What do you think?
Rate this book
Freeway Warrior #1
Highway Holocaust
This exclusive hardcover (with dust jacket and book ribbons) is the first choose-your-own-adventure-gamebook in Joe Dever’s post apocalyptic series. America 2033 AD.
Eight years ago the terrorist agents of H.A.V.O.C. triggered a nuclear nightmare that devastated the northern hemisphere, its radioactive aftermath claiming all but a few lucky survivors. Patiently, in scattered colonies deep underground, these survivors have been waiting for the earth to heal itself, waiting for the day when they could walk once more upon the surface of their shattered world.
That day has come …but the real battle for survival has only just begun! Highway Holocaust. You are Cal Phoenix, the Freeway Warrior, champion and protector of Dallas Colony One. A murderous gang of H.A.V.O.C. clansmen, led by the psychotic Mad Dog Michigan, are hell bent on destroying your fragile colony as it crosses the wastelands of Texas on the first stage of its life-or-death exodus to the California coast. These bike-riding clansmen are a formidable armed, cunning, and extremely dangerous, capable of launching a lightning raid at any time, day or night. You will need all your wits about you if you are to defend your people and reach your destination intact!
Eight years ago the terrorist agents of H.A.V.O.C. triggered a nuclear nightmare that devastated the northern hemisphere, its radioactive aftermath claiming all but a few lucky survivors. Patiently, in scattered colonies deep underground, these survivors have been waiting for the earth to heal itself, waiting for the day when they could walk once more upon the surface of their shattered world.
That day has come …but the real battle for survival has only just begun! Highway Holocaust. You are Cal Phoenix, the Freeway Warrior, champion and protector of Dallas Colony One. A murderous gang of H.A.V.O.C. clansmen, led by the psychotic Mad Dog Michigan, are hell bent on destroying your fragile colony as it crosses the wastelands of Texas on the first stage of its life-or-death exodus to the California coast. These bike-riding clansmen are a formidable armed, cunning, and extremely dangerous, capable of launching a lightning raid at any time, day or night. You will need all your wits about you if you are to defend your people and reach your destination intact!
288 pages, Paperback
First published July 7, 1988
1 person is currently reading
94 people want to read
About the author
Joe Dever
216 books170 followersJoe Dever was an award-winning British fantasist and game designer. Originally a musician, Dever became the first British winner of the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons Championship of America in 1982.
He created the fictional world of Magnamund as a setting for his Dungeons & Dragons campaigns. In 1984 he released the first book of the Lone Wolf series of young-adult gamebooks, and the series has since sold over 10.2 million copies worldwide. He experienced difficulty with his publishers as the game books market began to contract in 1995, until publication ceased in 1998 before the final four books (numbers 29-32) were released. Since 2003, however, the series has enjoyed a strong revival of interest in France, Italy, and Spain following the re-release of the gamebook series in these countries.
From 1996 onwards, Dever was involved in the production of several successful computer and console games. He also contributed to a Dungeons & Dragons-style role playing game for Lone Wolf published by Mongoose Publishing (UK) in 2004. Currently he is Lead Designer of a Lone Wolf computer game, and he is writing the final books in the Lone Wolf series. No official publication schedule exists for these works.
He created the fictional world of Magnamund as a setting for his Dungeons & Dragons campaigns. In 1984 he released the first book of the Lone Wolf series of young-adult gamebooks, and the series has since sold over 10.2 million copies worldwide. He experienced difficulty with his publishers as the game books market began to contract in 1995, until publication ceased in 1998 before the final four books (numbers 29-32) were released. Since 2003, however, the series has enjoyed a strong revival of interest in France, Italy, and Spain following the re-release of the gamebook series in these countries.
From 1996 onwards, Dever was involved in the production of several successful computer and console games. He also contributed to a Dungeons & Dragons-style role playing game for Lone Wolf published by Mongoose Publishing (UK) in 2004. Currently he is Lead Designer of a Lone Wolf computer game, and he is writing the final books in the Lone Wolf series. No official publication schedule exists for these works.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
January 14, 2024
Highway holocaust. Freeway Warrior - Il guerriero della strada è un libro game che mi ha fatto rivivere le emozioni dei giochi di ruolo interattivi che leggevo da ragazzo. Il libro è scritto da Joe Dever, lo stesso autore della famosa saga di Lupo Solitario, e ci mette nei panni di Cal Phoenix, un sopravvissuto a un'olocausto nucleare che deve guidare la sua colonia di Dallas verso la California, attraversando le terre bruciate del Texas e affrontando i pericoli della strada.
