Billick O'Doone

Warning! Spoilers ahead for Steve Jackson's
Secrets of Salamonis

If you have read  Steve Jackson's Secrets of Salamonis you will have encountered a certain child-like character who goes by the name of Billick O'Doone and who is, in fact, a Leprechaun. He even appears in one of Tazio Bettin's filler illustrations that appear throughout the book.

Billick O'Doone, by Tazio Bettin.

The inclusion of the character was not just some random idea. Billick O'Doone first appeared in another Steve Jackson project many years ago - the telephone RPG F.I.S.T. Adventures.

If you have yet to play Steve Jackson's latest adventure, you can buy it here. To find out more titbits of curious information about the world's premier gamebook series, it's not too late to place a Late Pledge to Jonathan Green's ultimate 40th anniversary edition of this FF gamebooks history YOU ARE THE HERO .

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

The Dice Man Cometh

Sir Ian Livingstone was recently interviewed for the Digitiser channel on YouTube. During the course of the interview, which starts at 20:00, Sir Ian talks Mr Biffo through the history of Games Workshop, Fighting Fantasy, and Tomb Raider.

Return to the City of Thieves at the UK Games Expo 2023

Three months from today, on Saturday 3rd June 2023, you could enter of eponymous City of Thieves* in the company of Sir Ian Livingstone himself and stalwart Fighting Fantasy adventurer John "The Dark Room" Robertson, at the UK Games Expo 2023.

Fighting Fantasy has been a mainstay of the UKGE for many years, with the live readthroughs being a particular highlight. After being unable to attend last year, Sir Ian Livingstone is back to put John Robertson through his paces once more.

John, with the help of an enthusiastic audience, will take on the role of an adventurer on a quest to find and stop the powerful Night Prince Zanbar Bone, a being whose minions are terrorizing the town of Silverton. Hired by a desperate mayor, John and his advisors** will journey to the dangerous city state of Port Blacksand, in search of the wizard Nicodemus, who apparently knows of Bone's one weakness. 

Tickets for the event are available here, and half of the revenue from each sale will be added to the UKGE Charity donations.

To find out more and book your ticket, follow this link.

* Which is 40 years old this year!

** The audience.

World Book Day 2023

World Book Day is all about encouraging young readers. But what if you are trying to encourage reluctant readers? Have no fear, for Fighting Fantasy gamebooks are here.

Proven to improve literacy levels, their exciting storylines, gruesome monsters, and short sections help those who are starting out on their reading journey engage with the text. The books also aid with the development of other vital life skills, such as decision-making, problem-solving, and numeracy.

So why not check out the Fighting Fantasy series today?