Gamebooks (Choose Your Own Adventure Style)

[Herman Gigglethorpe]

Choose Your Own Adventure:  The Abominable Snowman Alternate Endings Part 18


When I say I know nothing about the map in Sangee's parka in CHOICE #21, Sangee reveals his true intentions.  At least in this timeline.


"I know nothing, nothing.'  The bearded one scowls and says, 'That's what they all say.  Let's end it right here.  That expedition for the Yeti is phony.  They're all from Interpol.' 


'Hey, I'll make a deal.'  You don't have the faintest idea what kind of a 'deal' you could offer, but you need to stall for time.  Then, to your immense surprise, Sangee opens the back door and six men holding weapons enter.


'Gentlemen, you are under arrest.'  He flashes a badge and smiles at you.  'Sorry, my friend.  You just came here at the wrong time.  I had to attack you to keep these men from becoming suspicious.  The map you found will lead us to their hidden supplies.  Good luck on your expedition.  The End".


A farfetched sting involving a fake Yeti expedition captures the smugglers.  Does Interpol often involve unwitting mountain climbers in their anti-contraband operations?  Neither of the CHOICE #21 endings have illustrations.  The last line suggests that I will climb anyway, even though the Yeti story was just a front for Interpol?  I'm confused.



Results So Far


12 Good Endings

2 Deaths

2 Bad Non-Death Endings

2 Neutral Endings

1 Inconclusive Endings

[Herman Gigglethorpe]

Choose Your Own Adventure:  The Abominable Snowman Alternate Endings Part 19


Refusing to write the note to Carlos in CHOICE #20 in the smuggler subplot makes this happen.


"Never, never.  I'm not falling for your stuff.  If you want Carlos, then go after him yourself.'  At that very moment there is a loud knock on the door.  'Open up.  Police.  You're surrounded.'  The door crashes open and three Nepalese soldiers and a police officer rush in.  Carlos is behind them. 


The officer nods at the strangers and says, 'Hands up.  Well, well, we finally got you, didn't we?  It's jail for you.  Smugglers are all the same.  Fortunately, we have been following you for the last three weeks.  When you started following these two, we followed them also.  Carlos has helped us.  Your smuggling days are over.'


You are badly shaken, but the Nepalese government now considers you and Carlos heroes, and they will give you all the help you need for your expedition.  The End".


This doesn't feel like an ending!  The Yeti expedition will continue, and there's still a chance of finding them because they're not a lie made up by Interpol in this timeline!  Anyway, the smugglers are as competent as their cousins in "Danger" on Dolphin Island.  They can't kill or maim you in any of the CHOICE #20 and #21 endings.


(The incense coma doesn't count, because Sangee isn't a smuggler or Interpol agent in that parallel universe.)



Results So Far


13 Good Endings

2 Deaths

2 Bad Non-Death Endings

2 Neutral Endings

1 Inconclusive Endings

[Herman Gigglethorpe]

Choose Your Own Adventure:  The Abominable Snowman Alternate Endings Part 20


Ignoring Carlos and meeting with Runal in CHOICE #1 opens new possibilities, some of which do not involve Yeti.  Along the way, I see pine trees with what seem to be a kind of dark fruit.  But these are really bats!  No harm comes of this, just an illustration.


Runal tries to warn me away from visiting the Yeti in this timeline, because another expedition was trying to poach them with guns and traps.  My readers who are inclined to do so may take a drink in honor of the CYOA cliche.  Whenever you need generic human villains for your gamebook, throw in some poachers!


Runal offers CHOICE #22:  continue the Yeti expedition even though they may be angry at humans, or go to the Terai jungle and take pictures of tigers instead for some reason.


Listening to Runal is a terrible idea, as you'll see shortly.  We leave a note for Carlos and go into the Terai riding on the back of an elephant.  The narration says the heat is "almost unbearable".  Near a stream, we see footprints and spent cartridges, which can mean only one thing:  poachers.  To stop them, Runal thinks we should split up, but the other CHOICE #23 option is to stick together.


