These days, there are plenty of options for Dungeons and Dragons fans who want to have an adventure but don’t have a Dungeon Master. Many spend time playing Baldur’s Gate 3 splitting time between epic battles and romancing companions. There are also some excellent solo roleplaying games out there in a variety of genres but Fighting Fantasy was one of the first series on the scene.
Many solo roleplaying books take inspiration from the Fighting Fantasy book series written by Steve Jackson and Ian Livingstone. These books offered fans a chance to play out a fantasy story with a branching narrative fueled by dramatic dice rolls. Long out of print, Steve Jackson Games is currently running a Kickstarter to put them back into the hands of their oldest fans and hopefully create a new generation of players.
What Is A Fighting Fantasy Solo Gamebook?
The Fighting Fantasy series is the next step beyond pick a path books like Choose Your Own Adventure or Endless Quest. The story is told through numbered sections that reflect the reader’s choices. Players read a passage, are given choices at the end of the section, then turn to the next one based on the way they go.
Gamebook like Fighting Fantasy took the next step closer to games like Dungeons & Dragons. Readers create characters that have specific abilities and have to manage inventory during the story. Some choices might be locked off because of a bad dice roll or not having the right skill or equipment.
Solo gamebooks also offer something D&D rarely does; replayability. Readers can backtrack to a specific choice and go in a different direction. Often, this happens after a bad combat or a choice that leads to a quick, brutal death.
My first experience with role playing games came through solo gamebooks. I was huge into the Lone Wolf series, eventually moving on to others like Fighting Fantasy. They are great to just enjoy but also offer some great inspiration for D&D players looking to become Dungeon Masters.
What Is Available In The Fighting Fantasy Solo Gamebook Kickstarter?
The Kickstarter offers five reprinted books:
- The Warlock of Firetop Mountain
- The Citadel of Chaos
- The Forest of Doom
- City of Thieves
- Deathtrap Dungeon
These reprints use as much of the original artwork as possible. They are printed in a slightly larger paperback format to show off the art and make the stories easier to read. These books can be hard to find outside of overseas stores and the secondary market.
This first set is designed as a collection that coordinates each title. Deathtrap Dungeon and The Warlock of Firetop Mountain are the most well-known. Fans of the series have plenty of favorites to choose from in the set.
In addition to appealing to long-time fans, these make a great gift for kids that are just getting to the age where they will enjoy D&D. I know a few parents who play their old gamebooks with their kids. It’s a great way to bond over a shared love of fantasy fiction.
The Kickstarter runs through March 18th, 2025. The books are expected for a Q2 2025 release. Steve Jackson Games plans on adapting additional books in the Fighting Fantasy series once this Kickstarter finishes.
