Entries are now being accepted for the 2024/2025 Lindenbaum Prize

Entries are now being accepted for the 2024/2025 Lindenbaum competition.

This year, 50% of the weighting for the results will be due to judges and 50% of the weighting for the results will be due to popular vote. 

I also won't be hyperlinking any books this year.

Entries are to be sent to lindenbaumprize@gmail.com.

The closing date is 5pm GMT on the 25th February 2025.

Full rules to be found at:

Lloyd of Gamebooks: 2024/2025 Lindenbaum Prize announcement

The Lindennbaum Prize is sponsored by Peter Agapov, contributor to Lloyd of Gamebooks and owner of  Augmented Reality Adventure Games who is very generously providing the first prize.

The Lindenbaum Prize is also sponsored by Crumbly Head Games who is providing free licenses to The Gamebook Authoring Tool as prizes and also has a free version of the Gamebook Authoring Tool that goes up to 100 sections.

Many thanks to Tammy Badowski for donating her time to the Lindenbaum Prize.

I'm sorry, Dave. I'm afraid I can't do that.

 What Makes a Memorable Villain in Gamebooks?

In the world of gamebooks, a great villain isn’t just a plot device; they’re the linchpin that turns a good adventure into an unforgettable one. But what makes a villain memorable? Let’s explore the key ingredients that elevate a gamebook antagonist from a generic adversary to someone who lingers in the reader’s mind long after the final page.

1. A Villain with Purpose

The most compelling villains have a clear, understandable purpose. Whether they’re a sorcerer bent on immortality, a warlord seeking revenge, or a demon driven by chaos, their goals need to feel real and significant. A memorable villain isn’t evil for the sake of it—they’re pursuing their own twisted version of what they see as "right."

Take Balthus Dire from The Citadel of Chaos, for example. His ambition to overthrow the local rulers isn’t just about power; it’s about reshaping the world in his image. You may not agree with his methods, but you understand his motivations. That relatability makes his villainy more nuanced and engaging.

2. Memorable Traits and Appearance

A great villain sticks in the reader's mind because they’re larger than life. Their appearance, mannerisms, or even their voice (as described in text) should stand out. Think of villains like Zagor, the Warlock of Firetop Mountain, with his fiery domain and menacing aura, or the cold, calculating villain from Necklace of Skulls. These characters feel vivid and distinct.

This doesn’t mean every villain needs to be dripping with melodrama, but a unique quirk—a scar, a cryptic speaking style, or a signature weapon—helps cement their image. Readers might forget an ordinary thief or warlord, but they’ll remember the necromancer who wields a staff carved from dragon bone.

3. The Villain’s Role in the Story

A villain is only as good as the story allows them to be. They need to feel present throughout the gamebook, even if they don’t make a direct appearance until the end. Building anticipation is key—whether it’s through minions, traps, or whispered rumors of their deeds.

For instance, in The Forest of Doom, you’re constantly reminded of the stakes and the shadowy presence of the evil threatening the land. By the time you face the villain—or their influence—it feels like the culmination of a journey, not an afterthought.

4. A Villain Who Challenges the Player

What’s the point of a villain if they’re a pushover? A memorable antagonist must challenge the reader, both in terms of the gameplay and the story. This could be through a tricky combat encounter, an intellectual puzzle, or moral dilemmas that force the player to think beyond stats and dice rolls.

However, it’s important to strike a balance. A villain who’s impossible to defeat or whose defeat relies purely on luck will frustrate readers. The challenge should feel fair—demanding, but achievable for those who’ve made good choices along the way.

5. Shades of Gray

Finally, the best villains aren’t wholly evil. They have moments of humanity, vulnerability, or even twisted logic that makes the reader pause and think. Perhaps the villain’s actions are a reaction to a personal tragedy or a betrayal. Maybe their goals align with the hero’s, but their methods diverge.

When readers can empathize with a villain, it makes defeating them bittersweet. In some cases, it might even lead to a choice where the player decides the villain’s fate—a much more satisfying and complex outcome than a simple “kill or be killed” scenario.

