History Literature / MindGames

* HasAType: James is so into {{CatGirl Catgirls}} that the System gives the girl he likes the ability to change into one. Of course, she's just as into geeky men, and it's not like ''she'' [[DanceBattler doesn't get anything out of the ability.]]

* {{Determinator}}: James, to the point where [[spoiler:the System actually awards him a Title which is literally a reward for demonstrating that he'd rather die than give up on someone he's decided to save.]]

* DanceBattler: Danielle, whose class is ''"Shadow Dancer."'' Somewhat negated by the fact that when she's mad she tends to not be so much the "ninja" kind of CatGirl as the "fighting her is like sticking your whole body in a blender" kind.

* DistractedByTheSexy: More than once, someone is so captivated by Danielle's inhumanly high {{Charisma}} that they forget how to talk for a minute. This hits James especially hard when she's in CatGirl form.

* TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt: The disruption to transportation and communications networks, along with the fact that wildlife starts mutating into hideously dangerous monsters, immediately causes widespread disruption. Though the novel only takes place during the first few days of the event it is implied that this will take human civilization down several pegs.

* {Moe}: Danielle. Also, when she's determined to protect someone, Sally.

* {(Determinator}}: James, to the point where [[spoiler:the System actually awards him a Title which is literally a reward for demonstrating that he'd rather die than give up on someone he's decided to save.]]

* {Determinator}: James, to the point where [[spoiler:the System actually awards him a Title which is literally a reward for demonstrating that he'd rather die than give up on someone he's decided to save.]]

* {Moe}: Danielle, especially in CatGirl form. Also, Sally, especially when she's being protective.

* GettingSmiliesPaintedOnYourSoul: This happens to anyone who sees Danielle smile at them (and later, [[spoiler:James]]) at least to an extent.

* TriggerPhrase: [[spoiler:Danielle can only assume her Magical Catgirl form with the help of a Mesmerist. Fortunately, ''James'' is a Mesmerist, and he implants her with a trigger phrase both for becoming a Magical Catgirl and for becoming human again. However, because James has a weird sense of humor, the phrases are, respectively, "Here, kitty kitty" to transform to a catgirl and "byebye, kitty" to change back to a human. Danielle is ''not'' amused.]]

* {{Dexterity}}: Danielle has superhuman Dexterity due to [[spoiler:her unique title ''Nekoprima'']] when she's ''not'' in her Magical Catgirl form. She can do the "snatch the pebble from my hand" trick ''without even looking.'' When she ''is'' in Magical Catgirl form, which grants a 50% bonus to Dexterity, things get absolutely ridiculous.

* {{Dexterity}}: Danielle has superhuman Dexterity due to [[spoiler:her unique title ''Nekoprima'']] when she's ''not'' in her Magical Catgirl form. She can do the "snatch the pebble from my hand" trick ''without even looking.'' When she ''is'' in Magical Catgirl form, things get absolutely ridiculous.

* GettingSmiliesPaintedOnYourSoul: This happens to anyone who sees Danielle smile at them (and later, [[spoiler:James]] at least to an extent.

* AnimalSpeciesAccent: Danielle, when in her Magical Catgirl form, ends random sentences with "nya" and uses cat puns like "I'm ''purr-''fectly aware.'' Made more hilarious by the fact that [[spoiler:she does not know she's doing this, the System does it.]]

* GenreSavvy: Joe, Anthony, and James are all experienced gamers, and immediately see the parallels between the System and traditional role-playing-games. Somewhat avoided when the characters realize [[spoiler:the System may just be trying to find a metaphor they can use to understand what it can do, and it may not actually work like an RPG at all.]] {{Lampshaded}} by both Joe and James at different points. ("You ''had'' to say it, didn't you?'')

* SuddenGameInterface: Everyone on ''Earth'' gets one.

* MoreThanMindControl: James has Charisma of [[spoiler:first 20, then 25 on a scale where 20 is literally as Charismatic as the most Charismatic human being ever to live before System Start]] and the benefits of his ''Mesmerist'' Class Skill [[spoiler:Indirect Suggestion]], which makes it very, ''very'' difficult not to see things his way even if he's not directly trying to make you do something.

''Mind Games'' is the first book in a Literature/RealRPG series about a SystemApocalypse, wherein one Saturday morning the main characters wake up to find that all of a sudden magic works, electronics don't, and hilarity is about to ensue. Assuming you find fifteen-foot long rattlesnakes, bears the size of mini-vans, and the fact that everyone on Earth now has quantifiable stats, a class, and no clue what to do next hilarious.) Something which calls itself the "System" starts communicating with everyone in the world, giving them messages and allowing them to access an RPG-style interface which includes stat attributes, magical abilities called Skills and Spells, and the ability to gain levels and become more powerful.

* RPGMechanicsVerse: The "System" imposes RPG-style mechanics onto everybody and everything. At one point, it is revealed that even things like empty water bottles and rocks have hit points.

''Mind Games'' is the first book in a Literature/RealRPG series about a SystemApocalypse, wherein one Saturday morning the main characters wake up to find that all of a sudden magic works, electronics don't, and hilarity is about to ensue. Assuming you find fifteen-foot long rattlesnakes, bears the size of mini-vans, and the fact that everyone on Earth now has quantifiable stats, a class, and no clue what to do next hilarious.

[[caption-width-right:350:Cover of ''Mind Games'']]

[[caption-width-right:350:some caption text]]

''Mind Games'' is the first book in a RealRPG series about a SystemApocalypse, wherein one Saturday morning the main characters wake up to find that all of a sudden magic works, electronics don't, and hilarity is about to ensue. Assuming you find fifteen-foot long rattlesnakes, bears the size of mini-vans, and the fact that everyone on Earth now has quanitifiable stats, a class, and no clue what to do next hilarious.