Gamebook
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[edit] Definition
A gamebook is a book with a branching plot that serves as a medium for gameplay. The term "gamebook" is also used in reference to sourcebooks for other games, such as role-playing games.
The reader plays the game by choosing which of the branches of the storyline to follow. This usually occurs at the end of any given page; the reader will then be prompted to choose between one of several possible courses of action for the plot to follow, and to turn to the appropriate page or section. Most gamebooks have multiple possible endings, at least one of which is a "win" with most or all of the rest being "losses"; the added replay value of gamebooks is one of the primary reasons for their popularity.
Most gamebooks are written as though the reader were the protagonist, and are written in second person narration. Some gamebooks borrow game mechanics from role-playing games, containing combat and requiring the reader to keep track of the main character's statistics and equipment, upon which certain branches of the storyline may be dependent.
[edit] Publication of Gamebooks series
Popular gamebook series include Choose Your Own Adventure and the role-playing gamebook series Lone Wolf and Fighting Fantasy. Author Harry Harrison has written You can be the Stainless Steel Rat, a gamebook spoof on his series of Stainless Steel Rat novels. Several less successful attempts (from a commercial point of view) at the genre, such as the Legends of Skyfall series were also released.
The fantasy and horror novelist Kim Newman has written a novel for the mainstream market, Life's Lottery, which uses the format of a gamebook to explore the possible lives of its protagonist, which range into multiple genres and narrative styles. Notable features of Life's Lottery include the possibility at certain points of crossing over from one narrative strand into another, and a sequence of unlinked scenes which may explain the true story of what is happening to the protagonist.
Gamebooks are often produced for franchises, like Star Wars and Transformers. A famous gamebook from the latter franchise features Windcharger accidentally ripping apart the Dinobots with his magnets. When the Alternator/Binaltech version of Windcharger (called Overdrive in Japan) came out in 2005, the situation became a meme on Transformer sites.
First published in 1976, Buffalo Castle (using the Tunnels and Trolls role-playing system) may well have been the first gamebook ever published [1].
[edit] List of notable gamebook series
- Blood Sword, written by Dave Morris and Oliver Johnson
- Dragontales, written by Rhondi Vilott
- Endless Quest, written by Rose Estes and others
- Fabled Lands, written by Dave Morris and Jamie Thomson
- Fighting Fantasy, written by Steve Jackson and Ian Livingstone
- Forbidden Gateway, written by Ian and Clive Bailey
- Freeway Warrior, written by Joe Dever
- Give Yourself Goosebumps, written by R.L. Stine
- Golden Dragon, written by Dave Morris and Oliver Johnson
- GrailQuest, written by J.H. Brennan
- Legends of Skyfall, written by David Tant
- Lone Wolf, written by Joe Dever
- Sagard the Barbarian, written by Gary Gygax and Flint Dille
- Sorcery!, written by Steve Jackson
- Twistaplot, written by R.L. Stine and Douglas Colligan, among others.
- Way of the Tiger, written by Jamie Thomson and Mark Smith
- Wizards Warriors & You, written by R. L. Stine and others
[edit] Gamebook Software
Writing a gamebook is not an easy task. Gamebook software providers make it easier and give the writer the opportunity to concentrate on writing the plot instead of keeping a valid gamebook structure. Most of the applications that support gamebooks creation are written by gamebook fans, and are freely distributed.
The Spielbuch website [2] offers an online book creation system.
The GameBook Creator website [3] offers a downloadable software to create gamebooks.
