Friday 30 August 2019

The Fighting Fantasy Fest 3 weekend is here!

The Fighting Fantasy Fest 3 weekend kicks off today with the You Are The Beer-o: The Forester of Doom meet-up. The FF pub quiz has sold out but you can still come along to The Forester on Leighton Road in West Ealing, and get to know your fellow adventurers a little better.


Doors open for Fighting Fantasy Fest 3 at 9:00am on Saturday 31st August. Remember, entry is by pre-purchased ticket only, but tickets will remain on sale until 8:00am on Saturday morning. All manner of books and games are being launched at the event, including Ian Livingstone's Assassins of Allansia, published by Scholastic Books, and this brand new miniature of the ruler of Port Blacksand, Lord Azzur himself, courtesy of Atlantis Miniatures!



And even after Fighting Fantasy Fest 3 is over, for anyone who still finds themselves in Ealing on Sunday, there will be an informal social gathering at The Castle Inn, on St Mary's Road (opposite the University of West London), from 12:00pm.

And if you are attending Fighting Fantasy Fest 3 this weekend, may your STAMINA never fail!


Thursday 29 August 2019

Deathtrap Dungeon – The debut Interactive Fiction title from Branching Narrative

Branching Narrative today announced its first gaming title: a new take on Deathtrap Dungeon, the classic Fighting Fantasy gamebook by Ian Livingstone. Showcasing the company’s new Interactive Fiction engine, the game stars British actor Eddie Marsan (Ray Donovan, Fast & Furious Presents Hobbs and Shaw, Deadpool 2), who will act as narrator and guide in a high-quality interactive video production that faithfully recreates the beloved fantasy book.

Deathtrap Dungeon, arguably one of the most popular titles in the Fighting Fantasy series, was originally released in 1984 and challenges the player to survive the Trial of Champions that takes place in the labyrinth of Fang, full of fiendish traps and deadly creatures set by the devious Baron Sukumvit.

Branching Narrative’s Deathtrap Dungeon will be delivered as a video stream that prompts the user to make choices and direct the flow, offering enhanced gameplay over other recent high-profile ‘interactive movie’ offerings, fully utilising the mechanics from the book.

Matt Spall of Branching Narrative, said: “Our innovative take on Deathtrap Dungeon is a choice-based adventure, presented as an interactive video storybook with the fantastic Eddie Marsan narrating the story and guiding players as they find their way through Baron Sukumvit’s treacherous corridors of power.”

Ian Livingstone said: “Deathtrap Dungeon has consistently been a fan favourite, so I am excited about the approach that Branching Narrative is taking in bringing my book to a new generation of players in a new format. Eddie Marsan is brilliant, and with the storytelling being an interactive rather than passive experience, this ain’t no Jackanory!”


Eddie Marsan said: “It’s an exciting challenge to guide Deathtrap Dungeon adventurers, both new and experienced, as they take on the perils of the deadly Trial of Champions.”

Fighting Fantasy fans will be able to meet the Branching Narrative team and see an early prototype of Deathtrap Dungeon at Fighting Fantasy Fest 3, taking place on Saturday 31st August at the University of West London, in Ealing.

Deathtrap Dungeon is due for release on PC, Mac and Mobile later this year, commemorating the 35th anniversary of the book’s original publication, with other formats, including console, to follow in 2020.


Tuesday 27 August 2019

Welcome to Port Blacksand!

With Ian Livingstone's new gamebook, Assassins of Allansia, featuring an appearance by everyone's tyrannical city ruler, Lord Azzur, at Fighting Fantasy Fest 3 on Saturday, part of the University of West London is being temporarily turned into Port Blacksand, featuring a host of traders and guest artists.

The artists who will have tables at the event are...
Russ Nicholson
Chris Achilleos
Duncan Smith
Alan Langford
Malcolm Barter
Tony Hough
Pete Knifton
Robert Ball

Other guests who will be signing at the Signing Table in Port Blacksand are...
Steve Jackson
Ian Livingstone
Geraldine Cooke
PJ Montgomery
Peter Darvill-Evans
Jamie Thomson
Jon Ingold
Jonathan Green


The remaining stands include...
Scholastic Books
Atlantis Miniatures
Arion Games
Scriptarium
The Fighting Fantasy Collector
Inkle
DMB Games
Bedsit Games
Choose Cthulhu
Spidermind Games
Steam Highwayman
Branching Narrative
PSC Games
John Robertson
Chameleon Comix
All Rolled Up
Fighting Fantasy Audio Dramas
Click Your Poison
Two-Fisted Fantasy
Troika
The World of Legend
Rogue's Gaming
Bring and Buy

Remember, doors open at 9:00am on Saturday 31st August, and tickets for Fighting Fantasy Fest 3 are still on sale here.


