The idea of a novel with multiple endings was first presented in 1930. Consider the Consequences was a romantic novel that allowed the reader to interact with the narrative by offering the chance to read from different POVs and make unique choices in each leading to one of forty-three different endings.
This style of novel was played with in various formats, but the idea really took hold when Edward Packard published, The Adventure of You on Sugar Cane Island. The book became the first in a series that eventually spanned 184 titles.
Part of the books' appeal was that the books themselves were designed to put the reader in charge. After a few pages of story, you’re presented with options. Each one leads to more choices until you reach the end. The idea that one book had multiple possibilities captivated kids, and the series thrived throughout the '80s. But in the 1990s, computer games began to take hold, offering similar storytelling in a more immersive and interactive setting.
At the same time, Fighting Fantasy in Britain was creating a similar format with a different twist. Instead of following a more story-focused narrative, they created adventure plotlines that evoked a single role-playing game experience, pulling from the narrative elements of tabletop games like Dungeons & Dragons.
Despite the ups and downs of the genre, the interactive format has not only persisted, it’s expanded into novels for adults. If you’re looking to fall into the nostalgia of the endless adventure choices you had as a kid, here are six choose-your-own-adventure style novels for adults that are guaranteed to satisfy your cravings.
All This and More: A Novel
Thanks to quantum technology, millions of people around the world are spellbound by the new gameshow, All This & More, where contestants can revise their pasts to create the perfect future. Then the show went off-air and Marsh’s life fell apart. Suddenly, without warning, the show is back.
Marsh is the new contestant. As she goes back to capture the career she never got to pursue, keep the love she walked away from, and travel the world, somehow none of those futures feel right. Can the reality the show promise be too good to be true? And even if Marsh gets everything she wants, is it worth it?
This book puts readers in the driver’s seat, choosing possible fates with Marsh until she finds her elusive happily ever after.
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Try Not to Die : At Ghostland
Have you ever wanted to see a ghost? Now you can. With super-advanced technology, Ghostland opens the a new layer to the world, revealing its spectral secrets. But when a glitch releases all the ghouls into the world, a safe foray into the supernatural turns into chaos. The ghosts are confused. They’re angry. They’re out for blood.
It’s up to you to make it out alive. Will you save your friends? Discover new powers? Every decision has life and death consequences—not just for you, but for everyone you meet.
A fun romp through the supernatural where every choice might lead to your death.
Dungeons, Dragons, And Buckaroos: A Select Your Own Timeline Adventure
Billings wasn’t always a thriving metropolis. Hundreds of years ago it was a medieval kingdom where swords and sorcery ruled. Now, you’ve been called to this world by King Rolo, a sentient twenty-sided dice who seeks to bring peace to his kingdom. Will you be a wizard or a warrior? How will you defeat the dragon lurking in a cave protecting the ice-cold chocolate milk? And can you defeat the unicorn necromancer with his army of undead character sheets?
A surprisingly satisfying story where every decision you make either saves or dooms the kingdom.
The Warlock of Firetop Mountain
According to legend, there is an untold wealth of treasure buried deep in the caverns beneath Firetop Mountain. This bounty is guarded by a Warlock so powerful that none of the countless warriors who set out on this adventure ever returned. But this is your calling. Your chance at destiny. Will that passage bring you face-to-face with monsters? Can you escape the hideous Bloodbeast? When is it better to turn and run, or head into the fight? Only one path leads to riches. Will you choose the right one?
Designed as a focused game rather than endless adventure, this book will appeal to RPG players looking for a single-player experience.
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Death by Halloween
As a child, Halloween felt like magic. The world transformed and anything was possible. Only, then you grew up and some of that magic died. The costumes were fake. The pranks predictable. The candy a bit too sweet. But what if the thrills and chills that once delighted you throughout the night were back?
You find yourself shivering on a dark hilltop with the shadows slithering towards you. The dead sit up in their graves. The fog holds a madman. Every choice can lead to safety or nightmares. Choose wisely.
With more than fifty possible endings, this violent and gruesome book is for anyone looking to be terrified by the things that go bump in the night.
Featured image: Balint Miko / Unsplash
