LitRPG

LitRPG, short for literary role-playing game, is a literary genre combining the conventions of computer RPGs with science-fiction and fantasy novels. The term was introduced in 2013. In LitRPG, game-like elements form an essential part of the story, and visible RPG statistics (for example strength, intelligence, damage) are a significant part of the reading experience. This distinguishes the genre from novels that tie in with a game, like those set in the world of Dungeons & Dragons; books that are actual games, such as the choose-your-own-adventure Fighting Fantasy type of publication; or games that are literarily described, like MUDs and interactive fiction. Typically, the main character in a LitRPG novel is consciously interacting with the game or game-like world and attempting to progress within it.

== History == The literary trope of getting inside a computer game is not new. Andre Norton's Quag Keep (1978) enters the world of the characters of a D&D game. Larry Niven and Steven Barnes's Dream Park (1981) has a setting of LARP-like games as a kind of reality TV in the future (2051). With the rise of MMORPGs in the 1990s came science fiction novels that utilised virtual game worlds for their plots. In Taiwan, the first of Yu Wo's nine ½ Prince novels appeared, published in October 2004 by Ming Significant Cultural. In Japan, the genre started in 1993 with the comedy Magical Circle Guru Guru where the characters lived in a JRPG and the cliches and mechanics of the time were often a source of humor. Later Japanese examples include .hack//Sign in 2002 and Sword Art Online in 2009. The Korean series Legendary Moonlight Sculptor has over 50 volumes.