The Fighting Fantasy Review of the Year - 40th anniversary edition

2022 has been an epic year for Fighting Fantasy, so the Warlock thought it might be interesting to peer into his crystal ball and look back over everything that has happened in the last 12 months. (Click the highlighted text below to find out more in each case.)

FF's 40th anniversary year kicked off with the series acquiring its very own knight of the realm, when Sir Ian Livingstone was rewarded for his services to the Online Gaming Industry in the Queen's New Year Honours list.

Sir Ian Livingstone CBE

January also saw the release of the Titan audiobook from Spokenworld Audio, and in March, the first of several events that celebrated the 40th anniversary took place in the form of LarpCon 2022 - The LarpCon of Firetop Mountain.

In July, Arion Games launched the Encyclopedia Arcana Kickstarter, which led to the successful publication of this invaluable supplement for the Advanced Fighting Fantasy RPG.

August marked the 40th anniversary of the publication of The Warlock of Firetop Mountain, the very first Fighting Fantasy gamebook, by Steve Jackson and Ian Livingstone. 

The Podcast from Firetop Mountain was also broadcast for the first time this year. The first season of ten episodes is available to listen to now, and a second season is planned for 2023.

Of course, International Gamebook Day now takes place on the actual anniversary of the publication of The Warlock of Firetop Mountain, on 27 August.

September saw the release of not one but two books to mark 40 years of FF - Sir Ian Livingstone's Shadow of the Giants and Steve Jackson's Secrets of Salamonis.

The new adventures were launched at Fighting Fantasy Fest 4, on Saturday 3 September, which celebrated all things FF with a host of guests who took part in a series of talks that you can watch here.

In October, Fighting Fantasy historian Jonathan Green ran a successful Kickstarter campaign to publish a revised and updated edition of YOU ARE THE HERO, and this one will be interactive.

In November, the #1 bestseller Dice Men: The Origin Story of Games Workshop was delivered and the occasion was marked by signings at Forbidden Planet, undertaken by Sir Ian Livingstone.

And in December, Dice Men sold out when Sir Ian attended Dragonmeet.

And now 2022 is done, but have no fear, there is more to come from Fighting Fantasy in 2023!

Happy Christmas 2022!

 

Festive Tin Man Games Sale Now On!

Tin Man Games is like an Antipodean Santa who delivers presents before Christmas Eve, specifically Fighting Fantasy ad-app-tations at a knockdown price. Just follow this link to the Steam page to take advantage of these tasty festive treats.

What will be under your tree this Christmas?

The Advanced Fighting Fantasy Christmas Sale

It's December (already!) which means it's time for the annual Arion Games festive sale. As in previous years, every Arion Games PDF available through DTRPG is on sale at a massive 40% discount until the end of the month. 

In addition to that, Arion Games also have FOUR brand new adventures for four different games and these will be sent to every customer who has bought something from their store during December for FREE!

So what are you waiting for? Check out the Arion Games festive sale now and pick up those AFF titles that are missing from your collection!

 

Fighting Fantasy at Dragonmeet 2022

Sir Ian Livingstone will be attending Dragonmeet again this year, where he will be signing copies of his new book Dice Men: The Origin Story of Games Workshop, as well as his Fighting Fantasy gamebooks, including the latest, Shadow of the Giants. 

Click plan to enlarge.

If you are in the Hammersmith area on Saturday 3rd December 2022, why not stop by Dragonmeet, from 10:00am, and pop into the Upper Trade Hall, where you will find Sir Ian signing at Stand #39?

The Warlock Returns - Issue #7

Available now from Arion Games is Issue #7 of The Warlock Returns, the Advanced Fighting Fantasy fanzine.

In this issue you will find more new material for fans of the Advanced Fighting Fantasy Roleplaying Game and Fighting Fantasy Gamebooks, including:

* Denizens of the Pit - More of Titan's island creatures

* Jungle - Hazards of the jungles of Titan

* Scarlet Blue - A scenario by Scriptarium

* Cantrip Spell Cards - For use with your magic users

* Director Advice Articles - Suggesting rumours and plot hooks

* Guide to the Shining Islands - Our biggest single article yet!

* The Legend of Gareus - Comic Strip and Agony Aunt page

* Stellar Adventures: Into the Doors of Eryx - A new scenario begins

* The Lindenbaum Prize for Short Gamebook Fiction

Plus lots more!

Pick up your copy now from Arion Games via DriveThruRPG.

Dice Men signing at Forbidden Planet

On Friday evening, Sir Ian Livingstone visited the Forbidden Planet Megastore in London to sign many, many copies of his new book Dice Men: The Origin Story of Games Workshop, which is currently a No.1 Bestseller on Amazon.