Splitting up is generally a bad idea in fiction, so let's work as a team.  


"You and your guide head downstream.  You find the poachers.  Killing tigers and elephants for their skins and tusks is a serious crime in Nepal.  They don't believe in leaving evidence for their activities.  You try running away into the forest, but the poachers are quick.  They don't leave any witnesses.  The End".


These poachers are much more competent than their You Say Which Way ilk.  They can actually kill the player character!


Results So Far


13 Good Endings

3 Deaths

2 Bad Non-Death Endings

2 Neutral Endings

1 Inconclusive Endings

[Herman Gigglethorpe]

Choose Your Own Adventure:  The Abominable Snowman Alternate Endings Part 21


Maybe following Runal's advice in CHOICE #23 will ensure we survive our encounter with the poachers?


"Okay', you say to the guide, 'you go on downstream.  I'll head into the jungle and circle around and meet you at the stream.  If you need help, fire three shots, wait six seconds, and fire three more shots.'  'Okay.  Be careful.'


You set off into the jungle, moving as quietly as possible.  Two hours later you stop for a rest, swatting at the mosquitoes and picking off the leeches.  With a roar, a magnificent tiger, at least eight feet in length from nose to tail, springs out of the brush.  You are finished.  The End".


BOTH of CHOICE #23's conclusions mean Death.  I'm trying to think of other CYOAs that are this cruel.  No Me Llames Tami has a similarly fatal CHOICE when dealing with Tamara's impostor on the train.  The abysmal 22 Minutos:  Tibicenas has many no-survival scenarios.  If anyone can remember other examples, point them out in the comments.


The original illustration for this ending as seen on the defunct Lose Your Own Adventure blog is better.  A tiger snarls at the reader in that version.  In the Chooseco reprint I'm reading, a person almost entirely covered with jungle exploration clothing is trying to swat mosquitoes with their hand.


Whatever you do, don't go into the lowlands in The Abominable Snowman.  Stick to the quest!  CHOICE #23 is represented on the far left side of the official no-spoiler flowchart.

[Herman Gigglethorpe]

Choose Your Own Adventure:  The Abominable Snowman Alternate Endings Part 22


Looking for tigers in a Yeti book is a Death sentence, so let's continue with the Yeti quest in CHOICE #22.  RN Runal wants to join me if I'm determined to look for the abominable snowman in spite of the danger.  "Having a government official along with you might just cause delays and bureaucratic snafus.  On the other hand, he could also smooth the way".  Why would the player character think the former would happen?  He gave me all the necessary papers to advance in a few minutes.  CHOICE #24 is whether to take Runal or not.


Runal is so efficient, he easily finds Carlos with the help of a "government team".  Runal brings me to a Buddhist monastery where a monk who's seen Yeti lives, and tells me knowledge of the creatures is only given to a few people.  "You, and you alone, are one of the appointed.  It has been seen in the stars; it has been read in your hand".  I wondered for a bit whether they read hands in Nepal, and apparently some people do according to a Google search.  


CHOICE #25 is whether to accept the secret knowledge, or reject it and move to the last page of the book.  Might as well do the boring ending first.


"You look at Runal, you look at the monastery, and you look at Carlos.  'No, I'm not ready to accept your offer.'  No sooner have you spoken the words than clouds choke the narrow valley.  The mountains seem to vanish, and the monastery is swallowed up by darkness.  Runal turns his back to you and speaks as if to the wind.


'I am very sorry that you cannot accept.  Since you do not feel that you can go ahead, the expedition is declared over.  All permits are revoked.  You must return to Kathmandu and leave the country in twenty-four hours.'


The note of finality in Runal's voice tells you that you have no choice whatsoever.  Your trip is over.  The End".


Who except for CYOA completionists would ever pick this path?  It's a Neutral Ending where you're kicked out of Nepal for being a coward.


