City of Thieves - Fighting Fantasy Collector's Book
YOU have played Ian Livingstone and Steve Jackson’s Fighting Fantasy books before, but never like this!
The Games Collector brings Ian Livingstone’s ‘City of Thieves’ Fighting Fantasy book vividly to life in this sumptuously presented limited edition hardback. Experience the adventure as it leaps off the page, thanks to the hand-crafted interactive features in this special edition of a gamebook classic.
This limited hardback edition of ‘City of Thieves’ from The Games Collector will become a treasured and much sought-after addition to the world of Fighting Fantasy. It adds a new dimension to the Fighting Fantasy experience with the inclusion of interactive cardboard components. Decide your next action by opening envelopes or lifting flaps to uncover jewels, gold and other treasures needed to complete the adventure and defeat the villainous Zanbar Bone.
What is this new Limited Edition?
The original ‘City of Thieves’ gamebook was published in 1983 as a standard paperback with black & white interior illustrations. This new limited never-to-be-repeated edition from The Games Collector is presented in a larger, hardback format for the first time, and is full-colour, featuring entirely new illustrations. Also, for the first time in a Fighting Fantasy book, it includes physical envelopes and flaps to open, revealing the items, maps and letters you need to discover as you explore Port Blacksand. This offering comes with the full endorsement of Ian Livingstone.
Bound and printed to the highest quality by a long-established and highly reputable UK firm, each Games Collector Edition book is hand-crafted (excluding the Hero edition). The pages are hand-stitched together rather than glued, allowing the opened book to lie flat without needing to be held. The additional items are individually fixed to the inside pages.
The prototype for this edition was created and illustrated by the Brazilian artist and designer Daielyn Cris Bertelli. Using her design for this limited edition, City of Thieves has never looked so good, and is available in two languages - English and Portuguese.
Please select the correct language version when pledging.
What is Fighting Fantasy?
Created by Ian Livingstone & Steve Jackson, the Fighting Fantasy series of adventure gamebooks debuted in 1982 and has sold over 18 million copies worldwide. What started with ‘The Warlock of Firetop Mountain’ eventually spawned over 60 gamebooks, as well as board games and video games. As the 35th anniversary of Fighting Fantasy approaches, the legacy continues. This collector’s edition of City of Thieves is being published as part of a year-long celebration of the series which includes a brand new gamebook written by Ian Livingstone.
Fighting Fantasy gamebooks are exactly that – part game and part book. These are books in which YOU, the reader, are the Hero. Armed with a pencil and dice, YOU choose which paths to follow, which items to take, and which creatures to battle! However - as in real life - sometimes fate will decide for you. Read a passage from the story and then decide whether to turn left or right, talk to that little old man or fight him. Test you LUCK to see if you can steal the pouch from around the sleeping pirate's neck - or will he wake up? Do you have the STAMINA to fight the Serpent Queen? Do you have the SKILL needed to hit an assassin with your throwing knife? Will you survive?
City of Thieves
‘City of Thieves’ is one of the most popular Fighting Fantasy books ever published, and is considered a classic. Written by Ian Livingstone, it was the fifth book in the series and originally published in 1983. YOU can now experience City of Thieves, and visit the notorious Port Blacksand with this high-quality limited edition hardback from The Games Collector.
Terror stalks the night as Zanbar Bone and his bloodthirsty Moon Dogs hold the prosperous town of Silverton to ransom. YOU are an adventurer, and the merchants of Silverton turn to you in their hour of need. Your mission takes you along the dark, twisting streets of Port Blacksand where thieves, vagabonds and creatures of the night lie in wait. And beyond lies the most fearsome adventure of all – the tower stronghold of the infamous Zanbar Bone!
Who is Ian Livingstone?
Ian Livingstone has been described as ‘one of the founding fathers of the UK games industry’. He was one of the masterminds behind such iconic brands as Games Workshop, the Fighting Fantasy gamebook series and Lara Croft: Tomb Raider. He is also a keen games player, games designer and games collector.
In 1975 he co-founded Games Workshop with Steve Jackson, launching Dungeons & Dragons in Europe, and later Warhammer. In 1982 he co-authored The Warlock of Firetop Mountain, again with Steve Jackson, and went on to write 14 titles in the Fighting Fantasy gamebook series which has sold in excess of 18 million copies worldwide. His titles include Deathtrap Dungeon and the iconic City of Thieves. In 1995 he oversaw a merger that created Eidos plc where he served as Executive Chairman. At Eidos he launched global video games franchises including Lara Croft: Tomb Raider and Hitman.