Il libro è un'avventura appassionante, ricca di colpi di scena, sfide e scelte difficili. La meccanica di gioco è semplice ma efficace, basata su un sistema di combattimento, abilità e inventario che ci permette di personalizzare il nostro personaggio e di influenzare il corso della storia. Il libro è anche ben illustrato da Ryan Lovelock, che rende bene l'atmosfera post apocalittica e i personaggi che incontriamo.
Ho apprezzato molto il libro perché mi ha coinvolto in una storia avvincente, in cui ho dovuto usare la mia intelligenza, il mio coraggio e la mia fortuna per sopravvivere. Il libro è anche il primo di una serie di quattro, quindi non vedo l'ora di leggere i seguiti e di scoprire come si concluderà la saga. Highway holocaust. Freeway Warrior - Il guerriero della strada è un libro game che consiglio a tutti gli appassionati del genere e a chi vuole provare un'esperienza di lettura diversa e divertente.
Il libro è un'avventura appassionante, ricca di colpi di scena, sfide e scelte difficili. La meccanica di gioco è semplice ma efficace, basata su un sistema di combattimento, abilità e inventario che ci permette di personalizzare il nostro personaggio e di influenzare il corso della storia. Il libro è anche ben illustrato da Ryan Lovelock, che rende bene l'atmosfera post apocalittica e i personaggi che incontriamo.
Ho apprezzato molto il libro perché mi ha coinvolto in una storia avvincente, in cui ho dovuto usare la mia intelligenza, il mio coraggio e la mia fortuna per sopravvivere. Il libro è anche il primo di una serie di quattro, quindi non vedo l'ora di leggere i seguiti e di scoprire come si concluderà la saga. Highway holocaust. Freeway Warrior - Il guerriero della strada è un libro game che consiglio a tutti gli appassionati del genere e a chi vuole provare un'esperienza di lettura diversa e divertente.
May 7, 2019
I had to compromise my personal moral code to reach the end of the book, made it feel like an authentic post-apocalypse experience.
May 2, 2023
I was looking for a post-apocalyptic gamebook in the way Ian Livingstone and Steve Jackson did their Fighting Fantasy, and I'm very glad to have found this one. It is very much a world like Mad Max. Although I was hoping for something more cyberpunk, this one was a pleasant surprise. It has simple to follow rules, interesting takes on skills and use of the paragraph numbers, it is punishing but ultimately fair to make survival a worthy achievement.
Most of all is fun! Good luck on your rolls.
Oh, and for those who don't want to find yourselves a pair of dice, the book has a numbers sheet you can use. You close your eyes and put your pencil randomly on that sheet to get your roll.
Most of all is fun! Good luck on your rolls.
Oh, and for those who don't want to find yourselves a pair of dice, the book has a numbers sheet you can use. You close your eyes and put your pencil randomly on that sheet to get your roll.
October 8, 2021
Istnieją pewne specyficzne książki, które nazywa się grami paragrafowymi. Jest to ciekawa forma, w której my decydujemy, w którą stronę podąży nasz bohater, wybierając odpowiedni paragraf. Oczywiście są różne rodzaje takich pozycji. Niektóre mają zakończenia a niektóre kończą się wtedy kiedy bohater straci wszystkie punkty. Już tłumaczę, o co chodzi na przykładzie dzisiejszej książki, czyli" Wojownika autostrady Piekło na autostradzie" do tej historii potrzebujemy Karty akcji, którą znajdziemy na końcu książki albo można ją wydrukować ze strony wydawnictwa. Po przeczytaniu instrukcji kierujemy się na ostatnią stronę zatytułowana tabela liczb losowych i to tam tak naprawdę zaczynamy naszą podróż. Od tego co uda nam się wylosować zależne będzie ile potrwa nasza rozgrywka. Jeśli coś wydaje wam się niejasne to spokojnie w książce jest obszerna instrukcja gdzie wszystkie wasze wątpliwości zostaną rozwiane. Coś co uważam za fenomenalne w tej pozycji to kalendarium katastrof oraz Historia Cala, czyli bohatera, którym będziemy grać. Dlaczego jest to świetne, bo poznajemy przeszłość i możemy się lepiej wczuć w fabułę. Całe przygotowanie do gry już jest interesujące a jeszcze nie zaczęliśmy rozgrywki. To może zacznijmy omawiane od paragrafów. Dzięki temu, że są one dość krótkie gra staje się bardziej dynamiczna. Wszystko jest świetnie opisane więc Nikt nie powinien się pogubić w szukaniu ich. Sama fabuła jest bardzo fajna. Odbędziemy dużo różnych walk, ale taka jest specyficzność tej historii. Jest to pozycja, która wciągnie was na dobrych parę godzin i oczywiście na nie jedną rundę. Ja już przygotowałam siebie kolejne karty akcji, by sprawdzać kolejne ścieżki. Czy jest to pozycja dla osób, które jeszcze nie miały styczności z grą paragrafową? Myślę, że tak. Będzie to skok na głęboką wodę, bo nie mamy tam, tylko fabuły, którą przechodzimy i kierujemy się na jakieś zakończenie. Jednak pozycja jest jak najbardziej godna uwagi. Z tego co widzę jest to pierwszy Tom z czterech więc cała seria będzie na pewno wielogodzinną przygodą. Ja uważam, że była to jedna z lepszych gier, w jakie grałam bardzo rozwinięta i niezwykle życiową przez to, że nie my decydujemy ile mamy na przykład żywotności tylko los. Ja bardzo wam ją polecam.
