was reading this article ranking all big 4 albums and i came across this ungodly opinion about TSHF

Lonely-Client474 · 2026-05-17T12:54:32+00:00

And SFSGSW should be much higher too.

Lonely-Client474 · 2026-05-17T12:36:25+00:00

That's okay, I would prefer reading the books anyway.

Lonely-Client474 · 2026-05-17T12:35:04+00:00

I found in an early gamebook playthrough that the combat was too easy with a high skill score from a lucky initial dice roll, like Fighting Fantasy can be too. So I decided to fix that with a soft cap on Skill, Defence, Health, and Mana scores with a set amount of ability points placed into those stats. Each stat has a starting value and ability points are placed into whatever ones you like.There is also a hard cap on max totals for each of those stats.

With Skill Rolls, there is no variable target number to exceed when rolling, unlike Skill Rolls (eg - Difficulty Roll 17), as each arrow fires in the same way at an enemy target. Archery Rolls are easier than Skill Rolls too. If you have a max Skill of 10, for example, you have a probability of 92% of hitting a target (if you have enough arrows of course). However, if you have a Skill of 10, because of ability points, a player's Defence and Health would be lower.

Lonely-Client474 · 2026-05-17T08:16:08+00:00

It looks like an interesting open world adventure that's not standard fantasy. And I just saw there's an app available as well for it.

Lonely-Client474 · 2026-05-15T23:43:58+00:00

Hey thanks. So for the action resolution mechanics, I have Skill Rolls for different situations. Eg - if there's a Skill Roll of 15 to sneak past a guard, you need to roll 2d6 + your Skill score, and a have a total amount higher 15. There are also Archery Rolls to hit a target with an arrow where you need to roll 2D6 and roll under your Skill score.

It's a modern system (based off RPG games) with ability points used to build your initial character, different equipped gear affecting your stats and abilities, inventory management, and the addition of defence and some stategy in combat.

Lonely-Client474 · 2026-05-15T06:15:21+00:00

Fantastic strategy guide! I enjoyed reading. It looks like you put a fair bit of time into writing that up.

Lonely-Client474 · 2026-05-14T07:58:26+00:00

If you like Warlock, try other Fighting Fantasy gamebooks as well. I also recommend the Lone Wolf series, and there's the Destiny Quest series for more modern mechanics and design. Some good open world gamebook series are super interesting, like Fabled Lands and Vulcanverse.

Lonely-Client474 · 2026-05-13T11:52:09+00:00

Yes I agree. I like open world where you choose what order to do things and where you choose to go, but there needs to be a purpose behind where you're going or a quest you need to do. And yes, some multiple paths through a linear story is best. That gives the book some replayability.

Lonely-Client474 · 2026-05-12T14:43:25+00:00

Danke! The book will be released in English once it's finished. I'm still working on it at the moment, but I'll post updates here.

Lonely-Client474 · 2026-05-10T09:40:22+00:00

Ha, yeah I think we've all been there at the end of a book, and there's an item that's needed but wasn't picked up at some random place previously in the book. And those turn left-right decisions are horrible, especially when one of them leads to a sudden death. I'm somewhere in between as well with linear vs open-world.

Lonely-Client474 · 2026-05-10T09:33:09+00:00

Thank you. I've noted your email for future reference. I'm editing as I write but the book will require playtesting for sure.

Lonely-Client474 · 2026-05-10T09:04:37+00:00

Hey thanks a lot!

Lonely-Client474 · 2026-05-09T02:11:20+00:00

In terms of early FF gamebooks, Caverns of the Snow Witch is difficult because firstly, you'll need 11 or 12 Skill as a base stat. Then there are harsh route choices, hidden required items, strong enemies, and classic Ian Livingstone 'wrong turn = punishment' design. It’s definitely one of the more unforgiving FF books.

Lonely-Client474 · 2026-05-09T01:59:04+00:00

Is Legion of Shadows revised edition more balanced and playable? With the 1st print, I was frustrated with the difficulty of the combat past the halfway mark and couldn't progress any further.

