Edinburgh-based author and game designer David M Donachie has launched Valley of Cats, the latest interactive fiction instalment in his established adventure gamebook lineup. The book officially debuted today at Cymera, Scotland’s premier festival for science fiction, fantasy, and horror writing.
Cymera, which launched in 2019 to champion speculative fiction in Scotland, is currently hosting its hybrid weekend event in Edinburgh, offering both in-person panels, workshops, and vendor spaces alongside an international online streaming programme. The festival runs through Sunday, 7 June 2026. Valley of Cats was released specifically to coincide with the weekend convention and is available in paperback and digital formats on Amazon and Itch.io.
The GNAT system mechanics
Valley of Cats is written using the GNAT system, a minimalist tabletop ruleset designed by Donachie to enable rapid tactical play with minimal record-keeping. Combining traditional roleplaying game mechanics with branching narrative pathways, the system simulates danger and mechanical jeopardy through choices and random outcomes without bogging players down in heavy inventory management. The game requires only two standard dice, a pencil, and an adventurous spirit to play.
Narrative and entry structure
The adventure marks a return to the fantasy world of Paldoria. While it functions as a loose sequel to Donachie’s previous title, Grave of the Kraken, it is written as a completely self-contained story that requires no prior knowledge of the earlier books.
The paperback edition spans 250 narrative entries, rather than standard pages, and includes several full-page illustrations. The plot sees the player tracking down a rogue wizard:
After betraying the masters of Treysham, the wizard Malphas has fled to the mountain beyond the Valley of Cats, and you have been chosen to enact the Master’s revenge. But is Malphas merely in hiding, or does he have a more sinister plan? And what is the role of the long-forgotten Mother of Cats?
Solipsist Press gamebook history
Donachie, publishing under Solipsist Press, has steadily expanded this mechanical universe over several years. The GNAT engine focuses heavily on fast-paced decision-tree exploration, where player choices directly alter the world state.
The expanding library of Solipsist Press gamebooks now includes:
- Grave of the Kraken
- Temple of the Skull God
- Island of Fury
- Valley of Cats (2026 Release)
The title is available immediately for remote attendees via online storefronts, while local attendees can find physical stock at the festival’s indie retail tables over the remaining weekend.
