Paolo Garelli
Our search for tomes to read and worlds to explore leads us to face an adventure different from the usual with the review of Reality: The Island. Catapulted onto an island, we will have to compete in bizarre tests trying to defeat our fierce opponents. I thank Roberto Bucciarelli and Dracomaca for having delivered to me at Play 2025 a copy of their new work.
If you can’t wait to lock yourself in the most beloved confessional ever, know that you can buy this gamebook on the Dracomaca website at a cost of around €24.90.
Pack your bags, you are about to take part in the new edition of the most popular reality show of recent years! You and six other fierce competitors will battle it out on a wild island
A First Look at Reality: The Island
Reality: The Island is a gamebook composed of 700 paragraphs divided, obviously since it is a reality show, into 5 episodes of 140 paragraphs. In each episode we will have to face the challenges that will be proposed to us by our sadistic host, who will never fail to make our life hell to increase the share of the program by even just one point.
The prize up for grabs is very juicy: one million euros that will go to whoever manages to survive until the end. Now I think it’s time to introduce our contestants (the camera moves, framing the protagonists of our story one by one):
- Leon: “hola a todos, mi nombre es León. No hablo bien tu idioma, pero estoy aquí con mi amor Irene para ganar el reto.”
- Nemo Solfa: “My name is Nemo. I’m here to win.”
- Irene Burmese: “Hi everyone, sorry I’m a little excited. My name is Irene. I’m here with my boyfriend Leon to win the show. I love cats.”
- Gioacchino Zalo: “Hi girls, my name is Gioacchino and I’m here to win. My strong point is sympathy.”
- Erica Pandolfini: “Hi everyone, my name is Erica Pandolfini. I’m here to win and I already have a strategy in mind to get what I want. The other contestants must not get in my way.”
- Priscilla Rosa Bradipovich: “Hello to my loyal audience. I don’t think I need to introduce myself. Everyone has seen my films, obviously.”
Our contestants are very aggressive and we can’t wait for the challenges to begin. What do you say, is there one missing? Sorry, the director told me that there is still one contestant to present. As they say, that’s the beauty of live broadcasting….
Mechanics Analysis
Reality: The Island is a gamebook where we will impersonate the contestant that I left out of the presentation. Until the last part of the gamebook, statistics will not come into play and the various tests will be solved either by our intellect or by the fact of owning or not owning a certain object. The 5 episodes of the reality show will test our ability to make decisions under pressure in a game of alliances and low blows.
With each contestant we can have a hostile, neutral or kind relationship. Needless to say, making everyone hate you is the best way to be sent home during the elimination moment. Each contestant is associated with a number and based on the situation we will have to add that number to the paragraph we are reading, thus modifying the story based on who was eliminated. A simple but also very interesting mechanic, which allowed me to create a real strategy. A strategy that obviously turned against me in the final episode.
Conclusions of the Review of Reality: The Island
I’m not a fan of reality shows. The only one I’ve watched was the animated series Total Drama. Aside from the fact that this made me read all the lines of the host with the voice of Chris McLean, I can say that Reality: The Island is a really fun gamebook.
The various challenges, enmities and underhand strategies kept me glued to the pages. Stefano dell’Aria’s exquisite illustrations complete the work perfectly.
I recommend this gamebook to anyone who can’t wait to throw themselves into a battle to the last vote, hoping for the public’s favor.
