Some stories have a message...kinda...

Additional Notes:

WARNING! (The real one)

This story is pretty offensive, it can get graphic and downright ruthless at times so if you don’t like that sort of humor, don’t read this story. But if you read it anyway don’t complain if you get offended, I did warn you and keep in mind it IS only a story.

(Or read it anyway, get offended and leave a hilariously triggered comment, that's fine too.)

Also, don't bother trying to "win" either. You can't. Just heed the moral lessons you may learn.

One musician's tale in a dying world

Additional Notes:

If you’ve read and liked Necromancer, then this might interest you as this story takes place during the same course of events of that story. (Not a prequel, not a sequel, but an equal!)

However, this story is definitely more “story” than “game”. In fact you shouldn’t even bother reading it if you’re intent on “winning”. You can’t. That being said, there is a “true ending” to this story and you’ll probably know if you get it. If you do get it, you can consider it a “win” if you like.

There are a few points in the story where there are links that lead to “Letters to Home”. While not necessary to understand the story, they do provide a little more insight into the protagonist’s thoughts and feelings on various situations.

The last hope for a dying empire

Additional notes:

This story can be very long assuming you're not dying. Years pass and your surroundings will most likely change. You may very well live a life time in the story.

As with any of my writings, the story comes before the game. However while there isn't a complex inventory and all of that, you can technically "win" by getting one of the epilogues.

There are 13 epilogues total.

There are also several points in the story where there are links that lead to more background information on various people, places, things and events. While not completely necessary to understanding the story, they do give you more insight into it.

Carnivals aren't all fun and games.

Additional Notes:

While there is only one spot that contains extra histories for this story, it's basically the background information of all the major characters and factions. It's strongly recommended that these are read due to the fact that your character will be interacting with most of these folks in his attempts to successfully accomplish his task(s).

This story has a very factional feel to it, so choose your allegiances carefully to get one of the better endings.

If you see a bright light, duck and cover!

Additional notes:

I should point out that this story can be very long assuming you're not dying. Years pass and your surroundings will most likely change. You may very well live a life time in the story if you're lucky. You will also experience a completely different adventure depending on how you escaped the initial nuclear strike. (Assuming you do survive it.)

As with any of my writings, the "story" comes before the "game". However, this story was written in a "game like" format. So while there isn't a complex inventory and all of that, you can technically "win" by getting one of the 4 special endings. (You'll know if you get one because you'll get an epilogue)

This one's for the kids, no really!

Additional Notes:

This story has clear cut win/lose endings. There is nothing excessively unusual about this story, it's just a simple "children's story".

(Yes, you can still die in it)

Running the family business isn't easy!

Additional Notes:

In a few places there are links for history or certain characters. While not necessary to understand the story, they do provide further background information.

There are several endings varying in degrees of good/bad or neutral outcomes. Technically there is one very happy ending, but it isn't labeled as such.

Underneath the sickness there's love...

Additional Notes:

WARNING!

This story contains a lot of graphic content, if you are offended by ultra violence, explicit sexual descriptions, tons of swearing, blasphemy, inappropriate dark humor, and brutal misanthropy in general then DO NOT read this story!

Of course now that I’ve mentioned all the things it contains, you’ll probably read it anyway, you sick little monkey.

Well don’t complain if you get offended, I did warn you and keep in mind it IS only a story.

(Or read it anyway knowing it'll offend you and leave an amusingly triggered comment. That's fine too.)

This also isn't really a "win/lose" type story. While there are some endings better than others, this is basically just a tale about a very twisted man and his very twisted lifestyle.

Additional Notes:

This story is definitely more "story" than "game", however there are two distinct paths that can be followed, each with their own pitfalls and additional choices. There is also "one true" ending in which can be considered a "win" (You'll know if you got it, because you'll get an epilogue)

This story can get long, and assuming you're surviving, years do pass in it and you and your environment will change. There are a few points in the story where there are links that lead to more background information on various people and things. While not completely necessary to understand the story, they do give you more insight into it. The text that accompanies some of the pics are also done for similar purposes (Your journal entries, personal thoughts, letters written to you, etc)

Humanity never changes...

Additional Notes:

There are links leading to various background information and your character's current thoughts throughout the story. In some cases these may provide greater insight since some mysterious things can occur in this story.

There are also several endings varying in degrees of good/bad/neutral outcomes. Technically there is one ultimate "winning" ending, but it isn't labeled as such.

Emotions can be wonderful or dangerous...

Additional Notes:

This story has a few bits that are probably a bit on the disturbing side. Not many, but they are there in places. So if you don't like that sort of thing, you probably shouldn't read it.

This story in general is probably a bit odd and less verbose than most of my other stories. There are also several endings varying in degrees of good/bad/neutral outcomes. While there are some endings better than others, this is basically just the tale of a teenager who definitely has some issues.

