Roman gladiators are just the beginning. Hawkes Adventures is opening three more historical “vault doors” beyond the Colosseum—but which ancient civilization comes next could surprise you. The company’s four-era expansion timeline reveals unexpected destinations for interactive fiction fans.

Key Takeaways

HawkesAdventures is expanding their Lanista Chronicles series beyond ancient Rome into a broader Vault of Ages collection featuring four distinct historical eras
The upcoming interactive gamebook destinations include ancient Egypt, Viking territories, the Silk Road trade routes, and feudal Japan
Each new era will maintain the same choice-driven narrative format with extensive historical research and collector-grade digital presentation
The expansion strategy positions HawkesAdventures to capture the growing interactive fiction market while building long-term digital collection value

Interactive historical fiction is experiencing a renaissance, and one publisher is making bold moves to dominate multiple historical periods. The latest announcement from HawkesAdventures reveals an ambitious expansion plan that will transport readers far beyond Roman arenas into entirely new civilizations and time periods.

Hawkes Adventures Confirms Four New Eras Coming to Vault of Ages

The confirmation arrived through HawkesAdventures’ official announcement of the Vault of Ages collection, which explicitly states that future volumes will venture into “Nile-shadowed Egypt, the storm-torn seas of the Viking North, samurai battlefields, Silk Road caravans, and more.” This represents the most definitive timeline yet for the company’s multi-era strategy.

The Vault of Ages concept positions each historical period as a separate “door” in an expanding digital library. Rather than simply extending the Roman narrative indefinitely, HawkesAdventures is creating distinct series for each culture and time period, each anchored by the same choice-driven gameplay mechanics that made the Lanista Chronicles successful. The current Roman series serves as the foundation for this broader historical gaming ecosystem.

The strategic timing coincides with growing demand for premium interactive fiction experiences. Digital gamebooks offer advantages that traditional print cannot match—complex branching narratives, multimedia integration, and sophisticated choice-tracking systems that remember player decisions across multiple playthroughs.

Shadows Beneath The Arena: The Roman Foundation

Third Vault Door Opens in Ancient Rome

The latest Roman volume, Shadows Beneath The Arena, establishes the narrative and technical standards that future eras will follow. Set in the brutal world of gladiatorial combat, the story follows Dakon, a gladiator who must navigate the complex political and social dynamics of ancient Rome while surviving in the arena.

This third installment deliberately focuses on themes of survival and personal agency within oppressive systems—universal concepts that will translate effectively to other historical periods. The choice to center the narrative on individual struggle against larger forces creates thematic bridges to future eras that also feature political upheaval and cultural transformation.

Choice-Driven Narrative Sets Collection Standard

The Roman series has refined the mechanical framework that future eras will inherit. Player decisions don’t simply redirect to new story branches; they reshape character relationships, reveal hidden routes, and fundamentally alter how the historical world responds to the protagonist.

This approach creates what the company calls “alternate histories” rather than simple re-reads. The same historical period can unfold in dramatically different ways depending on player choices, encouraging multiple playthroughs and extending the value of each digital purchase.

Beyond Rome: Confirmed Historical Destinations

1. Nile-Shadowed Egypt: Pharaonic Courts and Desert Politics

The Egyptian series will transport players into the world of pharaonic courts, where political maneuvering occurred alongside religious ceremony and monumental construction projects. Based on HawkesAdventures’ research-driven approach, expect detailed examination of Egyptian military tactics, trade relationships with neighboring civilizations, and the complex religious hierarchies that governed daily life.

The desert setting offers unique environmental challenges absent from the Roman urban environment. Caravan routes, river navigation, and seasonal flooding patterns will likely influence story progression, creating distinctly Egyptian decision points that couldn’t exist in other historical contexts.

2. Storm-Torn Viking North: Longship Raids and Norse Sagas

The Viking series promises to capture both the seafaring adventures and complex social structures of Norse society. Rather than focusing solely on raids, the series will likely examine the full spectrum of Viking culture—from political assemblies and trading expeditions to the intricate honor codes that governed warrior societies.

Maritime elements will distinguish this series from land-based Roman and Egyptian settings. Ship management, weather navigation, and crew dynamics could become integral gameplay mechanics, offering players strategic choices about route planning and resource allocation during long voyages.