Conclusion: Villains Who Linger in the Mind

A great villain is the heart of a great gamebook. They push the player to grow, drive the story forward, and leave a lasting impression. They’re not just obstacles; they’re characters with depth, flair, and presence. So, the next time you’re writing or reading a gamebook, take a moment to appreciate the villain. After all, they’re the ones who make the adventure worth having.

What’s your favorite gamebook villain, and why do they stand out to you? Let’s keep the conversation going!

2024/2025 Lindenbaum Prize announcement

 The Lindenbaum Prize is sponsored by Peter Agapov, contributor to Lloyd of Gamebooks and owner of  Augmented Reality Adventure Games who is very generously providing the first prize.

The Lindenbaum Prize is also sponsored by Crumbly Head Games who is providing free licenses to The Gamebook Authoring Tool as prizes and also has a free version of the Gamebook Authoring Tool that goes up to 100 sections.

Many thanks to Tammy Badowski for donating her time to the Lindenbaum Prize

Hi all! I am excited to announce the 3rd annual Lindenbaum competition!

The award is inspired by the Windhammer competition which ran from 2008-2015. I loved entering my books, seeing other books, voting and getting feedback. To be fair, I loved every aspect of it.

So, when it was discontinued, it left a hole. Between 2016 and now, I was very busy. However, I have a bit more time now and I was also shocked when I was on an online gamebook meetup to learn that almost no one there had heard of the Windhammer competition.

If you look at the list of Windhammer entrants, you will see a few familiar names. This is basically what kickstarted a lot of careers for the new gamebook writing crew.

I would love for that to continue with the new fans we have picked up along the way so that they can have a gateway into the gamebook community. I found the chance to meet new people and get lots of expert feedback invaluable.

So, without further ado, here are the details for the Lindenbaum competition:

Entry requirements for the 2024/2025 Lindenbaum competition

All entries must be in English.

All entries must be original works incorporating unique characters and world settings. This can include real world settings, people and events as long as they aren't the property of someone.

All entries must be previously unpublished works.

All entrants must state clearly on the first page of their entries that they are the authors of the work submitted.

All entries must be in any format that I can edit and turn into a pdf and sent as an attachment and link to lindenbaumprize@gmail.com.

Formats I know I can do this with are: RTF, doc, docx, Google docs, pdf, - leave a comment if there is a format that you want to know about. I don't have access to Apple devices.

All character or status sheets provided with entries must be presented in a simple layout that does not include complex table formats.

All entries must be spell-checked and thoroughly tested prior to submission.

The total length of the entry does not exceed 100 sections and a word count of 25,000 words.

Illustrations will not be accepted as a part of an entry except in two specific circumstances. 

Exception 1: Maps that are integral to navigation within the gamebook.

Exception 2: Graphics necessary as a part of puzzles or clues integral to the entry's narrative.

Graphics provided for these purposes must be in a format that is compatible with pdfs.

Graphics purely of an illustrative nature will not be accepted.

The entry may either be a complete stand-alone story or a self-contained excerpt from a larger gamebook adventure of your own creation.

The entry can be of any genre except erotica.

There is no entry fee.

All rights remain with the author and the author can withdraw their entry at any time during the course of the competition.

An entrant can submit one entry only.

All participants must have some way of receiving the prize money. I can send Paypal or BACS or a cheque in the post. Any other method will need to be agreed. Account information is not required by the organisers of this competition unless you are one of the winning entrants. Only at the time of winning a prize will you be asked for your details.

Hyperlinking

I will not be doing any hyperlinking of any entries. It is up to the entrant to hyperlink their entries or not.

Competition deadlines for 2024/2025

18th November 2024: Competition guidelines released

16th December 2024: Entry submissions begin

25th February 2025, 5pm GMT: Entry submissions close.

10th March 2025: Voting begins.*

6th May 2025, 5pm GMT: Voting closes.*

16th May 2025: Winners announced.*

* If there are more than 10 entries, these dates will be extended. The length of the extension will depend on how many entries there are.

