This is a place for me to put any background reading I’ve done that I don’t directly cite in blog posts. My knowledge base has been built over years of experience, so expect this list to grow as time goes on and I remember more sources that have seeped their way into my unconsciousness.

Books I’ve Read:

Playing at the World by Jon Peterson – An in depth, well-cited history of tabletop rpgs. This is a massive, dense book, but if you really want the nitty gritty of what built tabletop rpgs, this is a good way to see the most in one place.

Shared Fantasy: Role Playing Games as Social Worlds by Gary Alan Fine – an ethnography from the early days of tabletop rpgs. Much of what’s talked about in it has changed over the past thirty-odd years, but much of his data still rings true. What doesn’t is an in depth look at the social past of gaming.

The Designers and Dragons series by Shannon Appelcline – this is a reader friendly histoory of gaming. Not cited like Peterson’s work, but a much easier, and more enjoyable read, sorted into decades of prominence, as well as individual companies.

Of Dice and Men by David M. Ewalt – a more personal look at an individual man’s perceptions of gaming as it evolved around him. Also very reader-friendly.

 

Games I’ve Mentioned (in no particular order):

Don’t Rest Your Head – a nice, short game book by Evil Hat publishing.

Dungeons and Dragons – the ever-present classic that started it all. Not always my go to game, but this was where many of us started, and it’s a common ground shared between many gamers.

World of Darkness – a game line produced by White Wolf/Onyx Path publishing. The dark and gritty, modern day alternative to many high fantasy rpgs.

Pathfinder – another high fantasy that came after Dungeons and Dragons, utitlizing many of the same systems as D&D 3.5, but updating them for fluidity, and creating a whole new rich and imaginative setting.