From humble beginning to infamy and beyond!

Additional notes:

This story is a fully self contained one and can easily be read on its own, however it also acts as a "sequel" to Innkeeper.

As with any of my writings, the story comes before the game. However while there isn't a complex inventory and all of that, you can technically "win" by getting one of the 12 epilogues.

Things would be so much easier if your name was Mary Sue

Additional notes:

This story is a fully self contained one and can easily be read on its own, however it also acts as:

A direct sequel to the "Good Girl" short story in Tales From The Basement.

A semi sequel to the other TFTB short stories, Repression, TRASH, Love SICK and Geek.

A semi prequel to Ground Zero.

As with any of my writings, the story comes before the game. However while there isn't a complex inventory and all of that, you can still "win" by getting one of the epilogues.

There are 16 epilogues total.

Because Basement Dwellers are people too!

Additional Notes:

This story is three stories in one. Your first choice will lead to a separate tale of a different “basement dweller”. Each one is mostly different in tone.

Ebay Escapist is weird and random. It’s the least verbose of the three. (Or my stories in general)

Good Girl is the longest and most descriptive of the three. There is some weirdness going on here too, but is mostly kept much more in "reality". There is a cast of characters link in the beginning to help you keep up with who’s who.

Anime Addict has a lot of offensive language and humor, so if you don't like that sort of thing you shouldn’t read this one.

In all the tales there are several endings varying in degrees of good/bad/neutral outcomes. While there are some endings better than others, these are basically just tales of basement dwellers.

It's an edgelord boogaloo!

Additional Notes:

This story is three stories in one where it follows a different protagonist based on the first choice.

This story is also probably really offensive or something. Probably shouldn't read it if that's not your thing, but feel free to do so anyway and complain loudly in the comments since those are always good for a laugh.

Anyway, there's your extra warning. You can't say you weren't told.

Incel Insanity and Whining Wokie are all new tales, while Film Fanatic is a "reboot" of sorts of an older story called Exploitation Theater. Yes, it's finally here and been greatly expanded on.

As always the story is always more important than the game focus, but also as always, you definitely can get better endings than others.

Three ladies. Three legends.

Additional notes:

This story is a fully self contained one and can easily be read on its own, however it also acts as a connection to Rogues, Eternal and Necromancer.

As with any of my writings, the story comes before the game. However there is an epilogue for each "winning" ending.

Yee Haw! It's a trailer park life for me!

Additional Notes:

This story has a ton of offensive langauge and humor so if you don't like that sort of thing, you probably shouldn't read it. Though given the setting, the language used is pretty accurate.

This also isn't really a "win/lose" type story. While there are some endings better than others, this is basically just a tale about a typical day of a degenerate that lives in a trailer park.

I actually never suggested anything since I didn't really think my general style would be something you were into. Then again I've been wrong about that before. (Gower gave surprisingly high praise to all the stuff he has read for example)

Anyway, yeah Rogues if you want a long fantasy story with a bunch of different endings. Though if you want something long that's non-fantasy I'd say Ground Zero.

It actually goes back further than that. Oldest ones go back as far as 10 years ago or more.

This is almost like the old days when we used to have threads called “Draw My Attention” (Later “Risk My Attention”)

Here’s an example of what it consisted of if you weren’t around for those.

https://chooseyourstory.com/forums/the-lounge/message/25148

Is he even in the contest?

Done anyway.

I was using the term "mean" very loosely. Most of the comment have been pretty standard really. Like I said I think a couple of yours and maybe a couple of Flux's have been on the "meaner" side, but again it was more a general statement that if I did see a truly mean comment it's not like I wouldn't feature it as long as it wasn't just someone spamming "Kill ur self faggot, lol" 3 million times.

Stuff like that you want to save for the forums after all.

Since I believe I’m about the only admin bothering to feature comments (Other than maybe Mizal occasionally) a few old comments are getting featured since it’s typically a case of me actually paying attention to the comment section for a change. Really I’m only doing it when I see it on the front page anyway, I’m certainly not digging deep into the comments list.

Personally I think they should still be counted, but its Will and Mystic’s contest so its up to them.

I’m also only half paying attention to who is actually in the contest since so many have joined and I haven’t kept up. Some of them I know for sure are in it because I’m seeing consistent input. Others haven’t done shit, so I’m not even certain they’re even in it at all.

I’m more or less going by effort I see with the comments. Longer ones are generally getting priority mainly because as was pointed out there’s more than a few stories that just have very short comments on them. Since there’s currently a “5 comm limit” some shit might be getting bumped off. If you want to know priority in such things, well…

The older and less active the member comment, the more likely it can get bumped. Same is true if you see a comment by an unwashed “guest” that never actually made an account. (Though there shouldn’t be too many of those actually featured)

If you’re a little more familiar with the rich complex lore of CYS, you can also apply this to members that are now banned, fallen out of favor for various reasons or in rare cases changed their account and going by a new one now. (Try and guess which ones!)