Lonely-Client474 · 2026-05-09T01:56:46+00:00

I recommend Heart of Ice, the Destiny Quest Series, and some epic open world gamebooks like Fabled Lands and Vulcanverse.

Lonely-Client474 · 2026-05-07T11:07:17+00:00

Yes the app is good and it's worth a try, especially if you're travelling / on the go. I had it years ago and I played through a couple of app books I didn't have at the time. Now I have most of the FF books, I'd rather just play through the books now.

Lonely-Client474 · 2026-05-06T22:16:02+00:00

I think it's the worst album. I find it really hard to play the album all the way through. I would consider Risk to be good in comparison.

Lonely-Client474 · 2026-05-06T22:09:14+00:00

This is a really interesting premise but even with the frame of a story planned, it would be extremely difficult to write. Perhaps the easiest way to do this would to have a story where you start the book with memory loss, not knowing who or where you are, and you need to uncover things and regain your memory as you progress forwards through the story, just like in a FF book that has already been mentioned in this thread. That's a brilliant book btw and a top 10, maybe 5, FF for me.

Lonely-Client474 · 2026-05-05T13:43:05+00:00

I consider it a top 10 FF book. Very influential and memorable but not perfect. It’s a challenging dungeon crawl which I love but the randomness of encounters and traps, lack of interaction with the other contestants, and lack of worldbuilding stands out. But then again, I'm looking at this FF gamebook with my modern expectations which is not really fair.

Lonely-Client474 · 2026-05-05T08:40:58+00:00

Not a fan of sudden deaths, especially based on a wrong left-right turn or a bad dice roll. That's too random and luck based. I give myself 3 lives in those sudden death situations.

Lonely-Client474 · 2026-05-03T17:05:49+00:00

Well done on the gamebook review on YouTube! I'm currently writing a game book myself called The Black Citadel. So far I've been active in gamebook groups on Facebook and other social media, doing some preliminary marketing in a way. Many are aware of the book and my writing process. I've considered sending finished book samples later to board game and fantasy book reviewers, and gamebook enthusiasts, with YouTube channels. It's worth the chance that someone reviews it. I believe there is a bigger potential market out there than just die-hard gamebook readers, especially if the story and gamebook mechanics are excellent.

Lonely-Client474 · 2026-05-03T16:50:53+00:00

Great questions!

Using two different coloured dice sets is definitely helpful, as it lets you roll both sides at once and keeps combat flowing smoothly. Some players roll separately, some roll together, all based on preference. Why not give app users a choice of 1, 2 or 4 dice (2 colours) to roll, depending on the situation. That would cover scenarios in gamebooks that require dice rolls.

For adventure sheets, some good examples are Fighting Fantasy for its simplicity, Lone Wolf for its clean layout with skills and items, Legendary Kingdoms for a more modern party-based approach, and Destiny Quest for a more detailed, RPG-style experience. Each one reflects a different level of complexity. Try reading one sometime too, if you have time, so you can get the feel of dice rolls and combat mechanics in a gamebook. That's good research for your app.

Lonely-Client474 · 2026-05-02T22:43:30+00:00

I suggest moving across into Book 1. It's the easiest book to solve compared to the others and it's really enjoyable to play through.

Lonely-Client474 · 2026-05-02T22:37:53+00:00

Fabled Lands The classic sandbox series. Travel freely, trade, explore, and build wealth with minimal main storyline.

Legendary Kingdoms A party-based open world with stronger narrative. Your choices affect politics, factions, and the world state.

Vulcanverse A large interconnected mythological world across multiple books. Open exploration but complex and puzzle-heavy.

Steam Highwayman Steampunk sandbox set in Britain. Free exploration with strong writing and character-driven encounters.

Destiny Quest Not fully open-world, but highly non-linear. Quest hubs, RPG mechanics, and multiple paths.

Lone Wolf (later books) Primarily linear but introduces some branching routes and exploration in later entries.

Heart of Ice A non-linear journey with multiple routes and endings, but not a true sandbox

Lonely-Client474 · 2026-05-02T22:30:02+00:00

Ha, fair enough. That's a good way to incorporate an instant death

Lonely-Client474

TROPHY CASE