Adventure Game Book Spotlight: Realm Wreckers and The Doors Of Destiny

By John Freeman on March 18, 2024

Here’s a fun project from comics writer and author David Hailwood that passed us by last year – an Adventure Game Book, Realm Wreckers and The Doors Of Destiny.

Realm Wreckers and The Doors Of Destiny by David Hailwood

In Realm Wreckers, the theme is very much fight, die, resurrect and retry!

You awaken on a cold stone floor of a laboratory with no memory of who you are, or how you came to be there. Fortunately Frankenstein arrives to set you on your path. He informs you that you’re a mighty hero – a Berserker, perhaps? No, a Thief…or is it a Mage? Anyway, the important thing to remember is it’s your destiny to help Frankenstein liberate nine fantasy realms teeming with monsters and miscreants, in the name of science.

Use swords, spells, fists, words, or even a rusty spoon to conquer the realms a dozen quests at a time, and then defeat the powerful guardians that watch over them. Lock tentacles with Kung Thulhu, master of the Madness Realm. Butt heads with Cerberus the three-headed werewolf! Learn tactics, make tough decisions, leave persistent wounds on the strongest of foes, and if you fail simply resurrect as a new hero, re-arm, and head back into the fray.

Realm Wreckers and The Doors Of Destiny - Sample — *Sample pages from Realm Wreckers, by David Hailwood*

Realm Wreckers, available from Amazon (Affiliate Link) is a fully illustrated adventure game book for the 11+ age range (it contains images which might be considered too scary for younger readers), which is perfect for fans of Fighting Fantasy, Dungeons and Dragons, and Escape The Dark Castle.

Unlike story-driven adventure game books, Realm Wreckers is made up of over 100 bite-sized quests, with a strong emphasis on dice based combat (you will need 2 x 6 sided dice and a pencil to play the game).

So get out there, grab life by the throat and show it who’s boss! The nine realms are counting on you.

David Hailwood was raised in a somewhat surreal youth hostel on the south coast of England, where it was perfectly commonplace for hordes of swarthy Vikings in full battle regalia to charge upon the premises, without having booked a reservation first.

Over the past twenty years his brain matter has leaked onto the pages of over 30 different comic publications, including the digital anthology, Biodegradable and his children’s comics anthology, Hotchpotch, still available through Amazon (Affiliate Links), and Egmont’s children’s title, Toxic. He has written comedy material for ITV and E4, and been shortlisted for two BBC sitcom writing competitions.

David has also written a number of “How To Guides” about writing, including How To Draw Cartoon Characters For Creative Kids: Monsters And Robots and How To Draw Cartoon Characters For Creative Kids: Superheroes and Villains Edition.

John Freeman

The founder of downthetubes, which he established in 1998. John works as a comics and magazine editor, writer, and on promotional work for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He is currently editor of Star Trek Explorer, published by Titan – his third tour of duty on the title originally titled Star Trek Magazine.

Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine, Babylon 5 Magazine, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics. He has also edited several comic collections, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”.

He’s the writer of “Pilgrim: Secrets and Lies” for B7 Comics; “Crucible”, a creator-owned project with 2000AD artist Smuzz; and “Death Duty” and “Skow Dogs” with Dave Hailwood.