# Adult Choose-your-own Adventures? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 20, 2010, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adult-choose-your-own-adventures/557832 "2010-10-20T22:53:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![antonio107](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/7ea924/32.png) [@antonio107](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/antonio107)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2010, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adult-choose-your-own-adventures/557832/1 "2010-10-20T22:53:12Z")
The Un-kindle-able books thread got me thinking. I don’t remember having read one of these since the “Super Mario” one I had when I was six. It was full of little puzzles and riddles and the like that you need to successfully solve to get to the end and save the princess. Did anyone get the idea to make a book like this for grown ups? Really grizzled, well written, nail biting crime drama written as a “choose your own adventure?” If so, tell me where I can find them, and what they are called! ---
**Author:** ![thirdname](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d07c76/32.png) [@thirdname](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thirdname)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2010, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adult-choose-your-own-adventures/557832/2 "2010-10-20T23:01:24Z")
Video games. ---
**Author:** ![antonio107](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/7ea924/32.png) [@antonio107](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/antonio107)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2010, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adult-choose-your-own-adventures/557832/3 "2010-10-21T01:03:56Z")
> [@antonio107](#): > > The Un-kindle-able books thread got me thinking. I don’t remember having read one of these since the “Super Mario” one I had when I was six. It was full of little puzzles and riddles and the like that you need to successfully solve to get to the end and save the princess. > > Did anyone get the idea to make **a book like this** for grown ups? Really grizzled, well written, nail biting crime drama written as a “choose your own adventure?” If so, tell me where I can find them, and what they are called! Contrary to what many may believe, a video game is not a book. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2010, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adult-choose-your-own-adventures/557832/4 "2010-10-21T01:07:03Z")
There are a bunch. I bought some three years ago when trying my hand at writing my own in a more scifi vein than romance. It was harder than I expected, so I put the project aside. Anyway, I liked [this one](http://www.amazon.com/Big-Night-Out-Adventure-Outcome/dp/0312198345), and if you scroll down to “customers who bought this item” you’ll see several more. ---
**Author:** ![Sitnam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Sitnam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sitnam)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2010, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adult-choose-your-own-adventures/557832/5 "2010-10-21T01:34:13Z")
I read a fantastic Hard-Boiled detective choose-your-own-adventure novel when I was a teenager. In the beginning you got to choose your three skills; Muscle, Moxy and Money and there were three crimes to solve. I remember solving the first one and getting the shit kicked out of me in the second. The cover was green and I’m pretty sure _Hard-Boiled_ was the series name. I’m looking for it now cause I have the itch again. ---
**Author:** ![StusBlues](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dc4da7/32.png) [@StusBlues](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StusBlues)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2010, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adult-choose-your-own-adventures/557832/6 "2010-10-21T12:58:48Z")
[Ahem.](http://www.amazon.com/Classics-Professor-Create-Erotic-Fantasy/dp/1592400310) ---
**Author:** ![The\_Hamster\_King](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8edcca/32.png) [@The\_Hamster\_King](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Hamster_King)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2010, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adult-choose-your-own-adventures/557832/7 "2010-10-21T17:08:26Z")
There’s an indie scene for text adventures. That might be the sort of thing you’re looking for. > **[Beginner Resources](http://brasslantern.org/beginners/)** > > If you're new to interactive fiction and adventure games, these resources will help get you started. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2010, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adult-choose-your-own-adventures/557832/8 "2010-10-21T17:42:36Z")
_[Life’s Lottery](http://www.electronicbookreview.com/thread/firstperson/forking)_ by Kim Newman ---
**Author:** ![Red\_Barchetta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/da6949/32.png) [@Red\_Barchetta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Red_Barchetta)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2010, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adult-choose-your-own-adventures/557832/9 "2010-10-21T19:27:13Z")
> [@antonio107](#): > > Contrary to what many may believe, a video game is not a book. Well yeah, but there are several that might as well be. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2010, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adult-choose-your-own-adventures/557832/10 "2010-10-21T20:18:24Z")
In general, the “Choose Your Own Adventure” books were a fad, and the fad is long past. It’s cute the first time, but the people who like interactivity are not getting it from books – they’re going to video games (which are better at it, too). You might be able to find a few of the older ones, and maybe a specialty title or two from a small press, but it’s pretty much dead as a genre.