If you aren’t aware, every year, the massive r/Fantasy Reddit publishes a reading bingo sheet.
https://old.reddit.com/r/Fantasy/comments/1joxlrr/official_rfantasy_2025_book_bingo_challenge
If you complete the entire card (and turn it in during a form they post the following March) you get a “Reading Champion” flair in the subreddit. If you do this for multiple years, they’ll increment your title to “Reading Champion II”, “III,” etc.
As I do each year, I’ve collected suggestions for anyone looking to attempt the Bingo while staying in the progression/litRPG/gamelit sphere.
Reading 25 books in a year is pocket change to many of you, and I thought this could be a fun way to spread love of the genre. I AM SURE I left many titles that complete these squares out of my list, so if you comment on this thread with an eligible title, I’ll add it. I didn’t leave their full rules for each square in this post to enhance readability, but you can find them in their 2025 thread if you’re curious. https://old.reddit.com/r/Fantasy/comments/1joxlrr/official_rfantasy_2025_book_bingo_challenge/
bold = completes challenge
Italics = completes hard mode of challenge
1. Knights and Paladins:
One of the protagonists is a paladin or knight. HARD MODE: The character has an oath or promise to keep.
A Practical Guide to Evil by David Verberg
Twilight Templar by C.J. Carella
Modern Paladin by Arthur A. Bramlett
Dark Ascension by Alexander Layne
2. Hidden Gem:
A book with under 1,000 ratings on Goodreads. New releases and ARCs from popular authors do not count. Follow the spirit of the square! HARD MODE: Published more than five years ago.
Here are a few personal recommendations that qualify at time of publishing:
Dungeon Bunny by Richard J. Hansen
Beastmaster by Brook Aspden
Space Demons by Gillian Rubinstein
And some suggestions from the community that fit:
Jekua by Travis M. Riddle
3. Published in the 80s:
HARD MODE: Written by an author of color.
Space Demons by Gillian Rubinstein
Any of The True Game series by Sheri S. Tepper https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_True_Game
Dream Park by Larry Niven and Steven Barnes
Interstellar Pig by William Sleator
The Battle of Zorn by Lurlene McDaniel
Gamearth by Kevin J. Anderson
4. High Fashion:
Read a book where clothing/fashion or fiber arts are important to the plot. HARD MODE: The main character makes clothes or fibers.
Liches Get Stitches by H.J. Tolsen
Dressed to Kill by Crown Fall
Please share other suggestions you have here!
5. Down With the System:
Read a book in which a main plot revolves around disrupting a system. HARD MODE: Not a governmental system.
Most gamesystem apocalypse books go there eventually. My own series, Apocalypse Parenting, gets there, Dungeon Crawler Carl flirts with the idea of taking down the system and absolutely goes after the political system that set up the dungeon, Whispering Crystals definitely eventually sets the characters against the system itself…
BuyMort: Grand Opening by Joseph Phelps and Damien Hansen is noteworthy for the MC almost immediately setting his sights on bringing down the system
6. Impossible Places:
Read a book set in a location that would break a physicist. The geometry? Non-Euclidean. The volume? Bigger on the inside. The directions? Merely a suggestion. HARD MODE: At least 50% of the book takes place within the impossible place.
The later books of the Whispering Crystals series by H.C. Mills definitely count, and for hard mode!
Odyssey of the Ethereal by Jamie Kojola, particularly book #4
Mage Errant by John Bierce
7. A Book in Parts:
Read a book that is separated into large sections within the main text. This can include things like acts, parts, days, years, and so on but has to be more than just chapter breaks. HARD MODE: The book has 4 or more parts.
The City that Would Eat the World by John Bierce
Wind and Truth (Stormlight Archive #5) by Brandon Sanderson
I could use more suggestions here! I know I’ve read more that fit, but I don’t remember which they are.
8. Gods and Pantheons:
Read a book featuring divine beings. HARD MODE: There are multiple pantheons involved.
Apocalypse Redux by Jakob H. Greif
Jake’s Magical Market
Chaotic Craftsman Worships the Cube by ProbablyATurnip (only on Royal Road)
Cradle Series by Will Wight
The Calamitous Bob by Alex Gilbert
He Who Fights with Monsters by Shirtaloon
Godclads by OstensibleMammal
Natural Laws Apocalypse by Tom Laracombe
Resonance Cycle by Aaron Renfroe
First Necromancer by Coldfang89
9. Last in a Series:
Read the final entry in a series. HARD MODE: The series is 4 or more books long.
Lots of options here, but I’m going to put a few completed series that I’ve enjoyed that are long enough to count for hard mode:
Super Powereds by Drew Hayes
Whispering Crystals by H.C. Mills
My Best Friend is an Eldritch Horror by Actus
You can also use Progressionfantasy.co.uk to search for other completed series! https://progressionfantasy.co.uk/advanced-search-filter/?_completion_status=completed-series
10. Book Club or Readalong Book:
Read a book that was or is officially a group read on r/Fantasy. Every book on this Google Sheet counts for this square. HARD MODE: Read and participate in an r/Fantasy book club or readalong during the Bingo year.
Hard mode is doing a current book club book and joining in the discussion. Y’all on your own with that.
God of Gnomes by Demi Harper
Sufficiently Advanced Magic by Andrew Rowe
Portal to Nova Roma by J.R. Mathews
Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree
11. Parent Protagonist:
Read a book where a main character has a child to care for. The child does not have to be biologically related to the character. HARD MODE: The child is also a major character in the story.
