12 Best Games Based on Books: Stories You Can Actually Play

Some of the best video games started with a book. The Witcher began as a fantasy series by Andrzej Sapkowski. Metro 2033 brought Dmitry Glukhovsky’s underground world to life. Even modern games such as Lies of P have roots in classic literature. But games based on books do more than copy familiar stories. They let players explore fictional worlds, meet famous characters, and make decisions that were never possible in the original novels.

Some games follow their source material closely. Others create new adventures in familiar worlds. Science fiction is especially popular, with titles ranging from literary adaptations like The Invincible to unrelated space-themed games found through searches such as astronaut game money. While these games use different mechanics, they show how space exploration and futuristic settings can inspire very different gaming experiences. Here are 12 book-inspired games worth exploring, along with the novels behind them and what makes each adaptation interesting.

Best Games Based on Books at a Glance

The following games cover several genres, from fantasy RPGs to detective adventures and science fiction.

Not every title is a direct adaptation. Some follow the original plot, while others borrow characters, settings, or central ideas.

1. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – A Fantasy World Beyond the Books

Based on: The Witcher series by Andrzej SapkowskiReleased: 2015Genre: Open-world action RPG

The Witcher 3 follows Geralt of Rivia, a professional monster hunter searching for his adopted daughter, Ciri. His journey takes him through war-torn kingdoms, dangerous forests, and villages troubled by supernatural creatures.

The game builds on the world introduced in Sapkowski’s books. Familiar characters include Yennefer, Triss, Dandelion, and Ciri.

However, The Witcher 3 does not recreate a single novel. It tells an original story set after the events of the main book saga.

What Makes the Adaptation Special?

The game’s strongest feature is player choice. A simple conversation can change a character’s fate. Some decisions affect entire communities, while others influence Geralt’s relationships.

Side quests are also unusually detailed. A contract to kill a monster may reveal a family tragedy or a political conflict.

Best for: Players who enjoy long fantasy adventures, complex characters, and meaningful decisions.

2. Metro 2033 – Surviving a World After Nuclear War

Based on: Metro 2033 by Dmitry GlukhovskyReleased: 2010Genre: First-person survival shooter

Metro 2033 takes place in the Moscow underground after a nuclear disaster makes the surface dangerous.

The story follows Artyom, a young man who leaves his home station to warn other survivors about a mysterious threat.

Players travel through abandoned tunnels, ruined stations, and areas filled with radiation. Ammunition is limited, and many encounters require careful planning.

How Closely Does It Follow the Book?

The game uses the novel’s main setting, characters, and central conflict. However, some events are changed to fit the gameplay.

One notable feature is the use of military-grade ammunition as both currency and powerful ammunition. Players must decide whether to spend valuable bullets or save them for combat.

This simple mechanic makes resource management an important part of survival.

Best for: Fans of post-apocalyptic fiction, atmospheric shooters, and survival games.

3. Hogwarts Legacy – Exploring the World of Harry Potter

Based on: The Harry Potter books by J.K. RowlingReleased: 2023Genre: Open-world action RPG

Hogwarts Legacy takes players to the famous school of witchcraft and wizardry during the 1800s.

The story takes place long before Harry Potter arrives at Hogwarts. Instead of following the events of the books, players create their own student and explore a different period in the wizarding world’s history.

You can attend classes, learn spells, explore hidden passages, and travel beyond the castle.

What Can Players Do?

The game focuses on exploration and magical combat. Players can solve puzzles, collect magical creatures, and complete quests for students and teachers.

The castle contains many recognizable locations, including the Great Hall and the four common rooms.

Unlike the novels, the game’s story gives players a more active role in shaping their adventure.

Best for: Fantasy fans who enjoy exploration, magic, and character customization.

4. Lies of P – A Dark Version of Pinocchio

Based on: The Adventures of Pinocchio by Carlo CollodiReleased: 2023Genre: Action RPG

Pinocchio is usually associated with children’s stories. Lies of P takes the familiar character and places him in a dark city filled with dangerous mechanical puppets.

Players control a puppet named P, who explores the ruined city of Krat while searching for answers about a mysterious disaster.

The game borrows characters and ideas from Collodi’s novel but creates a much darker story.

How Is It Different From the Original?

In the book, Pinocchio learns about honesty, responsibility, and becoming human.

Lies of P explores similar questions through combat and player decisions. The distinction between truth and lies becomes an important part of the experience.

Combat is challenging, with an emphasis on timing, blocking, and learning enemy attack patterns.

Best for: Players who enjoy difficult action games and dark fantasy settings.

5. The Invincible – A Science Fiction Mystery

Based on: The Invincible by Stanisław LemReleased: 2023Genre: Narrative adventure

The Invincible is one of the most interesting examples of a science fiction novel becoming a video game.

Players control Yasna, an astrobiologist exploring the planet Regis III. Her mission begins as a scientific expedition but develops into a mystery involving a missing crew and strange discoveries.

The game’s visual style draws on retrofuturism. Its vehicles, instruments, and communication systems resemble technology imagined during the early space age.

Exploration Instead of Combat

Unlike many space games, The Invincible does not focus on shooting enemies.

