The most recommended RPG books

Who picked these books? Meet our 20 experts.

20 authors created a book list connected to RPG, and here are their favorite RPG books.
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Book cover of Sly Flourish's Return of the Lazy Dungeon Master

Megan A. Connell Author Of Tabletop Role-Playing Therapy: A Guide for the Clinician Game Master

From my list on learning and running tabletop role-playing games.

Why am I passionate about this?

TTRPGs are such a powerful medium for storytelling, and a tool that can be used by therapists to help their clients. Learning how to run games can seem daunting, these books have all helped me with learning how to run games more effectively. From thinking about stories, to exploring tropes, using storytelling techniques, and sharing the narrative with players this collection of books will help you on your journey of building worlds and telling stories. 

Megan's book list on learning and running tabletop role-playing games

Megan A. Connell Why did Megan love this book?

When I first started GMing I had pages and pages of notes that took hours to prepare.

It was unsustainable and I knew there had to be a better way. The Lazy Dungeon Master technique of session and campaign planning helps to ensure that while you are prepared for your sessions you are not wasting time planning too much.

Using the methods in this book, my session preparation time went from several hours to around an hour and I think my sessions improved as a result. 

Book cover of Homo Ludens: A Study of the Play-Element in Culture

John Wills Author Of Gamer Nation: Video Games and American Culture

From my list on video games and popular culture.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’m a university academic who writes and teaches on American popular culture. I’ve played video games all my life—I remember first playing Breakout and Boot Hill at the local arcade back in the late 1970s as a young child, and yes, I had an Atari VCS. Today, I write, teach, and exhibit work on the history of video games, especially how games depict and connect with the USA. I still play video games, probably too much, and my favorite console is the Sega Dreamcast.

John's book list on video games and popular culture

John Wills Why did John love this book?

Originally written in 1938 in Dutch (Huizinga was a Dutch cultural theorist), Homo Ludens contemplates the meaning and function of play in society. It’s a seminal text, widely cited by anyone who researches games (including video games), and really gets you thinking about what we mean by ‘play’. It also predates the commercial video game industry by some 30-40 years but still speaks to the mechanics and appeal of gaming.

By Johan Huizinga,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Homo Ludens as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

First published in 1998. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.


Book cover of Hexwood

S. Kirk Pierzchala Author Of Echoes Through Distant Glass

From S.'s 3 favorite reads in 2023.

Why am I passionate about this?

Author Artist Educator Perceptive Patient Meticulous

S.'s 3 favorite reads in 2023

S. Kirk Pierzchala Why did S. love this book?

While I was literally lost a few times in the multilayered plot, I loved being caught up in this frothy, intricate fantasy!

I was in awe of how Jones juggles intergalactic politics and Earth-bound Arthurian legends with her typical deft touch and consummate skill. The story of a young British girl exploring a mysterious estate in her hometown contains plenty of twists and turns, all held together with a cast of appealing characters.

Jones’ lyrical tone, dry wit, and lighthearted touch make the occasional dark and frightening scenes tolerable for sensitive readers. 

By Diana Wynne Jones,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Hexwood as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 12, 13, 14, and 15.

What is this book about?

"All I did was ask you for a role-playing game. You never warned me I'd be pitched into it for real! And I asked you for hobbits on a Grail quest, and not one hobbit have I seen!"

Hexwood Farm is a bit like human memory; it doesn't reveal its secrets in chronological order. Consequently, whenever Ann enters Hexwood, she cannot guarantee on always ending up in the same place or even the same time.

Hexwood Farm is full of machines that should not be tampered with - and when one is, the aftershock is felt throughout the universe. Only…


Book cover of Guardians of the Flame: The Heroes

Robert Evert Author Of Sword of Betrayal

From my list on forgotten fantasies.

Why am I passionate about this?

Although I was part of a large family, I frequently felt alone growing up. While my siblings were busy playing sports or running around with their friends, I sat by myself in the basement, reading fantasy stories. Eventually, I began creating my own worlds and published the Riddle in Stone series and Sword of Betrayal. I suppose I’m still trying to find a place where I fit in.

