Catawba County News
Play That? Read This!
Published: January 11, 2022
Did your teenager get a gaming console or video games for Christmas and now you’re wondering how you can remove the controller from their hands before their brains melt? We have the solution. Trade it for a book! This will take patience, a steady hand, and lightning speed eye-hand coordination. We can’t help you with that part but we can help you decide which book to use for the trade. May the odds be ever in your favor.
We’re kidding. Video games don’t melt your brain and have plenty of benefits. It’s probably still a good idea to take a break from the screens every once in a while.
Here are a few reading choices based on what your gamer(s) enjoys playing:
Play Platformer games → Read Warcross by Marie Lu
Platformer examples:
- Super Mario Bros
- Donkey Kong
- A Hat in Time
- Ori and the Will of the Wisps
- Sonic Mania
- Shovel Knight Treasure Trove
- Another World
- Spyro Reignited Trilogy
- LittleBigPlanet
Play Survival Horror games → Read Rot & Ruin by Jonathan Maberry
Survival Horror examples:
- Silent Hill
- Resident Evil
- BioShock
- Eternal Darkness
- System Shock
- Outlast
- SOMA
- Dead Space
Play FPS games → Read Killer of Enemies by Joseph Bruchac
FPS examples:
- Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
- Half-Life 2
- Doom
- Halo: Combat Involved
- Counter-Strike
- Unreal Tournament
- Quake 3 Arena
- GoldenEye 007
Play JRPGs → Read Feed by M. T. Anderson
JRPG examples:
- Chrono Trigger
- Final Fantasy VIII
- Xenoblade Chronicles
- Kingdom Hearts II
- Persona 5
- Super Mario RPG
- Pokemon Gold and Silver
- Skies of Arcadia
- Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King
Play Indie Horror games → Read Night of the Living Ted by Barry Hutchison
Indie Horror examples:
- Slender: The Arrival
- We Happy Few
- Five Nights at Freddy's
- Mundaun
- Lakeview Cabin Collection
- Slayaway Camp
- Happy’s Humble Burger Farm
- Inside
- Poppy Playtime (for PC)
Play RPGs → Read Raybearer by Jordan Ifueko
RPG examples:
- The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
- Disco Elysium
- The Witcher 3
- Mass Effect 2
- Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim
- Red Dead Redemption
- Star Wars: Knights of the Old republic
- Assassin’s Creed Odyssey
- World of Warcraft
Play Puzzle Visual Novel games: Read The Blackthorn Key by Kevin Sands
Puzzle Visual Novel examples:
- Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective
- Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair
- Umineko When They Cry
- Steins;Gate
- Zero Escape: The Nonary Games
- Ace Attorney
- Raging Loop
Play Puzzle/Story-Heavy games: Read All Your Twisted Secrets by Diana Urban
Puzzle/Story-Heavy examples
- Rime
- Undertale
- Okami
- A Normal Lost Phone
- Stories Untold
- Firewatch
- Portal 1 and 2
- Life is Strange
- Return of the Obra Dinn
Don't worry, we haven't forgotten about our gamers that may or may not enjoy games like Untitled Goose Game...check out A Carnival of Snackery: Diaries (2003-2020) by David Sedaris to get the same type of absurd humor from a book!
Whatever your taste in games, we hope one of these books gives you an enjoyable break from your screens.