Dice Men: The Origin Story of Games Workshop

The queue of eager gaming fans waiting to meet their idol.

Sir Ian signing.

So many, many books...

Some other books snuck into the signing as well.

Dice Men: The Origin Story of Games Workshop

Piles and piles of pre-orders...

Sir Ian with his new book.

If you came along and picked up a copy of Dice Men: The Origin Story of Games Workshop, thank you. And don't forget Sir Ian will be signing at Forbidden Planet Newcastle on Wednesday 16th November from 17:00 - 18:30.

Forthcoming Sir Ian Livingstone Forbidden Planet signings

Sir Ian Livingstone will be signing copies of his new book Dice Men: The Origin Story Of Games Workshop at Forbidden Planet London on Friday 11th November 2022 from 17:00 - 18:30, and at Forbidden Planet Newcastle on Wednesday 16th November from 17:00 - 18:30.

It never seems like the right time to start a business.

The idea to start our own company first cropped up during one of our many ‘beer and a board game’ sessions after work at our flat.

And when Steve began writing reviews of board games for Games & Puzzles magazine, we all got even more interested in the idea. So, one day, we did. It was January 1975.

Since then, Games Workshop has grown into a cornerstone of the UK gaming industry. From the launch of Dungeons and Dragons from the back of a van, to creating the Fighting Fantasy series, co-founders Ian Livingstone and Steve Jackson tell their remarkable story for the first time.

An initial order of only six copies was enough for Games Workshop to secure exclusive rights to sell Dungeons and Dragons in the whole of Europe. Hobbyists themselves, Steve and Ian’s passion for the game soon spread and in 1977 they opened the first Games Workshop store. They went on to become bestselling authors and created an entirely new genre of interactive stories.

Dice Men is more than just the story of an iconic shop which has changed gaming for ever, it’s an insight into the birth of an industry.

Games Workshop has grown from its humble beginnings to become a global company listed on the London Stock Exchange, a FTSE 250 company with a market capitalisation of more than £3.5 billion.

Dice Men is the story of the rollercoaster early years.

Sir Ian was recently interviewed about his new book Dice Men for the BBC's World Business Report, which you can watch here from 21 minutes 30 seconds in.

What will you be reading this Halloween?

If you're looking for a spooky read read this Halloween, you could do a lot worse than play through one of these classic Fighting Fantasy titles.

 

The Dice Men are coming!

Dice Men: The Origin Story of Games Workshop is set to be published by Unbound on 10th November. 

If you fortunate enough to attend Iain McCaig's talk at Fighting Fantasy Fest 4, you will already know that the artist of City of Thieves and Deathtrap Dungeon redrew his original design for the first Games Workshop plastic bag for the cover of the book.

If you backed the book on Unbound, you will be pleased to hear that yesterday Steve Jackson and Sir Ian Livingstone spent the day signing 1,600 backer copies! In fact, you can still pledge your support here.

Voyages en terre d'Arion

Among the traders at Fighting Fantasy Fest 4, back in September, were the French publishers of the Advanced Fighting Fantasy RPG, Scriptarium.

The Scriptarium stand at Fighting Fantasy Fest 4.

Among the products Scriptarium had for sale on their stand was the new French laguage edition of Arion Games' Travels in Arion - Voyages en terre d'Arion.

The book features a colour A2 map of the of city Arion, by Jidus, as well as illustrations by Russ Nicholson and Malcolm Barter. There is also a campaign made up of three scenarios, L'Ecume des Songes by Rémy Lucot and Alexandre Sanna, which is superbly illustrated by Koa.

So, if you are a French reader, or you just love great fantasy art, make sure you check out Voyages en terre d'Arion, as well as the rest of Scriptarium's AFF catalogue.

YOU ARE THE HERO - An Interactive History of Fighting Fantasy Gamebooks

YOU ARE THE HERO - An Interactive History of Fighting Fantasy Gamebooks launches on Saturday 8th October 2022 on Kickstarter!

40 years ago, on 27 August 1982, the very first Fighting Fantasy Gamebook, The Warlock of Firetop Mountain by Steve Jackson and Ian Livingstone, was published.

In 2012 and 2017, FF author Jonathan Green ran successful Kickstarter campaigns to publish YOU ARE THE HERO - A History of Fighting Fantasy Gamebooks and YOU ARE THE HERO Part 2. This year he is planning to publish a revised and updated edition to mark this landmark anniversary - and this time it's going to be interactive!

Check out the rewards and pledge your support on Kickstarter tomorrow.