Game books

Game books are a special format of literature, where reading turns into a game. Unlike traditional works, they offer the reader not only to follow the plot, but to actively participate in it, making decisions, completing tasks or even passing "levels," as in board or computer games.

History and development of the genre:

• The first game books gained fame in the 1970s and 1980s thanks to the Choose Your Own Adventure series and game books on desktop role-playing systems. They allowed the reader to independently determine the course of events and opened a new dimension in the literature.

The main formats of game books:

• Books with plot choices. The reader decides where the hero will go: "Open page 40 if you enter the castle, or page 72 if you go into the forest."
• Puzzle books. To move on, you need to solve a riddle or solve a problem.
• Quest books. Reading is accompanied by maps, tasks, dice rolls or other board game elements.
• Digital game books. Interactive applications and visual novels for smartphones and computers.

Why playbooks are popular:

• They develop imagination and creative thinking.
• Make the reading process more exciting.
• Suitable for both children and adults, offering different difficulty levels and genres.
• They combine literature with game elements, which is especially close to the modern generation.

Examples of genres and plots:

• Fantasy books with magic and adventure.
• Detective stories where the reader acts as a detective.
• Science fiction plots with alternative interchanges.
• Children's books with games and tasks for development.

As such, playbooks are a unique blend of literature and play that allows each reader to become involved in events and turn reading into an engaging adventure.

Find: Game books