Games with Books/Bookshelves/Libraries - an IFDB Poll

by Andrew Schultz
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I'm interested in games with lots of books you can read through. Maybe it's just a lot of cool titles and authors. Maybe they're randomly or procedurally generated. Maybe they reference pop culture, or maybe they're the author's own silly ideas.

Well, actually, a game with one or two books is cool here too if there's a really cool name.

(Note: I'm extra interested about books with authors, but any titles will do.)

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The Mary Jane of Tomorrow, by Emily Short
3 votes
(No comment) [+](No comment) () --Sobol... (No comment) [+](No comment) --IFforL2... (No comment) [+](No comment) ( - Full review) --Lance Cirone...

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Sub Rosa, by Joey Jones, Melvin Rangasamy
3 votes
"about 100 or so about anything and everything" [+]"about 100 or so about anything and everything" --Andrew Schultz... (No comment) [+](No comment) () --Teaspoon... (No comment) [+](No comment) () --Audiart...

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Pytho's Mask, by Emily Short
3 votes
"The library north of the ballroom" [+]"The library north of the ballroom: There are a number of books, any of which can be read if they recently turned up in your search; many of them are references to other literature." --Emily Short... (No comment) [+](No comment) () --Felix Pleșoianu... (No comment) [+](No comment) ( - Full review) --Lance Cirone...

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Nevermore, by Nate Cull
2 votes
"Large research puzzle" [+]"Large research puzzle" ( - Full review) --MathBrush... (No comment) [+](No comment) () --Christina Nordlander...

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Cragne Manor, by Ryan Veeder, Jenni Polodna, Adam Whybray, Adri, Andrew Plotkin, Andy Holloway, Austin Auclair, Baldur Brückner, Ben Collins-Sussman, Bill Maya, Brian Rushton, Buster Hudson, Caleb Wilson, Carl Muckenhoupt, Chandler Groover, Chris Jones, Christopher Conley, Damon L. Wakes, Daniel Ravipinto, Daniel Stelzer, David Jose, David Petrocco, David Sturgis, Drew Mochak, Edward B, Emily Short, Erica Newman, Feneric, Finn Rosenløv, Gary Butterfield, Gavin Inglis, Greg Frost, Hanon Ondricek, Harkness Munt, Harrison Gerard, Ian Holmes, Ivan Roth, Jack Welch, Jacqueline Ashwell, James Eagle, Jason Dyer, Jason Lautzenheiser, Jason Love, Jeremy Freese, Joey Jones, Joshua Porch, Justin de Vesine, Justin Melvin, Katherine Morayati, Kenneth Pedersen, Lane Puetz, Llew Mason, Lucian Smith, Marco Innocenti, Marius Müller, Mark Britton, Mark Sample, Marshal Tenner Winter, Matt Schneider, Matt Weiner, Matthew Korson, Michael Fessler, Michael Gentry, Michael Hilborn, Michael Lin, Mike Spivey, Molly Ying, Monique Padelis, Naomi Hinchen, Nate Edwards, Petter Sjölund, Q Pheevr, Rachel Spitler, Reed Lockwood, Reina Adair, Riff Conner, Roberto Colnaghi, Rowan Lipkovits, Sam Kabo Ashwell, Scott Hammack, Sean M. Shore, Shin, Wade Clarke, Zach Hodgens, Zack Johnson
2 votes
"A convoluted book collecting puzzle and several libraries" [+]"A convoluted book collecting puzzle and several libraries" ( - Full review) --MathBrush... (No comment) [+](No comment) ( - Full review) --Lance Cirone...

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Endless, Nameless, by Adam Cadre
2 votes
"There's a small, optional library filled with books from the Little Lytton contests." [+]"There's a small, optional library filled with books from the Little Lytton contests." ( - Full review) --Trif... (No comment) [+](No comment) () --Audiart...

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Castle of the Red Prince, by C.E.J. Pacian
2 votes
"The Red Prince's library." [+]"The Red Prince's library." () --Sobol... (No comment) [+](No comment) () --IFforL2...

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Rogue of the Multiverse, by C.E.J. Pacian
2 votes
"You have to buy..." [+]"You have to buy the books with in-game currency, but then you can read them." () --IFforL2... "'Dryzandia..." [+]"'Dryzandia Drift.' I wish that was a real book. But yes, there are a handful of books you can buy with your test subject salary and read (they only have a few paragraphs each, but the writing is spot on)." () --Kinetic Mouse Car...

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Christminster, by Gareth Rees
2 votes
"Many books" [+]"Many books: A large library with readable books, including encoded books." ( - Full review) --MathBrush... (No comment) [+](No comment) () --Felix Pleșoianu...

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Eidolon, by A.D. Jansen
2 votes
"First a bookshelf..." [+]"First a bookshelf in the PC's room with classical fairy tales like Thumbelina; then a library in a magical world with the same stories jumbled up - like trying to read a book in a dream." () --Sobol... (No comment) [+](No comment) --IFforL2...

