Posted by Ryan Johnson on Mar 6, 2010

Fighting Fantasy: Deathtrap Dungeon

Categories: Games, | 0 comments | |

If you’re a fan of RPG Books (Roll-Playing Game), then you’re probably already familiar with the Fighting Fantasy series by Steve Jackson and Ian Livingstone. Fighting Fantasy: Deathtrap Dungeon, developed by Big Blue Bubble Inc., is the iPhone/iPod Touch version of the popular RPG book. This game app folds a captivating story in with critical thinking, hard to make choices, and game changing rewards and punishments based on which decisions and paths you choose.

Fighting Fantasy: Deathtrap Dungeon is a story filled with twists and turns. In this story you are the hero. You decide which route to take, which dangers to face, and what risks to pursue. You determine your own fate and the fate of others. As you read you’ll be faced with a world filled with dark magic, terrifying monsters, sprawling castles, merciless dungeons, and limitless danger. Your ability to process the story as you read, to remember critical pieces of information, and to make the right decisions based on that information is what will determine how long your game will last.

To begin play you must roll dice to determine your initial strengths and weaknesses; your skill, stamina, and luck scores. To roll one die you just tap the screen, and to roll two dice you shake your iPhone/iPod Touch. Skill and luck is measured by a single die roll + 6 and stamina is measured by rolling two dice and adding your score + 12. Skill determines your swordsmanship and fighting expertise, stamina represents your overall strength (meaning your will survive longer), and your luck is exactly that. You might end up in situations where your skill and stamina are no match for what’s in front of you, but it could be your luck that pulls you through in the end. In a world full of immense challenges, dark magic, and flesh devouring monsters, the importance of luck is immeasurable.

From this point you’re on your own. Your ability to make the correct decisions determines what challenges and enemies you face and whether or not you loose or gain strength, stamina, and luck. There’s simply no way to just guess your way through this game. It’s all about your ability to learn from your readings, embark on the journeys that best suit your overall strength, stamina, and luck, and to consistently come out on the winning end of each battle or challenge. Failing to do so will end your story and game quickly.

Fighting Fantasy: Deathtrap Dungeon provides an interesting and fun experience. The combination of story + game becomes more and more addictive as you progress deeper into the book. At first it took me a while to get into this app. I’m the type that searches for instant gratification so I wanted to press buttons more than read. One things for sure, that doesn’t get you anywhere. So once I gave up on the button pressing method and sat down and started reading, the better I did. The further along I read the more I got sucked into the story and game. The sounds, graphics, and effects all add to the overall experience. The story starts to take shape before your eyes. What’s interesting about the game is that my story reading experience is going to be different than your story reading experience. The book becomes your own, which before long makes every challenge and battle a personal one. You really want to succeed. If you take the time to get to know this app for what it is then you’ll probably appreciate it as much as I did. It’s definitely worth checking out, but keep in mind this isn’t a button pressing, accelerometer wielding action game, it’s a roll-playing strategy game that requires reading and imagination. If you approach it with that mindset I think you’ll really enjoy it.

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