LitRPG, short for literary role playing game, is a

literary genre A literary genre is a category of literature. Genres may be determined by literary technique, tone, content, or length (especially for fiction). They generally move from more abstract, encompassing classes, which are then further sub-divided i ...

combining the conventions of

computer RPG A role-playing video game (commonly referred to as simply a role-playing game or RPG, as well as a computer role-playing game or CRPG) is a video game genre where the player controls the actions of a character (or several party members) immers ...

s with science-fiction and fantasy novels. The term was introduced in 2013. In LitRPG, games or game-like challenges form an essential part of the story, and visible RPG statistics (for example strength, intelligence, damage) are a significant part of the reading experience.Серия книг LitRPG
by EKSMO . This distinguishes the genre from novels that tie in with a game, like those set in the world of ''

Dungeons and Dragons ''Dungeons & Dragons'' (commonly abbreviated as ''D&D'' or ''DnD'') is a fantasy tabletop role-playing game (RPG) originally designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson. The game was first published in 1974 by Tactical Studies Rules, Inc. (TSR). ...

''; books that are actual games, such as the choose-your-own-path ''

Fighting Fantasy ''Fighting Fantasy'' is a series of single-player role-playing gamebooks created by Steve Jackson and Ian Livingstone. The first volume in the series was published in paperback by Puffin in 1982. The series distinguished itself by mixing Choos ...

'' type of publication; or games that are literally described, like

MUD A MUD (; originally multi-user dungeon, with later variants multi-user dimension and multi-user domain) is a Multiplayer video game, multiplayer Time-keeping systems in games#Real-time, real-time virtual world, usually Text-based game, text-bas ...

s and

interactive fiction '' Interactive fiction, often abbreviated IF, is software simulating environments in which players use text commands to control characters and influence the environment. Works in this form can be understood as literary narratives, either in the ...

. Typically, the main character in a LitRPG novel is consciously interacting with the game or game-like world and attempting to progress within it.

History

The

literary trope A literary trope is the use of figurative language, via word, phrase or an image, for artistic effect such as using a figure of speech. Keith and Lundburg describe a trope as, "a substitution of a word or phrase by a less literal word or phrase." ...

of getting inside a computer game is not new.

Andre Norton Andre Alice Norton (born Alice Mary Norton, February 17, 1912 – March 17, 2005) was an American writer of science fiction and fantasy, who also wrote works of historical and contemporary fiction. She wrote primarily under the pen name ...

's ''

Quag Keep ''Quag Keep'' is a fantasy novel by Andre Norton published in 1978. Written after Norton had participated in a session of ''Dungeons & Dragons'' with Gary Gygax, it was the first novel to be set in Gygax's World of Greyhawk, and the first to be b ...

'' (1978) enters the world of the characters of a D&D game.

Larry Niven Laurence van Cott Niven (; born April 30, 1938) is an American science fiction writer. His best-known works are ''Ringworld'' (1970), which received Hugo, Locus, Ditmar, and Nebula awards, and, with Jerry Pournelle, ''The Mote in God's Eye'' ...

and

Steven Barnes Steven Barnes (born March 1, 1952) is an American science fiction, fantasy, and mystery writer. He has written novels, short fiction, screen plays for television, scripts for comic books, animation, newspaper copy, and magazine articles. Career ...

's ''

Dream Park ''Dream Park'' is a 1981 sci-fi/murder mystery novel written by Larry Niven and Steven Barnes set in a futuristic amusement park of the same name. It was nominated for the 1982 Locus Award and later expanded into a series of cyberpunk murder myst ...

'' (1981) has a setting of

LARP A live action role-playing game (LARP) is a form of role-playing game where the participants physically portray their characters.(Tychsen et al. 2006:255) "LARPs can be viewed as forming a distinct category of RPG because of two unique feature ...

-like games as a kind of reality TV in the future (2051). With the rise of

MMORPGs A massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) is a video game that combines aspects of a role-playing video game and a massively multiplayer online game. As in role-playing games (RPGs), the player assumes the role of a character (o ...

in the 1990s came science fiction novels that utilised virtual game worlds for their plots. Early examples are

Tad Williams Robert Paul "Tad" Williams (born March 14, 1957) is an American fantasy and science fiction writer. He is the author of the multivolume ''Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn'' series, ''Otherland'' series, and ''Shadowmarch'' series as well as the standal ...

's 1996-2004 tetralogy ''

Otherland ''Otherland'' is a science fiction tetralogy by American writer Tad Williams, published between 1996 and 2001. The story is set on Earth near the end of the 21st century, probably between 2082 and 2089, in a world where technology has advanced ...

'',

Conor Kostick Conor Kostick (born 26 June 1964) is an Irish historian and writer living in Dublin. He is the author of many works of history and fiction. Works '' Epic'' was his first novel and was awarded a place on the International Board on Books for Youn ...