Things of course get judged a little more if there's already 5 and they're all by current contest members. And since I feel like I'm doing more work than I need to anyway, I might just let another admin decide. (Hopefully Mizal's paying attention in this case!)

And contrary to popular belief I actually am skimming through the comments enough to notice if someone was just spamming bullshit. For example Fluxion is lucky someone else featured his one comments where at the end he spammed the same words over and over again a shitload of times, because I certainly wouldn’t have regardless of the rest of the content. Don’t do this, it’s annoying.

Honestly though I don’t really care if you’re being mean on the comments, but I haven’t really seen this anyway. I suppose Rex might be the closest, but he’s a lot more subdued than most here having only recently gained citizenship and all. I haven’t seen a swear laden rant about how an author should go kill themselves or something by anyone, of course this could change if Petros starts commenting more on stuff.

Presumably most of the REALLY shitty stories are deleted by now or taken down anyway, so none of the current ones are going to stir up enough omnidirectional hatred. Ben’s stories might be the exception, but that’s to be expected.

So when I’m busy NOT reading stories on here, I’m also busy not reading shit I actually bought, however that’s probably going to change soon. (Actually reading my gamebooks I mean, not reading stuff here of course)

The problem is, I’ve acquired so many over the past few years, it’s a bit of tyranny of choice thing not knowing which series to start with and such. Like should I start with the most recent series I bought or the first one I bought? Should I start with a gamebook that’s a one shot and done or should I just delve into the series that connects with other books in the series?

Maybe by posting these here some of you lot might have some responses, or perhaps one of you has even played some of these and have an opinion. Ultimately the goal is to get through them all and write review of them too.

Anyway let’s go over them in no logical order other than my own.

Fabled Lands

Alright so this would technically be the oldest of all the series seeing as it originally came out in the 90s, just unfortunately never came out in the US, or at least not around where I lived. It’s been revived a few times and I even managed to play an early digital version of it back around 2010 or so. (And I think it was a somewhat altered version and only consisted of two of the books)

Arguably the biggest “gimmick” of this series is its basically like playing a sandbox RPG, just in book format. You go roaming about the land getting into adventures and each book is a separate land with its own cultures, struggles, etc. You don’t finish one book and move on to the immediate next one since they’re all part of a greater whole.

There were originally supposed to be 12 books to complete the set, but only 6 were ever published, however with this newest revival a seventh book has been added and it seems to be the thickest of the lot. Flipping through the books, I do see passages numbering in 600-800 range. The last one even hitting 1200, but these books I have are larger than the normal paperback size so they’re able to fit more entries per page and many of them aren’t very big. Still it’s obviously a lot despite the books not being as thick as you’d think with that many entries.

I’ll probably do this series a little later since it’s technically not complete even if you don’t need all the books to enjoy the series. Plus I have played some of it as I said digitally and out of all these books, there might actually be some of you that played this one. (Digital or real book) Maybe by the time I get through some of these other gamebooks, the Fabled Lands series will be complete.

Alright moving on…

The Vulcanverse

This would be the other series where all the books interconnect like giant sandbox to create a greater world. Again these books are much more oversized than a normal paperback so despite having a lot of entries, they aren’t as thick as one might think.

I only have the most basic information, but it seems to be an ancient world type setting (Greece inspired mainly). It also was based on some online game that involves (ugh) NFTs. Happily the gamebooks obviously don’t require such eye blinding cryptobro nonsense. Though the main reason why these interested me is due to being written by the same authors of Fabled Lands. Apparently they wrote these to help fund some of the Fabled Land book revival and try to get the new ones made (Like the seventh one) Do what you gotta I guess.

Set up mechanics seems similar to the Fabled Lands so I imagine these will be similar just a different world. Again I’ll probably save this series for later.

One Shots

So when I first started on my mission searching for gamebooks, Rider of the Black Sun and Sword of the Bastard Elf were among the first ones I found and bought. When I got them I didn’t expect them to be as big as they actually were.

Rider is actually the only one of these books that has a hard cover, it’s pretty sizable too. I think the entries are coming close to 1000 if not already there. From what I can tell this one might actually have a “main story” and then a “side one” you play later as a different character. I suppose it would be like if I combined Necromancer and Death Song into one story. (Hey there’s an idea for later)

Obviously haven’t played it yet, but it’s set up in chapters so it’s definitely going for a “novel” approach. Even has a built in bookmarker.

Sword is probably the biggest of all the gamebooks I have, coming in at nearly at 2000 entries along with being oversized. From what I can gather, the tone of this one is going more for humor and the character I think is more of a ne’er do well type so should hopefully be an interesting change from what all the others are like. (Hoping for a Rogues like tone)

Initial plans were definitely to play these two and…just like with all great plans shit happened so it didn’t get done. Tempted to read these ones first because of that.

