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Escape From Portsrood Forest Paperback – 6 May 2020

by Samuel Isaacson (Author), David Lowrie (Illustrator)
4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 33 ratings
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Reviews

"Charming and whimsical, with sinister undertones." -David Lowrie, Black Dog Gamebooks

"Achieving progress in this gamebook often hits the sweet spot, that complete euphoria knowing that you’ve managed to add a further part of the mystery...a complex interwoven story...a slightly English countryside whimsical feel...Put in the effort, and this gamebook pays back ten fold." -James Spearing, My Gamebook Adventures

"It oozes quality...It's stunningly good...Possibly the best gamebook I've ever read." -Paul Stapleton, author of The Curse of Saltash Mine, on The Altimer

"What a sense of satisfaction to conquer it. That is one well-constructed gamebook and my brain boggles at what you had to do to put it together!" -Victoria Hancox, author of Nightshift

From the back cover

A brave knight wakes up and is surprised to be in the middle of an enchanted forest, with no memories of the previous night and only a bunch of mysterious herbs as a clue to what the evening consisted of.

That brave knight is you.

Try to escape from the forest while piecing together what you did last night. On your journey you will encounter a raft of strange inhabitants, including dwarves, elves, goblins, pixies, the Green Man and, of course, the Black Knight, who's a real piece of work.

Beautifully illustrated throughout, all you need is a quill and ink to get started.

Illustrated throughout, and featuring a full-page map illustrated by David Lowrie.

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  1. Print length
    286 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publication date
    6 May 2020
  4. Dimensions
    12.7 x 1.83 x 20.32 cm
  5. ISBN-13
    979-8639888533
  6. See all details
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Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0884CJMNX
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Independently published (6 May 2020)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 286 pages
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 979-8639888533
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 12.7 x 1.83 x 20.32 cm
  • Customer reviews:
    4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 33 ratings

About the authors

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  1. Sam Isaacson

    Sam Isaacson

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    Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

    Sam Isaacson is an enthusiastic coach, coach supervisor, and coachtech thought leader. He's Chair of the UK Government's Coaching Professional apprenticeship trailblazer group, and works closely with the ICF, EMCC Global, and others.

    He's been quoted by the Daily Telegraph, Forbes.com, and a range of coaching publications. He often speaks at conferences and on podcasts, with audiences of up to tens of thousands.

    He has four young children, and somehow also fits in the time to write interactive fiction books, one of which has been an Amazon #1 bestseller, and books on coaching with technology.

    See more on the author's page
  2. Samuel Isaacson

    Samuel Isaacson

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    Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

    How many roles can one person have?

    Samuel Isaacson is a family man, living in London with his wife and four young boys, which takes up plenty of his time.

    He’s also a fan of collaborative storytelling, expressing that through a local roleplaying group and writing gamebooks.

    And he spends the rest of his time working with professional coaches and organisations to increase the value they get from leaders, with a particular focus on coaching with technology.

    See more on the author's page
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Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars
33 global ratings

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Top reviews from United Kingdom

  • barry
    5.0 out of 5 stars Immersive and original
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 18 November 2022
    Verified Purchase
    I came across this book whilst researching for my own interactive fiction; loads of fun, I enjoyed trying for form a map in my head. Some excellent, unusual touches (purple zone...). I enjoyed the gentle comedy in my very regular demise..!
    One person found this helpful
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  • Sciencemeister
    5.0 out of 5 stars Remember the tiny shoes!
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 1 January 2021
    Verified Purchase
    This is a clever and engaging gamebook. It is a well-crafted, well-constructed open world gameplay with good use of tick boxes and codewords to aid navigation. On the one hand, it is confusing and frustrating enough to replicate the sensation of being lost in the forest, but on the other, is excellently paced with encounters and information to give you a sense of progress. The puzzles are varied and challenging and yes, I did escape from Portsrood Forest (eventually...)!
    6 people found this helpful
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  • Gappy
    4.0 out of 5 stars Charming but infuriating
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 7 March 2021
    Verified Purchase
    I have decided to give this book a positive review, even though there were times when I was close to chucking it out of the window.