Winning entries

This year, the winning entries will be decided from a combination of judges' decisions and reader votes. The judges' votes and the readers' votes will have equal weighting when determining the winning entry.

Judges

We have 5 judges for this year's Lindenbaum competition. Here is who they are:

Hieronymous J. Doom - presenter of the awesome Fantastic Fights podcast and writer of many gamebooks that you can get if you become his patreon.

Ashton MacSaylor - 3 time merit award winner of Windhammer, writer of The Good, The Bad and the Undead and other gamebooks (see his blog).

Keith P. Phillips - author of Siege of Sardath and currently writing A Moral Paradox with several young people. Keith is currently doing an Arts Council funded project to make a gamebook video game: Literature Alive - Digital Writes

Peter Agapov - writer of great gamebook analysis blog posts on his blog and mine. He also provides the winning prize money.

Sandor Gebei- RPG and gamebook designer

Things the judges are looking for:

Literary ability

Good writing: i.e. vivid descriptions, believable dialogue, compelling characters and scenarios, etc.

How well the narrative flows

How good the spelling and grammar is

How engaging is the use of language is

The game system

How good the game system is at complementing the theme and setting

How intuitive the game system is

How much the game system encourages strategic thinking and offers hidden tactics that enrich the gameplay.

No blind choices (where you have no information whatsoever about which way to go)

Reasonable odds (no 1 in a 100 chance of survival rolls)

The story

Meaningful consequences of your actions (i.e. the results seem to actually follow from your choices)

How well does the story flow?

How much sense does the story make?

Technical ability

All the section links work

Every scenario, including draws or unexpected events, is adequately addressed.

Miscellaneous

How innovative is the gamebook?

How entertaining is the gamebook?

How experimental is the gamebook?

How well are these ideas executed?

Voting

A valid vote must be forwarded by email to lindenbaumprize@gmail.com. A valid vote must nominate the three gamebooks most favoured by the voter from the competition entrants. A vote with less than three nominations cannot be accepted. A vote forwarded with more than three nominations will only have the first three accounted for in the voting tabulation.

Only one voter email is allowed per reader. All votes will be checked for duplication of email addresses.

Feedback to the authors may be forwarded to the competition sponsors at lindenbaumprize@gmail.com. All feedback given will be provided to authors at the end of competition as a part of the email notification of results.

Prizes

Winning entrant

A cash prize of £100 GBP (Great British Pounds) to be paid within 48 hours.

A desktop licence to the Gamebook Authoring Tool which lasts for 1 year.

A First Prize certificate memorialising their success in the competition.

Merit awards

Two entries are chosen for Merit awards. These entrants receive:

A cash prize of £30 GBP (Great British Pounds) to be paid within 48 hours.

A Merit Award certificate memorialising their success in the competition,

Commendation awards

If there are 10 or more entries, there will be 3 commendation awards. The entrants receive:

A Commendation Certificate memorialising their success in the competition.

Gamebook writing help

If you haven't written a gamebook before, you might think that arranging and randomising the sections might be a problem. However, there are now good gamebook writing programs out there. One is The Gamebook Authoring Tool, which has a free version specifically designed to write a 100 section gamebook and export it to Rich Text Format. You can try it here: About The GameBook Authoring Tool – Crumbly Head Games

Also, for tips on writing gamebooks, take a look at the reading list I have compiled - Lloyd of Gamebooks: Want to write a gamebook? Then here's a reading list (2024 edition)

Also, also, I made a list of lessons to be learnt from last year's award - Lloyd of Gamebooks: Lessons from Lindenbaum 2023/2024

Ashton Saylor would like you to read this post in particular: Ashton MacSaylor: What makes a good gamebook - Part Two: The Game of Narrative Choices

Want to write a gamebook? Then here's a reading list (2024 edition)

 Hello all! I first published the reading list back in 2017, but then realised that some people have written articles since then, so I will repost this reading list with updates every year. Here is the 2024 version.

