Steve Jackson's 'Sorcery!' Fantasy Role-Player is a Free Download on the App Store

Chapter one of Steve Jackson's Sorcery! fantasy role-playing game is currently available for free for a limited time on the App Store.

Usually $4.99, the critically acclaimed interactive adventure by Inkle is the first in a four-part series loosely based on the mechanic so successfully employed in the popular Fighting Fantasy role-playing gamebooks of the 1980s.

The fully interactive story allows players to make thousands of possible choices as they plot their journey across a hand-drawn 3D world map, with the narrative being rewritten in real-time based on what decisions gamers make.

Sorcery! also includes touch-based sword dueling battles and 48 magic spells to master. MacRumors' sister site TouchArcade had this to say in their original review of the game:

The journey through those hills is still a gamebook trip, no doubt about it. There are stats, interactive combat scenes and plenty of big decisions to be made. It's just that nothing feels restrained; nothing feels all that formulaic. Sorcery! goes big where needed, and the app shines for it.

The game features original illustrations by John Blanche, character art by Eddie Sharam (DC Comics), an interactive map by Mike Schley (Wizards of the Coast) and music by David Wise (Donkey Kong Country).

"The Shamutanti Hills" is Part 1 of 4. Part 2, "Kharé: Cityport of Traps" loads all of players' completed Part 1 games to continue their adventure. Sorcery! is available for iPhone and iPad. [Direct Link] Part 2, 3 and 4 are also available on the App Store.