Sunday 25 August 2019

Bring and Buy at Fighting Fantasy Fest 3

This year, for the first time, there will be a Bring and Buy stand at Fighting Fantasy Fest 3, which is being run to raise money for the UK Sepsis Trust, in memory of FF fan Neil Taylor.

Neil Taylor at Fighting Fantasy Fest in 2014.

Please note that the Bring and Buy is provided for individuals to sell their unwanted games and gamebooks. Exhibitors may not use the Bring and Buy as a way of disposing of stock.

Transform some of your old games and gamebooks into cash to buy new ones, or search our Warlock’s hoard of gaming goodness for that bargain you’ve been looking for. Board games, card games, role-playing books, miniatures, comics, and everything else associated with gaming – it’s all here.

ALL TRANSACTIONS AT THE BRING AND BUY ARE IN CASH ONLY. NO CREDIT CARDS WILL BE ACCEPTED.

Please read carefully

  1. Fighting Fantasy Fest 3 will take 10% commission on all goods sold on the Bring and Buy rounded up to the nearest 10p.
  2. The seller is responsible for registering and collecting all submitted items.
  3. Items cannot be withdrawn from sale before 12:00pm on the day.
  4. All goods offered on the Bring and Buy are left at the sellers risk - Fighting Fantasy Fest 3 and the members operating the Bring and Buy accept no responsibility or liability for any goods stolen, lost or accidentally damaged.
  5. Fighting Fantasy Fest 3 retains the right to not accept for sale any items it deems inappropriate. (This includes damaged items, poorly packaged items, items not suitable for a family audience, or old stock from exhibitors or other companies).
  6. All profit from the Bring and Buy will be donated to The UK Sepsis Trust.

How does it work?

  • When you arrive at Fighting Fantasy Fest 3, deliver any games or gamebooks you wish to sell to the Bring and Buy. There you will be given a raffle ticket for each item you are selling. The matching ticket will be attached to the item (using Blu Tack or a rubber band) with the price written on it. The price will also be recorded on a sheet by the person running the stand.
  • The Bring and Buy stand will be accepting items for sale on Saturday 31st August from 9:00am to 12:00pm.
  • When you are ready to leave Fighting Fantasy Fest 3, return to the Bring and Buy stand and either collect your items, if they have not sold, or hand over your raffle tickets and collect your earnings, minus the 10% commission rounded up to the nearest 10p, which will be donated to the UK Sepsis Trust.
  • PLEASE NOTE THAT LAST COLLECTIONS FOR THE BRING AND BUY ARE at 4:00pm.
  • If you have not collected your unsold games and gamebooks or money by 4:00pm you will have agreed to donate the money to the UK Sepsis Trust. Any uncollected items will be disposed of as the organisers see fit.


Friday 23 August 2019

How well do you know Ian Livingstone's City of Thieves?

For those of you attending the Fighting Fantasy You Are The Beer-o Pub Quiz next week, we have some exciting news - Ian Livingstone himself will be joining us for the evening! Not only that, but as part of the night's proceedings he is going to run his own short quiz round, based on his classic gamebook, City of Thieves.

To enter this bonus round will require an additional £5 donation to our chosen charity, the UK Sepsis Trust.

However, if you win the round, you will not only receive a signed copy of Ian's new book, Assassins of Allansia, you will also receive a copy of the Brazilian edition of The Port of Peril, featuring new illustrations by RĂ³ger Goulart.


For those of you who haven't bought your tickets for the pub quiz yet, you had better hurry - there are only five left!


Assassins of Allansia - Turn to 400!

Fans of Fighting Fantasy gamebooks (so anyone reading this update) will be delighted to learn that the hardback edition of Ian Livingstone's brand new book, Assassins of Allansia, has been printed, ready for Fighting Fantasy Fest 3.
The limited hardback edition of Ian Livingstone's Assassins of Allansia, with cover art by Karl Kopinski.
Not only that but now, rather than being limited to 300 copies, 400 hardbacks have been printed. 290 will be on sale at Fighting Fantasy Fest 3, but if you are unable to make the event, there will be an opportunity to get hold of one later.

Ian Livingstone signing the Assassins of Allansia hardbacks.

Thursday 22 August 2019

Fighting Fantasy Audio Dramas at Fighting Fantasy Fest 3

At their stall in Port Blacksand, at Fighting Fantasy Fest 3 (just nine days away), you will find David N Smith and Richard Fox, the writer and producer behind the Fighting Fantasy Audio Dramas.

