Review: Curse of the Assassin / Author: S.P. Osborne / Publisher: Tin Man Games / Platform: App for Android / Release Date: Out Now

Tin Man Games lead the world in bringing the old school concept of adventure gamebooks into the modern day, and are the go-to people for gaming adventure that can be downloaded onto a smartphone. In addition to adapting the classic Fighting Fantasy novels, they also produce their own series of games. As their own work is specifically written for the digital format, this new material tends to be very good indeed.

Curse of the Assassin is a direct sequel to the highly popular An Assassin in Orlandes (though it works very well on its own) , and picks up where the previous book left off. You start off as the local hero of Orlandes City, having not only saved the place, but also having successfully wooed the Duke’s daughter. The mysterious murder of an old friend leads to a relatively labyrinthine series of investigations and the like. There is a lot of running through alleys avoiding danger and fighting rogues. As this is a gamebook simulation, the app contains its own artificial dice-rolling mechanic, and the underlying game mechanics seem smoother than those available in the Fighting Fantasy games.

The game is also much denser than your typical Fighting Fantasy novel; this is much more a novel than a game, though it features plenty of game-like elements. On the one hand, this is great; we get a real feel for the world and S.P. Osborne’s writing is slick and interesting, as is his twisty plot. On the other hand, the density of the work means that you’re unlikely to replay this app immediately upon completion, though we thoroughly recommend that you do as there will be something that you have missed. This is another great game from Tin Man, and will delight fans of city-inspired fantasy adventures.