December 11, 2018
Highway Holocaust is an authentic and exciting Mad Max-inspired piece of interactive fiction, mixing all of the expected tropes of the post-apocalyptic genre – limited resources, motorcycle thugs and brutal violence – into an enjoyable gamebook experience. Dever’s storytelling is unfailingly engaging and lively, drawing the reader into the shoes of the main character as you’re presented with short- and long-term decisions that directly affect how you’ll experience his gamebooks. The numerous characters you meet, fight or befriend have individual personalities and desires, which then gives them a genuine purpose and identity – even when they’re only minor players within in a relatively brief encounter. This creation of relatable and believable characters is a constant strength in Dever’s writing, building vibrant, living environments that realistically surround you and rarely feel like staged pathways.
A visually impressive book, complete with a full-colour route map on the inside of the dust jacket, two coloured ribbon markers, and luxuriously thick paper, this is a great collectible for those either familiar with or completely new to the series. Also, the cover and interior illustrations perfectly capture the various rough-and-ready inhabitants of this American wasteland.
It certainly isn’t one of the longest gamebooks available, and many of the options presented during moments of conflict are only there to test your skills and/or judgement and whittle down your endurance or resources, but Highway Holocaust does feature alternative routes and other worthwhile events to experience during further readings.
A visually impressive book, complete with a full-colour route map on the inside of the dust jacket, two coloured ribbon markers, and luxuriously thick paper, this is a great collectible for those either familiar with or completely new to the series. Also, the cover and interior illustrations perfectly capture the various rough-and-ready inhabitants of this American wasteland.
It certainly isn’t one of the longest gamebooks available, and many of the options presented during moments of conflict are only there to test your skills and/or judgement and whittle down your endurance or resources, but Highway Holocaust does feature alternative routes and other worthwhile events to experience during further readings.
August 9, 2019
Oggi vi presento un libro game che ho scoperto grazie alla segnalazione su FB da parte di Mauro Longo, che ringrazio sin da subito: Freeway Warrior, il Guerriero della Strada di Joe Dever. Che dire, il compianto Joe è stato l’autore che mi ha iniziato al fantasy con i suoi libri gioco su Lupo Solitario, quindi gli sarà sempre grato.
Ho avuto la fortuna di conoscerlo, qualche anno fa a Lucca Games e quindi è con un certo imbarazzo che confesso di essermi perso questa serie dedicata a Cal Phoenix, il guerriero della strada appunto. Non riesco ancora a spiegarmi come possa essermi sfuggita. Diciamo che all’epoca qui a Bolzano trovare i libri game era impresa degna di un cavaliere della tavola rotonda, per cui immagino questi non siano proprio mai giunti. Con piacere quindi ho rimediato al mio errore giovanile, comprando questo primo episodio, Highway Holocaust, tornando così, dopo cinque lustri a cimentarmi con questa tipologia d’intrattenimento. La saga è composta da un totale di 4 avventure e si rifà all’ambientazione cinematografica, che io adoro, di Mad Max, e visto che desidero cimentarmi nella stesura di un romanzo affine, ho colto l’occasione con ancor maggiore entusiasmo. Recensione completa su: https://www.scrittorindipendenti.com/...