Players investigate locations, examine objects, communicate with other characters, and make choices that affect the story.

The game preserves the novel’s central questions about scientific discovery and humanity’s place in the universe.

It is worth distinguishing narrative adventures like The Invincible from other space-themed titles. Searches such as astronaut game money, for example, generally refer to crash-style gambling games where players risk money on a rising multiplier. These games are not literary adaptations and use very different mechanics.

The Invincible is designed around exploration and storytelling rather than financial rewards.

Best for: Readers who enjoy thoughtful science fiction, mysteries, and slower-paced adventures.

6. Dune: Awakening – Survival on Arrakis

Based on: Dune by Frank HerbertReleased: 2025Genre: Open-world survival RPG

Dune: Awakening brings players to Arrakis, the desert planet made famous by Frank Herbert’s science fiction novels.

The game features enormous sandworms, dangerous environments, political factions, and the valuable substance known as spice.

However, it does not follow the exact events of the original novel.

Instead, the developers created an alternate timeline in which Paul Atreides was never born.

How Does the Game Work?

Players explore the desert, gather resources, build equipment, and develop their characters.

Survival requires attention to water supplies, environmental dangers, and hostile encounters.

The game also includes exploration, combat, crafting, and political competition.

Its biggest strength is the setting. Arrakis feels like a dangerous world where survival depends on preparation and understanding the environment.

Best for: Players interested in science fiction, survival mechanics, and large open worlds.

7. S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl – Inspired by Roadside Picnic

Inspired by: Roadside Picnic by Arkady and Boris StrugatskyReleased: 2007Genre: First-person survival shooter

S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl takes place in a fictionalized exclusion zone surrounding the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant.

The environment contains dangerous anomalies, mutated creatures, and mysterious artifacts.

Its literary roots can be traced to Roadside Picnic, a novel about strange zones left behind after an extraterrestrial visitation.

What Connects the Book and Game?

Both stories explore mysterious areas where normal physical rules no longer apply.

People enter these dangerous locations to collect valuable objects despite the risks.

The game develops this concept into a survival shooter with exploration, equipment management, and faction conflicts.

It is not a direct retelling of the novel, but its central ideas are closely connected.

Best for: Players who enjoy exploration, survival horror, and mysterious environments.

8. 80 Days – Jules Verne’s Adventure Reimagined

Based on: Around the World in Eighty Days by Jules VerneReleased: 2014Genre: Interactive fiction

80 Days transforms Jules Verne’s classic travel novel into an interactive adventure.

Players take the role of Passepartout, the servant of Phileas Fogg. Their goal is to travel around the world within 80 days.

Every journey involves decisions about routes, transport, money, and time.

Why Is It Different?

The game has no traditional combat system. Instead, players read dialogue, select responses, and plan their journeys.

Different routes lead to different characters, cities, and events.

One playthrough may involve travelling through Europe and Asia. Another may follow a completely different route.

The result is a story that changes depending on player decisions.

Best for: Readers who enjoy interactive stories, historical adventures, and decision-based games.

9. Alice: Madness Returns – A Disturbing Wonderland

Inspired by: Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis CarrollReleased: 2011Genre: Action adventure

Alice: Madness Returns presents a dark interpretation of Lewis Carroll’s famous fictional world.

The game follows Alice as she returns to Wonderland while struggling with painful memories.

Familiar characters and locations appear throughout the story, but their designs are often frightening or distorted.

What Makes It Unique?

The game combines platforming, combat, puzzles, and exploration.

Each area has a distinct visual style. Some environments resemble giant dollhouses, while others feature mechanical structures or underwater settings.

The original book’s unusual logic and surreal imagery work especially well in this format.

Best for: Players who enjoy imaginative environments, platforming, and psychological stories.

10. I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream – Interactive Psychological Horror

Based on: I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream by Harlan EllisonOriginally released: 1995Genre: Point-and-click horror adventure

This game adapts Harlan Ellison’s disturbing science fiction short story.

The plot centers on AM, a powerful computer that has nearly destroyed humanity.

Five survivors remain trapped under its control. Each must face personal fears, memories, and moral conflicts.

How Does the Game Expand the Story?

Players control different characters during separate scenarios.

Each character has unique problems to solve. Progress often depends on understanding their past and making difficult decisions.

The game focuses on psychological horror rather than action.

Its themes include guilt, cruelty, artificial intelligence, and personal responsibility.

Best for: Players who prefer dark stories, difficult choices, and classic adventure games.

11. Sherlock Holmes: Crimes & Punishments – Solve Mysteries Like a Detective

Based on: Sherlock Holmes stories by Arthur Conan DoyleReleased: 2014Genre: Detective adventure

Sherlock Holmes: Crimes & Punishments places players in the role of the famous detective.

The game features six investigations involving murders, disappearances, and other mysteries.

Players examine crime scenes, interview suspects, and search for evidence.

Can You Reach the Wrong Conclusion?

Yes. The game allows players to form conclusions based on the clues they discover.

You may accuse the wrong person or overlook important evidence.

This creates an interesting connection with detective literature. Instead of simply reading Holmes’s explanations, players must develop their own theories.

