Video games find inspiration everywhere, including the written word. Books, like video games, often take their time with their narratives, letting things unwind gradually and sending their protagonists on subplots – ‘side quests’, in other words.
While it doesn’t happen that often, it shouldn’t be a surprise that some games owe their existence to great books.
Some are official adaptations, using characters, settings and plots to bring their games to life. Others simply heavily borrow aspects of the themes or narrative, either updating it or transplanting it into a different setting.
Similar to Apocalypse Now being inspired by Heart Of Darkness, some games aren’t necessarily straight ‘remakes’ of these books at all.
Well known works of literature obviously don’t qualify here, as no one’s unaware that Harry Potter, Sherlock Holmes or Game Of Thrones started life on the page before being turned into many different forms of media. Lesser known ones where the fanbase might be aware but the general gaming public don’t will still be included though.
Basically, if the game’s more famous than the book, it should make the cut. Even if it’s not, the links might not be so clear cut that the book’s inspiration for the game is common knowledge.
