LitRPG is short for ‘Literary Role Playing Game’ and provides a completely different reading experience in which the reader/listener is directly involved in the unraveling of the plot. Listening to the best LitRPG audiobooks is a great way to immerse yourself in the landscape and plot lines.
This emerging genre is a mixture of digital role-playing games and literature, which has urged a bunch of reluctant readers to enter the literary world. If your child is more interested in video games than reading, introducing them to LitRPG novels might be a good place to start.
LitRPG novels are typically adventurous, fantasy-oriented, and jam-packed with science-fiction elements. They all differ though, so if you’re looking for something a little more realistic, there’s something on the market for you too.
The 20 Best LitRPG Audiobooks
Dungeon Born by Dakota Krout
Becoming a successful adventurer has always relied on dungeons – using them to develop and conquering them for power and influence. But dungeons are known for homing some of the most dangerous beasts and monsters.
Dungeon Bornfocuses on Cal, a Dungeon Core, who has roamed the dungeons for years and through experience, has gained answers to the questions everyone’s asking. His soul is forced into a magical stone and in order to survive, he must build a dungeon around himself to retrieve new powers.
Establish by Matthew Peed
Regan Earle was a scientist who accidentally triggered a robot uprising. But Regan has a way out – his creations allow him to explore another world.
20 years or so after the uprising, Regan sent Earth a message, that his creations would die with him. Instead of fighting robots, humans turned their attention to Regan.
Establishcombines real technological advancements with science fiction to create a brilliant, immersive story that’ll keep you on the edge of your seat.
Survival Quest by Vasily Mahanenko
Barliona is a fantasy game filled with every creature you could imagine, that provides an escape for millions of players every day. Some players spend months online in Barliona, a game that has barely any rules.
But there is one rule. One that many tend to neglect – players should not feel actual pain. Survival Questis the story of a group of criminals sentenced to serve time in Barliona, but it won’t be as easy as sitting in a cell.
Countdown by Michael Atamanov
This is the first in Atamanov’s Reality Benders series and begins as an alien species reaches out and makes contact with Earth. Their message tells of a mysterious game and as more and more players join the realm, the distinction between fantasy and reality becomes blurred.
Countdownfollows Earth and the gaming realm simultaneously and as things ramp up online, the safety of Earth hangs in the balance.
One More Last Time by Eric Ugland
One More Last Timefollows a suicidal man who creates a new life for himself online. Sucked into a completely different world, he finally has the chance to make a good life for himself and make the right choices.
Zeal of the Mind and Flesh by Marvin Knight
Zeal of the Mind and Fleshfollows Theodore, who visits an animatronic strip club and there he finds an interdimensional phone booth, one that transports him to another world.
Power is key to the elven kingdom he discovers and Theo must survive and cultivate in order to gain his own power and grow a clan of his own.
Start the Game by Vasily Mahanenko
12 players are chosen to journey through the online world of Galactogon, driven by the promise of a large sum of money at the end. Each player will choose their fate – hero, coward, villain, knight, or traitor and each will have to make sacrifices and conceal their true identities, but they’re all willing to do whatever it takes to get their hands on the cash prize.
Start the Gameis a story of identity, deceit, survival, and greed. Fully immersive, interesting, and captivating, this LitRPG book isn’t one to miss.
Guild Master by Ival Kal
Guild Masterfollows Morgan, an average guy who goes to college and plays video games at night. One day, Morgan is hit by a car and a man appears offering him a chance at a new life in an online world.
After accepting, Morgan is plunged into this new world with no instruction and must find his way around, paying extra attention to the monsters who seem to want to hurt him. With the help of two half-elf twins, Morgan needs to survive and fulfill his quest.
Summoned! by Oisin Muldowney
Sean de Courcy is a frequent gamer and is picked by a summoning spell to help the failing leaders of a collapsing kingdom beat their dangerous enemies and restore strength.
Summoned!is Sean’s RPG journey but despite his inexperience, he proves to be the right person for the job.
Occultist by Oliver Mayes
In an attempt to raise funds for his mom’s surgery, Damien enters an online fantasy saga. But his dreams are quickly crushed by a vampire, who leaves him at the bottom of a dungeon with nothing left.
But Damien has one last string in his bow, the Occultist class, who, if controlled, will allow him to take the contest by storm. Occultistis a story of failure, new beginnings, and power.
Sector Eight by Michael Atamanov
Ruslan has signed to command a space fleet but he knows nothing about the game and has neglected to read the contract properly, so he’s in for some surprises.
His main objectives are to stay alive and not mess up too much. But after a few rookie errors, Ruslan decides to switch up his strategies, even if that means breaking some rules. Sector Eightfollows as Ruslan navigates new challenges and bends the boundaries of the game.
Apocalypse Tamer by Maxime J. Durand
Basil wakes up to a completely different world. Overnight, the System arrived, developed dungeons across the realm, summoned monsters, and awoke powerful gods. Basil has to quickly adjust to this new reality and chooses to train these monsters instead of running from them.
