3. Circus Supremus
Author: Andrea Angiolino
Illustrator: Jode Carrasco
First Published: February 11, 2002
Length: 8 pages (pp 5-12; 65 sections)
Number of Endings: 13
Plot Summary: You are a charioteer racing for the entertainment of
the Emperor. If you win, you'll be rewarded; if you lose, it's off to the
quartz mines!
My Thoughts: This adventure was originally published in issue 12 of
the Italian gaming magazine Kaos. Since I helped to edit the English
translation, I'll refrain from commenting on the writing style. I will say
that I find the design quite impressive -- it balances luck with skill by
allowing you to cheat on the dice a certain number of times, it has a very
high replay value since you can always try to beat your previous record, and
it makes excellent use of space by re-using certain sections to simulate
multiple laps around the track. This would have made an excellent mini-game
within a larger story, but it also manages to stand alone quite well.
Errata: There should be temples on the character sheet, but I forgot
to include them. Oopsie.