's 2004 '' Epic'' and

Charles Stross Charles David George "Charlie" Stross (born 18 October 1964) is a British writer of science fiction and fantasy. Stross specialises in hard science fiction and space opera. Between 1994 and 2004, he was also an active writer for the magazine '' ...

's 2007 '' Halting State''. In Taiwan, the first of

Yu Wo Yu Wo (), born Chen Wenxuan (陳玟瑄), is a Taiwanese light novel A light novel (, Hepburn: ''raito noberu'') is a style of young adult novel primarily targeting high school and middle school students. The term "light novel" is a '' was ...

's nine ''½ Prince'' (½ 王子 Èrfēnzhīyī Wángzǐ) novels appeared, published in October 2004 by Ming Significant Cultural. In Japan, the genre has reached the mainstream with the release of the media phenomenon ''

Sword Art Online is a Japanese light novel series written by Reki Kawahara and illustrated by abec. The series takes place in the then-near future and focuses on protagonists Kirito (Sword Art Online), Kazuto "Kirito" Kirigaya and Asuna (Sword Art On ...

'' in 2009. Also of note is the Korean ''

Legendary Moonlight Sculptor The ''Legendary Moonlight Sculpto''r is a Korean light novel and web novel by Heesung Nam (남희성). The series has ended with 1450 episodes on the online website as of July 2019, and the latest published book is volume 57 as of April 2020. P ...

'' series with over 50 volumes. While these novels and others were precursors to a more stat-heavy form of novel, which is LitRPG proper, a Russian publishing initiative identified the genre and gave it a name. The first Russian novel in this style appeared in 2012 at the Russian self-publishing website samizdat.ru, the novel ''Господство клана Неспящих'' (''Clan Dominance: The Sleepless Ones'') by Dem Mikhailov set in the fictional

sword and sorcery Sword and sorcery (S&S) is a subgenre of fantasy characterized by sword-wielding heroes engaged in exciting and violent adventures. Elements of romance, magic, and the supernatural are also often present. Unlike works of high fantasy, the tale ...

game world of Valdira, printed by Leningrad Publishers later that year under the title ''Господство кланов'' (''The Rule of the Clans'') in the series ''Современный фантастический боевик'' (''Modern Fantastic Action Novel'') and translated into English as ''The Way of the Clan'' as a Kindle book in 2015. In 2013,

EKSMO Eksmo (russian: Эксмо) is one of the largest publishing houses in Russia. Eksmo and AST (which it later acquired in 2012) together publish approximately 30% of all Russian books. Established in 1991 as a small book-selling company, Eksmo gr ...

, Russia's major publishing house, started its multiple-author project entitled ''LitRPG''. According to Magic Dome Books, a major translator of Russian LitRPG, the term "LitRPG" was coined in late 2013 during a brainstorming session between writer Vasily Mahanenko, EKSMO's science fiction editor Dmitry Malkin and fellow LitRPG series editor and author . Since 2014, EKSMO has been running LitRPG competitions and publishing the winning stories.

GameLit

Many of the post-2014 writers in this field insist that depiction of a character's in-game progression must be part of the definition of LitRPG, leading to the emergence of the term GameLit to embrace stories set in a game universe but which don't necessarily embody leveling and skill raising. 30 October 2020 One of the earliest examples is

Chris Van Allsburg Chris Van Allsburg (born June 18, 1949) is an American illustrator and writer of children's books. He has won two Caldecott Medals for U.S. picture book illustration, for ''Jumanji'' (1981) and ''The Polar Express'' (1985), both of which he al ...

's ''

Jumanji ''Jumanji'' is a 1995 American fantasy adventure film directed by Joe Johnston from a screenplay by Jonathan Hensleigh, Greg Taylor, and Jim Strain. Loosely based on Chris Van Allsburg's picture book of the same name, the film is the first i ...

'' which is a children's book about a magical board game.

Ernest Cline Ernest Christy Cline (born March 29, 1972) is an American science fiction novelist, slam poet, and screenwriter. He wrote the novels ''Ready Player One'', '' Armada'', and ''Ready Player Two'' and co-wrote the screenplay for the film adaptation o ...

's 2011 novel ''

Ready Player One ''Ready Player One'' is a 2011 science fiction novel, and the debut novel of American author Ernest Cline. The story, set in a dystopia in 2045, follows protagonist Wade Watts on his search for an Easter egg in a worldwide virtual reality ga ...

,'' which depicts a virtual reality world called OASIS filled with

arcade game An arcade game or coin-op game is a coin-operated entertainment machine typically installed in public businesses such as restaurants, bars and amusement arcades. Most arcade games are presented as primarily games of skill and include arcade v ...

references from the 1980s and 1990s, became an example of this new genre. 18 March 2020 Other examples include Marie Lu's 2017 novel ''

Warcross ''Warcross'' is a young adult science fiction novel by Marie Lu, which was published on September 17, 2017 by G.P. Putnam's Sons. ''Warcross'' is the first book in the duology of the same name. The second, ''Wildcard'', was released September 18, ...

