So I bought the Legerdemain Cluebook from
Roguelikefiction.com and I have to say that it is friggin awesome.
The book is over 300 pages long and reads like a novel. Basically, the book reads from a first-person perspective, as the main character of the game. The character writes about every quest in the game in journal format as he encounters plot-devices.
The writing is fantastic. This Nathan Jerpe guy is a great writer. His writing reminds me a little bit of Shakespeare mixed with a quirky style. I'm blown away by the imagery he uses in describing things.
So as the character moves through the quest, you pick out clues about hidden treasure and side-quests. To give you an idea how big Legerdemain is, I have played for about 4 hours and that coordinates with about page 6 in the book!
It really reminds me of the old-school computer games that came with a thick back-story. It really makes the game much, much richer and more interesting when it is described this way.
It also comes with a nice over-world map, Nathan's laminated business card and the game itself on a CD. If you have been thinking about buying it, I think it is well worth the $20.00 (besides the fact that it promotes indie-gaming in general).