So if you've yet to pick up The Warlock of Firetop Mountain: The Hero's Quest, or the 4 CD Boxset featuring the audio dramas The Forest of Doom: Lost in Darkwood, The Citadel of Chaos: Terror of the Ganjees, Deathtrap Dungeon: The Last Champion, and Creature of Havoc: The Monster of Dree, make sure you pay them a visit.


Wednesday 21 August 2019

Fighting Fantasy Fest 3 Schedule

We know you've been waiting for this for a long time, but today, with just ten days to go, we are delighted to publish the day-long schedule for Fighting Fantasy Fest 3, featuring Guests of Honour Steve Jackson and Ian Livingstone.

Doors open at 9:00am and the event closes at 8:00pm, and entry is by pre-purchased ticket only.



Sunday 18 August 2019

Steve Jackson's House of Hell LIVE is sold out!

But have no fear, The World of Legend team has petitioned the Master, and he has permitted them to put on a second performance of Steve Jackson's House of Hell LIVE.

The 2:00pm performance is fully booked, but you can still purchase tickets for the second 3:45pm showing, and will be able to buy tickets on the day as well (presuming it hasn't sold out by then.)

House of Hell LIVE is an interactive theatre show, based on the classic gamebook by Steve Jackson, and adapted by The World of Legend.

The World of Legend has fast gained a reputation for putting on amazing interactive adventures, since its founding only a few years ago, and the group's The School of Witches and Wizards show is even rated #2 on Trip Advisor's list of things to do in Rye!


Please note that due to the nature of the show there are a limited number of places available for House of Hell LIVE, and it does incur an additional charge. However, it will not take place at the same time as John Robertson's The Dark Room, so you will be able to attend both, if you so desire.

So don't delay, secure you ticket for Fighting Fantasy Fest 3 today, and your ticket for House of Hell LIVE here.


Saturday 17 August 2019

Talks at Fighting Fantasy Fest 3

Today we are excited to reveal the list of talks, panels and interviews that will be taking place through the day at Fighting Fantasy Fest 3, on Saturday 31st August at the University of West London in Ealing.

There will be two strands of talks taking place simultaneously in two adjoining halls, featuring the artists, authors and other creators in attendance. However, things have been arranged so that if you wish, you can miss the Q&A session at the end of a talk in one room in order to listen to the start of a talk in the other room.

Firetop Mountain
(Weston Hall)
Talks – Strand A

10:30am – Portals of Death
Peter Darvill-Evans, author of Beneath Nightmare Castle, Portal of Evil and Spectral Stalkers, and Jamie Thomson, co-author of Talisman of Death, Sword of the Samurai and The Keep of the Lich-Lord, discuss planning interactive adventures with Jon Ingold, narrative director of inkle studios.

11:30am – Assassins of Allansia
Ian Livingstone will be discussing his new Fighting Fantasy gamebook, Assassins of Allansia, with the book’s illustrator and cover artist, Robert Ball.

12:30pm – Secrets of Firetop Mountain
Guests of Honour Steve Jackson and Ian Livingstone are joined by illustrator Russ Nicholson and original commissioning editor Geraldine Cooke to talk about how the original Fighting Fantasy gamebook, The Warlock of Firetop Mountain, came into existence.

2:00pm – Maker of Monsters
Artist Robert Ball talks about his work for Scholastic Books on the Fighting Fantasy range, and how he goes about creating the macabre monsters encountered throughout the adventures.

3:00pm – The Adventures of Achilleos
Gamebook author Martin Noutch interviews the legendary fantasy artist Chris Achilleos about his work for Fighting Fantasy, and beyond.

The Black Tower
(Lammas Hall)
Talks – Strand B

10:00am – Master of Scorpions
Fighting Fantasy author and historian Jonathan Green talks to artist Duncan Smith about his contribution to the worlds of Fighting Fantasy, notably both the gamebook Scorpion Swamp and Fighting Fantasy – The Introductory Role-playing Game.

11:00am – The Pen is Mightier
Fighting Fantasy artists Malcolm Barter, Alan Langford, Tony Hough and Pete Knifton, talk with Stuart Lloyd about what it’s like to illustrate the myriad monsters, environments and inhabitants of Titan and beyond.

12:00pm – Advanced Adventures
Graham Bottley of Arion Games talks about the company’s plans for the Advanced Fighting Fantasy Second Edition role-playing game.


