Choose Your Own Adventure: Difference between revisions
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[[File:CaveOfTime.jpg|link=Trope Maker|frame|To confront the viking ghost, go to page 87. To flee the viking ghost, [[Railroading|go to page 87]].]]
{{quote|'''Example:'''▼
▲Gamebooks are [[Interactive Fiction]] and a paper [[Adventure Game]]. The player advances the action by reading a short passage describing a scene and choosing one of several actions. To take that action, the player reads a numbered section in the book. The eponymous ''Choose Your Own Adventure'' series is a famous and highly successful example of the gamebook genre with 250 million copies in print. The peak of the gamebook craze came in the 1980s, but the form is [[Visual Novel|far from dead.]]
▲'''Example:'''
You enter the marble-clad forum to discover a GHOUL feasting on a corpse. Do you want to:
* Attack the GHOUL? (Turn to [[Rocks Fall, Everyone Dies|203]])
* Use your Potion of Persuasion, if you have one? (Turn to [[The End of the World as We Know It|288]])
* Try to sneak around? (Turn to [[Ludicrous Gibs|17]])}}
Occasionally there is a limited role for chance and player attributes in fighting and feats of skill. Mapping and note taking is often needed in more complex works. There are typically more ways of failing and/or dying than succeeding. Death sometimes comes in [[The Many Deaths of You|horribly]] [[Have a Nice Death|inventive]] [[Gorn|ways]], yielding textual [[Ludicrous Gibs]].
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Success often depends on a combination of luck, possession of difficult to obtain items and sometimes manipulation of the entry number to reach an entry unavailable any other way. [[Lock and Key Puzzle|Lock And Key Puzzles]] abound. Sometimes these puzzles are so obscure and unintuitive they are [[Solve the Soup Cans]] puzzles.
The directed graph of entries for a book can contain alternate paths to the [[
Many [[Tabletop RPG]] rulebooks include a short (under 100 scenes) example of this trope, where the reader uses the game system (and a pre-generated character) as the randomizing element, as a way of teaching the rules and RPG concepts.
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* In ''[[Time Machine Series|Time Machine]]'' the reader had to search through a historical era to discover artifacts or lost knowledge. The books only had one ending, but also included inventories that affected your choices.
* ''[[Fighting Fantasy]]'', a wildly popular British series that included simple [[Tabletop Games|Tabletop RPG]] elements, with dice as randomizers.
* ''[[Sorcery!]]'' brought ''Fighting Fantasy'' to an older audience; its books featured very dark artwork influenced by Goya.
* ''[[Lone Wolf]]'', featuring an epic swords-and-sorcery world and a continuing story line. You can read most of them all open-sourced and legal, complete with author approval, at [http://www.projectaon.org/ www.projectaon.org].
* ''Crossroads Adventure''.
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* ''[[Blood Sword]]'', a series of five books by Oliver Johnson and Dave Morris created for multiple players. Set in a world very much resembling Medieval Europe (in fact, the same as that of their RPG ''Dragon Warriors''), the series dealt with the reawakening of five evil entities, the True Magi, and the coming end of the Millennium.
* ''Virtual Reality'', a series of six books from the early nineties. Notable for having much more exotic plots than the average gamebook and for using a unique, non-random rule system. The four books by Dave Morris, including ''[[Heart of Ice]]'', are some of the most interesting and intricate gamebooks written.
* ''Way Of
* ''[[Golden Dragon Fantasy Gamebooks]]'', a short but atmospheric series with a simple playing system.
* ''Endless Quest'' and ''Super Endless Quest'' (later ''Advanced Dungeons & Dragons Adventure Gamebooks'') were [[Dungeons
* ''[[Wizards, Warriors and You]]''.
* ''[[Give Yourself Goosebumps]]'', a spinoff of [[RL Stine]]'s ''[[Goosebumps]]'' novels. The "game over" endings were often as gruesome as they were creative, giving many young readers their first direct encounters with horrific imagery. These also have the unusual structure of having the story branch off into two distinct storylines completely cut off from each other, with an earlyish choice in each book determining which one the reader followed. This pivotal choice wasn't exactly pointed out either, so in the early stages of each book, the reader was left in suspense as to which choice would suddenly set them down a distinct path for the rest of the adventure.
