Do you love the thrill of leveling up, fighting bosses, going on quests, or unlocking secret worlds—like in Minecraft, Roblox, Zelda, or Pokémon? Good news: there are books that feel just like that… no console needed. These stories have portal jumps, boss battles, magical power-ups, and secret missions that make you feel like you’re inside a video game.
Ultimate Unofficial Encyclopedia for Minecrafters: An A – Z Book of Tips and Tricks the Official Guides Don’t Teach You
This exciting book will cover everything players need to know about mining, farming, building, villagers, the Nether, and more! Young gamers will be surprised at how quickly they can learn hundreds of new tricks and tips!
Put on your imaginary headset—because it’s quest time! ⚔️✨
🎯 Books That Play Like a Video Game
1. Amari and the Night Brothers by B. B. Alston
Leveling Up • Secret Academy • Magic Abilities
Amari discovers a hidden world where kids train like agents and unlock magical talents like it’s an ability skill tree. It’s like joining a secret Hogwarts mixed with Men in Black and a character creator screen.
Amari and the Night Brothers (Supernatural Investigations, 1)
Amari Peters has never stopped believing her missing brother, Quinton, is alive. Not even when the police told her otherwise, or when she got in trouble for standing up to bullies who said he was gone for good.
2. Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky by Kwame Mbalia
Boss Battles • Mythology Crossover • Hero Upgrades
Tristan accidentally opens a portal (whoops) and ends up in a world where African and African American folk heroes battle nightmare creatures. It’s like God of War, but funnier.
Rick Riordan Presents: Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky-A Tristan Strong Novel, Book 1
Seventh grader Tristan Strong feels anything but strong ever since he failed to save his best friend when they were in a bus accident together. All he has left of Eddie is the journal his friend wrote stories in. Tristan is dreading the month he’s going to spend on his grandparents’ farm in Alabama, where he’s being sent to heal from the tragedy.
3. The Last Kids on Earth by Max Brallier
Zombie Survival Mode • Team Up • Loot Collecting
Kids vs. monsters after the apocalypse—with a treehouse base, homemade weapons, and power-ups. Feels like a co-op adventure game.
The Last Kids on Earth
Ever since the Monster Apocalypse hit town, thirteen-year-old Jack Sullivan has been holed up in his tree house. Which he’s armed to the teeth with catapults and a moat, not to mention an endless supply of Oreos and Mountain Dew scavenged from abandoned stores.
4. City of Ghosts by Victoria Schwab
Hidden Worlds • Ghost Missions • Unlocking Abilities
Cassidy can slip into the Veil, a ghost-world overlay like switching realms in a game. She even has a ghost companion—aka her NPC sidekick.
City of Ghosts (1)
Ever since Cass almost drowned (okay, she did drown, but she doesn’t like to think about it), she can pull back the Veil that separates the living from the dead . . . and enter the world of spirits. Her best friend is even a ghost.
5. Gregor the Overlander by Suzanne Collins
Underground World • Quest Chain • Epic Mount (Giant Bats!)
Gregor falls through a vent and lands in a world with giant creatures, cryptic prophecies, and war quests. Feels exactly like stumbling into a new RPG region.
Gregor the Overlander
When Gregor falls through a grate in the laundry room of his apartment building, he hurtles into the dark Underland, where spiders, rats, cockroaches coexist uneasily with humans. This world is on the brink of war, and Gregor’s arrival is no accident.
6. The Adventurers Guild by Zack Loran Clark & Nick Eliopulos
Guild Quests • Party Roles • Monster Raids
Kids are drafted into a monster-fighting guild where they level up, train, and take on dangerous missions. Definitely a fantasy RPG vibe.
The Adventurers Guild
Kindle Edition
In one of the last cities standing after the world fell to monsters, best friends Zed Kagari and Brock Dunderfel have high hopes for the future. Zed desperately wishes to join the ranks of the Mages Guild, where his status as Freestone’s only half elf might finally be an asset. Brock, the roguishly handsome son of merchants, is confident he’ll be welcomed into the ranks of the Merchants Guild.
7. Minecraft: The Island by Max Brooks
Survival Crafting • Respawning • Hunger Bar Energy
Yes, an official Minecraft novel. The character wakes up in a Minecraft world and literally has to punch trees, craft gear, and avoid creepers. 10/10 gamer energy.
Minecraft: The Island: An Official Minecraft Novel
Washed up on a beach, the lone castaway looks around the shore. Where am I? Who am I? And why is everything made of blocks? But there isn’t much time to soak up the sun. It’s getting dark, and there’s a strange new world to explore!
8. Skyward by Brandon Sanderson
Pilot School • Skill Unlocks • Tech Battles
A teen fighter pilot with a mysterious ship and a sarcastic AI? Feels like a sci-fi simulation game where your ship levels up with you.
Skyward (The Skyward Series)
Spensa’s world has been under attack for decades. Now pilots are the heroes of what’s left of the human race, and becoming one has always been Spensa’s dream. Since she was a little girl, she has imagined soaring skyward and proving her bravery.
9. Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer
Tactical Heists • High-Tech Gear • Smart Player Energy
Artemis plays life like a strategy game. He hacks magical systems, sets traps, and outsmarts everyone like he read the cheat codes.
Artemis Fowl-Artemis Fowl, Book 1
Twelve-year-old criminal mastermind Artemis Fowl has discovered a world below ground of armed and dangerous–and extremely high-tech–fairies.
10. Percy Jackson and the Olympians by Rick Riordan
God Powers • Quest Log • Battle Upgrades
Percy collects magical items, unlocks power abilities, and faces gods like boss fights. It’s basically a mythological action RPG.
Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Book One: The Lightning Thief
Percy Jackson is about to be kicked out of boarding school again—he can’t seem to stay out of trouble. Is he supposed to stand by while a bully picks on his scrawny best friend? Or not defend himself when his teacher turns into a monster and tries to kill him?
11. The Gauntlet by Karuna Riazi
Board Game Portal • Beat the Game to Escape • Teamwork Mode
A magical board game sucks kids inside (Jumanji style), and they must beat challenges to win. Every task feels like a new game level.
The Gauntlet
Nothing can prepare you for The Gauntlet…
It didn’t look dangerous, exactly. When twelve-year-old Farah first laid eyes on the old-fashioned board game, she thought it looked…elegant.
12. Player vs. Player: Ultimate Gaming Showdown by M.K. England
Esports • Squad Dynamics • Tournament Arc
Perfect for gamers—this one follows kids entering a video game tournament, dealing with teams, training, and boss-level stress.
Player vs. Player #1: Ultimate Gaming Showdown
Sixty-four teams.
One mysterious grand prize.
Four gamers determined to win it all.
Welcome to Affinity, the hottest battle royale video game in the world!
🎮 Ready to Press Start on Your Next Book Adventure?
Whether you’re the type to rush straight into battle, craft the perfect gear setup, or hunt for every secret side quest, there’s a book here that matches your player style. Reading doesn’t have to feel like homework—it can feel like loading into a brand-new game world where you get to explore, upgrade, and win. So grab one of these books, power up your imagination, and consider this your official “New Quest Unlocked!” 📚
