Trent Hergenrader, Collaborative Worldbuilding for Writers and Gamers, London: Bloomsbury Academic, 2019. ISBN 9871350016668 [Book Review]

Amidst the recent and recurring negative reception of beloved worlds in video games produced by AAA studios such as Mass Effect: Andromeda and Fallout 76, Trent Hergenrader’s Collaborative Worldbuilding for Writers and Gamers is a welcome title. This book will be of most interest to educators, writers, gamers, and academics. This is an accessible and practical guide written for groups interested in building a world together, or for educators who would like to guide students through this process. Academics may also find this title useful as a point of reference for game studies terminology with the glossary included and the case studies in chapter 6. While addressed specifically to groups of people, as “collaborative” suggests, the clearly outlined recipes for fictional worlds will be useful to individuals creating their own worlds as well.