I’ve been in contact with Cubus Games recently and I’m happy to share that they are again working on the Steam Highwayman app, which they originally released back in 2021. I was very happy to partner with them in producing a full digital adaptation of Steam Highwayman, as Jordi and Quim are great at what they do and have a real interest in gamebooks and interactive fiction.
However, despite a fabulous quality of design, the difficulties of translating such an ambitious gamebook into a digital format, with the hundreds of variables that Smog and Ambuscade uses, meant that the resulting app was buggy and struggled to take off. It’s been hard to find the time to hunt and correct mistakes in the intervening few years – on my part, because of a steady stream of young children arriving, the need to earn a living and the other gamebooks I’ve been trying to write, and on Cubus’ because of their need to produce profitable software to keep their business growing. But the time has come to do justice to the project, and I’m reaching out because I would love to have help from any of you who did purchase the app or would be interested in a digital version of the Steam Highwayman adventures – I appreciate that that’s not all of you.
I’ve created a new buglist spreadsheet to share with anyone who wants to contribute in the interests of getting the app to its best possible state. One of the difficulties is that when correcting a physical gamebook, passages are easily identified by their number, but in an electronic format, this is one of the paratextual details that is removed… So how to identify a passage with an error? My simple solution is to identify the passage by the first three written words.
People frequently ask me whether there is an electronic version of Steam Highwayman available, and I normally explain that, firstly, the large amount of interactivity prevents a simple pdf conversion, and secondly, I’m very wary of pdf piracy and, thirdly, a full digital conversion would do better. So my hope is that now Cubus are able to devote time to improving the app, with your help (and some more hard work from me), the app could soon be in a state that allows people to really enjoy it. I have no hesitation in recommending Cubus’ other work – for example, I’ve really enjoyed their adaptation of Dave Morris’ Necklace of Skulls. Cubus also find great artists and musicians to work with; I love Ramon Sole’s theme to Steam Highwayman, which Cubus have been good enough to allow me to use. It really captures a sort-of Sunday afternoon tv serial vibe – just the right side of cheesy, melodramatic, adventurous and catchy!
Another treat about Cubus is their commitment to regional culture. The app of Steam Highwayman was in part funded by a grant to translate new works into Catalan, and I think the Steam Highwayman would certainly approve. Self-determination and independence are very much part of the brand… Perhaps one day there will be a Cornish translation of Princes of the West, which is coming to Kickstarter in July.
So if you bought the app and wanted to see it in a better state, or have never had a look but like the idea, please join in using this link. The app is available on the Play and the Apple stores. Otherwise, do watch out for more posts here on my site. I have a few more things planned to share with you before I launch the Kickstarter for Steam Highwayman: Princes of the West in July…
- Writing an open-world gamebook – a how-to series
- Creating an open-world gamebook map – an analysis of Legendary Kingdoms: Pirates of the Splintered Isles
- Creating the maps for Princes of the West
- Earlybird rewards for backers of the July Kickstarter – watch out for this one!