He is currently Chairman of Sumo-Digital, Chairman of Midoki, Chairman of Playdemic, Chairman of Antstream, Chairman of The Secret Police and Chairman of Flavourworks.
Ian has been awarded a CBE, a BAFTA Special Award and three Honorary Doctorates for his services to the games industry.
Who is The Games Collector?
The Games Collector Ltd is the result of decades of playing games, creating games and obsessive collecting of memorabilia by its founders. With a product line up featuring exclusive, exquisite and highly desirable collectibles, we aim to bring fans world-wide the items they long for, and maybe even a few they don't even know they long for!
This book is the first in a whole range of exciting new products coming soon from The Games Collector, including albums, figurines and other exclusive collectible merchandise.
Who is Daielyn Cris Bertelli?
Daielyn is a Brazilian artist and graphic designer who has a real passion for Fighting Fantasy and for ‘City of Thieves’ in particular. She produced an exclusive handmade edition of the book and sent it to Ian Livingstone as a gift. Her talent is now being brought to a wider audience with the release of these limited edition versions of her original book design, enhanced by The Games Collector. Please do take the time to look through the image gallery for this campaign and browse the photos of the creative process that produced the original handmade book!
The Indiegogo Campaign - The Perks
A maximum total of 1,016 English and 1,016 Portuguese Limited Edition books will be created for this campaign, spread across the three different handmade bindings.
The 'Hero' edition will be made to order for this campaign only, and never repeated or reprinted.
We cannot emphasis enough how rare these books will become. They will never be reprinted and won’t be available again in the future. Finished by hand (excluding the Hero edition) and to the highest quality in the UK by one of the oldest British printing and book binding companies, these are Fighting Fantasy books that both fans of the series and collectors or ultra-rare and unique items will treasure. With such a relatively small limited edition run, up to the most exquisite one of kind in each language version, this is a once in a lifetime opportunity to be part of this unique limited edition.
Please make sure you select the correct package and the correct language version when you order! (For delivery to any South American country, please choose ‘Brazil’ from the offered list, and then ensure you include your actual delivery country when supplying your full address.)
All editions will be shipped by signed for insured courier, as well as packed well to ensure your collectors edition will be received by you in perfect condition no matter where in the world you live, we have ensured this by working with the highest quality and best reputation logistics company we can.
The Fighting Fantasy Poster Collection
This set of four exclusive A3-size posters (297mm x 420mm, printed with a gloss laminate finish) feature for the first time the beautiful cover artwork for Forest of Doom, City of Thieves, Deathtrap Dungeon and Island of the Lizard King. The original paintings are by the world renowned artist Iain McCaig, who has since worked as a conceptual designer on movies including the three Star Wars prequels (for which he created Queen Amidala and Darth Maul), Terminator II, Hook, Dracula and Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.
The City of Thieves Limited Edition Print (limited to 200)
This is a beautiful print of the iconic Iain McCaig painting that was used for the original City of Thieves paperback book cover. It will be presented as an A2-size (420mm x 594mm, with a matte laminate finish) high quality print, signed by Ian Livingstone. This is ideal for framing to proudly display in YOUR home. The iconic cover artwork will also be used for the Nicodemus, Lord Azzur and Zanbar Bone Edition slipcases.
The Hero Edition hardback book (limited to this one print run for this campaign only)
The Hero Edition is a hardback edition of City of Thieves that is non-interactive. It still features the brilliant artwork and design produced by Daielyn Cris and Ian Livingstone’s classic game book experience, but uses static artwork in place of the interactive sections of the other editions.
The Hero edition features a printed hardback cover with the iconic Iain McCaig cover artwork of course, glued rather than hand-stitched pages as per the other editions, but more importantly still containing the all-important collector’s edition 'new art elements' for fans of Fighting Fantasy. While not being handmade as per the other editions, it will of course be of the highest quality possible.
(Example image to follow ASAP)
The Blacksand Edition hardback book (limited to 500 per language)
The cloth-bound City of Thieves Limited Blacksand Edition hardback will come supplied with an Adventure Sheet, 2xD6 dice (stored inside a pouch) and a Fighting Fantasy pencil to help record your progress through the adventure.
The Nicodemus Edition hardback book (limited to 500 per language)
The cloth-bound City of Thieves Limited Nicodemus Edition hardback will be individually numbered, signed by the original author, Ian Livingstone, and presented in a matching high-quality slipcase featuring the iconic Iain McCaig cover artwork.