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* ''Be An Interplanetary Spy'' was an interesting variation where you had to solve puzzles (analogues to your current situation) instead of simply making a choice. Essentially a multiple-choice visual logic test with a plot.
* ''[[The Fabled Lands]]'' are a fantasy series of gamebooks written by Dave Morris and Jamie Thomson that have recently been republished in 2010. During its initial release in the 90s, only the first six were ever released. In addition, only the first two were ever published in the USA, under the name ''Quest''. Despite all this, they are amazingly fun to play, mainly because of their open-ended style. While most other gamebooks had a definite objective, the Fabled Lands books just plonked you down in a random place and said, "have fun whatever you do." Other cool features were six unique character classes, the ability to buy ships and houses, and a huge number of quests you can do whenever you want, or not at all. To give you an idea of the scope of these books, I've played them for years, and still occasionally discover new things.
* ''[[Kingdom of Loathing]]'' has a new Choose Your Own Adventure [https://web.archive.org/web/20140821231927/http://images.kingdomofloathing.com/cyoa/ booklet] each year at Comic-Con, often parodying and [[Lampshade Hanging|lampshading]] tropes common in Choose Your Own Adventure books.
* ''Der Schatz im Ötscher
* There were three or four of these based on ''[[Buffy the Vampire Slayer]]'' called ''Stake Your Destiny'', each set in different spots in the series. It doesn't specifically say where, the first is presumably during Season 1 and two more in Season 2.
* ''[[Animorphs]]'' had a pair of CYOA spinoffs, which were not well received. Perhaps it was the fact that the story did not actually branch at all, and making the wrong choice simply got you killed on the very next page.
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* ''[[Sonic the Hedgehog]]'' had a series at the height of his phenomenal popularity in the UK, written by the authors of the novel series but not belonging to that continuity. One was an [[Adaptation Expansion]] of the second [[Sega Genesis|Mega Drive]] game, in which Robotnik has built Metal Sonic to rampage around and destroy the real Sonic's reputation (any similarity to the plot of the nineteenth ''[[Lone Wolf]]'' book ''Wolf's Bane'', published the previous year, is entirely coincidental - the book, and sometimes Metal Sonic himself, still have the nickname "Hedgehog's Bane" in some circles) and Sonic has to hunt him down through the game's levels.
* ''Find Your Fate'' was a series of interactive books based almost entirely on licensed properties. There were books based on ''[[G.I. Joe]]'', ''[[Thundercats]]'', ''[[Transformers]]'', ''[[Jem]]'', [[James Bond]], ''[[Indiana Jones]]'', ''[[Doctor Who]]''...
** They weren't the only ones to do such a thing. ''Endless Quest'' (a series mainly set in the world of [[Dungeons
** The [[Hardy Boys]] and [[Nancy Drew]] also had their own choose-your-own [[Crossover]] series called "Be A Detective", which ran for six books.
* In ''Inside UFO 54-40'' the [[Golden Ending|best ending]] is [[Unwinnable by Design|deliberately unreachable]] through regular gameplay (or, as the game puts it, by "making a choice or following directions").
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* When ''[[Super Mario Bros. 2|Super Mario Advance]]'' was first released, a ''Choose Your Own Adventure'' book that corresponded with the game's events was released by Scholastic. Each of the four characters went through one of the various worlds on their own and came together to fight [[Big Bad|Wart]], and at the same time, it was something of a guide for advice.
** Following it were ones for ''[[The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons and Oracle of Ages|The Legend of Zelda Oracle Games]]'' and ''[[Wario Land]] 4''.
* The ''Panurgic Adventures'' series, of which the best known is ''[[Heart of Ice]]'', by Dave Morris (of ''[[The Fabled Lands|Fabled Lands]]'' fame). ''Heart of Ice'' is a slightly different take on [[After the End]]; inspired in part by Jack Vance's ''Dying Earth'', it's a quest set in a world where [[
* The old Polish gamebook ''Dreszcz'' ("Shiver") from the 90s; it emulated ''[[Fighting Fantasy]]'', and is mostly memorable for being horribly error-ridden (and [[Unwinnable By Mistake]] many times over).
* ''[[Can YOU Survive the Zombie Apocalypse?]]'' is a more adult twist on the genre, and is [[Exactly What It Says on the Tin]] - your choices determine how well you do in the [[Zombie Apocalypse]].
