I will always pursue an experience that is equal to Dragon Age: Inquisition. Oh, those sweet, sweet days of wondering what the next cut scene would bring, what great battles could happen. Who to romance? Although I wouldn’t be considered a “serious” gamer, I have been gaming since the 90’s. Dear readers, I was there when my parents gifted me and my brother a Super Nintendo. Every time one of us died we took turns super mario worldAnd while Mario games will always be a mainstay in my house, especially now that I have kids of my own, I’ve been able to explore other science fiction and fantasy games as well.
As a reader and writer, it’s a pleasure to find a book that has the same feel as some of my favorite video games. LitRPG is having a moment, but don’t overlook the other stories out there that will give you the gift of gamer vibes. Sci-fi and fantasy books, in particular, are all great for gamers.
What’s a great book for a gamer?
What I was looking for when choosing this list was a vibrant, layered world – if I were a game designer or game writer (which would be a bummer) – I’d want something optimized for a huge, adventure-filled game. I looked for intertwined plots, multiple secondary characters, or even multiple main characters. Are there any Navi-adjacent companions (Navi is Link’s fairy companion ocarina of timewhich served as a great tool for providing external information and guidance)? Are there useful items and tools in these stories? Are there episodic missions and milestones that add to the larger conflict in the game? My choices obviously vary, but they all touch on one or more of these factors.
Additionally, for this post, I’m mostly using “gaming” and “gamers” in relation to video games, because as a gamer that’s what I primarily play. However, I sincerely hope that some of my picks can connect with tabletop and board gamers as well. All gamers are welcome, and I hope you find a book or idea that interests you. Cliché or not, I truly believe there is a book out there for everyone.
a master of jinn By P.Jelly Clark
If you like elaborate mystery solving games, this will be perfect for you.
This is one of my favorite fantasy books of all time, and its accolades speak for it. It takes place in an alternate 1912 Cairo. In this timeline, Cairo is a symbol of technology, culture, art, education, and human beings as well as extraterrestrial beings. Fatma Al-Shaarawi is the youngest woman to work at the Ministry of Alchemy, Enchantment and Paranormal Entities, and she already has an experienced, successful CV. Agent Fatma is called in to investigate a murder amongst a secret brotherhood, and the killer claims to be one of the most famous figures in history returning to condemn the modern age. Agent Fatma must travel across Cairo, enlisting the help of friends, colleagues, and a former lover to solve this ever-expanding, world-shattering mystery.
Along the way I would completely lose myself in exploring this world of Cairo in a video game environment, finding clues and engaging in daring chases and supernatural battles.
Truthwitch by Susan Dennard
If you’re interested in epic games, large maps, and characters with a variety of magical abilities, give this book (and series) a try.
Susan Dennard is a celebrity Dragon Age: Inquisition Fans and gamers. In his epic Witchlands series, you can see some of the game’s influence and inspiration on his world-building and characters. Truthwitch The first in this huge young adult fantasy series, and you’ll be glad to know that the series is finished and available to read. You don’t need to wait for the next installment!
The series features two main characters, Safi and Iseult. They are the epitome of soulmates as best friends, but each of them has their own destiny to pursue and past to overcome. They also have their own love affairs, they come together only to separate again. The world is full of elemental magic, which can vary in scope and power depending on the individual.
American Hippo By Sarah Gailey
If you play games because you love finding the perfect animal companion to battle and/or ride, then this book is for you.
We all have an opinion on what our favorite mount is in video games. from epona ocarina of time, in shadowmere Elder ScrollsWe have big feelings about these. But let me ask you this riddle: Have you ever wanted to have your own hippo mount? If you read Gelly’s alternate history epic American HippoYou can imagine it. And oh my god, do I want this to be in a video game? I want my Ruby!
This book consists of two novels, river of teeth And taste of marrowWhich are set in an alternate American past, circa 1890s, where hippos ruled the swamp that used to be the Mississippi River. Winslow rides a Cambridge black hippo named Houndstooth Ruby. My hero Ruby is over 3,000 pounds and has brutal AF. If you don’t like Ruby (how dare you), there are Other hippos to choose from. Dear reader, picture yourself kicking the back of a hippopotamus. Someone please make this game, I beg you.
Jasad Waris by Sara Hashem
If you enjoy games where the story involves a variety of tests/competitions that reflect larger world politics, oppression, and conflicts, you will enjoy this read, especially if you enjoy games with a splash of romance.
This Egyptian-inspired fantasy debut is absolutely stunning, and I still think about it to this day. It follows Sylvia, whose family, the royal family of the Jasad kingdom, is destroyed and burned to the ground ten years earlier. Everyone thinks the heir to the kingdom died along with everyone else in the royal family, but Silvia is very much alive. Although magic is outlawed in her kingdom, her people are hunted, she hides her identity and magic to survive. When the Nizahal heir and his enemy Arin discover her magic (but not her true identity), they make a dangerous and lucrative bargain.
The story is also a heart-wrenching, heart-wrenchingly true enemies-to-lovers romance. For all those who romance with their favorite characters baldur’s gate iiiThis is for you.
countess By Suzanne Palumbo
If you like playing space opera games that involve overthrowing an authoritarian empire by any means necessary, this novel is for you.
This story, despite being a novel, is absolutely epic in scope and setting. It’s timely, relevant, and a retelling of a classic story (vengeance). For gamers, if you’re in between games and looking for a brief but powerful story to escape into in the interim, this quirky, Caribbean, anti-colonial tale would be the perfect read. There are a lot of accolades for this book, and Palumbo is one of my favorite authors working in the genre, period.
Picture yourself in a game where you play the Countess, causing chaos and disrupting the trade routes of a highly capitalistic, authoritarian regime. Imagine characters you would be willing to fight for. This is a story that will set your blood on fire.
Iron Garden Sutra by eddie needle
This is a great book for those who can enjoy exploring large, ancient, and abandoned spaceships with their AI companion, no matter how disturbing it may be.
Think classic locked-room mystery, but make it super science fiction. Sui is a master of creating ornate and awe-inspiring worlds. The story is based on the vessel Iris, who has dedicated herself to the Starlit Order and performed funeral rites for the dead across the galaxy.
generation ship, Nicaea lawyershas suddenly appeared after thousands of years, and Vessel Iris has been summoned to perform the rites for those who have long since turned to dust in its moss-filled halls. With her AI enhancements, Iris searches the hall, but she and her team quickly realize that there is another spirit aboard this ancient ship, and it is stalking the team one by one.
This sounds to me like a book for gamers who enjoy that locked room mystery/alien isolation Type of environment. Explore the ship, solve mysteries, all while trying to keep yourself and your team alive.
A book list for gamers and a wish list for games
Now I see that I’ve made this list into a sort of wish list for the gaming industry, which is good! gaming industry Needed Looking to fantastic series of science fiction and fantasy literature as inspiration for planning the next big gaming hit.
However, and very important: This does not mean that you steal people’s work by putting it into an AI program without proper permission and compensation! Copyright is there for a reason, y’all. Inspiration and partnerships are great, but there’s also a right way to do it. So take note, gaming and tech industries.
For those looking for more gamer-themed bookish articles, look no further than these amazing Book Riot pieces:
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