This work led me to become the official photographer for Tom Baker (Doctor Who). I also had the honour of photographing Sir Ian Livingstone, Steve Jackson, and several other notable figures.
An interview with the writer of Storymaster;s Tales, interactive gaming books. Continuing the solo gaming interviews.
Disclaimer. Rand Roll is an affiliate of Drive Thru RPG.
Chat with Oliver McNeil of Storymaster's Tales
Oliver McNeil is the writer of Storymaster Tales, a series of gamebooks that can be played alone or as an immersive group experience. And also Horror Games appropriate for Halloween.
We have Olly's gaming background, backstory of Storymaster's Tales, using them in education, creative challenges and upcoming Storymaster's Quests, plus other bits.
What was your gaming story before writing gamebooks?
Before diving into gamebook writing, I spent many years working in theatre, followed by a career as a fantasy portrait photographer.
As a lifelong fan of fantasy, I sought to create something unique in the portrait world, so I built elaborate sets and used costumes and props to produce distinctive, immersive portraits.
This work led me to become the official photographer for Tom Baker (Doctor Who). I also had the honour of photographing Sir Ian Livingstone, Steve Jackson, and several other notable figures.
This journey felt like a full-circle moment for me, as my fascination with painting Fighting Fantasy book illustrations on my bedroom walls was what initially sparked my interest in working in theatre.
How did Storymaster's Tales come to be?
After my time as a fantasy photographer, I returned to the theatre by establishing an Interactive, Immersive Adventure Studio in the charming town of Rye, East Sussex.
There, I hosted quests for families, which received great reviews. However, since the venue was a small parlour theatre, I wanted to reach a wider audience. This led me to create The Storymaster’s Tales, capturing the best elements of the live show and making them accessible worldwide.
The project had a few false starts until I landed on the idea of deconstructed branching narrative gamebooks, incorporating immersive soundscapes. Interestingly, many of the design decisions were made while I was on a beach in Greece during my honeymoon.
The first version, The Storymaster’s Tales: Weirding Woods, was successfully funded on Kickstarter. Unlike the pure book format it has today, the original version was a boxed set that included cards, a book, and a notepad.
What are the different ways to play/experience the Storymaster's Tales?
I designed The Storymaster's Tales to be easy and adaptable for players of all ages, appealing to experienced and novice roleplayers. It can be played solo, but is officially suited for up to five players. Unofficially, I’ve even run the game for an audience of over one hundred people, using giant dice, props, puppets, video projections and huge maps. Not many games offer that level of versatility!
How do you use Storymaster's Tales (or other games) in Education?
I've heard from several teachers who enjoy using The Storymaster's Tales in classrooms, as it encourages students to read, problem-solve, and work together as a team.
I've also been invited into schools to use the game firsthand, so I know it’s effective. When I work with students, I typically have them create a single hero character and then engage the whole class by having them vote on decisions to help the hero succeed in their quest. This approach fosters collaboration and critical thinking in a fun and interactive way.
What have been the challenges and highlights of creating gamebooks?
The main challenge has been finding the time to write new books, but I’ve recently developed a work routine that helps me plan and schedule writing more effectively.
Self-publishing through Amazon has also freed up more time for writing, as they handle printing and shipping. Previously, when I produced boxed versions for Kickstarter, I had to manage packing and shipping myself—finding space for six hundred boxes was no small task!
The highlights have been seeing my games chart alongside Call of Cthulhu and Dungeons and Dragons, and hearing from people who’ve bought my games but never played a roleplaying game before. It's incredibly rewarding when they tell me how much fun they’ve had with my books.
What advice would you give people writing gamebooks?
My biggest advice is to find your writing style rather than trying to copy someone else, and then make a start.
What are your other favourite gamebooks or games?
I’m fond of the early game books of Fighting Fantasy, Sorcery and Lone Wolf.
What are your next big projects that you can talk about?
I’m about to release the final instalment of The Storymaster’s Tales, titled Tome of Terror: London. After that, I’m working on a brand new series called Storymaster’s Quests.
These books will follow a similar format, featuring maps and narrative options for each area with four choices, but unlike The Storymaster’s Tales, which had multiple interwoven quests, Storymaster’s Quests will focus on a single main story. It will play more like a classic dungeon crawler. I’m also excited to be doing all the artwork myself for this project!
Where can people find you on social media?
I’ve got my main website www.storymasterstales.com, and my Facebook group.
Finishing Up
So if you like solo gamebooks or like the idea of experiencing gamebooks with others take a look at Storymaster's Tales.
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