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=== [[Film]]
* The horror film ''[http://www.oh-the-horror.com/page.php?id=598 Chuckle's Revenge]''.{{context}}
=== Live-Action TV ===
* There was a televised example on UK children's TV in the 80s hosted by [[Doctor Who|Sylvester McCoy]] called "What's your Story?" where viewers phoned in after each episode to suggest what happened next.
=== Music ===
* The [[Canada, Eh?|Canadian]] rapper Classified did this with his
* From Neil Cicierega of [[Lemon Demon]] and ''[[Potter Puppet Pals]]'', [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tUIu6_eTkjY Haircut, A Choose-Your-Own-Adventure Song!] May be the only musical example of the form.
=== Tabletop Games ===
* Several
* The original ''[[Paranoia (game)|Paranoia]]''
** It's probably a different one that was in the Jan/Feb issue (No 77) of ''Fantasy Gamer'' magazine, which is now available in the Python programming language. Just search for "doesn't exist. Can't happen with computer version," and compile. It's the Paranoia Christmas Special! Contains [[Stupidity Is the Only Option]], [[But Thou Must!]], and [[You Can't Thwart Stage One]], I think?
▲* Several other RPG's include a short solo adventure to give you a chance to see the game's mechanics in action. Like ''Ghostbusters,'' ''[[Champions]]'', ''[[Teenagers From Outer Space]]''...
* There was once a ''two-player'' example called ''1 On 1'', with one player playing the heroes and the other playing the villains; naturally, there was a combat system and stats so the players could interact. The ''Combat Heroes'' series by Joe Dever (of ''[[Lone Wolf]]'' fame) is another example of this concept. Also, the ''Lost Worlds'' gamebooks; each character in the system had his/her own book, and any two players could battle by exchanging books. The series was franchised to [[Marvel Comics]] and ''[[Star Wars]]''; right now, arguably the most famous version is the ''[[Queen's Blade]]'' series, which is basically ''Lost Worlds'' <small> WITH HOT [[Action Girl|ACTION GIRLS]] IN [[Stripperiffic|TINY OUTFITS]]!</small>
*
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* ''[[The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim]]'' includes a short but playable one in its list of [[The Elder Scrolls: In-Universe Books|in-universe books]] called ''Kolb and the Dragon''.
* You can find a non-playable one in ''[[Drakensang]] 2''. Apparently it's seems to be a [[Take That]].
* ''[[MapleStory]]'' has a short [[Mini Game]] like this that can be played daily if [[Shout Out| you obtain the]] [[The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe| Antique Wardrobe]] and place it in your character's Home.
▲=== Webcomics ===
* The sprite comic ''Metroid: Third Derivative'' once used a 12-panel [http://bobandgeorge.com/comics/archives/metroid/Metroid239.png example] as filler.
* [[Jason Shiga]] has a few gamebook [[Web Comics]] on [http://shigabooks.com/ his website]. ''[[Meanwhile]]'' is the longest and best of these.
* ''[[Ctrl+Alt+Del]]'' did an [[Alternate Universe]] Choose Your Own Adventure story-arc in April 2008, a second arc in December 2008, and a third in mid-2010. At particular points in the story line, readers were given a choice between different actions that the main character Ethan could take and were encouraged to send an email to a special account to indicate their selection. The choice with the most votes was illustrated for the next installment of the comic. Counts as a CYOA because Tim Buckley had already scripted out where each choice would lead ahead of time, and did not change "bad endings" even if they won the popular vote. The first story ended halfway through with the main character dying horribly due to a failed [[Air Vent Passageway]] escape. Following this, the structure was modified so the narrative would have fewer "dying horribly" options and more "Ethan gets screwed but the story can continue" choices. Though [https://web.archive.org/web/20170407204743/http://www.cad-comic.com/images/news/planetofdoom_storytree.gif
* ''[[City of Reality]]'' ran an arc which essentially functioned as this, run by a snarky time-reversal device.
* ''[[Dinosaur Comics]]'' once had a "[http://www.qwantz.com/index.php?comic=1027 CYOA]" that amusingly features a [[But Thou Must!]]. A [http://www.qwantz.com/index.php?comic=1486 later guest strip] by [[MS Paint Adventures|Andrew Hussie]] features T-Rex attempting to do an animated strip version of a CYOA, with Dromiceiominus and Utahraptor discussing with him about the problems with handling a CYOA in said format. {{spoiler|It falls apart in the fifth panel, where T-Rex and Utahraptor end up carrying their conversation through the panel shifts.}}
** In case you want to read the whole thing at your own pace, [https://web.archive.org/web/20150511034101/http://www.swfcabin.com/open/1287951646 here you go]. Click the image (actually the .swf) after clicking the link and then use the left and right arrow keys (on your keyboard) to navigate.
