Jon Peterson's Playing at the World (2012) offers an exhaustive, 720-page examination of the origins of tabletop role-playing games, tracking their development from chess and historical wargames. This scholarly work explores how simulation mechanics and fantasy literature influenced modern RPGs. A new two-volume second edition is currently being published by MIT Press and Penguin Random House .

Used copies of the original edition can be found through retailers like AbeBooks and Powell's Books .