    On the plus side, the whimsical tone is lots of fun, the prose is elegant, the puzzles pleasing and the design lovely (the use of public domain vintage illustrations especially noteworthy). And, this is enough for it to be a very strong gamebook.

    However, on the downside, the game is very fiddly to map, and in early reads one can flip from page to page for ages without getting anywhere (unless you count an increasingly scribbly piece of paper). And then, even once you've got all the areas mapped, you'll be sent off to one of them with reference to an incidental piece of description which you didn't note. For me, reading the book felt as confusing and tiring as being lost in a forest, which is a piece of mimesis too far!

    Still, ignoring this quibble, it's a highly original gamebook with loads of character - plus, I'd rather reread this than Spenser's The Faerie Queene!
    9 people found this helpful
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  • nessipops
    5.0 out of 5 stars charming, whimsical but with sinister undertones
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 8 May 2020
    ESCAPE FROM PORTSROOD FOREST BY SAM ISAACSON

    If you’ve read either of Sam’s previous gamebooks, then you know what to expect. Dark, grown up sci-fi with sinister corporations and invasion threats. Well, first of all, Escape from Portsrood Forest is not at all like that! I had the pleasure of play testing this book and was pleasantly surprised by the change in tone and style.

    In this gamebook you play a Knight who went a bit errant, and apparently had a “very good time” the night before. You wake up with a distinctly sore head and a fuzzy memory in the middle of a forest - Portsrood Forest. But this is no ordinary forest. Its inhabited by all manner of strange creatures and beings, some who will do you harm, some who may help you, some will just annoy you. So it’s up to you to try to negotiate the labyrinth like forest to find the exit and return home. But make sure you find the right exit, or things may not end up as you would like.

    To find the right way out, then you must gather clues, trade for information, and keep track of where you have been. There are no dice or character stats in this book, instead its focused on collecting snippets of information so that you can negotiate (sometimes literally) your way to a safe exit.

    Unlike Sam’s darker sci-fi work, this has a much lighter tone. Its charming, whimsical but with sinister undertones – and a lot of ways to die if you take the wrong option. The characters you meet all have a personality of their own, but can be capricious – leaving you never quite knowing who to trust. Despite being a Knight, force of arms won’t help you much here. You need to use brains not brawn to escape this puzzle.

    For any chance of escape, you will need to keep records of where you have been. I would definitely recommend mapping your way around the forest, as it’s very easy to get turned around – and finding one item will mean you have to return to another location some way away to progress. The illustrations are lovely as well, as is the style of the book (I’ve so far only seen the e-book version and look forward to getting my copy of the physical book).

    All in all, this is great fun. It can be exasperating and it is a challenge to escape (I’ve escaped once so far, but that didn’t work out to well when I returned home). You will find it frustrating trying to find some items (small pair of shoes!) but that makes it all the more rewarding when you find what you so desperately need. I hope Sam continues to produce more books in a similar style – as it’s a pleasant departure from his dystopian sci-fi world. But beware. The style will pull you in and charm you, but this book has teeth.

    All in all, it’s like a nice stroll in the woods, on a pleasant summers day. But with added trolls.
    4 people found this helpful
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  • A P SHEERIN
    5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 12 November 2021
    Verified Purchase
    Brilliantly written and can’t wait for the next book to follow on. Highly recommended and a must for all fantasy followers gamers and readers!
    2 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