* The second [[MS Paint Adventures|MS Paint Adventure]], ''BardQuest'', was in this format, but it was abandoned pretty quickly for being too complicated to do as a serial.
* [[Buttersafe]] has one, called [http://buttersafe.com/2007/05/03/choose-your-own-adventure/ "Choose Your Own Adventure"], but [[Chandler's Law|loses the will part way through...]]
=== Web Originals ===
* ''[[Choice of Games]]'' is a [http://www.choiceofgames.com/ website] designed to host these types of stories.
* Lore F. Sjoberg's [
* ''[[Homestar Runner]]'''s 2005 Halloween cartoon was the interactive animation [https://web.archive.org/web/20131106155424/http://www.homestarrunner.com/ween05.html Halloween Potion-ma-jig]. It actually featured a bit of bait-and-switch, presenting the viewer with one adventure in the intro (helping Homestar find his costume and escape a haunted mansion) and then giving them another (helping Homestar find ingredients for Marzipan's Halloween potion... ''after'' he had doodled all over her recipe).
* ''[http://www.bradthegame.com Brad: the Game]'' is just one big [[Mind Screw]]. One gross, perverted, strangely attractive mindscrew (it's also written by a Reverend).
* The ''[http://www.addventure.com Addventure]'' series and spin-offs took the concept, put it online, and did the obvious thing of allowing readers to write their own chapters to add to them... How well this worked varied considerably, although those moderated for spelling and sanity (or at least consistency) tended towards being decent.
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* There is an [[X Wing Series]] [[Star Wars/Fanfic Recs|fanfiction]] called ''[http://yonwords.livejournal.com/2315.html Flight School]'' which fills this trope. It's pretty short, but also quite decent. Note that while some endings are better or worse than others, impressing or not impressing the famous pilots, none result in death. Or maiming. Or worse, expulsion.
* Some of the aforementioned Internet gamebooks includes the Unending BE Addventure, Anime Addventure, and one on a site called Vampyou.com.
**
** https://web.archive.org/web/20160120155147/http://addventure.bast-enterprises.de/
** http://www.vampyou.com/fiction/index.php?
** http://www.sir-toby.com/extend-a-story/story-1/ for a more ... PG alternative.
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* As seen with ''Haircut'' above, link annotations in [[YouTube]] videos can be used to make CYOA videos like ''[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c3zJcMlqWZA A Heavy's 2fort Adventure]''.
* Mike Kayatta, of [[The Escapist]], created a ''[[Mass Effect]]'' [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/features/9514-Pick-Your-Path-Mass-Effect Pick Your Own Adventure].
* [[Writing
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=== Other Media ===
* The Thrill Ride Edition of ''[[Final Destination|Final Destination 3]]'' on DVD features "Choose Their Fate", in which the viewer gets to determine the fates of some characters. Subverted in that each person would be killed in a different fashion immediately after they were saved by your choice. This is sort of in keeping with the predestination ideas of the movie.
* ''She Loves The Moon'' is a strange cross between gamebooks, [[Alternate Reality Game|ARGs]], and graffiti, as it was drawn on the sidewalks of San Francisco.
* ''[[Scrubs]]'' has the "code blue" game on their [http://www.scrubs-tv.com/fun.html website], in which your choices of lines of speech can dramatically alter your first day at the hospital.
* Choose Your Own Adventure has branched out into real life, as a cult of "dice living" has developed. People make real-life decisions, ranging from where to go on Saturday night to what career to choose, based on rolls of the dice. Dice living was inspired by the novel ''[[The Dice Man]]'' and other works by Luke Rhinehart.
* There's [https://web.archive.org/web/20130515225720/http://www.newgrounds.com/portal/view/419203 Choices: a poem], a Choose-Your-Own-Adventure [[Poetry|poem]].
{{reflist}}
[[Category:{{PAGENAME}}]]
[[Category:Long Running Book Series]]
[[Category:Game Tropes]]
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