Games that have been adapted into books, films and other works

Recommendations by Strident

A list of text adventures and other IF that were later adapted by their authors into novels, films and other works besides traditional IF.

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1. Grave Robber, by Andy McDermott (1999)
Strident says:

This 1999 Psion 5 text adventure provided the spark that led to the author writing a series of bestselling novels starting with 'The Hunt for Atlantis'. Netflix have the rights to make these into a TV show.

2. The Kingdom of Spelldome, by Adrian J. Owens (1985)
Strident says:

The setting of this 1985 Amstrad CPC text adventure has been used for Adrian J. Powell-Owens 'TALON - Kingdom of Spelldrome' series of novels.

3. For Pete's Sake, by Jonathan Scott and Stephen Boyd (1993)
Strident says:

Jonathan Scott's various ZX Spectrum games, published by Zenobi in the 1990s, served as the inspiration for his novella, 'A Brief Tale'.

4. Forgotten Island
by Unknown
(1989)

Strident says:

Forgotten Island, a 1989 ZX Spectrum text adventure, inspired the author Raymond Johnson's 'Effluo Insula' series.

5. Italianate, by Andy McDermott (2022)
Strident says:

A 2022 Quilled text adventure for ZX Spectrum that the author has turned into a novella.

6. Murder in the Monastery, by Fender Tucker (1984)
Strident says:

This game by Fender Tucker/Knees Calhoon that has versions going back to 1984 for the C64 was later adapted into a novella 'Knees Calhoon's Midnight Ramble: Murder in the Monastery'; going full circle as the game itself was originally unofficially based on the novel 'In the Name of the Rose'.

7. Castle Darkholm
by Randy A. Cook
(2013)

Strident says:

This was originally a TI-99/4A text adventure from 1990 powered by the Scott Adams system. In 2013 the author adapted it into the eGamebook listed here.

8. Sherlock Holmes in the Case of the Beheaded Smuggler, by Patrick Walsh (1988)
Average member rating: (1 rating)
Strident says:

Published as a novel in December 2025; 37 years after the original ZX Spectrum game was released.

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