Summary

Existing fantasy novels/series make perfect open-world game adaptations.

Fablehaven and The Lies of Locke Lamora offer unique and immersive worlds.

Mistborn and The Wheel of Time provide rich lore & magic systems for epic games.

Open-world fantasy is a robust genre within the gaming industry. Most RPGs take this route owing to fantasy’s proclivity for great settings, magic systems, and a great variety of races and creatures that add depth to the gameplay experience. That being said, most developers of open-world fantasy games tend to stick with original IPs rather than adapting an existing fantasy world.

Related

6 Best Fantasy Open-World Games Of The 2000s, Ranked

These games are perfect for players looking to explore a fantasy open world with some 2000s charm for good measure.

However, existing fantasy novels and franchises written by some of the most creative authors in the world are exactly what developers should be looking at for inspiration, as proven by the success of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Hogwarts Legacy, and Shadow of Mordor​​​.
8

Fablehaven

The Perfect Series For A Cozy Open-World Exploration Game

Written by: Brandon Mull

Novels in the series: 5 (completed)

USP: Whimsical world full of magical creatures to meet and locations to explore, ideal for a cozy exploration game.

Brandon Mull’s Fablehaven/Dragonwatch series is set in sanctuaries for various fantasy creatures. The story revolves around two siblings who visit their grandparents and discover that they’re caretakers of one such sanctuary. Thus begins an adventure of magic and discovery. Fablehaven is a middle-grade fantasy, which means that while there is a central threat in the plot, the novels focus much more on the sense of wonder that comes from discovering a magical place. This makes the series perfect for a cozy open-world co-op adventure about exploring these magical sanctuaries and befriending various fantasy creatures.
7

The Lies Of Locke Lamora

The Perfect Inspiration For An Open-World Stealth Heist Game

Written by: Scott Lynch

Novels in the series: 3 (ongoing)

USP: A focus on heists, perfect for an open-world game with well-crafted sandbox heist missions.

The Gentleman Bastard novels follow the adventures of Locke Lamora and his friends as they lie, cheat, and steal their way through the fantasy world. There are a host of locations and heists to choose from in the novels, and more that are mentioned. An open-world game set in a bustling fantasy city where the story revolves around pulling off the ultimate score, with quests, side-quests, and activities all designed around aiding the final mission, either by stealing money to buy resources or gathering information, would be an absolute blast.
6

Red Sister

Assassin’s Creed In A Fantasy Setting

Written by: Mark Lawrence

Novels in the series: 3 (completed)

USP: An emphasis on traversal, combat, and stealth assassinations, perfect for an Assassin’s Creed-inspired game with deeper mechanics based on magic, disguises, poisons, etc.

Mark Lawrence’s Red Sister tells the story of a convent of sisters who are trained in the art of murder. Students are taken in at a young age and taught everything they need to know about being a perfect assassin, until they can be trusted to go on missions and assassinate powerful and influential people. A Red Sister game could adapt the signature Assassin’s Creed ​​​​​​gameplay, i.e., the parkour, stealth, and combat. However, it would have much more added depth with the subtle use of magical powers that aid in combat and stealth.
5

The Stormlight Archive

Perfect For A Massive Open-World RPG

Written by: Brandon Sanderson

Novels in the series: 5 (ongoing)

USP: Deep narrative with a focus on powerful weapons and armor, ideal for the RPG gameplay loop of acquiring the best equipment.

Brandon Sanderson is one of the most prolific writers of this generation, and his crowning achievement is The Stormlight Archive. It is an epic fantasy tale set in a sprawling world full of magic, mystery, conflict, and wonder that rivals The Lord of the Rings​​​​. The Stormlight Archive is the perfect series for an open-world epic fantasy RPG in the vein of The Elder Scrolls and The Witcher 3. With a story that revolves around epic magical weapons and a diverse set of powers, The Stormlight Archive has more than enough material to easily be adapted into a 100-hour+ RPG with a brilliant main quest and loads of engaging side stories.
4

Powder Mage

A Unique Magic System Perfect For A Shooter

Written by: Brian McClellan

Novels in the series: 3 (completed)

USP: Magic system based around manipulating gunpowder, ideal for a fantasy open-world shooter.

The Powder Mage series by Brian McClellan has one of the most unique magic systems in fantasy. There are multiple magic systems, but the central one the series focuses on is the titular powder mages, whose magic is based around gunpowder.

Related

16 Best Open-World FPS Games, Ranked

The FPS and open-world genres are two of gaming’s most popular. Put them together, and you’ve got a serious recipe for success.

Open-world fantasy shooters are rare. A game based on the Powder Mage series could be an excellent entry into the genre. The powder mages have fun abilities, like igniting gunpowder to make explosions and controlling the trajectories of bullets. These would translate well to a fun fantasy shooter game.
3

A Song Of Ice And Fire

Long Overdue

Written by: George R.R. Martin

Novels in the series: 5 (ongoing)

USP: A wildly popular grimdark series with a dark story and compelling characters begging for a great open-world game adaptation.

Despite being one of the most popular franchises with the phenomenon of the Game of Thrones TV show, A Song of Ice and Fire has shockingly yet to receive a good video game adaptation. The recent Kingsroad, while seeming promising at first, has turned out to be just a free-to-play microtransaction-heavy disappointment.

Related

Best Game Of Thrones Games, Ranked

The Game of Thrones franchise spawned several video games that fans should check out if they haven’t already.

George R.R. Martin’s magnum opus series has so much to offer. It is a dark, magical world with conflict, political intrigue, and warring armies. There are few novels as primed for a AAA open-world game as A Song of Ice and Fire​​​​.
2

Mistborn

The Most Fun Magic System

Written by: Brandon Sanderson

Novels in the series: 7 (ongoing)

USP: Unique magic system based around consuming metals, giving players various abilities, including great possibilities for traversal.

The Mistborn series is set in a unique fantasy world. The original trilogy describes a world where ash falls from the sky in place of rain. Furthermore, the Mistborn magic system sees characters consume and burn metals that imbue them with various powers. The series’s magic system is ideal for an open-world game. The various abilities include the ability to pull and push using metal objects as anchors, which would make for a great traversal system like that of the inFamous ​​​​​​series. Other metals allow for various combat abilities, like increased strength, and social skills like influencing people’s minds would make perfect RPG systems. All of this makes Mistborn the prime candidate for an open-world game adaptation.
1

The Wheel Of Time

A Sprawling World With Epic Lore

Written by: Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson

Novels in the series: 15 (completed)

USP: A huge world with unique settings, deep lore, and a unique magic system ideal for a massive open-world RPG.

The Wheel of Time is one of the most popular fantasy series outside The Lord of the Rings. With 14 books in the original series and a prequel novel, The Wheel of Time is a sprawling fantasy world with heaps of lore that would be perfect for an open-world game. The series received an FPS adaptation in 1999, but it didn’t fit the epic nature of The Wheel of Time. It is baffling that this series has yet to receive a big-budget videogame adaptation despite its overwhelming popularity. While the Amazon TV adaptation has recently been canceled, there is some good news for the fans of the series. Montreal-based iwot Studios has announced a AAA open-world RPG is in production.

More

10 Best Fantasy RPGs To Play While Waiting for The Witcher 4, Ranked

Waiting for The Witcher 4? Discover the best epic fantasy RPGs with rich worlds, dark themes, and thrilling combat to keep you hooked.