inkle, an independent developer of interactive narrative apps, and author Steve Jackson have released Sorcery! Part 1 -- The Shamutanti Hills for Android. This acclaimed narrative game is the first of four digital re-imaginings of Steve Jackson's Sorcery! gamebooks, which were published as part of the Fighting Fantasy series in the 1980s.
Although Steve Jackson's Sorcery! unfolds over four parts, each game is a self-contained experience that can be fully enjoyed on its own. In Sorcery! Part 1, a novice hero sets out across the dangerous Shamutanti Hills on the first leg of an epic journey to recover the stolen Crown of Kings. With their unique inklewriter storytelling technology, inkle has transformed the original 176-page gamebook into a much deeper experience that puts the player in charge of every step of their journey. The result is an incredibly flexible storyline, built from thousands of choices, that unfolds differently every time.
Since May 2013, inkle has released two critically acclaimed Sorcery! installments for iPhone and iPad, selling more than 100k copies to date. With turn-based battles against fantastic monsters and conniving human enemies, magical spells to conjure in sticky situations, a gorgeously rendered 3D map representing the journey, and the option to play as either a male or a female hero, the games turn Jackson's original gamebooks into dynamic role-playing adventures unlike any that could exist in traditional book form.
When it first released for iOS, Sorcery! Part 1 received glowing reviews with an 85% aggregate score on Metacritic and a 4.5-star user ranking on the App Store. IGN praised the game as "a prime example of what can happen when traditional storytelling gets along with contemporary game design," while GamesMaster called it "An utter essential."
"Sorcery! is a carefully balanced blend," says inkle's Jon Ingold. "It mixes together the strategy, decision-making and luck of a game with the rich prose and immersion of a well-written novel. Every element of the design is there to ensure the two sides of the experience work together seamlessly, putting the reader right inside the world of the story."
Sorcery! Part 1 for Android can be download for £3.00 / $5.00 (or equivalent in local currency) from the following stores:
• Google Play
• Amazon Appstore (UK)
• Amazon Appstore (US)
Sorcery! Part 2 for Android will follow this spring, with the remaining chapters expected to release simultaneously on iOS and Android. Learn more on the official website.
