Best Open-World Games With Readable In-Game Books

Summary

In-game books can enhance open-world games by expanding lore, worldbuilding, and storytelling.
Titles like The Witcher, Kingdom Come: Deliverance, and Guild Wars 2 utilize books to enhance immersion and provide valuable insights.
Games like Minecraft allow players to create their own books, while series like The Elder Scrolls Online offer a vast library of in-game reading material.

It’s often thought that with the numerous distractions like the internet and video games, persuading people to read books is close to impossible. However, one creative approach to boost literacy in gamers could involve integrating books into their gaming experience. These in-game books can serve multiple purposes such as deepening the understanding of intricate game lore, enhancing the immersive world-building, or even providing a delightful side story within the game itself. This strategy offers an engaging way to foster reading habits among gamers while keeping them engrossed in their favorite virtual worlds.

While it might appear unusual to incorporate a gameplay element that temporarily pauses all dynamic action, visuals, and free-roaming experiences to transition into a linear text adventure, there remains an undeniably enchanting and absorbing quality in simulating the experience of leafing through a book. This is evident in the following open-world games that successfully incorporate such features.

It may seem counterintuitive to integrate a gameplay mechanic that halts all movement, visuals, and open-world interaction for a text-based linear adventure. However, the authentic magic and immersion found in flipping through the pages of a book is still evident in these open-world games.

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Including a gameplay feature that temporarily halts all action, graphics, and exploration in favor of a linear text adventure might seem peculiar. But the authentic charm and engagement experienced when turning the pages of a book can be found in these open-world games, as demonstrated below.

Dread Delusion

Islands Of Illusary And Illustrious Literature

In the thickly beating, sometimes gruesome realm of “Dread Delusion“, there’s a wealth of history and folklore that needs to be unraveled. Unlike regular items, books are not gathered as collectibles but are presented as massive tomes on altars, narrating the epic tales of fallen deities and the ongoing battle between them and the mortal world. These texts are beautifully embellished with captivating fonts, yellowed pages, and evocative images that bring the stories to life.

In this indie game reminiscent of the Elder Scrolls series, you’ll find fewer books compared to other open-world games. However, the stories hidden within are more than worth your time. Similar to the game itself, there’s a focus on “quality over quantity,” with each tale unveiling captivating secrets about the enigmatic and trippy Oneric Isles.

The Witcher 3

Following A Rich Literary Tradition

The Witcher series is inspired by a book series penned by Polish author Andrzej Sapkowski. Not surprisingly, then, The Witcher 3 incorporates books for the player to discover throughout The Continent. Most of Geralt’s reading material consists of entries from his bestiary or fragments of paper with hints about his target or the next step in his quest.

In addition, several books offer deep understanding about the world and its grim past, or they serve to entertain. These books can be discovered as loot, on shelves, or in a merchant’s inventory. There are also manuals on magic, amusing short stories and jokes, as well as tales about witchers, which include Geralt’s adventures among them.

Kingdom Come: Deliverance

When Reading Was Still A Novel New Concept

In contemporary society, reading is frequently considered commonplace due to a global literacy rate approximately 85%. Yet, if we were to step back in time, particularly during the Medieval era, the literacy rate would have been significantly lower. The video game “Kingdom Come: Deliverance” offers an authentic portrayal of this period by naturally making its main character, Henry, an illiterate individual from the start.

In the vast expanse of the game “Kingdom Come,” I stumble upon tomes that enhance my character’s abilities, provided I meet the basic skill level prerequisites (a condition I often find myself meeting). These are the skill books. Additionally, there are lore books filled with poetry and factual data, offering insightful glimpses into the local history. However, these scholarly pursuits can only be undertaken in a suitable study setting, and I must be mindful not to overindulge as my brain starts to throb if I read too much in one sitting.

Guild Wars 2

The Many Scattered Tomes Of Tyria

Upon the release of Guild Wars 2, its developers emphasized a design approach aimed at minimizing clutter by streamlining quests and conversations to maximize continuous action and player mobility. Yet, they scattered lore books globally to provide context bridging the narrative gap between the original Guild Wars saga and the happenings in Guild Wars 2.

Following the “Heart of Thorns” expansion, various lore books were incorporated into the game, encompassing tales from charming children’s stories about transforming intelligent cacti into party fare, to profound revelations about deities and the universe. These books are now scattered throughout Tyria, providing players with a wealth of knowledge they can explore later in their guild hall. With a world that has been expanded upon for over a decade, there are now numerous books to discover and read.

Minecraft

The DIY Approach To Readable In-Game Books

Minecraft is known for its vast, open-ended world, where storytelling is subtly conveyed through ancient, long-forgotten ruins and the ominous presence of threatening adversaries. Instead of written records, these abandoned civilizations leave behind clues, and although villagers sell enchanted books, they are cryptic and serve solely to enhance Minecraft’s armor, weapons, and tools. However, by using a quill and a book, players have the ability to create their own written works.

Experiencing literature within an open-world game through writing and re-reading your own books might not provide the most immersive literary experience, but ingenious gamers have crafted custom worlds brimming with intriguing written works. One of these renowned examples is The Uncensored Library, a world boasting an extensive library built by Reporters Without Borders and BlockWorks, offering complete texts that would otherwise be suppressed or inaccessible in specific regions due to censorship.

The Elder Scrolls Series

An Entire Imperial Library’s Worth Of Reading Material

In terms of open-world games featuring readable books, the gold standard is undeniably the Elder Scrolls series, dating back to The Elder Scrolls 2: Daggerfall. Each subsequent game has accumulated a vast library of texts, with each iteration offering increasingly engaging ways to peruse these literary gems. On occasion, players are even rewarded with skill points for opening a book, potentially instilling the habit of reading within the gaming community.

While not all sequels encompass the texts from their predecessors, the one that holds the largest collection is The Elder Scrolls Online, which covers a significant portion of the continent of Tamriel. Consequently, it incorporates many books amassed from various Elder Scrolls series games such as Daggerfall, Morrowind, Oblivion, and Skyrim, in addition to original texts penned exclusively for the MMO.

2025-03-28 04:34