Ho avuto la fortuna di conoscerlo, qualche anno fa a Lucca Games e quindi è con un certo imbarazzo che confesso di essermi perso questa serie dedicata a Cal Phoenix, il guerriero della strada appunto. Non riesco ancora a spiegarmi come possa essermi sfuggita. Diciamo che all’epoca qui a Bolzano trovare i libri game era impresa degna di un cavaliere della tavola rotonda, per cui immagino questi non siano proprio mai giunti. Con piacere quindi ho rimediato al mio errore giovanile, comprando questo primo episodio, Highway Holocaust, tornando così, dopo cinque lustri a cimentarmi con questa tipologia d’intrattenimento. La saga è composta da un totale di 4 avventure e si rifà all’ambientazione cinematografica, che io adoro, di Mad Max, e visto che desidero cimentarmi nella stesura di un romanzo affine, ho colto l’occasione con ancor maggiore entusiasmo. Recensione completa su: https://www.scrittorindipendenti.com/...
October 26, 2021
Niedawno bardzo zaciekawiła mnie seria książek paragrafowych „Wojownik autostrady”. Mam u siebie tom pierwszy, czyli „Piekło na autostradzie” oraz drugi „Przejście przez góry masakry”. Gdy tylko je otrzymałam, natychmiast zwróciłam uwagę na fenomenalne wydanie. Twarda oprawa, dodatek w postaci mapy i karty akcji oraz – a właściwie przede wszystkim – bardzo ciekawie rozbudowana mechanika gry robią ogromne wrażenie.
To jedna z tych paragrafówek, które uwielbiam. Poza zwykłym skakaniem po książce i podejmowaniem decyzji mamy tu również ekwipunek, bronie, punkty walki czy wytrzymałości, a także bezpośrednie starcia, których wynik zależy od naszych statystyk. Trzeba uważać na punkty życia, zużycie wody czy amunicji. Można zbierać przedmioty, ulepszać swoje umiejętności oraz doskonalić postać.
Paragrafów jest dużo i są krótkie, co również jest dla mnie sporą zaletą, bo dodaje dynamiki całej rozgrywce.
Na uwagę zasługuje także sama fabuła oraz jej tło. Świat po katastrofie, małe grupki ocalałych, wojny gangów, a to wszystko w dusznej atmosferze Ameryki. Zapewniam, że od przygód Cala nie da się oderwać!
Książki z serii "Wojownik autostrady" to jedne z lepszych i bardziej rozbudowanych paragrafówek, w jakie miałam przyjemność grać. Polecam!
To jedna z tych paragrafówek, które uwielbiam. Poza zwykłym skakaniem po książce i podejmowaniem decyzji mamy tu również ekwipunek, bronie, punkty walki czy wytrzymałości, a także bezpośrednie starcia, których wynik zależy od naszych statystyk. Trzeba uważać na punkty życia, zużycie wody czy amunicji. Można zbierać przedmioty, ulepszać swoje umiejętności oraz doskonalić postać.
Paragrafów jest dużo i są krótkie, co również jest dla mnie sporą zaletą, bo dodaje dynamiki całej rozgrywce.
Na uwagę zasługuje także sama fabuła oraz jej tło. Świat po katastrofie, małe grupki ocalałych, wojny gangów, a to wszystko w dusznej atmosferze Ameryki. Zapewniam, że od przygód Cala nie da się oderwać!
Książki z serii "Wojownik autostrady" to jedne z lepszych i bardziej rozbudowanych paragrafówek, w jakie miałam przyjemność grać. Polecam!
August 26, 2021
This genre isn't really my thing, but the real issue for me with gamebooks is how good the game is. And in this case there are a few issues. The biggest one is that random chance plays far to great a role in what happens, and a lot of the choices have consequences that are completely unpredictable. I think the only way to actually win in this book is through trial and error and luck. There are bits where knowing the right thing to do will improve your odds, but there are other places where you can just die through no fault of your own.
The game mechanics also feel rather untested. Just playing through it once I could see a lot of missed potential and room for improvement. There are some neat ideas here, but I think that some playtesting and tweaking could have done a lot of good.
Unlike the Lone Wolf series, I doubt I'll ever come back to this one, but it was all right. I'll read the rest of the series.
The game mechanics also feel rather untested. Just playing through it once I could see a lot of missed potential and room for improvement. There are some neat ideas here, but I think that some playtesting and tweaking could have done a lot of good.
Unlike the Lone Wolf series, I doubt I'll ever come back to this one, but it was all right. I'll read the rest of the series.
