Gaming books gift guide - the perfect Christmas presents for physical media lovers

By Rob Dwiar
published

This Christmas gaming book gift guide is ideal for those looking for some excellent physical media to gift this year - or to keep for yourself

The Art of Assassin's Creed Valhalla
(Image credit: Dark Horse/Ubisoft)
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Gaming books are some of the best physical media fans can get but are also exquisite gifts for gamers too. From Deluxe Editions with extra lithograph prints to novels that help to build up a colorful and rich universe of lore and history, gaming books are brilliant additions to one's gaming library (pun intended) and I would always recommend them to folks looking to further their knowledge and merchandise of their favorite games and series. 

With Amazon's fast shipping times, the retail giant is one of the best places to browse for the books - it is nearly Christmas time after all - as you'll have the best chance of them getting to you or your loved ones before the Holidays.

Gaming books at Amazon US - Video game novels (opens in new tab) | Video game art books (opens in new tab) | Retro gaming books (opens in new tab)

Gaming books at Amazon UK - Video game novels (opens in new tab) | Video game art books (opens in new tab) | Retro gaming books (opens in new tab)

I have a fair collection of gaming books, and mainly of the art book variety, but some novels too. There's something for everyone, and the industry is rich and diverse enough now that there are books on almost every aspect of its from history, game development, stories of making games, and stories of games themselves. Artbooks are certainly the flashiest of the family though, and make great tomes to pore through and over.

Novels are also a great way to flesh out our favorite universes and worlds - and stories - particularly in between games or after one is finished but we're left wanting more. For example, the Assassin's Creed novels are largely novelizations of the familiar plots but do add details and fill gaps; the Mass Effect and Dragon Age novels are timely right now and build up huge and wonderfully rich and varied universes full of history, stories, and background information; and The Witcher books really are a must for any fans of The Witcher games and Netflix show as it shows where it all began. 

It's worth noting that some of these books do contain spoilers for their partner games so be aware! And remember, this is not even trying to be an exhaustive list or even 'best' list, really, but it will hopefully provide some timely inspiration and get you cracking on in the right direction.

Gaming art books

The World of Cyberpunk 2077 Deluxe Edition | Amazon US (opens in new tab)

The World of Cyberpunk 2077 Deluxe Edition | Amazon US (opens in new tab) and Amazon UK (opens in new tab)
At the time of writing the book is hovering around the $50 / £50 mark which is an astounding price for a quality art book that can be your Night City companion this Christmas. The regular edition is also available for US (opens in new tab) and UK (opens in new tab) browsers.

The Art of Assassin's Creed Valhalla Deluxe Edition | Amazon US (opens in new tab)

The Art of Assassin's Creed Valhalla Deluxe Edition | Amazon US (opens in new tab) and Amazon UK (opens in new tab)
Staying with one of this year's biggest hitting games, the Deluxe Edition of this artbook is one I can personally say is genuinely lovely. It's the perfect companion to someone travelling through 9th Century England providing glorious artwork and background info. The regular edition is also available (opens in new tab).

The Art of the Last of Us Part II Deluxe Edition | Amazon US (opens in new tab)

The Art of the Last of Us Part II Deluxe Edition | Amazon US (opens in new tab) and Amazon UK (opens in new tab)
Yup, another one of the biggest games of the year has another of the best art books of the year too. I have the deluxe edition of the book with the special lithograph and case and it is an absolutely joyous thing.

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - Creating a Champion | Amazon US (opens in new tab)

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - Creating a Champion | Amazon US (opens in new tab) and Amazon UK (opens in new tab)
What better way to complement our anticipation for the sequel than to dig into all things Zelda, Link, and Hyrule. This is a stupendous companion to one of the best games of recent times, includes material from the DLCs, and is one of the best entries in the video game art book market from Nintendo.

The Art of Ghost of Tsushima | Amazon US (opens in new tab)

The Art of Ghost of Tsushima | Amazon US (opens in new tab) and Amazon UK (opens in new tab)
Can we call it a sleeper hit? Maybe, given it came out in the shadow of The Last of Us Part II. Nevertheless, Tsushima formed a wide fanbase and is one of the most popular games of the year - what better way to celebrate than by enjoying the wonderful artbook?

The World of the Witcher | Amazon US (opens in new tab)

The World of the Witcher | Amazon US (opens in new tab) | Amazon UK (opens in new tab)
This compendium is a perfect book to go alongside the novels, games, and now the Witcher Netflix TV series. Written from Jaskier's/Dandelion's perspective it covers the lore of The Continent, and its monsters, peoples, and places beautifully.

Gaming books - Novels

Mass Effect book series | Amazon US (opens in new tab)

Mass Effect book series | Amazon US (opens in new tab) | Amazon UK (opens in new tab)
Celebrate the latest tease and the news of remasters by getting the best of the Mass Effect lore straight into your eyeballs in book form. It's a rich mine of lore and history to mine. Start with the one called Mass Effect: Revelation.

Dragon Age book series | Amazon US (opens in new tab)

Dragon Age book series | Amazon US (opens in new tab) | Amazon UK (opens in new tab)
One of the most rich, interesting and brilliant game worlds in Thedas comes to life in these novels. There's so much lore and history already established by the games to build on. To get going with the books you'll want to start with The Stolen Throne.

Assassin's Creed book series | Amazon US (opens in new tab)

Assassin's Creed book series | Amazon US (opens in new tab) | Amazon UK (opens in new tab)
Oliver Bowden et al do a great job of joining the dots and adding narrative flourishes to the Templar v Assassin conflict. You can start with Renaissance as it was the first book to be published, with The Secret Crusade that follows Altair as per the first game, or with whichever one goes alongside your favorite game.

Witcher book series | Amazon US (opens in new tab)

Witcher book series | Amazon US (opens in new tab) | Amazon UK (opens in new tab)
Where would we be without the Witcher book series? Considerably worse off, I'd say. Go for The Last Wish for the very start or Blood of Elves to jump in at the beginning of Ciri's 'Saga' to enjoy some awesome stories and tales from The Continent.

Dishonored book series | Amazon US (opens in new tab)

Dishonored book series | Amazon US (opens in new tab) | Amazon UK (opens in new tab)
An underrated series of books, the three of these novels keep alive the rich world of Dishonored's Empire of the Isles and its history and locations to great effect. The Corroded Man is the first book.

Gaming books at Amazon US - Video game novels (opens in new tab) | Video game art books (opens in new tab) | Retro gaming books (opens in new tab)

Gaming books at Amazon UK - Video game novels (opens in new tab) | Video game art books (opens in new tab) | Retro gaming books (opens in new tab)

Some of these books also come digitally, so you might be in need of one of the best kindles to get your gaming book hit. For more ideas before Christmas, check out our gaming gifts guide.

Rob Dwiar
Rob Dwiar

I'm the Commissioning Editor for Hardware at GamesRadar+ and have been here since the hardware team's inception in late 2018. I'm also a writer on games and have had work published over the last six years or so at the likes of Eurogamer, RPS, PCGN, and more. Day to day, I take care of a whole host of gaming tech reviews, buying guides, and news and deals content that pops up across GamesRadar+. I'm also a qualified landscape and garden designer, so I do that in my spare time. I'm also an expert on the virtual landscapes and environments of games and love to write about them too, including in an upcoming book on the topic!