Do you love game books? Are you among the new readers of this type of interactive fiction or are you from the “old guard” grown up with the legendary volumes of the EL editions? TO Play Festival of the Game 2022 there will be numerous proposals for both librigames and comics games with a massive presence of publishers with products dedicated to this world.
The game books are one of the souls that give life to the playful world and find in Play a respectable showcase able to appeal to long-time enthusiasts, but also to newbies. Play will pay particular attention to the game book, with the presence of publishers, groups of enthusiasts, authors and experts, ready to revive this particular segment of the event with various activities and events.
As already done previously for our articles on board games and role-playing games not to be missed, we decided to dedicate a moment also to game book not to be missed. Again our list will contain all those titles we believe relevant in the book-game sector in the segments for experiments and in the transversal one, therefore you will find this list including both titles already available on the market and some news to come.
Play Festival del Gioco 2022: the book games not to be missed
Librogame “for all”:
Librogame “for the experts”:
Lone wolf
(Vincent Books – Stand: Raven Distribution)
Speaking of librigame we could only start from Lone wolfone among the more titles iconic and loved ones of all kinds and probably, if in your life you have read only one game book, the chances that this was one of the volumes of this series (if not the first) are very high.
For this reason we would like to suggest, to those approaching this world for the first time, that they read Lone Wolf 1 – The Lords of Darkness represents a real rite of passage.
Recommended for: those who do not know Lone Wolf, it’s never too late to repair
Bacci Pagano: The Game
(Demoela)
A boxed game that packs well five game book dedicated to the literary character of the same name born from the pen of Bruno Morchio.
In Bacci Pagano – The Game you will pick up the investigations of the investigator trying to solve the five cases of increasing length and difficulty. The game also features a map of the city of Genoa and a page from the 19th century, on which gods are hidden clues for the resolution of cases.
Recommended for: those who love i Detective stories and to those who want to get to know the Ligurian capital better.
Nicolas Eymerich Inquisitor – The Black Sabbath
(Vincent Books – Stand: Raven Distribution)
Not far from the terrible disappearance of Valerio Evangelisti we want to pay homage to this great Italian author with a game book dedicated to one of his most famous and loved characters: Nicolas Eymerich Inquisitor.
Neither The Black Sabbath you will take on the role of the Dominican friar, committed to trying to unravel the intricate skein of a plot against the Church that seems to be taking place simultaneously between present, past and future. The game system de The Black Sabbath is based entirely on only one featurethe Will, of which you will have 30 points to spend wisely.
Recommended for: obviously Evangelisti fans, but also for lovers of graphic adventures.
Do you want to adopt me?
(Dracomaca – Stand: Dracomaca – Lam Edizioni)
Do you want to adopt me? is a curious and original interactive work that redefines the concept of tutorials. The pages of this book will introduce you Willya game book for those who have never read a game book aimed at those who are absolutely starved of fiction at crossroads.
Wily presents an interactive tutorial consisting of themselves 50 paragraphsduring which the peculiar mechanics of the functioning of the game book are exposed and what characteristics differentiate it from a normal book.
All this is demonstrated through a real game book, with crossroads, evidence And illustrations. Willy will challenge you with three different genres (romantic adventure, horror / action and investigative) and will also introduce you to many other books.
Recommended for: whoever wants to understand what is a game book.
The Chronicles of Catusia 1: The Council of Mice
(Librarsi Editions – Stand: Librarsi Editions)
In this game book you will interpret Zampalesta Scarmiglione della Malapena, called the Red Rat Catcher, an adventurer cat and a trusted agent of His Majesty Rexfelis, ruler of the city of Catusia and of the cats of the Forest of the Orme.
Zampalesta will have to defend the kingdom from a plot against the royal family, hatched by the enemies of the Cat Kingdom: the mysterious Council of Mice.
Recommended for: those who love anthropomorphic animals and the fairytale atmosphere
Persephone X
(Aristea – Stand: Aristea)
The aliens are at the gates of the solar system and do not seem to have friendly intentions. It will be up to you readers, as the protagonist William Hunter and all his crew of the spaceship Equality save humanity. To do this you will have to push yourself to the threshold of the last mysterious planet: Persephone X.
This game book features some innovative elements such as the management aspect of the crew and even that of the spaceship.
Recommended for: those who want to experience an adventure similar to Mass Effect
The Zombies. The beginning of the end
(Dracomaca – Stand: Dracomaca – Lam Edizioni)
The Zombies will transport you inside a real one zombie apocalypse full blown. In this game book you will be one of the few survivors of the infection and you will have to make your way through a society now close to annihilation. In this apocalyptic scenario you will have to try to to saveas well as yourself, your family, friends and colleagues.
The game book, which consists of 700 paragraphs and of 9 finals different, provides a game system that uses dice and a double combat system to regulate hand-to-hand combat and ranged combat.
Recommended for: all fans ofzombie apocalypse!
The Legion of Shadows
(United Games – Stand: United Games)
The Legion of Shadows is a game book with splendid color maps and that we would define massive because of its approx 500 pages.
The number of pages isn’t the only thing that stands out in The Legion of Shadowsin fact this volume was devised in amodern opticseliminating the older game mechanics, but without straying too far from the quintessence of the game book, thus giving players something that could resemble a video game action RPG on paper.
Recommended for: those who love librigames dense with action And combat
Carcosa – The Necronomicon Gamebook
(Officina Meningi – Stand: Officina Meningi)
Carcosa – The Necronomicon Gamebook is the second and final game book in the series The Necronomicon Gamebook, written by Valentino Sergi. In this new inspirational adventure Lovecraftian your character will have to try to extricate himself from the long and slimy tentacles of the mysterious King in Yellowin an effort to keep their sanity and life intact. Carcosa – The Necronomicon Gamebook it is a very well done volume, in fact in 2020 it was awarded the Best Edition award at the LGL Award 2020
Recommended for: those who love HP Lovecraft
Hell
(Watson Editions)
The 700th anniversary of the death of Dante has just passed, so what better time not to include this game book on our list?
In Hell you will experience an adventure that will take you all the way in the heart of hell: Dante Alighieri has just come out of Hell, but his brother Francesco, on the other hand, entered it precisely to save the great poet!
Inferno will allow you to play both brothers and thus lead one double exploration of Hades from two alternate and complementary, but equally deadly, points of view.
Recommended for: for those who love Italian literature and want to immerse themselves in Dante atmospheres