As for The Castle of Blackwood Moors, I have no idea. I got that one a lot later and haven’t even looked at it much. The most recognizable thing about it is the wrap around map of the world on the front and back cover. I feel like it’s going to either be much better than expected or very meh.

Expeditionary Company

While Fabled Lands and the Vulcanverse might be an interconnected series, you technically don’t need all the books to play them. You could easily just have any one from the series and jump in.

You can’t do that with this one. You NEED the first 3 books of it. You have to think of this as a gamebook with a SHITLOAD of rules to the point where it needed two more books just to cover all the encounters AND then added a 4th book in case you want to add even MORE rules for some fucking insane reason.

Concept is you’re running a merchant caravan and traveling from city to city making profit in a fantasy setting. You need to track how long it’ll take, your supplies, your goods, your guards, the weather, etc. Obviously assail, you’ll get into unexpected adventures along the way.

Oh, also the world is fucking DYING too. This is a doomed world and shit isn’t getting much better, so I’m guessing your humble company at some point can get roped into trying to fix things so the end of the world doesn’t happen. (Or just ignore it and watch the world burn I guess)

Honestly, it’s all a great concept, but the problem is obvious. It’s complex as hell. If I’m playing this one, I better set everything else aside because it’s going to take all my focus and time.

Destiny Quest

Now these books are pretty damn thick. Most of them in that near 1000 passages range if not over it in at least one of the books. The covers look like they’re more of a fantasy novel series rather than gamebooks.

A quick glance through and they’re not really slacking in the story aspect from what I can tell so the series in general is more similar to what I saw from glancing through the Rider book. The actual game mechanics seems to allow for multiple ways to build up your character depending on your class, so there’s some variation here. The first three books don’t seem to be connected other than set in the same world I believe. The fourth and fifth books seem to be part of the “Sands of Time Trilogy.” I don’t think you’re doing some sort of Lonewolf thing of carrying your character over from one book to the next though.

The sixth book of the series appears to be a little different than the others. In fact I think it might be more of a “spinoff” rather than part of the series proper. It’s smaller for one thing and seems to focus more on combat. That one actually came with a separate “battle book” you’re supposed to use for the combat system.

This is another series I might do later, not sure if I should read these before or after something like the Fabled Lands/Vulcanverse though.

Roll On Adventures

Alright taking an “L” on these.

The reason being I think all the illustrations in these books are AI and I can’t find any named illustrator in the credits. When I first looked at the books I thought something looked a little “off” but most of the pics that were displayed in the examples seemed fine and I didn’t notice any of the obvious weird finger shit on them. Glancing through them now and I’m seeing the horrible mistakes in some of the pics.

Oh well, what’s done is done. It’s entirely possible the actual gamebooks are fine and it’s just guilty of using AI shit. I dunno though, these are probably the least thick of all the books. Probably more similar to the average paperback gamebook size found back in the 80s.

I’m definitely not motivated to play these anytime soon. Might play these dead last.

Happily I don’t have to end this on a bad note, because I recently bought this series…

Savage Realms

And this is the series that has got me in the mood to actually play all these fucking books as opposed to just buying more to sit on my shelf to look pretty.

I gotta say the covers on these probably copy the old 80s Fighting Fantasy books the most. In fact going through some of the notes made in the books, at least one of the authors mentions that’s what inspired him and has a picture of the US cover of Warlock of Firetop Mountain inside.

The books all vary in thickness, though all of them are oversized. I think the larger ones are in the 500 range with passage numbers. Six of the nine books all take place in the same fantasy world, but three of them have completely different settings. Horror, Post Apocalyptic and Science Fiction. The FF series dabbled in different settings too, so I’m interested in seeing if they succeed in designing a good science fiction gamebook which never seemed to work as well in the FF series.

The illustrations in this one are all by real artists thankfully. I think one of them actually did artwork for the FF series at one time.

Strongly leaning towards playing these first of course.

Well that’s all I got so far.

Feel free to make comments, suggestions or whatever below.

Still finding it amusing that she said what Cel said was only "a bit racist"

He's either slipping or it was a slow day that day.

As I've said in other threads (and I believe even in the newspaper interview) I'm trying to get this done at least by November of this year though even December would be fine. Probably behind schedule in the scheme of things as far as progress thanks to distractions and other real life stuff popping up, but I really want to get this finished before the year is up.

Failing that, I suppose the next target date would be after the next prompt contest next year. (Right after everyone turns in their entries of course) Wouldn't be ideal since that would make this the longest I've gone between publishing a new story (probably already is) but it happens.

Another major ending down. Now to just fill up the smaller branches for this path and I can move on to the second major path.