Results So Far


13 Good Endings

3 Deaths

2 Bad Non-Death Endings

3 Neutral Endings

1 Inconclusive Endings

[Herman Gigglethorpe]

Choose Your Own Adventure:  The Abominable Snowman Alternate Endings Part 23


To gain secret knowledge in the Buddhist monastery in CHOICE #25, I have to leave Carlos behind.  The monk tells me to "heed the cry of the Yeti" and "time now to go on the next journey".  CHOICE #26 is another opportunity to accept or decline the monk's offer.  Yet another boring Neutral Ending to get out of the way!


"You get up and head for the door.  An invisible barrier stops you.  The monk smiles.  Perhaps he understands your feelings of conflict.  'I'm not too happy being here.  I'm frightened.'  The monk says, 'Nothing is easy; many things are frightening.  If you must leave, then leave.  You will return when you are ready.'


You thank the monk.  This time nothing blocks you from going through the door.  Several minutes later you look back, not knowing whether you made the right choice or not.  Your memory of the recent past events is blurring, slipping, vanishing.  The End".


In this timeline, the quest is pointless due to magical Buddhist amnesia rather than being kicked out of Nepal by government officials.


Results So Far


13 Good Endings

3 Deaths

2 Bad Non-Death Endings

4 Neutral Endings

1 Inconclusive Endings

[Herman Gigglethorpe]

Choose Your Own Adventure:  The Abominable Snowman Alternate Endings Part 24


Advancing the Buddhist monastery subplot in CHOICE #26 reveals that The Abominable Snowman is a crossover with Lost Horizon.  The Yeti in this timeline are "guides to Shangri-La" according to Runal's dialogue.  CHOICE #27 is whether to go there, or turn back to return to my normal life.  How many more "abandon the quest" Neutral Endings are there in this book?  RA Montgomery must have risked not meeting the ending quota for The Abominable Snowman or something.


"Secret worlds.  This is all too scary.  To your way of thinking, you are not yet ready for this kind of thing.  You want to explore the world you live in right now.  Maybe Runal is crazy.  Maybe he's a kidnapper.  You'll never know.  You can walk out of the monastery, find Carlos, and continue with the expedition.  That's what you came halfway around the world for, and that's what you intend to do.  You collect Carlos from in front of the monastery and continue your search for the Yeti.


Months later you are no closer to success than you were at the start.  The Yeti are elusive and your funds run out.  You tried and tried hard.  Your grandfather's words come back to you, 'Everyone has the right to fail.  Take chances, live life!"


I obviously didn't follow the 2nd sentence of my grandfather's advice when I turned my back on Shangri-La!


Results So Far


13 Good Endings

3 Deaths

2 Bad Non-Death Endings

5 Neutral Endings

1 Inconclusive Endings

[Herman Gigglethorpe]

Choose Your Own Adventure:  The Abominable Snowman Alternate Endings Part 25


When I prepare to go to Shangri-La in CHOICE #27, Runal taps the back of the Buddha statue and summons a Yeti guide named Zodak.  I receive CHOICE #28 of whether to say goodbye to Carlos or not, but this is meaningless, as both paths lead to page 92 eventually.  Carlos appears to be "frozen in time".  


Zodak and I fly near the summit of Mt. Everest.  Probably some other places too, because "you see the clouds rolling up from the flat, dry plains of the Punjab in India".  Before long, we enter a chute made of a strange metal that goes through Mt. Everest.  


Shangri-La is behind a glass door, and looks like "a dark green valley surrounded by low-lying hills."  The Himalayan mountains like Everest can be seen from here.  Zodak takes me to what looks like a fortress "painted white and red and gold".  The people there greet me "as though you are an old friend", and they're not soldiers because they don't have guns.  Zodak changes his appearance to look exactly like me. 


A weird ending follows.  The book seems to assume that I'm content living in Shangri-La with new activities, but the last line of page 113 is "Second thoughts?" without a The End.  If I obey the book's instructions and turn to page 107 from here. . .


"One last chance, is that it?  Is that what you want?  Okay.  You're on.  Out of the valley of Shangri-La and back to the real world.  Is it different?  Can you do whatever you want?  Can you fulfill your dreams?  Can you enjoy your life completely?  Or must you be content within limits?  The End".


