What Is Video Game Lore and How Can You Read In-Game Codexes?

Video game lore is the accumulated backstory, history, and world detail that a game builds around its playable content, and a codex is the in-game or extracted collection of text entries that records it. You can read codexes without playing by using a library such as Library of Codexes, which lets you select a game series and download its collected text as an ebook in AZW3, EPUB, or PDF. This suits readers who want the worldbuilding of a franchise — Elder Scrolls, Mass Effect, Dishonored, and others — in a readable form rather than hunting for terminals and books inside the game itself.

Lore vs. codex: what each term means

Lore is the broad body of fictional knowledge: factions, timelines, religions, species, wars, and the reasons a world looks the way it does. It exists whether or not a player ever reads a single entry.

A codex is a specific artifact — a menu, journal, or databank inside a game that stores discrete text entries. In Mass Effect the codex is a structured encyclopedia; in Dishonored, lore arrives through books and notes scattered in levels. The Library of Codexes treats these as one category: "in-game text" gathered from a game and offered as a readable file.

The practical difference matters. Lore is the subject; a codex is one delivery format for it. Reading a codex gives you the text, not the context of where it appeared, so you lose the pacing and discovery that come from finding an entry mid-quest.

Why players read codexes

• Worldbuilding depth. Entries explain things the main story skips, from the economics of a city to the biology of a species.
• Completion and collection. Some players treat codex entries as collectibles and want the full set without replaying.
• Series continuity. For long-running franchises like The Elder Scrolls or World of Warcraft, collected text helps you track factions and history across installments.
• Reading as a hobby. If you enjoy reading generally, a codex is a low-commitment way to sample a fictional world without a full playthrough.

How to browse and download from Library of Codexes

The site describes itself as "the easiest way to read in-game text from your favourite videogames." Its interface is a single selection flow:

1. Choose a videogame series from the dropdown. The listed series include Assassin's Creed, Baldur's Gate, Bioshock, Bloodborne, Dead Space, Destiny, Deus Ex, Diablo, Dishonored, Dragon Age, Fallout, Mass Effect, Mass Effect Andromeda, Nier, Pillars of Eternity, Red Dead Redemption, Star Wars Jedi Fallen Order, System Shock, The Elder Scrolls, The Elder Scrolls Online, The Last of Us, The Witcher, Tomb Raider, Watch Dogs, World of Warcraft, and more.
2. Choose an ebook format — AZW3, EPUB, or PDF.
3. Download the file, or use Reset to clear your selections and start over.

Format choice, by device:

Expected result: a single file containing that series' collected in-game text, readable offline in your chosen app.

Common snags: the page shows one series and one format at a time, so if you want several franchises you repeat the flow; and the site presents ebooks and "zipping files" as separate options, so check which one you are downloading before opening it.

Lore reading is not the same as playing

Reading a codex gives you the text but not the game. You miss level design, voice performance, and the moment an entry is unlocked — which is often what makes it land. Conversely, playing without reading leaves large parts of the world unexplained. Many players do both: play first, then read the collected text to fill gaps or revisit a favorite setting. If your goal is to decide whether a franchise interests you, a codex is a cheap way to sample its tone; if your goal is the experience, the game is the source and the codex is the reference.

Where to start

Pick the franchise you already know and read its codex first — the entries will connect to memories of specific locations and characters. If you are exploring, The Elder Scrolls, Mass Effect, and Dishonored are all represented in the library and each uses in-game text heavily, so their collections are substantial. Download one format, read a few entries, and decide whether the full set is worth your time before committing to more series.