Gamebook Adventures 11: Songs of the Mystics Review

Tin Man Games’ Gamebook Adventures series has done a fine job of demonstrating just how enjoyable the interactive fiction market can be. Working well alongside the adaptations of the Fighting Fantasy series, they’re frequently captivating and highly entertaining. Gamebook Adventures 11: Songs of the Mystics is no different.

This time around you’re the daughter of the Earth Queen, leader of the Mystics, and you need to escape a dastardly plot to end your life. Ok, so it might not be the world’s most innovative of plots but Gamebook Adventures 11: Songs of the Mystics does a good job of throwing in original elements to keep you hooked.

One such element is the addition of songs. As the title suggests, songs play a valuable role here. Vaguely reminiscent of Link’s use of the Ocarina in the Legend of Zelda games, they can unlock various hidden sides to the storyline, assuming you’ve learnt them earlier on, of course.

Like with all of Tin Man Games’s titles, you can choose between a few different difficulty levels. That means you can take the wimp’s route of casual, allowing you to choose any option you want, regardless of what you possess, or you can play the true form of the game - frequently being tested. It’s a good way of ensuring that those with limited time will still get plenty out of Gamebook Adventures 11: Songs of the Mystics.

It’s an interesting story too, with a plethora of enemies to vanquish through dice rolls, and plenty of achievements to unlock to gain that all important sense of victory.

Throughout, Gamebook Adventures 11: Songs of the Mystics looks quite glorious, too. It captures that traditional adventure gamebook feel with some particularly delightful pieces of artwork. While it’s arguably business as usual, Gamebook Adventures 11: Songs of the Mystics is a fine installment to an already great series.