I don't think I've seen a CYOA ending with nothing but attempts at philosophical questions before.  I'll rate this as a Good Ending because the player character lives in Shangri-La for a while.


Results So Far


14 Good Endings

3 Deaths

2 Bad Non-Death Endings

5 Neutral Endings

1 Inconclusive Endings

[Herman Gigglethorpe]

Choose Your Own Adventure:  The Abominable Snowman Alternate Endings Part 26


Declining Runal's offer in CHOICE #24 offends him and leads to CHOICE #29, where I can either try to reconcile with him, or refuse any help from him.


The latter generates this ending.


"You leave Runal's office.  As you walk outside, you are hit with torrential rain.  It falls from the sky, hitting the earth in explosive drops.  You planned your expedition assuming the monsoons would be over by now, but apparently they are not. 


You sit it out in your hotel for three weeks.  The constant rain has closed off the trails to the mountain valleys with mudslides and boulders.  Nature has gone wild and your expedition is blocked for good.  Too bad.  Try again next season.  The End".


Another Neutral Ending.  Apparently my decision-making is so powerful that it can change the weather for weeks!  Events like these are why I call the Montgomery style of CYOAs "solipsistic".  The only constant in these worlds is the existence of the player character.  Nothing else can be taken for granted, and it's possible the protagonist is willing the environment to behave in certain ways with each CHOICE.


Results So Far


14 Good Endings

3 Deaths

2 Bad Non-Death Endings

6 Neutral Endings

1 Inconclusive Endings

[Herman Gigglethorpe]

Choose Your Own Adventure:  The Abominable Snowman Finale


Reconciling with Runal in CHOICE #29 mysteriously prevents the monsoons from coming.  Opting to make him the expedition leader in CHOICE #30 is an alternate route to CHOICE #25 and the Shangri-La storyline.  Saying it will not be possible to make him the expedition leader gives us the last ending of The Abominable Snowman.


"The telephone rings, breaking the silence in the room.  Runal excuses himself and picks it up.  'Yes.  Yes.  I understand. . .I will tell them.'


He turns to you with a serious look on his face.  'Our king is upset that people are disturbing the peace of our land.  He apologizes, but he has decided to close the mountains to all expeditions.  It is time for a rest.  The Yeti are not animals.  We will not allow them to be hunted any more.  I am sorry, my friend.'


Well, at least you didn't have to refuse Runal's offer of leadership.  The End".


Even thinking about not letting Runal be the leader results in the Nepalese king booting all foreign mountaineers out.  This is another instance where the 1982 plot would be different from the 2006 one.  Birendra was King of Nepal from 1972 to 2001.  How did his reign end?  Crown Prince Dipendra supposedly slaughtered most of the Nepalese royal family in June 2001 at a dinner.  Dipendra's younger brother Gyanendra survived because he was absent, and succeeded to the throne.  Conspiracy theories surround the Nepalese royal family massacre because of the lack of forensic evidence and certain details seeming to not match the official report.


In the 2006 version, Gyanendra would be King of Nepal, and he'd probably worry more about Maoists than random mountain climbers like the player character.  Either way, the playthrough peters out with another Neutral Ending where I don't get to continue with the quest.


The Abominable Snowman is one of the more famous RA Montgomery CYOAs, but it's not one of the better ones.  Many of the endings are dull "abandon or be forced out of the adventure" scenarios, and pursuing the tiger subplot means Death no matter what.  House of Danger is as inconsistent as this book, but at least it has more funny storylines like the holographic chimps.  Solipsistic CYOAs are more entertaining when they jettison any sanity from the plot.


Our next book from the CYOA box set will be either The Lost Jewels of Nabooti, Space and Beyond, Mystery of the Maya, or Journey Under the Sea.


Final Results


14 Good Endings

3 Deaths

2 Bad Non-Death Endings

7 Neutral Endings

1 Inconclusive Endings