Happy New Year!

2026 marks the 40th anniversary of six Fighting Fantasy gamebooks - Demons of the Deep, Sword of the Samurai, Trial of Champions, Robot Commando, Masks of Mayhem, and the groundbreaking Creature of Havoc.

It is also 40 years since Titan - The Fighting Fantasy World and The Riddling Reaver were published, and the only two-player Fighting Fantasy gamebook, Clash of the Princes.

Over the coming year, the Warlock will be considering these much-loved publications, and doubtless they will be discussed at Fighting Fantasy 6, which will be taking place later this year in September.

Scott Mackay's Fighting Fantasy Maps

Scott Mackay has made a name for himself with his hand-drawn and painted solution maps of classic Fighting Fantasy gamebooks.

The Warlock's goblins recently dragged Scott into the tunnels beneath Firetop Mountain to be interrogated about his work.

The Warlock: What was your first experience of Fighting Fantasy?

Scott Mackay: I first discovered Fighting Fantasy in 1984 in my local Woolworths (of all places)! I saw the cover for Island of the Lizard King and picked it up and was intrigued by the numbered passages. Loved it from the first attempt at saving Mungo (RIP!). I then bought all the previous books eventually and the new books as they were released.

Scott Mackay with two of his Fighting Fantasy solution maps.

TW: Which is your favourite FF gamebook?

SM: Ohh tough one... can I pick a short list of four? I'll go for my first book Island of the Lizard King - I loved the open world feel to it and the amazing Alan Langford illustrations. I'll then go for two city-based ones - City of Thieves and Kharé - Cityport of Traps. I always liked the city adventures and these two are my favourites. The closed-in feel to the streets, all the shops, the encounters - so much life to them! Finally, I'll go for Creature of Havoc - hard as nails and no idea what to do/who/what you are at the start... and I never completed it!

TW: Did any of the FF artists inspire you as an artist?

SM: I've got to say that the quality of the illustrations throughout all the Fighting Fantasy books I read was always amazing and added so much to the books. My favourite illustrators from the books were Alan Langford, Iain McCaig, Russ Nicholson and the illustrators for Caverns of the Snow Witch, Gary Ward and Edward Crosby. It's very likely that some of the illustrations from these artists got me into art initially as I so admired them during my formative years. I took art at school but eventually decided to go down a different path for further education/work. I finally came back to art a number of years ago and now you'll find me with a pencil or a paintbrush most evenings.

TW: Are there any adventures in particular for which you would like to produce a solution map?

SM: I've recently started to work on maps for the Sorcery! series. I've been looking forward to getting to Sorcery! for a while now, and the four books should prove a worthy challenge. I'm also looking forward to getting to Trial of Champions and Return to Firetop Mountain, to see how they compare to their 'parent' books. Finally, I'm also hoping to produce a map for Creature of Havoc, as I never finished this book back in the day.

A sneak peek at Scott's new Sorcery! map.

TW: If you were transported to the worlds of FF and dropped into an adventure with one of your maps, which one would you like it to be?

SM: I'll have to go for my first book and the last map I recently completed - Island of the Lizard King. I'd like to think that my map is the map you're handed by the islander in the game. As I said previously, the open world feeling to it, the great illustrations from Alan Langford and the fact it was my first Fighting Fantasy book make it the one I would most like to be 'dropped' into. Also, I would make sure to save Mungo!

You will be pleased to hear that Scott has now been released from Firetop Mountain so that he can continue to work on his Sorcery! maps.

You will find all the FF solution maps he has produced so far here.

Livro-Jogo

In case you are a Portuguese-speaker, you may be interested to know that Jambô Editora have published a large number of Fighting Fantasy gamebooks in Brazil.

There are currently 21 titles available, including new editions of Steve Jackson's Creature of Havoc and Sir Ian Livingstone's Crypt of the Sorcerer. They all have different cover art from the English editions and some have alternative interior artwork too.

Creature of Havoc comes to Fighting Fantasy Classics

The necromancer Zharradan Marr is close to stealing the secrets of Elven magic and none can stop him. YOU are the Creature of Havoc, a monstrous beast with a taste for fighting. Ruled only by hunger and rage, you have no knowledge of your past or destiny. Will you stop Marr or succumb to his evil?

Steve Jackson's seminal Fighting Fantasy gamebook Creature of Havoc has joined the other titles on the Fighting Fantasy Classics shelf on Steam, courtesy of Tin Man Games.

Featuring Alan Langford's original illustrations, this is a faithful adaptation of what, for many, is the ultimate gamebook.

An appointment with Zharradan Marr and his minions awaits you! Dare you face the mighty Darramouss or ride the Galleykeep, a flying ship of great renown?

“This book has what must be one of the densest and most satisfying plots of any FF, which, through constant changes of location, ongoing aims, and self-awareness, remains compelling and pretty intense throughout.” - Mathus Dire

Any die-hard Fighting Fantasy fan will tell you that this gamebook is brutal, but brilliant. Steve Jackson really found his stride with Creature of Havoc, the 24th book in the original Puffin paperback run. It is also one of the longest gamebooks in the series and includes a detailed background into the goings-on in Trolltooth Pass. Enjoy the pain, revel in becoming the beast, and seek out the truth! Grab it NOW!

If you're new to Fighting Fantasy Classics, now is a great time to try them out, with these two great bundle deals available now!

Tolkien Reading Day

Today is Tolkien Reading Day, an event begun in 2003 by the Tolkien Society, to celebrate and promote the life and works of J.R.R. Tolkien by reading favourite passages from his books.