Accompanying the book will be an Adventure Sheet, 2xD6 dice (stored inside a pouch) and a Fighting Fantasy pencil to help record your progress through the adventure.
The Lord Azzur Edition hardback book (limited to 15 per language)
The Lord Azzur Edition is the gold standard version of the City of Thieves. Designed with the most discernible collector in mind, this extremely limited edition of the book is bound in leather and presented in a high-quality slipcase featuring the iconic Iain McCaig cover painting.
For this edition, only fifteen copies of each language will be available to the public, and are only available through the campaign. Each Lord Azzur Edition is individually numbered and comes inscribed with a unique personal message from the author, Ian Livingstone.
Accompanying the book is an Adventure Sheet, 2xD6 dice (stored inside a pouch) and a Fighting Fantasy pencil to help record your progress through the adventure.
The Zanbar Bone Edition hardback book (limited to 1 per language)
Only one English and one Portuguese version of this exclusive edition is offered for sale to the public. For the ultimate Fighting Fantasy fan, this top tier edition is impeccably presented. Bound in calf-skin leather, this astonishing edition is stored in a calf-skin Solander box, with gilt-edged pages, and laid on a luxurious bedding within a unique hand carved wooden casket.
Ian Livingstone will write a unique personal message inside the book for the buyer and sign it. Two gold-plated D6 dice stored within a pouch, an Adventure Sheet and an exquisite Montblanc pencil (engraved with words of your choice, subject to terms and conditions) are also included in a separate storage box. Bound in calf-skin leather and with gilt-edged pages, this astonishing edition is stored in a calf-skin Solander box, laid on luxurious crushed blood-red velvet bedding within a hand-crafted free standing wooden casket made from 300-year old oak. The casket lid features an inlaid laser- engraved brass clasp.
Finally, a meal at a top London restaurant, dining with Ian Livingstone (where he will deliver and sign your book) and the Games Collectors team completes this one-off prized possession.
Please be aware that the cost and all necessary arrangements for travelling to London is the responsibility of the buyer. If the buyer cannot get to London, then the book will be personally signed by Ian and couriered to the buyer instead.
Risks and Challenges
* We have of course already done our utmost to make sure these are almost non-existent for backers.
* The copyright material presented in these books has been fully licensed from the respective copyright owners.
* The books are produced in the United Kingdom to reduce as much as possible any transportation and currency risks.
* Members of our team have extensive experience in creative projects, manufacturing and project management and are committed to producing the best possible product for collectors and fans of the Fighting Fantasy brand.
F.A.Q.
Q: Is The Games Collector Edition the same as the original hand-made book?
A: We have taken the original design and creatively enhanced it to produce these new and exquisite limited editions.
Q: Will you ever produce more of these editions in the future?
A: Not of City of Thieves. This is a never-to-be-repeated print run and these editions are totally exclusive to The Games Collector.
Q: How long after the campaign has closed will I get my book?
A: We will endeavour to deliver the books to customers by the timescales indicated in the campaign, if not sooner. Of course, unforeseen circumstances always present challenges but we are as keen to get the book delivered as you are to receive it!
Once the campaign has ended and the funds transferred, the manufacturer will start the process of printing and assembling the books, allowing us to deliver to you as soon as possible.
Q: Will you deliver overseas?
A: Yes. We have postal costs for different territories, which are applied at the time of pledging.
Please be aware that we have priced the postage and packaging as keenly and as fairly as possible, but these prices are beyond our control.
Q: Can I buy the posters from anyone else?
A: No. They are exclusive to The Games Collector.
Q: Does the book come with additional Adventure Sheets?
A: As well as the master sheet supplied with the book, a downloadable PDF of the sheet will be available from The Games Collector web site so you can print off as many additional copies as you like.
Q: Can I specify a number when ordering an individually numbered edition of the book?
A: Unfortunately not. The numbers are allocated on a random basis and we are unable to enter into correspondence regarding a specific number.
* Minor details of the City of Thieves Limited Edition hardbacks may vary in the delivered books
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Fighting Fantasy is a trademark owned by Steve Jackson and Ian Livingstone, all rights reserved
Forest of Doom © Ian Livingstone 1983, 2017
City of Thieves © Ian Livingstone 1983, 2017
Deathtrap Dungeon © Ian Livingstone 1984, 2017
Island of the Lizard King © Ian Livingstone 1984, 2017
These products are officially licenced from the copyright holder
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The images shown are rendered approximations of the anticipated final products. Minor details of the City of Thieves Limited Edition hardbacks may vary in the delivered books.