Friday 29 March 2019

Steve Jackson and Ian Livingstone interviewed in Phantasmagoria Magazine

The latest issue of Phantasmagoria Magazine is a Fighting Fantasy special, featuring interviews with not only the co-creators of the series, Steve Jackson and Ian Livingstone, but also sometime FF cover artist Les Edwards.


Other tidbits to tantalise readers include a personal tribute by the magazine's editor, Trevor Kennedy, a fiendish Top Ten of Fighting Fantasy Gamebooks, and an interview with FF author and historian Jonathan Green.

Available now from Amazon, and both Forbidden Planet and Comic Book Guys in Belfast, it is a must for every Fighting Fantasy fan, and even contains some exclusive FF-related news.

Monday 25 March 2019

Are you ready to raise Hell?

It's time to raise Hell, with the latest releases from Arion Games for the Advanced Fighting Fantasy RPG.

Available now from DriveThruRPG is the Rough Guide to the Pit, written by Andrew Wright. This 60 page PDF includes new Demons, a Demonic Plane Generator, new Evil Gods, Encounter Tables, and an in-depth description of the Pit itself!


The Rough Guide to the Pit is a great companion to the recently released Demons of Doom sourcebook, but is also the perfect fit for any AFF campaign featuring demonic enemies. And if you purchase the PDF today, you will receive a discount for the Print on Demand physical edition, ready for when that is released later this year.


So what are you waiting for? Conjure the correct summoning spell, and the Rough Guide to the Pit could be yours!

Arion Games will be running some introductory games of Advanced Fighting Fantasy at Fighting Fantasy Fest 3, so if you've ever wondered about getting into the game, there really couldn't be a better time.


Sunday 24 March 2019

House of Hell LIVE is coming to Fighting Fantasy Fest 3!

On Friday we revealed that Ian Miller will be one of the guests attending Fighting Fantasy Fest 3, and today we can reveal another one-off event that will be taking place on the day to mark 35 years since the publication of Steve Jackson's seminal House of Hell.

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.

Friday 22 March 2019

House of Hell cover artist Ian Miller to attend Fighting Fantasy Fest 3!

Good news for fans of the gothic and the macabre - Ian Miller, who produced the cover art for Steve Jackson's House of Hell, is coming to Fighting Fantasy Fest 3!

Ian is a highly regarded artist, and actually produced the cover art for six of the original Fighting Fantasy gamebooks, including Creature of Havoc and a revised cover for The Citadel of Chaos. He also drew the black and white internal illustrations for Phantoms of Fear.

So if you've always wanted to meet the mastermind behind such masterpieces as the definitive portraits of Zharradan Marr and the Demon Prince Ishtra, then grab your ticket for Fighting Fantasy Fest 3 today!

Zharradan Marr in all his gothic glory!

The Demon Prince Ishtra!

Tuesday 19 March 2019

Turn to 5,000!

After almost 10 years on Twitter, today @fightingfantasy claimed its 5,000th soul for the Warlock!

To mark this momentous occasion, we are running a brief competition. Simply 'Like' and 'Retweet' the tweet below, and you will be entered into a draw to win an Adventurer's Backpack from Fighting Fantasy Fest 1, back in 2014, and a T-shirt from Fighting Fantasy Fest 2 in 2017.


The competition closes at 12:00pm (noon) GMT on Tuesday 26th March 2019. The winner will be notified via Twitter after the draw has been made.

Are you ready to Test your Luck?

Friday 15 March 2019

Russ Nicholson to attend Fighting Fantasy Fest 3!

We are delighted to report that legendary gamebook illustrator Russ Nicholson will be attending Fighting Fantasy Fest 3 in August!*

This means that the original creative team behind The Warlock of Firetop Mountain will be reunited at the event, as Steve Jackson and Ian Livingstone are Guests of Honour on the day too.
Russ Nicholson's iconic dragon from The Warlock of Firetop Mountain.

Russ will be joining fellow artists Duncan Smith, Malcolm Barter, Alan Langford, Tony Hough, Pete Knifton, and Robert Ball. Intercept Studios will also be in attendance, selling prints of Terry Oakes' painted Fighting Fantasy cover art.

