The Gam3
Cosimo Yap
After an alien invasion upends Earth, humanity is conscripted into the Game — a fully immersive alien virtual reality where war, leveling and power progression decide Earth's fate. College student Alan dives into the Game to grind Levels, earn Skills and climb guild ranks with the Black Rose. From noob to Academy trainee to Abyss Labyrinth delver, each volume raises the power ceiling and the political stakes in an explicit, LitRPG-driven progression arc.
Progression: LitRPG/Game-based progression is central and explicitly quantified, verified via Goodreads series 141951 and per-book descriptions. Mechanics: (1) Levels & XP — players gain Levels by completing Game objectives, combat and dungeon clears; Alan's arc is gated by Level thresholds (Academy entry, Abyss access). (2) Classes/Skills — system-granted Skills and Class-like guild roles (Black Rose) evolve with use; book 2 blurb confirms 'level up and learn skills'. (3) Ranks/Guild hierarchy — Black Rose guild, Academy tiers, and the Abyss Labyrinth provide external rank ladders. (4) Virtual Reality power quantification — the Game's alien VR tracks stats, gear and Skills as numerical progression; volume blurbs consistently reference leveling, winning battles and picking sides to advance. Every book's conflict is framed as a power grind rather than peripheral magic.
Goodreads