Robert's book list on forgotten fantasies

Robert Evert Why did Robert love this book?

Guardians of the Flame is a fantasy series where seven college students get together for a night of role-playing games and suddenly find themselves in an alternative world of swords, magic, and deadly fire-breathing dragons. To get home they must find the mysterious “Gate Between World.” It is a witty adventure story any fan of fantasy can appreciate. It explores the question—what would happen if readers of fantasy were transported into their favorite fantasy world?

By Joel Rosenberg,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Guardians of the Flame as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

It had begun as an evening of fantasy gaming - college students passing the time. Then the impossible happened:

the players found themselves transported into the bodies and personae of their game characters - trapped in an alternate world where magic worked all too well, dragons were a fire-breathing menace, and only those quick enough with a sword, or their wits, survived.

The only way back to Earth was a legendary portal called the Gate Between Worlds, but there was no guarantee they'd pass through safely even if they managed to find it. And their new selves had precious little…


Book cover of We Hunt Monsters

Jakob H. Greif Author Of Apocalypse Redux - Book One: A LitRPG Time Regression Adventure

From my list on cheer on a competent badass in a fantastical world.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’ve been reading basically since I learned how to, and I’ve always loved fantasy stories that I could imagine myself in, with stuff going on in every corner of the world, everything fleshed out so thoroughly that the reader just understands how things work and has that world playing in their mind long after they’ve put the book down. I also love stories with well-written characters, where mistakes happen because of who they are, not because of an idiot ball, because nothing launches me out of a story faster than an idiot ball. And this kind of story is what I hope to have written myself.  

Jakob's book list on cheer on a competent badass in a fantastical world

Jakob H. Greif Why did Jakob love this book?

I love this story because it's awesome, simply put. You have a man who’s spent literal lifetimes in combat, marching into his last hurrah, conquering the monsters of a world more dangerous than any he’s ever been in. He’s smart, intelligent, and, above all, badass. And so are the monsters he fights. It never feels boring or slow; nothing is superfluous, just an endless wave of awesome, and the monsters are just perfect.

I mean, this series has the best “big monster fights” I’ve ever read, to the point where I’d unhesitatingly call it a masterclass in how to write them. I’d have read this series for that alone, but, you know, I read it because it’s overall amazing. 

By Aaron Oster, Richard Sashigane (illustrator),

Why should I read it?

1 author picked We Hunt Monsters as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Keith has died twelve times.

After making a deal with a mysterious immortal, he was sent to a new world in hopes of gaining the offered reward - a chance at a better life with his family. However, Keith failed to realize that this deal did not come with an expiration date, no matter how many times he died.

After dying for the dozenth time, Keith renegotiates with the immortal. This new deal will see him sent to the world of Raiah - a world filled with monsters, cowardly monkeys, and a system of magic very similar to the fantasy…


Book cover of Shared Fantasy: Role-Playing Games as Social Worlds

Joseph Laycock Author Of Dangerous Games: What the Moral Panic over Role-Playing Games Says about Play, Religion, and Imagined Worlds

From my list on the history of fantasy role-playing games.

Why am I passionate about this?

In the 1980s I was bullied for playing Dungeons and Dragons. Kids like to bully each other, but this was different: The bullies felt they had been given a moral license to pick on D&D players because pastors, talk-show hosts, and politicians were all claiming it was a Satanic, anti-Christian game. Those claims were my first inkling that adults did not know what they are talking about. After getting a PhD in the sociology of religion, I was finally able analyze and articulate why religious authorities felt threatened by a simple game of imagination.

Joseph's book list on the history of fantasy role-playing games

Joseph Laycock Why did Joseph love this book?

This was the first sociological study of fantasy role-playing games. Fine was able to detect and articulate what is sociologically significant about these games. 