January 19, 2021
Bello il sistema di gioco, tuttavia l'avventura è troppo lineare e le deviazioni non incidono tanto sulla storia. La parte romanzata è scarsa e molto sintetizzata, si perde la possibilità di sviluppare dei personaggi che avrei voluto conoscere meglio. In particolare, il personaggio di Mountain Goat, dopo una bela introduzione, sparisce.
May 12, 2018
This book is great!
Difficult to play it to the end, it's very easy to die...
I started over and over the game and still couldn't make it to the end..
A must try.
Play the online version here (Aon project license): https://freeway-warrior.neocities.org
Good Luck!
Difficult to play it to the end, it's very easy to die...
I started over and over the game and still couldn't make it to the end..
A must try.
Play the online version here (Aon project license): https://freeway-warrior.neocities.org
Good Luck!
December 31, 2022
I miei 10 anni. Da qui nacque l'amore per i libri e per il postatomico
October 3, 2025
Rok 2033. Zrujnowana Ameryka.
Ktoś zna Mad Maxa? Kogo ja pytam... po filmie z Hardy'm na pewno każdy kojarzy!
Pustynia, zapach benzyny i warkot silnika. Jeśli to Was przekonało, to z pewnością odnajdziecie się w Wojowniku Autostrady. Kampania nie za długa (choć nie pamiętam ile mi zajęło), ale obfitująca w wiele atrakcji. Naprawdę nie idzie się tu nudzić i już sam początek to walka o własną skórę.
A to tylko jedno przejście... Jestem ciekawa, czy kolejne Cal w ogóle mi przeżyje. Już teraz dotarł do końca ledwo zipiąc.
No i pozbył się Kate! Choć będzie trzeba ratować tę bździągwę w następnym tomie...
Ktoś zna Mad Maxa? Kogo ja pytam... po filmie z Hardy'm na pewno każdy kojarzy!
Pustynia, zapach benzyny i warkot silnika. Jeśli to Was przekonało, to z pewnością odnajdziecie się w Wojowniku Autostrady. Kampania nie za długa (choć nie pamiętam ile mi zajęło), ale obfitująca w wiele atrakcji. Naprawdę nie idzie się tu nudzić i już sam początek to walka o własną skórę.
A to tylko jedno przejście... Jestem ciekawa, czy kolejne Cal w ogóle mi przeżyje. Już teraz dotarł do końca ledwo zipiąc.
No i pozbył się Kate! Choć będzie trzeba ratować tę bździągwę w następnym tomie...
April 7, 2016
Vincent Books recently published a new hardcover edition of this series which I remember having read as a kid and enjoyed, much like anything written by Joe Dever back in the time. So when I saw it on the table at a fair and the author was there, I couldn't help buying it and have it autographed. But of course, right? The very first book I ever bought was a Lone Wolf gamebook by Joe Dever and I owe it to him that I love reading so much. Reading this same book roughly twentyfive years later made me realize how good he is at writing.
You see, a parallel can be drawn between this book and Ian Livingstone's Freeway Fighter. I know it's unfair because Livingstone's book are horrible, but basically, the plot is similar. You need to drive from point A to point B and the route is filled with danger. The big difference is that in Joe Dever's book, every character has a personality, is somewhat memorable, and makes sense. In Ian Livingstone's books... heck, I don't remember a single character from any of his books, they're all a bunch of names with no personality whatsoever. That's what so good about Dever's books. The plot can be less than clever, the gameplay less than challenging or elaborate... but the writing is damn good.
And I enjoyed this book thoroughly and I'm looking forward to the reedition of the next book in the series. I'll surely collect them.
You see, a parallel can be drawn between this book and Ian Livingstone's Freeway Fighter. I know it's unfair because Livingstone's book are horrible, but basically, the plot is similar. You need to drive from point A to point B and the route is filled with danger. The big difference is that in Joe Dever's book, every character has a personality, is somewhat memorable, and makes sense. In Ian Livingstone's books... heck, I don't remember a single character from any of his books, they're all a bunch of names with no personality whatsoever. That's what so good about Dever's books. The plot can be less than clever, the gameplay less than challenging or elaborate... but the writing is damn good.
And I enjoyed this book thoroughly and I'm looking forward to the reedition of the next book in the series. I'll surely collect them.
October 13, 2009
I only managed to get my hands on the first book of the Freeway Warrior gamebook series when I was younger. It was a good read, and the post-apocalyptic world was detailed enough to be believable. It's like the Lone Wolf series but in a post-holocaust contemporary world instead of fantasy.
May 31, 2015
I searched for books 3-4 - about 10 years ago, this book is an epic game book, and really draws you in.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews