Matt Forbeck, the acclaimed author who has topped the New York Times bestseller list, has joined forces with his son, Marty, to bring a fresh tabletop experience set in the ever-popular universe of Minecraft. Their collaborative effort, titled Minecraft: Roll for Adventure: The Temple of the Charged Creeper, is now up for pre-order. This new adventure aims to capture the widespread appeal of Minecraft’s vast sandbox world while offering a straightforward set of role-playing rules that anyone can dive into.
The publisher, Penguin Random House, is keeping tight-lipped about the game’s mechanics—something that’s become a bit of a trend when it comes to pre-orders for major franchises. The book’s cover, graced by a couple of six-sided dice, hints at what’s to come, and the listing mentions that readers will find “four dice” bundled with the gamebook. A glimpse into the content reveals that it includes “a removable character sheet” and a “rules reference” designed to track your heroic journey. It’s crafted for solo adventurers or those wanting to pass the reins to a game master or, in this case, “your narrator.”
Adventure unfolds in a distant village that has fallen prey to an invasion by the notorious “illagers,” hostile creatures from the Minecraft lore. Fans might recognize them as the bad guys from Forbeck’s 2020 novel, Minecraft Dungeons: The Rise of the Arch-Illager. Much like a classic Dungeons & Dragons campaign, players are thrust into the role of savior, tasked with uncovering the chaos’s source—the Temple of the Charged Creeper—and putting an end to it.
Past partnerships between Minecraft and Dungeons & Dragons, such as the kid-friendly Lightning Keep adventure, laid the groundwork for such integrations. However, this new venture stands solely as a testament to the creative prowess of the Forbecks. With Matt’s track record in both designing board games and penning novels for big names like D&D, Halo, and Life is Strange—as well as his original works—the bare-bones description of the game carries considerable credibility. However, whether it captivates the hearts of Minecraft enthusiasts and tabletop players remains to be seen when it releases in July 2025.
For those eager to dive into this new quest, the hardcover edition of Minecraft: Roll for Adventure: The Temple of the Charged Creeper is available to reserve for $20 on the Penguin Random House website.