The game also includes moral choices about how suspects should be treated.

Best for: Mystery readers, puzzle enthusiasts, and players who enjoy detective stories.

12. Dante’s Inferno – A Classic Poem Becomes an Action Game

Based on: Inferno, the first part of Dante Alighieri’s Divine ComedyReleased: 2010Genre: Action adventure

Dante’s Inferno takes inspiration from one of the most famous works of Italian literature.

The original poem follows Dante through the nine circles of Hell, guided by the ancient Roman poet Virgil.

The game changes this premise significantly.

Its version of Dante is a warrior who fights demons and travels through Hell to rescue Beatrice.

Is It Faithful to the Original?

The game uses locations, creatures, and ideas from the poem. However, its story and characters differ considerably from the original text.

The focus is on fast-paced combat, boss fights, and dramatic environments.

It works better as a loose interpretation than as a faithful adaptation of Dante’s writing.

Best for: Players who enjoy action games inspired by mythology and classic literature.

What Makes a Good Book-to-Game Adaptation?

A successful adaptation does not need to follow every chapter of a novel.

Books and video games tell stories in different ways. A novel can spend several pages describing a character’s thoughts. A game may need to communicate the same information through dialogue, exploration, or player actions.

Three features often make literary adaptations work well.

A World Worth Exploring

Books with detailed settings provide strong foundations for games.

The Witcher offers kingdoms, monsters, and political conflicts. Dune provides an entire planetary ecosystem.

These worlds give developers enough material to create meaningful activities beyond the original plot.

Characters With Clear Motivations

Strong characters help players understand why their actions matter.

Geralt wants to protect Ciri. Artyom hopes to save his home. Sherlock Holmes searches for the truth.

These goals create a connection between storytelling and gameplay.

Meaningful Player Decisions

Books usually tell a fixed story. Games can allow different outcomes.

The best adaptations use this advantage without losing the themes of their source material.

In 80 Days, players choose their own routes. In The Witcher 3, decisions can change relationships and political outcomes.

How to Choose a Game Based on Your Favorite Books

The right game depends on what you enjoy about reading.

If you prefer detailed fantasy worlds, start with The Witcher 3 or Hogwarts Legacy. Both offer extensive exploration and recognizable fictional settings.

For science fiction, The Invincible provides a slower, story-focused experience. Dune: Awakening offers survival gameplay in a large multiplayer world.

Readers who enjoy mysteries may prefer Sherlock Holmes: Crimes & Punishments. The game rewards observation and logical thinking.

If you want a shorter narrative adventure with multiple possible routes, 80 Days is a good option.

For players who enjoy challenging combat, Lies of P offers a darker and more demanding experience.

The important distinction is between playing through a familiar story and exploring a world inspired by that story. Knowing which type of adaptation you want can make choosing a game easier.

Should You Read the Book Before Playing the Game?

Reading the original book can improve your understanding of a game’s world, but it is rarely essential.

The Witcher 3 introduces its main characters and conflicts well enough for newcomers. However, readers of Sapkowski’s novels will recognize more references and understand the characters’ shared history.

Metro 2033 follows its source novel more closely. Reading the book can reveal details about the setting and characters that the game handles differently.

Other titles work well as independent stories. Hogwarts Legacy takes place long before the Harry Potter novels, while Lies of P transforms Pinocchio into a very different adventure.

There is no universal correct order.

Playing first may encourage you to discover the original novel. Reading first can help you notice how developers adapted the story.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the best video games based on books?

The Witcher 3, Metro 2033, Lies of P, and The Invincible are strong examples. Each uses literature differently, from expanding an existing fantasy world to creating a new story inspired by a classic novel.

Is The Witcher 3 based on a book?

Yes. The game uses the characters and world created by Andrzej Sapkowski. However, its main story is original and takes place after the events of the principal book saga.

Are there games based on classic literature?

Yes. Lies of P draws from Pinocchio, 80 Days reimagines Jules Verne’s famous adventure, and Dante’s Inferno uses elements of the Divine Comedy. These games interpret their sources in different ways.

Is Hogwarts Legacy based on the Harry Potter books?

Hogwarts Legacy takes place in the universe established by J.K. Rowling’s books. It features familiar locations and magical concepts but tells a separate story set during the 19th century.

What games are based on science fiction books?

Metro 2033, The Invincible, and Dune: Awakening are notable examples. They explore different science fiction themes, including nuclear survival, scientific discovery, and life on another planet.

Do games based on books follow the original stories?

Not always. Some adapt the main plot, while others create original adventures using the same characters or setting. The Witcher 3 is an original continuation, whereas Metro 2033 is a more direct adaptation.

Final Thoughts

Games based on books offer a different way to experience literature. Instead of watching events unfold, players can explore fictional settings, solve problems, and sometimes change the direction of a story.

The Witcher 3 demonstrates how a game can expand a fantasy universe. Metro 2033 shows how literary atmosphere can become part of gameplay. The Invincible proves that a thoughtful science fiction story does not need constant action to remain engaging.

For readers who want to explore familiar stories from a new perspective, these games are a good place to start.