Adventure game books are a thing that  never really went away. Every few years or so, a publisher comes across the bright idea that books can not only tell stories, but that they can also be turned into an interactive game.  Shadow Chaser is a ‘Choose Your Own Story’ book that’s aimed at young fantasy fans, but designed to be enjoyed by pretty much anyone.

It’s a book that requires dice, but it’s a very simple system (much simpler than the likes of Fighting Fantasy), and you’ll mostly picking up the dice to either avoid trouble or start it. You are an apprentice, and dark forces are gathering across the fantasy kingdom you call your home. People are vanishing and a mysterious shadow is spreading across the land. Of course, you are the hero and it’s up to you to save the kingdom.

The early options are a little limited in order to get the story started in good form; you can either run away or get arrested. After that small amount of rail-roading, the book opens up somewhat and they are many ways to solve this puzzle. The narrative keeps the pace throughout. Adventure books can  suffer from choice paralysis which slows down the game, but not here. The tone is light, fun and the story is enough of a page turner that you keep going back. They are some illustrated puzzles throughout, and these are a lot of fun. Tom Knight’s illustrations are light and just on the right side of weird.

This is a great book for young minds who are new to fantasy gaming. Older gamers won’t find much of a challenge here, but they will find a fair bit of fun. This is a book that requires a notepad and a bit of patience; it’s a strong mix of puzzle book and adventure.

Writer Simon Tudhope has created a charming and entertaining work and we’d love to see a sequel sometime soon.