2021

Legendary Kingdoms Kickstarter

 Here's another gamebook Kickstarter - the Legendary Kingdoms series by Oliver Hulme. Legendary Kingdoms is going to be an open world series where you have a party of adventurers. You can also end up commanding an army as well.


I thought I'd flag this up.

The Kickstarter has already funded, so you will get whatever you pledge for.

You can hear Oliver Hulme talk about it on the new gamebook podcast, the Instadeath Survivors' support group. You can find it at Anchor or Apple podcasts. Oliver is in episode 2. 

Victoria Hancox, author of the macabre gamebooks Nightshift, The Alchemist's Folly and The Phantom Self is in episode 3. 

There's some dude on episode 1. Never heard of him.

See who gets to weigh in.

Saturday, March 27, 2021

Heorot - an RPG based on Beowulf on Kickstarter


Hello lovely gamebookers! 

I was preparing a post for April 4th when I came across Jonathon Green's latest Kickstarter for Heorot, an RPG based on Beowulf! It finishes on 12pm BST on Tuesday 30th March.

It's already funded, so if you back it, you will get what you pay for.

For the next Stretch goal, Jonathan will
send everyone an actual holodeck and a 
Robert Picardo clone.


Give it a look and happy gamebooking!

And I will see you next week for another post.

Thursday, March 25, 2021

Gamebooks are booming

 Hello all. It's been a while, hasn't it? 

Firstly, I'm mindful that when a blog has a post about how it's been a long time since the last post and that the writer wants to start posting again, it's usually a sign that the blog is dead. So, I just want to say that this blog is definitely not dead yet. And now I'm thinking of Monty Python and the Holy Grail.


I stopped blogging because I got turned into a newt. I got better.

So, why am I blogging now? Well, I have more time now. A little bit. Since starting this blog, I got marred, had kids and went from teaching as a job to teaching as a self employed person. A lot has changed and I didn't engage with the gamebook community much from about 2015 onwards.

I dipping in and out now and then and there are loads of gamebook authors who have popped up. There is a swish looking website called Gamebook News. There is a new gamebook zine called the Gamebook Zine which has done it's first gamebook gamejam on Itch.

Presumably, they named the zine just after watching this advert.

There's also another gamebook podcast out called the Instadeath Survivors Support Group which you can listen to and support at its Patreon page. I'm really excited about the future guests which include great current gamebook authors. I'm also in episode 1, explaining what gamebooks are and the host Brian has done a great job of editing it to make me sound intelligent.

So please listen to it, and, if you can afford to, support the podcast and your local (online anyway) gamebook authors and creators. Or join in with them.

If I do get round to another post, I might make a list of gamebook related podcasts as there are a few, but not too many of them.

Recently, I discovered another podcast called Campaign on Dice where the hosts play through the Fighting Fantasy books with amusing banter. I know there are others though and also Dave Morris (who has managed to keep up a blog this whole time) has been a guest on some podcasts, talking about gamebooks and his latest projects.

I'll get on it as soon as I've looked up what the Ronseal man is up to these days.


Happy gamebooking!