'' which is about an online bounty hunter in an internet game, 8 January 2018 and Louis Bulaong's 2020 book ''

Escapist Dream ''Escapist Dream'' is a science fiction novel written by Louis Bulaong and published on July 26, 2020. September 05, 2020 The novel is set in a near future where virtual reality has become a norm and where geeks can use it to gain superpowers and ...

'' which tells the story of a virtual reality world where

geeks The word ''geek'' is a slang term originally used to describe eccentric or non-mainstream people; in current use, the word typically connotes an expert or enthusiast obsessed with a hobby or intellectual pursuit. In the past, it had a generall ...

can role-play and use the powers of their favorite comic book,

anime is Traditional animation, hand-drawn and computer animation, computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside of Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, in Japan and in Japane ...

, movie and video game characters. 29 August 2020

Examples

English-language: * ''Arcane Ascension'' (2017–) by Andrew Rowe * ''Awaken Online'' (2016–) by Travis Bagwell * ''Critical Failures: Caverns and Creatures'' (2012–) by Robert Bevan * ''The Dark Lord Bert'' (2019–) by Chris Fox * ''The Divine Dungeon'' (2016–2019) by Dakota Krout * ''The Feedback Loop'' (2015–2018) by Harmon Cooper * ''Game of Gods'' (2019-) by Joshua Kern * ''He Who Fights With Monsters'' (2021–) by Shirtaloon * ''Red Mage'' (2018–) by Xander Boyce * ''The Wandering Inn'' (2016–) by pirateaba * ''Worth the Candle'' (2017–2021) by Alexander Wales Russian: * ''Alpha Rome'' (2018–2019) by Ros Per (Рос Пер) * ''An NPC's Path'' (2018–2021) by Pavel Kornev (Павел Корнев) * ''The Bard from Barliona'' (2017–2020) by Vasily Mahanenko (Василий Маханенко) (series related to ''The Way of the Shaman'' set in Barliona) * ''Clan Dominance: The Sleepless Ones'' (2012–2018) by Dem Mikhailov (Дем Михайлов) * ''The Crow Cycle'' (2015–) by Dem Mikhailov (Дем Михайлов) (series set in Valdira) * ''Dark Herbalist'' (2016–2018) by Michael Atamanov (Михаил Атаманов) * ''Dark Paladin'' (2017–2018) by Vasily Mahanenko (Василий Маханенко) * ''

Fayroll Fayroll (Russian: ''"Файролл"'', or ''"Акула пера в Мире Файролла"'') is a series of fantasy novels written by Russian author Andrey Vasilyev. The series currently includes twelve books chronicling the adventures of a ...

'' (2017–) by Andrey Vasilyev (Андрей Васильев) * ''Galactogon'' (2014–2019) by Vasily Mahanenko (Василий Маханенко) * ''Heroes of the Final Frontier'' (2017–) by Dem Mikhailov (Дем Михайлов) (sequel series to ''Clan Dominance: The Sleepless Ones'' set in Valdira) * ''In the System'' (2018–) by Petr Zhgulyov (Жгулёв Пётр) * ''Interworld Network'' (2018–2020) by Dmitry Bilik (Дмитрий Билик) * ''Invasion'' (2018–2022) by Vasily Mahanenko (Василий Маханенко) (sequel series to ''The Way of the Shaman'' set in Barliona) * ''League of Losers'' (2020–) by Michael Atamanov (Михаил Атаманов) * ''Level Up'' (2017–) by Dan Sugralinov (Данияр Сугралинов) * ''Mirror World'' (2014–2022) by Alexey Osadchuk (Алексей Осадчук) * ''The Neuro'' (2016–2018) by Andrei Livadny (Андрей Ливадный) * ''Perimeter Defense'' (2015–2017) by Michael Atamanov (Михаил Атаманов) * ''Phantom Server'' (2015–2016) by Andrei Livadny (Андрей Ливадный) * ''Play to Live'' (2013–) by D. Rus (Дмитрий Рус) * ''Project Stellar'' (2019–2022) by Roman Prokofiev (Роман Прокофьев) * ''The Range'' (2019–2022) by Yuri Ulengov (Юрий Уленгов) * ''Reality Benders'' (2017–) by Michael Atamanov (Михаил Атаманов) * ''Respawn Trials'' (2018–2021) by Andrei Livadny (Андрей Ливадный) * ''Rogue Merchant'' (2017–2019) by Roman Prokofiev (Роман Прокофьев) * ''Underdog'' (2019–2021) by Alexey Osadchuk (Алексей Осадчук) * ''The Way of the Shaman'' (2013–2016) by Vasily Mahanenko (Василий Маханенко)

References

{{Fantasy fiction Speculative fiction Works based on video games Fantasy genres Science fiction genres 2013 neologisms