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Scroll Thief, by Daniel M. Stelzer
2 votes
"Set in a library of magic" [+]"Set in a library of magic: Of course lots of books and scrolls are involved." --Hanon Ondricek... (No comment) [+](No comment) () --Audiart...

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Lord Bellwater's Secret, by Sam Gordon
2 votes
"1200 books!" [+]"1200 books!: And the game manages to present a pretty good illusion that they all have individual titles." --baf... (No comment) [+](No comment) () --Sobol...

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To Spring Open, by Peter Berman and Yoon Ha Lee (as Two-Bit Chip)
1 vote
"Small library but..." [+]"Small library but gives you a chance to explore the game's surreal world through some reading material." () --Kinetic Mouse Car...

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Chuk and the Arena, by Agnieszka Trzaska
1 vote
"Big library on a..." [+]"Big library on a star ship with a fun range of books that create worldbuilding (such as a guidebook on alien species) and guidance for solving puzzles. Humorous writing. Made me laugh." () --Kinetic Mouse Car...

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The Problems Compound, by Andrew Schultz
1 vote
"The museum-ish room has bowdlerizations of many classics" [+]"The museum-ish room has bowdlerizations of many classics" --Andrew Schultz...

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A Roiling Original, by Andrew Schultz
1 vote
"Biopics of you, self-help books, and general literature" [+]"Biopics of you, self-help books, and general literature: The self-help books are in area V, general literature in your study. The game also lists all the books at the end. There are entirely too many." --Andrew Schultz...

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Beautiful Dreamer, by S. Woodson
1 vote
(No comment) [+](No comment) () --Sobol...

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The Delusion Dilemna, by Nathaniel Holle
1 vote
"7-page long book available in-game" [+]"7-page long book available in-game: A bit of shameless self-promotion, but I did put a 7 page long book in the game for your character to check out in a library in the mage layer describing a variety of military tactics I made up. " --Nathaniel...

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Counterfeit Monkey, by Emily Short
1 vote
"The Aquarium Bookstore" [+]"The Aquarium Bookstore: See the source code for the author's comments on the books." () --Sobol...

Andrew Schultz says: Thanks for the link...while the game's worth another look, it's also nice to be able to see the comments etc and have less to have to type.

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Where Evil Dwells, by Steve Owens and Paul T. Johnson
1 vote
"A diary and others" [+]"A diary and others: A Lovecraftian game with several readable books" ( - Full review) --MathBrush...

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Augmented Fourth, by Brian Uri!
1 vote
"My Piano Fell Down the Mine Shaft: A Tale of A Flat Minor" [+]"My Piano Fell Down the Mine Shaft: A Tale of A Flat Minor: Two very extensive tomes and a great reading system provide much amusement (and hints) in this game. Other titles appear throughout the game." () --Audiart...

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Leadlight, by Wade Clarke
1 vote
"Staff library has several grimoires." [+]"Staff library has several grimoires." --Wade Clarke...

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El Archipiélago, by Pablo Martínez Merino (AKA Depresiv)
1 vote
"You can read..." [+]"You can read short but complete chapters from several books in your upstairs library. The library will give you access to more books as you need them." ( - Full review) --IFforL2...

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Anchorhead, by Michael Gentry
1 vote
"Some books are best unread" [+]"Some books are best unread: A library is an important early scene, and diaries and other books are common. " ( - Full review) --MathBrush...

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Curses, by Graham Nelson
1 vote
"Many books" [+]"Many books: A dictionary, a book of poetry, a genealogy, etc." ( - Full review) --MathBrush...

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Skulljhabit, by Porpentine
1 vote
"An underrated and..." [+]"An underrated and eerie Porpentine game where you can buy a few books for your hut. Also, later in the game you SPOILER: are reassigned to a job working with books." () --Kinetic Mouse Car...

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Dead Cities, by Jon Ingold
1 vote
(No comment) [+](No comment) () --verityvirtue...

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Leadlight Gamma, by Wade Clarke
1 vote
"Staff library has several grimoires." [+]"Staff library has several grimoires." --Wade Clarke...

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How Prince Quisborne the Feckless Shook His Title, by John Ziegler
1 vote
(No comment) [+](No comment) --Johnnywz00...

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Ataraxia, by Lauren O'Donoghue
1 vote
"You can buy quite..." [+]"You can buy quite a few books for your scenic cottage. Quality writing." ( - Full review) --Kinetic Mouse Car...

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Sunday Afternoon, by Christopher Huang (as Virgil Hilts)
1 vote
"Tongue-in-cheek..." [+]"Tongue-in-cheek examples of why you shouldn't judge a book by its cover" () --Teaspoon...

Andrew Schultz says: I tested this game, and I forgot it! Thanks for the reminder. I did enjoy that.

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The Sueño, by Marshal Tenner Winter
1 vote
"many weird books in the Cozy Study" [+]"many weird books in the Cozy Study" --Andrew Schultz...

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Is there another game that you think should be on this list? Just fill in the title of a game you'd like to vote for.
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Poll created on May 13, 2016