Apocalypse Tamerfollows as Basil rewrites the classic apocalypse story. Innovative, clever, and captivating, this isn’t one to skip.
Dissonance by Nicoli Gonnella
Felix lives a dead-end, unfulfilling life. He lives with regret and heartbreak and feels like a coward. That is, until he’s plunged into a new world known as ‘The Continent’. There, he learns to fight, strengthen himself, and step out of his comfort zone.
Dissonancefollows Felix’s development as he goes from a man with his life crumbling around him to a strong force, fighting for his life.
The Land by Aleron Kong
Dungeons, kingdoms, magic, power, destruction, and sacrifice are just a handful of things to look forward to in this one. The Landis one of Kong’s best-rated books and it doesn’t disappoint!
Aleron Kong is one of the most famous LitRPG authors, so you’re in safe hands with any of his work if you’re a newbie. This book is an epic fantasy and is so multidimensional – you’ll never get bored.
Catharsis by Travis Bagwell
This is one of the books in Bagwell’s Awaken Online series, which centers around a game of the same name. Catharsisfollows Jason, who escapes to Awaken Online to avoid the pressures and failures of his reality.
There, he quickly loses control and finds himself fulfilling a different role than what he expected. He must navigate the game and determine his role, but he may just be the villain.
The Goblin Horde by Ivan Kal
Following the same protagonist as Guild Master, The Goblin Hordeconcentrates on Morgan after he settled into the world he unexpectedly fell into following his car accident.
He made friends, escaped monsters, and grew attached to the land he’s come to consider home. But now, he’s being hunted and must run from the Goblin King who has united armies and strengthened forces against him.
Ascend Online by Luke Chmilenko
Ascend Onlinestarts as Marcus and his friends try out a new video game. But as soon as they begin playing, Marcus gets separated and must fend for himself when the village he’s navigating comes under attack.
Marcus is plunged into battle almost immediately and with no experience and no one to help, it’s a struggle. But he manages to save the village from goblins and henceforth feels a sense of responsibility for it. He becomes addicted to the game and finds himself delving deeper and deeper into trouble.
The Cursed Princedom by G. Akella
The Cursed Princedomfollows a group of players as they explore the new updates on the game Realm of Arkon. These updates make the virtual world nearly identical to reality, blurring the line between real life and gaming. This is a story of revenge, exile, pain, and survival.
The Time Master by Dmitry Bilik
Sergei is just a normal Russian man but he’s just discovered he can travel to different realms and through travel, he obtains a unique set of skills. He realizes he is not the only one with these powers and finds more people like him in a secret community called the Seekers.
But Sergei is carefully being monitored. The Darkest One is keeping a close eye on his every move. He’s after Sergei’s skillset and will not stop until he’s got it. The Time Masteris a captivating story of inter-world travel, jealousy, and secrecy.
Earthdom by Ryan Debruyn
Earthdomis a post-apocalyptic story that follows Rockland Barkclay, who was dragged into another realm just before he died.
As humanity edges towards starvation and the environment slowly decays, a humanitarian question lingers – with minimal supplies, should the population be increasing? This is a vivid, unpredictable story that will keep you guessing until the very end. Following individuals and intelligence organizations respectively, this story will illuminate both personal and national crises.
Final Thoughts
If you’re looking to test the waters in the LitRPG genre, audiobooks are the perfect way to do it. They provide the most immersive experience and can really bring the fantastical surroundings to life.
The premise of LitRPG books relies on the reader feeling like they’re a part of the novel and the plot lines, so the animating experience that listening provides is the best starting point.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is LitRPG?
LitRPG stands for literary role-playing games and it encapsulates books that involve the reader’s participation often in the completion of quests or resolving danger.
Is LitRPG beneficial?
If you have a child or teenager that’s obsessed with video games, LitRPG is a brilliant way of redirecting their attention to literature on their terms. Reading or listening to books within the LitRPG genre can help reading skills and pace and helps them get away from the screens.
When was LitRPG created?
It’s a fairly new genre, having been officially created in 2013 by Russian publishers EKSMO. However, the origins of the genre can be traced back to the 1980s, with the novel Dream Park, which tells a story about an immersive and realistic virtual reality gaming theme park.
Who is the most popular LitRPG author?
Vasily Mahanenko, Aleron Kong, and Travis Bagwell are among some of the most popular and well-known LitRPG writers. If you’re skeptical, start with one of these authors.
What’s the difference between LitRPG and ‘Choose Your Own Adventure’ novels?
While there are many overlaps and both are immersive, LitRPG novels tend to focus on the gaming realm and are heavily tied to science fiction and fantasy.
Based in Ontario, Canada, Colton is an avid writer who enjoys learning while he writes. With years of writing experience, Colton has covered topics varying from books to business, travel, tourism, and video games. When he is not writing, you may find him hiking, reading, or on some road trip!