The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings have had an immeasurable impact on fantasy literature and roleplaying games, particularly in the 1970s and '80s, providing many with the template for fantasy races - humans, elves, dwarfs and orcs - as well as monsters, such as dragons and giant spiders, and all powerful wizards.

However, among Tolkien's most popular, well-known and enduring creations were the Hobbits.

As fans of Fighting Fantasy will know, Hobbits make an appearance in Steve Jackson's seminal Creature of Havoc - the 'hero' having a penchant for snacking on the diminutive beings - but did you know that Hobbits could have featured even more heavily, but for one particular moment in FF history?

Roll the clock back 41 years to early 1980. The synopsis for the book that would eventually become The Warlock of Firetop Mountain was finished and sent off to commissioning editor Geraldine Cooke at Penguin Books, with a detailed encounter from the adventure that demonstrated the gamebook style attached, for her to consider. The up and coming editor suspected she had something special on her hands but she found it hard to convince anyone else at Penguin that this was the case.

“The idea was thrown out on its ear at the Penguin editorial meeting,” explains Cooke. “Senior Penguin management roared with laughter at the idea... I managed to keep the idea on the agenda for months and kept on batting away at it.”

Incredibly, Penguin sat on the proposal for over six months before making a formal offer, and publishing it through their children's imprint Puffin Books.

During this time, understandably Livingstone and Jackson’s frustrations grew. At one point, Jackson went so far as to send the synopsis to Allen & Unwin, publishers of The Lord of the Rings, but they politely declined to take the project on. 

Just think how different things might have been had they said yes...

The 12 Fighting Fantasy Days of Christmas - Day 6

Fans of Tin Man Games' digital app adaptations of classic Fighting Fantasy gamebooks will be pleased to hear that the next two titles in the Fighting Fantasy Classics series have been announced.

Written by Steve Jackson

Are you ready for the most unusual Fighting Fantasy adventure yet?

You begin this adventure not knowing where you are or who you are. All you know is that you are some kind of creature of instinct, understanding little. During the course of the adventure, it may be possible for you to begin to control your bestial nature, to find out more about yourself, and even to learn your destiny. But even if you know all this, success is by no means certain, for the traps and terrors of Trolltooth Pass are many... Are you ready — to become the Creature of Havoc? 

Written by Ian Livingstone

The dark, twisted power of the young Malbordus is reaching its zenith!

All he needs now is to retrieve the five dragon artefacts which have been hidden for centuries in the lost city of Vatos, somewhere in the Desert of Skulls. Each day that passes brings him closer to them and only YOU can stop him! YOUR mission is to reach the lost city before Malbordus and destroy the treasures he seeks. But beware! Each step you take leads you closer to your doom...

Two dice, a pencil and an eraser are all you need to make your journey. YOU decide which route to follow, which dangers to risk and which foes to fight!

Watch this space for more news from Tin Man Games in the New Year...

La Créature Venue du Chaos

The latest Fighting Fantasy gamebook to be reissued by Gallimard Jeunesse in French is Steve Jackson's Creature of Havoc, or La Créature Venue du Chaos.

Is this the first time the 'hero' has appeared on the cover of a Fighting Fantasy gamebook?

The cover art is by Paul Mafayon, a French artist who also provided the wraparound covers for the newest French editions of Ian Livingstone's Deathtrap Dungeon and Caverns of the Snow Witch.

This new large format edition of La Créature Venue du Chaos includes Alan Langford's original illustrations, as well as the addition of a bonus Archives of Allansia section - focusing on places, characters and monsters connected to the adventure - and a set of pre-generated characters.

If you would like to add the Gallimard Jeunesse editions to your Fighting Fantasy collection, you can purchase them here.

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.

Steve Beales' Rhino-Men

Fighting Fantasy gamebooks are full of iconic monsters. One favourite fantasy species is the Rhino-Men, that appeared in Steve Jackson's The Citadel of Chaos and Creature of Havoc. And now miniature modeller Steve Beales has created his own Rhino-Men figures.

To find out how Steve set about creating his Rhino-Men, visit his blog Somewhere the Tea's Getting Cold.

And talking of Fighting Fantasy miniatures, remember, if you buy your ticket for Fighting Fantasy Fest 3 before 1st August you will automatically be entered into a prize draw to win 1 of 10 FF Legends models, courtesy of Atlantis Miniatures.

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!

Fighting Fantasy Audio Dramas ready for pre-order!

Exciting news! The Fighting Fantasy Audio Dramas Boxset is now available for pre-order, ready for release in late November or early December.

The Boxset contains adaptations of Steve Jackson's The Citadel of Chaos and Creature of Havoc, as well as Ian Livingstone's The Forest of Doom and Deathtrap Dungeon, and features the voice talents of none other than David Warner (as Yaztromo), Charlie Higson (as Baron Sukumvit), Lisa Bowerman (as Evelina of Dree), Andrew Wincott (as Balthus Dire), and Games of Thrones' Richard Rycroft (as Throm the Barbarian).

The audio dramas also feature the return of Rachel Atkins (as Vale Moonwing) and Tim Treloar (as Cassius Stormblade).

Extras confirmed for the Boxset release include:

• Cast interviews - featuring every cast member involved in the production, including two extended interviews with FF scribes Charlie Higson and Jonathan Green!
• The Writer's Tale - scriptwriter David N. Smith reveals his thoughts on the writing of the Boxset scripts.
• The Making Of.... - a documentary detailing the process of bringing the Boxset to life.
• The Warlock of Firetop Mountain Original Demo - hear the original six minute demo pitch that started the whole thing off!
• Music Suites - featuring all-new score for the boxset.

And if you are new to the range, Fighting Fantasy Audio Dramas are having a limited run flash sale of their first release, The Warlock of Firetop Mountain: The Hero's Quest.