The book takes dynamics that role-players just “get” and articulates them as sociological concepts. For example, he uses “frame theory” to explain how players verbally transition from the frame of the game mechanics and the story world of their characters. 

He also explains how games like Dungeons and Dragons are “autotelic.” In other words, you do not “win” at and these games, the purpose is “engrossment” or being absorbed into the fantasy world. 

Fine also did a great deal of participant observation for this book and it provides a great historical insight into the culture surrounding these games in the early 1980s––warts and all.

By Gary Alan Fine,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Shared Fantasy as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

This classic study still provides one of the most astute descriptions available of an often misunderstood subculture: that of fantasy role playing games like Dungeons & Dragons. Gary Alan Fine immerses himself in several different gaming systems, offering insightful details on the nature of the games and the patterns of interaction among players - as well as their reasons for playing.


Book cover of Kobold Guide to Plots & Campaigns

Megan A. Connell Author Of Tabletop Role-Playing Therapy: A Guide for the Clinician Game Master

From my list on learning and running tabletop role-playing games.

Why am I passionate about this?

TTRPGs are such a powerful medium for storytelling, and a tool that can be used by therapists to help their clients. Learning how to run games can seem daunting, these books have all helped me with learning how to run games more effectively. From thinking about stories, to exploring tropes, using storytelling techniques, and sharing the narrative with players this collection of books will help you on your journey of building worlds and telling stories. 

Megan's book list on learning and running tabletop role-playing games

Megan A. Connell Why did Megan love this book?

This book is a series of essays from some of the most well-known writers and creators in tabletop gaming.

This book is filled with tips and tricks to help you build your world and create a compelling plot that your players will want to engage in. This book will help you learn how to use different storytelling devices effectively in an RPG as it is slightly different than how you would use such devices in a written novel.

This book really helped me to start wrapping my mind around how shared narrative stories can work and how as a GM I can steer the story without taking away the agency of my players. This is a great quick read for new and experienced GMs alike! 

By Michele Carter (editor), Wolfgang Baur, Clinton J Boomer , Zeb Cook , Jeff Grubb , James Jacobs , Kevin Kulp , Richard Pett , Robert J. Schwalb , Margaret Weis , Steven Winter

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Kobold Guide to Plots & Campaigns as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The Best Role in Roleplaying

Whether you’re a new gamemaster or a seasoned vet looking for a new angle to shake up your game, these 19 essays by 13 expert gamemasters demonstrate ways to construct your campaign from the ground up and keep your players engaged until the dramatic conclusion.

Within this volume, masters of the art show you how to begin a new campaign, use published adventures or loot them for the best ideas, build toward cliffhangers, and design a game that can enthrall your players for month or even years. Want to run an evil campaign, or hurl…


Book cover of The Secret: a Treasure Hunt

M. S. Spencer Author Of Hidden Gem: The Secret of St. Augustine

From my list on treasure hunts.

Why am I passionate about this?

For much too long a perennial student, I hold degrees in Anthropology, Arabic Studies, and Library Science. I’ve studied nine languages and lived or traveled on five of the seven continents. I do not hunt tangible treasure—gold or jewels or sunken ships; I hunt knowledge. My love for rooting out treasure troves of information began with my first job. I held passes to the Library of Congress stacks, where I tracked down sources on Ethiopian history. After months of unearthing mostly obscure references, I came upon the mother lode—the great explorers’ accounts. It was like finding a chest of doubloons. I was hooked on the treasure of the mind.

M.S.'s book list on treasure hunts

M. S. Spencer Why did M.S. love this book?

In my book, the hero enlists his students in a treasure hunt using a book by Byron Preiss called The Secret as a guide. In 1982 Preiss traveled to twelve spots in North America, at each of which he buried a ceramic casque. Each casque contained a key that could be redeemed for a jewel. To find a casque, the seeker had to match one of twelve paintings to one of twelve poems. The hunt has lasted four decades and involves thousands of players. Only three of the twelve hiding places have been found. Be careful! The Secret has drawn in much more cynical readers than you.