3. Silk Road Caravans: Desert Trade and Cultural Exchange

The Silk Road setting represents the most culturally diverse of the planned series, encompassing multiple civilizations and spanning vast geographical distances. Players will navigate not just physical challenges of desert travel, but complex diplomatic situations involving Chinese, Persian, Central Asian, and Mediterranean cultures.

Trade mechanics will likely play a central role, with players making strategic decisions about cargo selection, route planning, and relationship building with various cultural groups encountered along the way. The series offers opportunities for economic strategy rarely seen in historical gaming.

4. Samurai Battlefields: Honor and Steel in Feudal Japan

The Japanese series will examine the rigid honor codes and political complexities of feudal Japan. Beyond battlefield tactics, players will navigate the intricate social hierarchies that defined samurai culture, from relationships with daimyo lords to interactions with merchants and farmers.

The emphasis on honor and reputation systems will create distinctly Japanese gameplay mechanics where social standing and personal conduct carry long-term strategic consequences. Decisions about protocol, loyalty, and personal advancement will shape both individual stories and broader political outcomes.

Digital Collector Strategy Behind the Vault

Premium Typography and Unified Design Philosophy

HawkesAdventures has committed to “collector-grade digital editions” that maintain consistent design standards across all historical periods. Each series features premium typography, careful layout design, and intuitive navigation systems that make the growing collection feel unified despite spanning multiple eras.

The focus on visual presentation distinguishes these gamebooks from simple e-book conversions. Cinematic layouts and atmospheric visual elements create immersive reading experiences that justify premium pricing and encourage collection building among digital enthusiasts.

Replay Value Through Branching Historical Paths

The multi-playthrough design philosophy drives the collector appeal. Each historical period offers hidden routes, character development paths, and alternative endings that only reveal themselves through repeated engagement. This creates what the company calls “living campaigns” where individual gamebooks function more like entire gaming systems than single-read narratives.

The replay mechanics also serve the business model by extending the effective value of each purchase. Rather than selling one-time reading experiences, Hawkes Adventures creates reusable digital assets that justify higher price points and encourage customer loyalty across multiple historical releases.

Research-Driven Worldbuilding Across Cultures

Military Tactics and Trade Routes Shape Each Era

The commitment to historical accuracy requires extensive research into military systems, economic structures, and political organizations for each new era. This research investment pays dividends by creating authentic decision points that reflect genuine historical challenges faced by people in each time period.

Military tactics will vary dramatically between eras—Roman legion formations, Viking shield walls, Egyptian chariot warfare, and samurai dueling traditions each require different strategic thinking from players. These tactical differences ensure that expertise gained in one historical period doesn’t automatically transfer to others.

Daily Life Details Create Immersive Historical Settings

Beyond major political and military events, the series incorporates research into daily life, social customs, and cultural practices. These details create authentic atmosphere while providing context for character motivations and story developments.

The attention to daily life distinguishes the series from action-focused historical fiction. Players encounter realistic social pressures, economic constraints, and cultural expectations that shaped decision-making in each historical period, creating more nuanced and believable interactive experiences.

Interactive Fiction Market Timing Favors Multi-Era Collections

The expansion strategy aligns with broader market trends in interactive entertainment. Digital platforms have eliminated many technical barriers that previously limited interactive fiction complexity, allowing for sophisticated choice-tracking, multimedia integration, and complex narrative branching.

Consumer preferences have also shifted toward premium digital experiences that offer extended engagement rather than disposable content. The “vault” concept appeals to collectors who value building curated digital libraries over accumulating large quantities of lower-quality content.

The historical fiction market specifically benefits from this approach because different readers have varying interests in specific historical periods. By creating separate series for major eras, Hawkes Adventures can attract specialized audiences while encouraging crossover engagement between historical interests.

Vault of Ages Positions Hawkes Adventures for Long-Term Digital Collection Growth

The multi-era strategy creates sustainable competitive advantages in the interactive fiction market. Rather than competing solely on single-title quality, the company is building an ecosystem that rewards customer loyalty and creates barriers to competitor entry.

Each new historical era expands the total addressable market while deepening engagement with existing customers. Readers who discover the series through interest in one historical period often examine other eras, creating organic cross-selling opportunities that don’t require additional marketing investment.

The unified design philosophy and consistent quality standards also create brand recognition that transcends individual historical periods. As the Vault of Ages expands, it becomes increasingly valuable as a complete collection, encouraging customers to purchase new releases to maintain collection completeness.

When Does Lanista Chronicles Expand Beyond Rome? Four-Era Vault Timeline