I’m an unabashed fan of classic “choose your own adventure” style gamebooks. Sure, most of my fondness for the genre has its roots in nostalgia, but I still collect them (there are treasures to be found at used bookstores), and I’m continually amazed at just how many different series there were.

From the OG Choose Your Own Adventure books to Time Machine, Twistaplot, Find Your Fate, Endless Quest, Lone Wolf, Fighting Fantasy, and so many more, the 80s were the absolute heyday for immersive gamebooks.

But they’re still around, and there are a number of series putting out new books that deserve more attention. In this series, we’ll highlight a few of the books and series that require you to read closely, make decisions, and hopefully avoid a gruesome end.

The first series of Endless Quest gamebooks was originally published by TSR in the 80s. A majority of the series’ 36 books were set in the world of Dungeons & Dragons, and the books featured fairly simple mechanics and decisions (like the massively popular Choose Your Own Adventure books) rather than deeper, RPG-style gameplay.

They’re classics of the genre.

In 2018, author Matt Forbeck and Candlewick Entertainment revived the series and helped bring the gamebook format back from near extinction. Each of the books focuses on the Dungeons & Dragons archetype characters: Fighter, Wizard, Cleric, and Rogue.

Currently available are the following:

• Escape the Underdark (Fighter)
• Big Trouble (Wizard)
• To Catch a Thief (Rogue)
• Into the Jungle (Cleric)
• Escape from Castle Ravenloft (Cleric)
• The Mad Mage’s Academy (Rogue)

Listen to my conversation with Matt Forbeck here. We talk about a lot of things but concentrate on his Endless Quest books.

Each title is loosely based on a Dungeons & Dragons 5th edition campaign, but you certainly don’t need any preexisting D&D knowledge to dive into and enjoy these books. And though they target younger readers, they’re in fact a great introduction to both D&D and gamebooks in general.

Like the originals, this new Endless Quest series focuses on storytelling and simple decisions over complicated gameplay. Your interaction with the story is almost always a simple either/or decision, so the format here should be familiar to anyone who’s read a CYOA-style book.

Nevertheless, between Forbeck’s immersive writing (and strong understanding of D&D) and the gorgeous illustrations throughout, these books are a ton of fun… even if you’re not a D&D player. Think of them as “just another fantasy setting,” and you’ll still enjoy them.

Here, I’ll tease you with a few of the opening lines to give you a taste of what to expect:

• “You wake in a large four-poster bed in a musty room that smells of cold stone and ancient death.”
• “The ground of Ardeep Forest trembles, and you are troubled.”
• “The last you remember, you were in a tavern, about to embark on your new career as an adventurer.”
• “You’re an idiot.”

There’s lots of adventure to be had, deaths to avoid, and choices to make along the way. It’s great to see Endless Quest back and in such capable hands.