Apocalypse Parenting by Erin Ampersand (*self-promo disclaimer)
Alpha Physics by Alex Kozlowski
Life in Exile by Sean Oswald
Town Under by K.T. Hanna
Conscription by C.J. Milnes
12. Epistolary:
The book must prominently feature any of the following: diary or journal entries, letters, messages, newspaper clippings, transcripts, etc. HARD MODE: The book is told entirely in epistolary format.
Dear Spellbook by Peter J. Lee
Apocalypse Assassin by J.J. Thorn
I’d love more suggestions here!
13. Published in 2025:
HARD MODE: It’s also the author’s first published novel.
Check the r/LitRPG or r/ProgressionFantasy new releases thread, especially if you’re trying hard mode!
14. Author of Color:
HARD MODE: Read a horror novel by an author of color.
The Tower Unbroken: A West African Progression Fantasy by Michael Nwanolue
The Mimic & Me by Cassius Lange and Ryan Tang
A Practical Guide to Sorcery by Azalea Ellis
Most translated xianxia, such as
Coiling Dragon by Wo Chi Xi Hong Shi
I am sure there are more out there! Please let me know about authors of color I’m missing, especially if anyone knows of a book that counts for hard mode here.
15. Small Press or Self Published:
HARD MODE: The book has under 100 ratings on Goodreads OR written by a marginalized author.
Everything counts! Except Dungeon Crawler Carl, I guess. Haha, take that, Dinniman! For Hard mode, maybe check out new releases.
16. Biopunk:
Read a book that focuses on biotechnology and/or its consequences. HARD MODE: There is no electricity-based technology.
Bioshifter by Natalie Maher/Thundamoo
Sporemageddon by Ravensdagger
Gene Harvest by Joshua Rettew
Jungle Juice by Hyeong Eun (Progression fantasy webtoon)
17. Elves and/or Dwarves:
HARD MODE: The main character is an elf or a dwarf.
The Wandering Inn by Pirateaba
Worth the Candle
Beers and Beards by JollyJupiter
The Ripple System by Kyle Kirrin
Elf Empire by John Stovall
Dungeon Heart: The Singing Mountain by David Sanchez-Ponton
18. LGBTQIA Protagonist:
HARD MODE: The character is marginalized on at least one additional axis, such as being a person of color, disabled, a member of an ethnic/religious/cultural minority in the story, etc.
Heavenly Chaos by Daniel Schinhofen
The Wandering Inn by Pirateaba
The Calamitous Bob by Alex Gilbert
Azerinth Healer by Rhaegar
All His Angels are Starving by Tess C. Foxes
Glass Kanin by Kia Leep
Jekua by Travis M. Riddle
A Practical Guide to Evil by David Verberg
19. Five SFF Short Stories:
Any short SFF story as long as there are five of them. HARD MODE: Read an entire SFF anthology or collection.
The Gorgon Incident and other stories by John Bierce
The Wizards of Sevendor by Terry Mancour and Emily Burch Harris
System Apocalypse Short Story Collection I & II by Tao Wong and others
Legendary LitRPG by a variety of authors
You’re in Game! By a variety of Russian authors
20. Stranger in a Strange Land:
HARD MODE: The main character is an immigrant or refugee.
If you’re not doing hard mode, this one is easy! We’ve got isekai for days over here.
Here are a few isekai/portal fantasies:
Mayor of Noobtown
The Good Guys by Eric Ugland
Beware of Chicken by Casualfarmer
The Wandering Inn by Pirateaba
All the Dust that Falls by Zaifyr
Victor of Tuscon by PlumParrot
I Ran Away to Evil by MysticNeptune
Rise of the Lycanthrope by Brock Walker
21. Recycle a Bingo Square:
Use a square from a previous year (2015-2024) HARD MODE: Do the old hard mode
I’ve got rec lists for 2023 and 2024, so feel free to skim! Some of the squares have been particularly kind to our genre, like last year’s Orcs/Goblins/Trolls square or “Under the Surface” square (basically any Dungeoncore novel would count).
22. Cozy SFF:
“Cozy” is up to your preferences for what you find comforting, but the genre typically features: relatable characters, low stakes, minimal conflict, and a happy ending. HARD MODE: The author is new to you.
Beers and Beards by JollyJupiter
Beware of Chicken by Casualfarmer
Haley and Nana’s Cozy Armageddon by M.C. Hogarth
I Ran Away to Evil by MysticNeptune
All the Dust that Falls by Zaifyr
Heretical Fishing by Haylock Jobson
23. Generic Title:
Read a book that has one or more of the following words in the title: blood, bone, broken, court, dark, shadow, song, sword, or throne (plural is allowed). HARD MODE: The title contains more than one of the listed words or contains at least one word and a color, number, or animal (real or mythical).
Reincarnation of the Strongest Sword God by Lucky Old Cat
Trickster’s Song by Tom O’Bedlam
Shadow Slave by Guiltythree_
Shadow Sun Survival by Dave Willmarth
Reincarnated as a Sword by Yuu Tanaka
24. Not A Book:
Do something new besides reading a book! Watch a TV show, play a game, learn how to summon a demon! Hard mode: post a review
There are so many fantasy shows and games out there, so I’m just going to take the time to shout out one you probably haven’t heard of: Demoncrawl, a minesweeper-based roguelite. If that doesn’t intrigue you, find your own game or show.
25. Pirates:
Read a book where characters engage in piracy. HARD MODE: Not a seafaring pirate.
Limitless Seas by Dean Henegar
Steamforged Sorcery by Actus
Mage Errant by John Bierce
Seas of Avalon by Michael Angel
Please let me know if you have any other suggestions, and I’ll add them to the list!
For question 1 you could read Swordheart by T. Kingfisher I believe. It is a very good book.