La Torre di Elmarsh
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Finally, you close your notebook. You look at the pages filled with marks, boxes, crossed-out missions. And you know that tomorrow you'll start again, because that tower won't conquer itself.
WHAT IT'S ABOUT
A roll & write gamebook that takes you on a journey through lands to be saved
The Tower of Elmarsh is a narrative roll-and-write designed by Dr David Simpson and Paul Stapleton (with illustrations by Stapleton), published by Bedsit Games. It's an open world gamebook where you travel through the land of Brighthelm with a party of villains, blacksmiths, adventurers, rangers, clerics, and some Hawkguards. The theme is classic fantasy but the approach is personal: every choice you make, every mission you complete, every ally you gain leaves a permanent mark on your notebook.
At the table (or rather, alone with your notebook) you roll dice, move between areas, complete missions, help the locals and transform your group of enthusiasts into warriors ready for anything. The game uses multiple maps, pick-up and deliver mechanics, and an ending system that changes based on your actions. Time is running out: there's a growing lunar threat, and you must return home as a hero before it's too late.
What they say abroad
A notebook, a pencil, some dice. And a world that awaits you every evening.
— FroGames
The tower calls you. But the road to get there is all yours to write.
— FroGames
The Tower of Elmarsh
Designed entirely for solo play. There is no multiplayer version: it's just you, the notebook, the dice, and the world of Brighthelm. The experience is complete precisely because it doesn't have to simulate interaction with others: it's meant to be experienced alone, calmly, building your personal story turn after turn.
FrogScore · editorial rating FroGames · based on rules, international reviews, and gameplay sessionsYour party
What you bring with you on the journey
Party of adventurers
Villagers, blacksmiths, rangers, clerics, some Hawkguards. You recruit them, improve them, transform them into warriors. Everyone has a role, everyone leaves a mark on your campaign.
Multiple maps
Not just one static map: different lands, areas to unlock, hidden secrets. You move between regions, discover new places, follow alternative paths with each run.
Varied missions
You help the people of Brighthelm, complete quests, choose which objectives to pursue. Every completed mission changes the course of the story and brings you closer to the tower.
Lunar threat
Time is running out. A moon threatens to strike, and you must return home as a hero before it's too late. The tension builds, choices weigh more heavily.
Every evening you open your notebook. Every evening the story continues. And in the end, that tower will be yours.
A game in five moments
What happens when you play
Not the rules. The experience.
The party forms
You roll the dice, choose your first companions, and mark the first boxes in your notebook. The party is small, inexperienced, but full of hope. You look at the map and think: where do I begin?
The first mission
You move towards a village, accept a quest, roll the dice to resolve the encounter. You succeed. You mark the completion, gain allies. You start to feel that the story is truly yours.
The world opens up
You unlock a new area, discover a secret, recruit a Hawkguard. The notebook fills with marks, the map takes shape. You understand that every choice closes some doors and opens others.
The threat looms
The moon approaches. You look at the time track and realize that you can't do everything. You have to choose: which mission, which ally, which power to develop. The die falls, and you hope it's enough.
The finale
You arrive at the tower, face the final challenge, and discover how it ends based on what you've done. The notebook tells a complete story. You close the book. And you think: the next run will be different.
How to play
The flow of each turn
Roll & write open world means: roll dice, move, resolve encounters, mark everything in your notebook.
You roll the turn's dice. The results determine movement, available actions, and encounter outcomes. It's the "roll" heart of roll & write.
You choose where to go among the available areas. Each area has missions, encounters, secrets. You use the movement granted by the dice and mark your position.
Whether it's a mission, a combat, helping locals, or a discovery, you resolve it with the dice and the party's abilities. You mark the result in your notebook.
You gain allies, powers, resources. But time is advancing: the lunar threat approaches. You mark progress and remaining time. You prepare for the next turn.
Why it's different from others
Six elements that make it unique
Open world on paper
Not a linear path, but multiple maps with unlockable areas. You decide where to go, which missions to undertake, which secrets to seek. The open world exists even in a notebook.
Modular gamebook format
It's a book that plays like a campaign: each game can last 20 minutes or 3 hours, you can stop and resume whenever you want. No setup needed, no need to rebuild the world: reopen your notebook and continue.
Party that truly grows
You don't manage abstract stats: you recruit people with names and roles, the best ones, and bring them with you. The party is a living cast that evolves, not a numerical sheet.
Narrative pick-up and deliver
Movement and delivery mechanics are not just logistics: helping villages, delivering items, completing favors builds your reputation and unlocks different endings.
Concrete time pressure
The lunar threat is not an empty timer: it's a track that advances, forcing you to choose what to do and what to leave behind. You can't save everyone. You can't see everything. You have to get home in time.
Conditional ending
How it ends depends on what you did: missions completed, allies gained, secrets discovered. There isn't just one victory, but many possible endings that reflect your choices throughout the journey.
How it ends
How to win and how to lose
The game has variable victory conditions and time pressure that decides when everything ends.
Victory
- Reach the tower with a strong enough party and complete the final objective before the moon strikes
- Complete enough key missions to unlock the hero ending and return to Brighthelm as the savior of the land
- Discover hidden secrets that change the course of events and achieve a unique alternative ending
Defeat or premature end
- Time runs out: the lunar threat arrives before you can return, and the ending closes on a bitter note
- The party is not strong enough to overcome the final challenge at the tower, and you must retreat without glory
- You make choices that lead you to a narrative dead end: some paths close if you don't have the right allies or powers
The Tower of Elmarsh is a personal journey in a notebook, where every die rolled and every box marked builds a story that is uniquely yours.
Frequently asked questions
FAQ about The Tower of Elmarsh
How long does a full campaign last?
It's up to you. You can play 20-minute sessions and pick up whenever you want, or do 3-hour runs straight. The gamebook format allows you to stop and resume without losing progress: just reopen your notebook and continue from exactly where you left off. A complete campaign can take several hours spread across multiple sessions.
Can it be replayed after completing a campaign?
Yes. Endings change based on choices, multiple maps offer different paths, and the missions you complete influence the story. Each run can be different: you can explore areas you ignored, recruit different allies, aim for an alternative ending. It's designed for replayability.
Is experience with roll & writes needed to play?
No. The Tower of Elmarsh is accessible from 8 years and up, with simple rules: roll dice, move, mark results. The complexity lies in narrative choices, not in mathematics. If you've ever played a gamebook or a basic roll & write, you're already ready.
How much space is needed to play?
Very little. It's a gamebook: you need the notebook, pencil, eraser, and a few dice. You can play anywhere: table, train, park. No board, no scattered components. You take it with you and play whenever you want.
Is it available in Italian?
No, the edition sold on FroGames is in English. The text is present in the notebook, missions, and narrative descriptions, so a good understanding of written English is necessary to play.
The Tower of Elmarsh is a solo narrative roll-and-write for 1 player, ages 8+, variable duration from 20 to 180 minutes. Designed by Dr. David Simpson and Paul Stapleton, published by Bedsit Games, it's an open world gamebook where you roll dice, move across multiple maps, complete missions, and build a party of adventurers. The mechanics combine dice rolling, area movement, and pick-up and deliver in a campaign format with a conditional ending. Available on FroGames.it.
La Torre di Elmarsh
Frequently Asked Questions
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