Fighting Fantasy, Lone Wolf & other "game books" - age & questions

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Azziane_sl

shitlord
541
1
I am not sure if gamebook is the right term for this type of book but I hope the title is clear.

I am looking into buying something like this for my 8 year old. I think it might be right at or slightly above her reading level. My first concern is the content - I cannot remember how violet/gory the text and illustrations got. It's been about 16 years since I read my last "game book". I seem to remember that the Lone Wolf rules and character sheet were more complex & involved than Fighting Fantasy.

I could use some advice on what first book to get.

**
Also Amazon does not seem to carry the first Fighting Fantasy. Official site does not sell either - any clue where to order from?
 
A

Azziane_sl

shitlord
541
1
Ah yes! thank you. It looks like the Fighting Fantasy series kinda faded away. I thought the author was still active in the board game world though.

Anyway - Thanks for the link.
 
Gavinmad

Gavinmad

Mr. Poopybutthole
42,330
50,341
I was definitely around 8 when I started reading Lone Wolf books, shit was so awesome when I was a kid.
 
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A

Azziane_sl

shitlord
541
1
Lone Wolf was my favorite of the few series I read by far. I remember thinking it had the best character sheet/creation system. For the life of me I can't remember what it was like other than that though. I think I'm gonna have to read a couple myself to see if the kid can handle it.
 
Pancreas

Pancreas

Vyemm Raider
1,124
3,818
When I was a kid I stumbled upon an old adventure book. I had to do some sleuthing to figure out what is was again. It was called "SwordQuest: Quest for the Dragon's Eye" and was one of a series of books. It only requires a D6 to play and I think I remember the content being fairly tame. (No sex, and I think the violence isn't too bad?) I don't remember being traumatized by it anyways.

Hereis an info page on the series and some links to the books I was able to find:

Quest for the Dragon's Eye

Quest for the Unicorn's Horn

Quest for the Elf King

Quest for the Demon Gate

I am pretty sure these were released as a sort of introduction to AD&D for young readers as the rules are compatible.
 
Lusiphur

Lusiphur

Peasant
595
47
You can get the latest FF book as an iOS or Android App. Having played through it, it's definitely doable for that age range.

I have them all on PDF. Let me know if you would like me to mail you the first one. It's a scan so quality is so-so.
 
D

Darshu_sl

shitlord
235
0
I remember Lone Wolf. The author Joe Devor did another shorter set of game books called Freeway Warrior as well if I recall. I've still got Flight From the Dark on my bookshelf for nostalgia purposes. Those were cool. They have a little numeric random number table in the back and you closed your eyes to pick for random event rolls and combat dice rolls. You had to have a character sheet to track special abilities too.

Wish they were on the kindle. Those actually helped me get into reading. They were kinda of like COTYAs for a slightly older or smarter age group. The freeway warrior books were real adult novel sized.

For Lone Wolf "Flight From the Dark" is the first book. I'd just do those in order. Freeway warrior is much the same as Lone Wolf but in a modern post apocalyptic setting.
 
Decado

Decado

Golden Knight of the Realm
94
44
Remember starting off with Steve Jacksons Warlock of Firetop Mountain about 30 years ago. Loved that gamebook and ended up with loads of them. Great fun when you're a youngster
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eck9.jpg
 
iannis

iannis

Musty Nester
31,351
17,656
Sorcery! (Steve Jackson) was also really good. I think I was 10 or 11 reading that. The writing is more flourid and intricate than most Fighting Fantasy / Choose your own books.

But I really don't know if you could find any print copies. A quick ebay search looks like they're going 5-25 dollars each (4 in the set).
 
latheboy

latheboy

Trakanon Raider
826
1,029
Necro threads are the best ..
My kids 10 and 8 are starting to get interested in game books.
Went to shed to dig out my books.. so many happy memories
 
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Bodhy

Karen
<Banned>
497
-4,293
I think I jumped into them right around age 8 too. I had a blast with them but I never played them "properly", like with dice and pencils, actually doing the battles. I just read through the story.

Don't expect them to accept their death though. They, like I, will do the "It doesn't count if I had my thumb on the last page" thing. Great books though and what a nostalgic thread. I think I still have #53, SpellBreaker, missing its cover somewhere.
 
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latheboy

latheboy

Trakanon Raider
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Battleblade warrior went down a treat, until they died haha.. I went back a few steps and kept it going for them.. loving it.. I too read them all without doing them properly at the start
 
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Bodhy

Karen
<Banned>
497
-4,293
I now have the entirety of them in my possession, including the peripheral series, and a few of the newly released ones through Scholastic. I relived the ones I owned in my youth, and now gonna do some of the ones I haven't read. Which is around 52 of the original 59, lol.
 
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