Whassup! Here is the fruits of my labours on a little project I was working on. I wanted to collect a definitive  list of gamebook analysis that anyone who wants to write a gamebook has to read. So far, I have come up with the following blog posts and links to give you a good grounding in the art and science of gamebook writing. Enjoy!

EDIT: The links weren't working because I had pasted hyperlinks in from a Word document (!?) but I have re-inserted the links so they should all work now.

2024 update

This year, I have added a video series from Michael J. Ward, writer of the epic Destiny Quest series about writing gamebooks. I have put them at the top of the list.

Michael J. Ward

How to Write a Gamebook - YouTube

Grey Wiz

http://blog.mysteriouspath.com/2013/03/the-problem-with-gamebooks-trilogy-part.html

http://blog.mysteriouspath.com/2013/03/the-problem-with-gamebooks-trilogy-part_15.html

http://blog.mysteriouspath.com/2013/04/the-problem-with-gamebooks-trilogy-part.html

http://blog.mysteriouspath.com/2013/04/the-problem-with-gambooks-trilogy-part-4.html

http://blog.mysteriouspath.com/2013/06/the-problem-with-gamebooks-trilogy-part.html

http://blog.mysteriouspath.com/2013/07/fixing-gamebooks-6-dont-break-story.html

Andrew Drage 

http://www.thebrewin.com/blog/entry/the-brewin-guide-to-writing-better-gamebooks

Ashton Saylor 

Ashton MacSaylor: Game Design Principles

Ashton MacSaylor: What makes a good gamebook - Part 1: Story

Ashton MacSaylor: What makes a good gamebook - Part Two: The Game of Narrative Choices

Sam Kabo Ashwell

https://heterogenoustasks.wordpress.com/2014/09/22/a-bestiary-of-player-agency/

https://heterogenoustasks.wordpress.com/2015/01/26/standard-patterns-in-choice-based-games/

Jake Care 

http://jakecaregamebooks.blogspot.co.uk/2012/07/classifying-and-rating-linearity.html

Paul Gresty

http://fabledlands.blogspot.co.uk/2016/07/gamebook-design-finding-workarounds-for.html

Dave Morris

http://fabledlands.blogspot.co.uk/2016/04/gamebooks-value-of-doing-it-with.html

http://fabledlands.blogspot.co.uk/2015/02/hot-and-cold-about-interactive.html

http://fabledlands.blogspot.co.uk/2013/05/how-do-we-make-gamebooks-pleasure-to.html

http://fabledlands.blogspot.co.uk/2013/05/do-gamebooks-need-text.html

http://fabledlands.blogspot.co.uk/2013/04/do-gamebooks-need-dice.html

http://fabledlands.blogspot.co.uk/2010/05/gamebooks-where-youre-not-hero.html

http://fabledlands.blogspot.co.uk/2013/04/does-interactive-fiction-need-randomness.html

http://fabledlands.blogspot.co.uk/2012/05/how-many-endings-does-gamebook-need.html

http://fabledlands.blogspot.co.uk/2012/05/does-interactivity- have-downside.html

Fabled Lands: Gamebooks: the value of doing it with dialogue

Richard S. Hetley

http://fabledlands.blogspot.co.uk/2013/09/guest-post-richard-s-hetley-on-way-of.html

Jon Green

http://jonathangreenauthor.blogspot.co.uk/2012/03/how-to- write-adventure- gamebook-part-1.html

http://jonathangreenauthor.blogspot.co.uk/2012/03/how-to-write-adventure-gamebook-part-2.html

http://jonathangreenauthor.blogspot.co.uk/2012/03/how-to-write-adventure-gamebook-part-3.html

http://jonathangreenauthor.blogspot.co.uk/2012/03/how-to-write-adventure-gamebook-part-4.html