  • Wubbotier
    5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant masterpiece
    Reviewed in Germany on 1 January 2021
    Verified Purchase
    First of all I must admit, I have always been more a kind of outdoor guy, which certainly is especially true for my favourite gamebook settings. The unmatchable, ever-loved entries into my universe of gamebook-playing are called Forest of Doom and Steve Jacksons Sorcery!.
    Obviously I loved to roam through Samuel's Portsrood Forest, to solve varied riddles and enjoyed absolute terrific encounters (have you ever met a bored, giant guard who literally wants you to find the correct answers? Hilarious :) .... ). Map drawing and taking notes are crucial for your success. And don't be disappointed if promising leads sometimes will not be rewarded - diversions are at the heart of this realm.
    Although solving the actual task is quite straightforward and not very challenging (once you are on track and have read attentively), I think this book stands out for its writing, atmosphere, importance of interaction between characters and, most famously, its humour.
    One last thing - I cannot finish without mentioning the layout. Not only has David Lowrie, author of the Hellscape and the Shadow Thief series, distinctively contributed a map illustration. Samuel has packed the book with artwork from the public domain and used that to resourcefully develope his own world. One can only guess how much work (and fun) it must have been to put this all together.
    In my opinion this gamebook is a brilliant masterpiece. Thank you Samuel!
    Customer image
    Wubbotier
    5.0 out of 5 stars
    Brilliant masterpiece

    Reviewed in Germany on 1 January 2021
    First of all I must admit, I have always been more a kind of outdoor guy, which certainly is especially true for my favourite gamebook settings. The unmatchable, ever-loved entries into my universe of gamebook-playing are called Forest of Doom and Steve Jacksons Sorcery!.
    Obviously I loved to roam through Samuel's Portsrood Forest, to solve varied riddles and enjoyed absolute terrific encounters (have you ever met a bored, giant guard who literally wants you to find the correct answers? Hilarious :) .... ). Map drawing and taking notes are crucial for your success. And don't be disappointed if promising leads sometimes will not be rewarded - diversions are at the heart of this realm.
    Although solving the actual task is quite straightforward and not very challenging (once you are on track and have read attentively), I think this book stands out for its writing, atmosphere, importance of interaction between characters and, most famously, its humour.
    One last thing - I cannot finish without mentioning the layout. Not only has David Lowrie, author of the Hellscape and the Shadow Thief series, distinctively contributed a map illustration. Samuel has packed the book with artwork from the public domain and used that to resourcefully develope his own world. One can only guess how much work (and fun) it must have been to put this all together.
    In my opinion this gamebook is a brilliant masterpiece. Thank you Samuel!
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  • Jhana LSH
    5.0 out of 5 stars Interesting and attractive little adventure
    Reviewed in Singapore on 1 April 2022
    Verified Purchase
    Just received and yet to dive into the forest but I’d share some initial observations. This is a 275 page book and I like that it’s print is large enough for reading comfort. Usually adventure books like this one have the game rules in the first few pages and this is no exception, just that I notice it has considerably, and to me pleasantly, less chunks of rules and mechanics to wrap around my head before I start. Only downside is for now the kinda overly simplified and sketchy map but am still glad I picked this up and I really think I’d enjoy it.
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  • Abid Hasan
    4.0 out of 5 stars Decent complex gamebook
    Reviewed in the United States on 14 December 2023
    Verified Purchase
    I just finished the gamebook today using this cheat sheet created by someone else online. The book expects you to draw your own map from the descriptions it gives, and add to that the riddles and math problems it requires you to solve to progress, then honestly feels frustrating. I mean ofc the game gives you a basic map after doing the quest given by the Green Man and he rewards you by sending you to Victoria who gives you a basic map with a bit of explanation. Nevertheless, before that it feels like you really are lost in a magical jungle. Plus, as someone who always plays as a mage class in fantasy games found myself disconnected playing as a knight with no magic skills. Overall not a bad game but I think open world game books are just not for me.
    Customer image
    Abid Hasan
    4.0 out of 5 stars
    Decent complex gamebook

    Reviewed in the United States on 14 December 2023
    I just finished the gamebook today using this cheat sheet created by someone else online. The book expects you to draw your own map from the descriptions it gives, and add to that the riddles and math problems it requires you to solve to progress, then honestly feels frustrating. I mean ofc the game gives you a basic map after doing the quest given by the Green Man and he rewards you by sending you to Victoria who gives you a basic map with a bit of explanation. Nevertheless, before that it feels like you really are lost in a magical jungle. Plus, as someone who always plays as a mage class in fantasy games found myself disconnected playing as a knight with no magic skills. Overall not a bad game but I think open world game books are just not for me.
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