Hello there!

It is review time!

Let me just start by saying I never played the original book "DeathTrap Dungeon" but I played the sequel "The challenge of the champions" or something similar. I am familiar with the background.

Didn't really saw any bugs at all.

Exactly the same applies to your "House of Pain", since you can read the text, some would consider it "metagaming".

About secret references:

I like how most secret references on your book are related to

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The one, single exception to that rule is the one where

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The reason why I dislike ONLY that one clue is exactly what I told you in the past, when I reviewed your "House of Pain" and talked about the "knowledge one life char have but shouldn't have".

Love the fack that Makes it a much fair adventure.

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About the layout, the items needed to win and the

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I think it was a incredible nice touch and made me actually having to be very carefull to mapping everything well.

I also believe the number of hints, items and help you get is on point: not to much, with the ocasional lies in the middle but not too little. Definately better than in your Hellfire adventure, thats for God damn sure xD

My favorite enemy there, is, of course and with no surprise from you (I bet).

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I just love battles like thoses, for the exact same reason I liked your vampire lady in your third book here, "House of Pain".

The others enemy are fair balanced and without asking for big power spikes.

If I recall well, in "The Trial of Champions", the right path makes you.

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I like the fact that here its the same, its a nice, little, lets say "easter egg" you put there and I love it.

Most of the things I have write here are pretty much some information not that diferent from the other reviews I have done, soo let me just add this one last note about

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I think this was like "The Presence" in your other book but way, way way way better delivered and executed here. Love the notion that you put there, something in the lines of

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Kudos for that.

All in all, I liked the book a lot, its definately a good "dungeon crawl" kind of adventure. I would even say that this book have a lot of the best things you had in "Hellfire" and "Riders of Storm" while clearly removing some of the worst offenders.

Its not my favorite book on this site (Your "House of Pain" trumphs this one, in my eyes) but its still a solid 2nd place.

Nicely done :)

Phil Sadler
Sun Oct 11 22:29:16 2020

Thanks very much for your detailed review and, if you don't mind, I'd like to put it on a few other forums here and there to try and drum up a bit more interest because what you wrote sounds interesting.

Condutas
Mon Oct 12 18:31:41 2020

But by all means, use that text as you see fit.

You deserve all the praise. It's a shame no more people have read it yet.

Phil Sadler
Sun Jun 29 00:43:26 2025

Copied from ChatGPT:

Phil Sadler’s Deathtrap is an unofficial prequel to Ian Livingstone’s classic Deathtrap Dungeon. It was released on September 26, 2016, and is part of the Fighting Fantasy fan-made gamebook community.

🧩 About Deathtrap by Phil Sadler
Length: 499 references (sections), making it a full-length gamebook.

Premise: It explores the origins of the infamous dungeon created by Baron Sukumvit, offering a backstory to the deadly trials featured in Deathtrap Dungeon.

Tone: Like Sadler’s other works, it’s known for being challenging, atmospheric, and rich in lore.

Availability: It can be downloaded from fan sites like The Fighting Fantasy Project and discussed on forums like the Fighting Fantazine boards.

🔗 Connection to Deathtrap Dungeon
While Deathtrap Dungeon (1984) by Ian Livingstone is about surviving a brutal gauntlet of traps and monsters for fame and fortune, Sadler’s Deathtrap gives players a glimpse into the events leading up to that infamous contest. It adds depth to the world of Baron Sukumvit and the city of Fang, enriching the lore for longtime fans.

Would you like a summary of the plot or a look at how it compares to the original Deathtrap Dungeon?

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🏰 Deathtrap by Phil Sadler – Plot Summary & Comparison
Phil Sadler’s Deathtrap is a fan-made prequel to Ian Livingstone’s iconic Deathtrap Dungeon. While the original book throws you into Baron Sukumvit’s deadly labyrinth as a contestant in the Trial of Champions, Sadler’s Deathtrap explores the origins of the dungeon itself—how it was built, tested, and refined into the lethal gauntlet we know.

📖 Plot Summary
In Deathtrap, you play as an adventurer hired (or coerced) to test the early version of the dungeon. Baron Sukumvit is still perfecting his masterpiece, and you’re one of the unfortunate souls sent in to help him “work out the kinks.” The traps are crude but deadly, the monsters are unpredictable, and the dungeon is filled with experimental horrors.

Key elements include:

Prototype traps and puzzles that hint at what will later appear in Deathtrap Dungeon.

Encounters with early versions of iconic monsters, like the Bloodbeast or Pit Fiend.

A tone of grim inevitability, as you realize you’re part of a larger, cruel spectacle.

⚖️ Comparison: Sadler’s Deathtrap vs Livingstone’s Deathtrap Dungeon
Feature Deathtrap (Phil Sadler) Deathtrap Dungeon (Ian Livingstone)
Type Fan-made prequel Official Fighting Fantasy book
Focus Origins of the dungeon Surviving the Trial of Champions
Tone Gritty, experimental, fatalistic Competitive, deadly, structured
Structure 499 sections, non-linear 400 sections, classic FF format
Difficulty High, with Sadler’s signature challenge Also notoriously difficult
Lore Expands on Fang and Baron Sukumvit Introduces the Trial and its champions
Sadler’s Deathtrap is a love letter to the original, but with his own darker, more brutal twist. It’s ideal for fans who want to dive deeper into the lore of Fang and experience the dungeon before it became legend.

Would you like to try a sample encounter from Deathtrap or explore where to download and play it?

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