Heather Albano from Choice of Games 

https://www.choiceofgames.com/2010/04/sailors-are-not-dragons/

Adam Strong-Morse from Choice of Games

https://www.choiceofgames.com/2010/05/dont-start-at-the-beginning/

Dan Fubilich from Choice of Games

https://www.choiceofgames.com/2011/03/five-tactics-for-designing-games-while-depressed/

https://www.choiceofgames.com/2011/07/by-the-numbers-how-to-write-a-long-interactive-novel-that-doesnt-suck/

https://www.choiceofgames.com/2011/07/7-rules- for-designing- great-stats/

https://www.choiceofgames.com/2011/12/4-common-mistakes-in-interactive-novels/

Emily Short

https://emshort.blog/2016/04/12/beyond-branching-quality-based-and-salience-based-narrative-structures/

Peter Agapov 

Just about anything on his blog. It's all so in depth.

Lloyd of Gamebooks: Peter Agapov

The posts are also on his own blog: Interactive Visual Gamebook Adventures :: Sipko Software :: Peter Agapov

Victoria Hancox

Choose Your Own Writing Strategy - Tip #1 (victoriahancox.com)

Choose Your Own Writing Strategy - Tip #2 (victoriahancox.com)

Marketing Your Gamebook: Insider Tips (victoriahancox.com)

Choose Your Own Writing Strategy - Tip #3 (victoriahancox.com)

Choose Your Own Writing Strategy Tip #4 (victoriahancox.com)

Choose Your Own Writing Strategy - Tip #5 (victoriahancox.com)

What's that they say about old dogs and new tricks? (victoriahancox.com)

Behind the Scenes on the NIGHTSHIFT (victoriahancox.com)

Choosing the right route? Interactive fiction vs gamebooks The Wandering - a (kind of) review. (victoriahancox.com)

Paulson’s Peak — A Masterclass in Gamebook Writing! (victoriahancox.com)

Choose Your Own Writing Strategy Tip #6: Putting It All Together AKA Where Do I Even Start? (victoriahancox.com)

Adam C. Mitchell

All About Newsletters (victoriahancox.com)

 Random Encounters (wraithwright.com)

Random Encounters: Exposition Tools in Solo Adventures (wraithwright.com)

Random Encounters: Locational Mapping and Timed Events (wraithwright.com)

Random Encounters: Reputations in the Solitaires Method (wraithwright.com)

Random Encounters: Loss of Continuity in Solo Gamebooks (wraithwright.com)

Curse of the Snake Queen Kickstarter

 

Dear all,

Christopher Bünte, who entered this year's Windhammer contest with his excellent entry, 

Curse of the Snake Queen, will be doing a Kickstarter for Curse of the Snake Queen on the 29th August.

Here is the Kickstarter page: The Curse of the Snake Queen – A Solo Fantasy Gamebook by Christopher Bünte — Kickstarter

You can play the entry here

Keep your eyes peeled!

Lessons from Lindenbaum 2023/2024

Hello all! I hope you are well! I am planning on doing another Lindenbaum competition this year. IT will be announced in November. 

If you would like to enter it, then I thought that I would write down some lesson's learnt from this year's excellent batch of entries. 

The lessons below are present as they were recurring themes from the judges' and players' feedback. They are something to take on board for next year's competition.

Frustration trumps everything

There were lots of cool ideas in the Lindenbaum competition. However, the trouble is that anyone has several ideas that sound cool in their heads, but, when they get out to their readers, they find that the idea wasn't as good in their head. This leads to frustration, which will cover up any good points that the idea ever had.

I am guilty of this. My most memorable example comes from my Tin Man Games entry, Asuria Awakens. 

I decided to have an encounter where the way to move on is to run from a monster. If you defeat a monster, then another turns up. If you kill that one, a third one turns up. If you kill the third one, it cycles back to the first one. This was a homage to Creature of Havoc where you can get trapped in an infinite loop where you have to fight chaos warriors one after another. However, the people who played the game did not appreciate the homage. They just got frustrated by the infinite loop.

Make your rules as simple as possible

Linking in with the theme of having a brain full of ideas, this can also extend to rules. I know that there are lots of cool rules that do cool things. 