By Byron Preiss, Sean Kelly, Ted Mann , John Palencar (illustrator) , John Pierard (illustrator) , Overton Loyd (illustrator) , JoEllen Trilling (illustrator)

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Secret as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The tale begins over three-hundred years ago, when the Fair People—the goblins, fairies, dragons, and other fabled and fantastic creatures of a dozen lands—fled the Old World for the New, seeking haven from the ways of Man. With them came their precious jewels: diamonds, rubies, emeralds, pearls... But then the Fair People vanished, taking with them their twelve fabulous treasures. And they remained hidden until now...

Across North America, these twelve treasures, over ten-thousand dollars in precious jewels in 1982 dollars, are buried. The key to finding each can be found within the twelve full-color paintings and verses of THE…


Book cover of He Who Fights with Monsters

RC Hancock Author Of An Uncommon Blue

From RC's 3 favorite reads in 2023.

Why am I passionate about this?

Author Dad Gamer Worshiper Hubby Storyteller

RC's 3 favorite reads in 2023

RC Hancock Why did RC love this book?

I’m currently on the 3rd book in the He Who Fights Monsters series.

The story is completely unconventional yet strangely engrossing. It feels like a Dungeons & Dragon game with a phenomenal Dungeon Master. The audio narrator is incredible, although there are a ton of stats listed, and having them all read every time gets seriously tedious.

The combat scenes are unique enough to be engaging and the social intrigue (and fun powers) balance it all out. The level of detail in the world-building and magic system feels like Name of the Wind. (My favorite book of all time.)

I highly recommend He Who Fights Monsters to high fantasy lovers and players of role-playing tabletop games. Be warned: It’s not quite as accessible to the less-nerdy.

By Shirtaloon,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked He Who Fights with Monsters as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Jason wakes up in a mysterious world of magic and monsters.It’s not easy making the career jump from office-supplies-store middle manager to heroic interdimensional adventurer. At least, Jason tries to be heroic, but it's hard to be good when all your powers are evil.He’ll face off against cannibals, cultists, wizards, monsters...and that’s just on the first day. He’s going to need courage, he’s going to need wit, and he’s going to need some magic powers of his own. But first, he’s going to need pants.After cementing itself as one of the best-rated serial novels on Royal Road with an astonishing…


Book cover of The Ultimate RPG Gameplay Guide: Role-Play the Best Campaign Ever-No Matter the Game!

Megan A. Connell Author Of Tabletop Role-Playing Therapy: A Guide for the Clinician Game Master

From my list on learning and running tabletop role-playing games.

Why am I passionate about this?

TTRPGs are such a powerful medium for storytelling, and a tool that can be used by therapists to help their clients. Learning how to run games can seem daunting, these books have all helped me with learning how to run games more effectively. From thinking about stories, to exploring tropes, using storytelling techniques, and sharing the narrative with players this collection of books will help you on your journey of building worlds and telling stories. 

Megan's book list on learning and running tabletop role-playing games

Megan A. Connell Why did Megan love this book?

Sometimes you might find you have a great idea for a campaign, or know what theme you want to explore but are struggling to understand how to bring those ideas together.

D’Amato takes you through building your campaign through both a discussion of storytelling devices as well as pointed questions you can use to help flesh out your ideas and turn them into a full campaign. This book also helps GMs learn how to make their world feel lived in through descriptions and building history.

This is the book you want to use to build a small idea into a full campaign! 

By James D'Amato,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Ultimate RPG Gameplay Guide as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Improve your RPG campaign with this comprehensive and interactive guide to making the most out of your gaming experience.

Whatever RPG game you play, from D&D to Call of Cthulu to licensed games like Star Wars, every detail is important. From setting the scene to choosing the right music or even adjusting the lighting to create the right atmosphere, every choice helps maximize your gaming experience.

The Ultimate RPG Gameplay Guide provides practical advice for everything from pre-game preparations and in-game improvisation to working out a plan of attack with your teammates to learning how to lean into the setting…