The Warlock of Firetop Mountain Critic Reviews

The Warlock of Firetop Mountain is an excellent adaptation. Like Sorcery, it never really transcends the cheesy sword-and-board adventure-fantasy of the original adventure gamebook it sources from, but that’s not really the point is it? Hell, the archetypal characters and straightforward questing are part of the charm. Tin Man’s lovingly reshaped Steve Jackson’s work into a relaxing and lightweight RPG, perfect to run once or twice in a night and hope this time you avoid all Zagor’s traps and make it to the end.

It certainly has its unique charm.

An inspired adaptation of the old Fighting Fantasy gamebooks, that’s also one of the most unique and fun roguelikes of recent years.

The Warlock of Firetop Mountain does enough with modern technology to update the experience and make it both fresh and familiar, which is not an easy task. However, by adhering so closely to the source material and old school conventions, The Warlock of Firetop Mountain will inevitably rub some people the wrong way due to uneven difficulty and some unfair demises that seem harsh when compared to something like the Souls titles, which are renowned for their challenges but also for their fairness in teaching you how to play the game better.

A pleasant trip down memory lane that’ll appeal to nostalgics and casuals.

Charming tabletop presentation, let down by boring combat.

There is a lot here for those of us prone to nostalgia and the core mechanic is well set for future adaptations. If you loved the book series then you will no doubt be charmed by this game… There are lots of different characters to play through with… but you will find the first few rooms a bit repetitive after a while.

It really does have the best of intentions though, and if you’re a mega-fan rather than just someone with fond but not entirely specific memories, I suspect you’ll tap right into the rich vein of Fighting Fantasy love here. Me, I need a little more.