However, remember that the gamebook is only 100 sections, maximum and it is important to ask yourself if the rule(s) will add to the playing experience. Also, rules have a cost for the player in terms of time or cognitive load from managing something or dealing with the complexity. If the rule is cool, but has very little impact for the work, it won't be seen as good.

So, even if a rule or mechanic might be amazing, you need to ask yourself whether it is necessary.

I did this with my book Rulers of the NOW. Part of the reason it took about 12 years to complete was because I wanted it to be my magnum opus and have everything I've ever thought of in it. I wanted it to have the same system as SCRAWL along with an epic story that spans the entire solar system. Part of the reason why I never managed to finish it was because it was too much. The story did not need a large system, so I stripped the game system down to simply what it needed. That made it much easier to write and also kept the focus on the themes I wanted to explore.

In a choice between working on the system and the story, work on the story

It seems that people get more impact from the gamebook experience from the story, rather than the system. So, if you feel that your gamebook is lacking something, add to the plot or create some interesting characters or some choices that are difficult from a story point of view.

For example, from this year, Operation Dead Dawn (spoiler alert) has a decision near the end where you have to choose between sacrificing one of your team to fulfil the mission or saving your team member to jepardise the mission.

I didn't intend to do an example from my writing for each lesson, but it looks like it's happening. My 2008 Windhammer competition entry used a Fighting Fantasy system and had a simple story. It did not win. In 2009, I tried to make the system as balanced and as tight as possible. The system worked, but it still didn't win. In 2010, I decided to focus on story and made an anarchic pirate themed book with a diceless, minimalist system. It won.

Proofreading matters

Some people are very good at spotting proofing errors and some people are also very bothered by proofing errors, even if they don't change the overall meaning of the text.

And then some proofing errors do change the meaning of the text, which can ruin the whole experience.

Whoops

My 2008 Windhammer entry had the player roll 1d6+9 for SKILL when I wanted it to be 1d3+9. That made the whole game too easy.

People notice what is wrong more than what is right

This is a lesson that everyone who works in news knows. If it bleeds, it leads and, working in a similar area, if there is something clearly wrong with the gamebook, it will have a bigger impact than all the right stuff you did. It reminds me of this video from The Day Today.

So make sure you playtest and proofread your entry so that there's nothing wrong with it.

Conclusion

Most of the above lessons are more about not doing things than doing things. They are about avoiding certain things.

If you make a gamebook with no proofing errors, an easy to understand system and a good story, it will probably be in the top 50% of entrants.

Lindenbaum Results 2023/2024

I am pleased to announce that the winner of the 2023/2024 Lindenbaum Prize for short gamebook fiction is Andrew Wright with Are you the Hero?

Merit awards go to Heart of Keros by David Donachie, A Slope of Pines by Per Jorner  and What Lies Beyond the Standing Stone by Jeremy Johnson.

I would like to thank everybody who participated, the authors and those dedicated readers who took the time to evaluate all the entries, and also a further thanks to those readers who provided feedback and comment to the authors.

If you intend to write feedback in a public place, please email me the address and I will link to it.

You can find the entries here: Lloyd of Gamebooks: Voting is closed for the indenbaum competition

It is no small thing to as entrants to write original gamebooks. To write a gamebook (even one that must be limited to 100 sections) requires considerable time and creative effort. It is the type of writing project that can take months to accomplish and I appreciate greatly the work done by all the authors who entered this year's competition.

Many thanks for helping make this year's competition such an excellent competition with a wide variety of gamebook genres and styles. This was the second year I ran the competition and you continued to help me make it as brilliant as it was.

I would also like to extend thanks to Peter Agapov who sponsored the competition, Tammy Badowski who donated her time and talent to the competition and Crumbly Head Games who has donated free subscriptions to GBAT for the top 3 entrants.

I would also like to thank the judges - Peter Agapov, Andrew Greene, Keith P. Phillips, Ashton Saylor, Paul Gresty and Hieronymous J. Doom for all of the time and effort they have put in to read the entries and write feedback for them.

I feel very lucky to have so many people make this competition wonderful.

Looking forward to next year!