Talk about a blast from gaming’s past, Steve Jackson Games announced that it will be rereleasing the Fighting Fantasy solo adventure series.
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Back in the 80s, Fighting Fantasy did some innovative work in the solo adventure field. And this was before the term “solo RPG” was as widely used as it is today. While there are some elements that might feel familiar, like turning to page 52 if you decide to pick the goblin’s pocket, these books also had their own dice system. Your character had three stats: Skill, Stamina, and Luck, and you’d roll d6s when making certain decisions and pick up an inventory of items along the way.
Funnily enough, the series was launched by Sir Ian Livingstone (of Games Workshop fame) and Steve Jackson—though not the Steve Jackson of SJ Games. Soon, it will also be that Steve Jackson. Here’s what we know.
Steve Jackson Games announced that they have worked out a new deal with Sir Ian Livingstone to bring back the Fighting Fantasy series to the United States. Livingstone and Jackson co-created the solo Choose Your Own Adventure series back in 1982, where players use their own judgment to decide where the story takes them. The series uses a combination of nonlinear narratives with dice-rolling tabletop RPG mechanics to give players multiple paths that will either lead to glory or death. Now, the series will make a return to the U.S. market next year as five new books will be in the works for 2025. We have more info below on the new set from the announcement.
Here’s a look at the announcement from Steve Jackson Games:
“In 1982, British game designers Sir Ian Livingstone and Steve Jackson introduced Fighting Fantasy, a revolutionary set of solo adventure books that combined nonlinear narratives with dice-rolling tabletop RPG mechanics. Now, this fantastical, multi-million-selling book series returns to the United States thanks to an historic 50-book publishing collaboration with Steve Jackson Games.”
Fifty books is a lot of books, first of all. But it does look like the whole series is back on the table. Including the Fighting Fantasy books that were written by Steve Jackson of Steve Jackson games. Because the confusion doesn’t stop at just here being two people named Steve Jackson who work in the gaming industry like that.
According to Steve Jackson Games, the first five books are due to be released in early 2025, with five more coming later in the year. That’s ten solo adventures you can tromp off on after the year turns. So get ready to see how many different ways you die, either by your own choice or by the dice falling where they may.
Ian Livingstone has also released a statement:
"To have a new publisher in the USA is a special moment in the history of Fighting Fantasy," said Sir Ian Livingstone. "We have known Steve Jackson for more than 40 years, having distributed Steve Jackson Games in the 1980s when we owned Games Workshop. Steve also wrote three fantastic Fighting Fantasy books, which caused a lot of confusion at the time when people didn't realize there were two Steve Jacksons! We look forward to exciting times ahead in the USA for new and existing Fighting Fantasy fans."