Terry Oakes's painting of the Spiked Maiden from the cover art for the Fighting Fantasy gamebook Beneath Nightmare Castle.

There is lots more planned for the day, which we will be revealing in the coming weeks and months, but to make sure you don't miss out, you can secure your place at this historic event by purchasing your ticket here.



* All guests appear health and work commitments permitting.

Friday 8 March 2019

The Female of the Species

One of the great things about Fighting Fantasy Gamebooks is that the hero’s gender is never specified, because the person reading the book is the hero – YOU! As a result, over the years the adventures have proved just as popular with girls as with boys.

And at a time when we are being made more and more aware of how important it is to have equal representation within works of fiction, it is interesting to note that Fighting Fantasy paved the way years ago, with all manner of female characters appearing in the adventures.

While some of those characters have been allies, like Hakasan Za from The Port of Peril, or damsels in distress, like the Elf in Deathtrap Dungeon or the wretched young nurse in House of Hell, because these are Fighting Fantasy gamebooks we're talking about, more often than not they have been among the most fearsome antagonists set against the adventurer.

So here is a list of some of our favourite FF femmes fatales!


1) The Serpent Queen, from City of Thieves.

2) Lady Lucretia, Balthus Dire's wife, from The Citadel of Chaos.

3) The Catwoman, from The Forest of Doom.

4) Mordana, the Woman of the House, from House of Hell.

5) 'Poison' Ivy, from Deathtrap Dungeon.

6) Sylvia Frost, a.k.a. "The Ice Queen", from Appointment with F.E.A.R.

7) The Cave Woman, from Island of the Lizard King.

8) Alianna the Witch, from Sorcery! 1: The Shamutanti Hills.

9) Ulrakaah, Queen of Darkness and Mother of Monsters, from The Gates of Death.

Friday 1 March 2019

Fighting Fantasy Fest 3, featuring John Robertson's The Dark Room - Tickets on sale now!

This summer Fighting Fantasy Fest is returning to the University of West London, in Ealing, for the third dedicated Fighting Fantasy convention. The event will feature Guests of Honour Steve Jackson and Ian Livingstone, as well as a host of other writers and artists who have all worked on the series over the years.

Fighting Fantasy Fest 3 will feature talks, gaming sessions, signings, a Fighting Fantasy exhibition, and a selection of traders. Food and drink will be available on the day from an on-site cafe and bar. A range of exclusive merchandise will also be on sale at Fighting Fantasy Fest 3.


Over the coming weeks and months we will be revealing the names of still more guests who will be joining us for the event, as well as some special announcements that you are not going to want to miss if you are a fan of Fighting Fantasy Gamebooks!

Please note that entry to the event will only be by pre-purchased ticket. To purchase your ticket simply follow this link.

Price of entry includes a collectible programme and autograph book, as well as entry to all talks and a special performance of John Robertson's The Dark Room. If you are not familiar with The Dark Room experience, then read on...


YOU AWAKE TO FIND YOURSELF IN A DARK ROOM! You, the audience, are trapped in an interactive, retro gaming nightmare; choose an option, find the way out, and escape The Dark Room! If you succeed, you’ll take home £1000... but if you fail YOU WILL DIE! For you are not alone in The Dark Room; the merciless overlord of improv, John Robertson, is here to guide you through an hour of expertly crafted chaos and anarchy. And in the end, eeeeeverybody plays!

A) Find the Light Switch?
B) Go North?
C) Abandon Hope?

‘NOT TO BE MISSED’ – The Guardian
★★★★★ ‘The Dark Room is utterly unique, it’s hard to describe the magic and joyful
surprises awaiting you within without utterly scaring you off.’ - The Skinny
★★★★★ ‘You must see this show’ – British Comedy Guide
★★★★★  ‘You have to see the Dark Room at least once in your life’ – The Scottish Sun
★★★★ ‘Great fun, nostalgic, but also a fresh angle for comedy’ – Den of Geek
★★★★ ‘Genuinely, irresistibly dangerous’ - The Stage