There will also be signings taking place throughout the day, as well as performances of Steve Jackson's House of Hell LIVE, and John Robertson's The Dark Room. A full schedule for the day will be released very soon.

There are just two weeks to go until Fighting Fantasy Fest 3, so if you haven't bought your ticket yet, make sure you do so before they sell out!

Friday 16 August 2019

O Porto do Perigo

Fighting Fantasy gamebooks have always been popular in Brazil, and back in 2016 Ian Livingstone was the Guest of Honour at the SĂ£o Paulo Comic Con in Brazil, where he met hundreds of FF fans.

Jambo Editora, the Brazilian publishers of Fighting Fantasy, recently released a Portuguese translation of Ian's The Port of Peril. Jambo Editora almost always commission their own cover art for the FF books, which they consider more suitable for the Brazilian market. But this time they also commissioned new interior art, from the appropriately named RĂ³ger Goulart, and here are some examples of his old school pen and ink-style illustrations for the gamebook.

Klash, the Chaos Warrior.

The dreaded Norgul.

A run-in with some of the inhabitants of the Port of Peril.

The demonic Quag-Shugguth!

Beware - Blue Imps!

Those of you have been following the news that Atlantis Miniatures are launching a range of Fighting Fantasy miniatures maybe recognise some of the characters above - specifically Klash, the Quag-Shugguth, and the Blue Imps - as they are all part of the first wave of Fighting Fantasy Legends models that are being released first at Fighting Fantasy Fest 3 in only two weeks' time.




Thursday 15 August 2019

City of Thieves - The Graphic Novel

If you are attending Fighting Fantasy Fest 3 at the end of the month, you will be among the first people to see a four-page spread of the official graphic novel of Ian Livingstone's City of Thieves, as published by Chameleon Comics.


This Hungary-based publisher has already published a Hungarian translation of Ian Livingstone's Freeway Fighter, but will be producing an English language version of the new graphic novel.


To find out more, watch this space... or come along to Fighting Fantasy Fest 3.

Wednesday 14 August 2019

Authors attending Fighting Fantasy Fest 3

As well as Fighting Fantasy co-creators Steve Jackson and Ian Livingstone, there are a number of other authors who will be attending Fighting Fantasy Fest 3, including...

Peter Darvill-Evans - author of Beneath Nightmare Castle, Portal of Evil, and Spectral Stalkers.

Jamie Thomson - co-author of Talisman of Death, Sword of the Samurai, and The Keep of the Lich-Lord.

Jonathan Green - author of Spellbreaker, Knights of Doom, Curse of the Mummy, Bloodbones, Howl of the Werewolf, Stormslayer, Night of the Necromancer, and You Are The Hero - A History of Fighting Fantasy Gamebooks.

Jon Ingold - narrative director of inkle studios, and chief writer on Steve Jackson's Sorcery!

PJ Montgomery - comic writer and adaptor of Steve Jackson's The Trolltooth Wars.

Fighting Fantasy Fest 3 is happening in just seventeen days, on Saturday 31st August. If you haven't got your ticket yet, don't miss out and grab yours today!


Friday 9 August 2019

Artists attending Fighting Fantasy Fest 3

As well as guests of honour Steve Jackson and Ian Livingstone, the co-creators of Fighting Fantasy, attending Fighting Fantasy Fest 3, there will also be a host of your favourite artists, including...

Russ Nicholson - illustrator of The Warlock of Firetop Mountain and many other FF books.

Chris Achilleos - cover artist for Out of the Pit, Titan - The Fighting Fantasy World, Temple of Terror, Armies of Death, and The Trolltooth Wars.

Duncan Smith - illustrator of Scorpion Swamp and Fighting Fantasy - The Introductory Role-playing Game.

Malcolm Barter - illustrator of The Forest of Doom and the French language edition of Advanced Fighting Fantasy.

Alan Langford - illustrator of Island of the Lizard King and Creature of Havoc, to name but two.

Tony Hough - illustrator of Spectral Stalkers, Night Dragon, Knights of Doom, and Bloodbones.

Pete Knifton - illustrator of Tower of Destruction and Siege of Sardath.

Robert Ball - cover artist for the Scholastic series, and illustrator of the new editions of Caverns of the Snow Witch and Kharé - Cityport of Traps, as well as Ian Livingstone's brand new book, Assassins of Allansia.

Fighting Fantasy Fest 3 is happening just three weeks tomorrow, on Saturday 31st August. If you haven't got your ticket yet, what are you waiting for?


Unfortunately, due to circumstances beyond our control, Les Edwards is no longer able to attend.