introduction
Nowadays, gaming has become a proper profession and earns huge profits instead of being just for entertainment and fun purpose.
Through this article, we will learn about the books that will boost your gaming career and help you become a professional game designer. If you want to try coding a game, read our article on how to code a game to get the basics right.
You are reading: Best books on game design
why do you need game design books?
some games are fun; then there are the ones that really challenge you creatively, entertaining and informative, and some that aren’t that great. what makes some games too good and others just average?
It takes a lot of effort to create a good game: graphics, feel, art, aesthetics, concept and much more. many people who played games began to be curious about how these games were developed and what it takes to build a completely new game from scratch. this led to the incorporation of game design as a discipline in the early 2000s.
Many of these books are academic books, used by universities and colleges as textbooks and references. Whether you’re at the beginning or mid-career of it, the 10 game design books below will help you enrich your knowledge of it and create creative and captivating games.
These books cover the fundamental concepts and show the difference between why some games are more popular than others and what makes for a compelling game: gameplay, tips, tricks, and strategies for creating a game that users love to play all the time. weather.
top 10 game design books
We have arranged the books according to levels: beginner, intermediate and advanced.
beginner level books
1. the art of game design: a lens book
Rating: 4.8/5Level: Beginner
This is one of the best books to learn the fundamentals of game design. The author provides various game design perspectives to understand the strategy behind board games, card games, sports games, video games, etc. this book follows a hands-on approach and can work alongside reading the book.
features:
- The book provides a good balance of theory and practical examples of game design.
- It is well organized in its approach and covers various aspects of game design, not just purely academic material.
- There are plenty of tips for brainstorming throughout the book.
- The step-by-step approach helps you spot mistakes in your game and allows you to iterate and improvise.
- The level of difficulty and challenge keeps increasing through the chapters, and you will thoroughly enjoy it as you progress through each level.
You can buy this book here.
2. games, design, and play: a detailed approach to iterative game design
Rating: 4.7/5Level: Beginner to Intermediate
A step-by-step, process-oriented book that helps readers become familiar with game design concepts and start creating their own game that is challenging and engaging for users. The book helps to choose your genre and understand the basics of game design such as goals, rules, actions, playing space, players, and objects. You’ll also learn how to use prototypes to test designs.
features:
- the book helps you think like a professional designer and understand the practical elements of game design.
- if you are a beginner, games, design and gameplay will be a good start for your gaming career if you have some experience, the book will greatly improve your knowledge and give you a new perspective and other aspects like objectives, challenges, strategy, chance, decision, storytelling, etc.
- well structured book where part i focuses on the basics, part ii explains the design process and values, and part iii is dedicated to practice and helps you brainstorm, prototype, test and evaluate your game .
- also covers best practices and principles to follow for game design.
You can buy this book here.
3. level up! the guide to great game design
Rating: 4.6/5Level: Beginner
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perhaps this should be your first read if you like to not only play games, but also understand how to create them. This book is ideal for young and adult minds alike. It can be casual reading, such as an introduction to the world of games, or a good introductory tutorial on fundamental game design concepts, design documents, and how-to tips.
features:
- a light introductory read that will pique your curiosity and increase your interest in games and the science behind them.
- very useful for beginners and in some cases game designers as well intermediate level, as it contains many practical tips and solutions to common problems.
- excellent illustrations with personal stories and humor from the author that add to the fun element of the book.
- a very necessary book for those who want to include artistic elements in their games such as level design, shapes, etc.
You can buy this book here.
4. game feel: a game designer’s guide to virtual feel by steve swink
Rating: 4.5/5Level: Beginner to Intermediate
As the name of the book suggests, the book introduces you to the concepts of adding feel to game design. This book is for beginning and intermediate game designers who want to add the right feel and engagement to the game. the success of a game depends on how it feels and how it connects with the players, and this book explains exactly that.
features:
- Very detailed and comprehensive explanations of the role of sound, metaphors, perception and sensation.
- Readers also have access to ready-to-use tools to play with the palette, change the settings, and learn more via the website.
- If you’ve never developed a game before, this would be a great start to understanding game design better.
- The author doesn’t spoon feed yourself; it provides a lot of information and leaves open questions for you to think and reflect on.
You can buy this book here.
5. game design workshop: a game-centric approach to creating innovative games
Rating: 4.5/5Level: Beginner to Intermediate
As a beginner, this is a book to have on your bookshelf. covers everything related to game theory, prototyping, conceptualizing, testing, tuning, iterating, and perfecting your game. this is a successful attempt to create a book that is not too technical but provides all the details required by a novice to write their own game. the book provides a solid foundation and acts as a springboard for a professional gaming career.
features:
- Step-by-step approach, with ideas and advice from the best game designers in the industry.
- No verbosity, the author is very sharp but detailed with the explanations.
- part i covers the basic concepts and elements of game design, and in part ii, you’ll actually design a game. part iii covers how you will position yourself as a professional game designer.
- focuses on the game-centric design and iteration process and covers the latest techniques, perspectives, and ideas for approaching professional game design .
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You can buy this book here.
intermediate level books
6. fundamentals of game design, third edition byernest adams
Rating: 4.5/5Level: Intermediate
This book is a kind of introduction to the game mechanics book by the same author. If you plan to make game design your profession, this is a great text and reference for you. discusses everything from game development concepts, introduction to game mechanics, interface, balance, motion capture gameplay, and much more.
features:
- the book is not too technical but covers all the essential concepts in detail.
- the writing style is very attractive and well structured
- the author follows a scientific approach to describing and solving problems without being verbose.
- the book takes you step by step from choosing a genre, expressive gameplay, character development, storytelling, user experience , game mechanics and level. design principles.
- The author also covers some common design issues for online games.
You can buy this book here.
7. rules of the game: fundamentals of game design (the mit press)
Rating: 4.4/5Level: Intermediate to Advanced
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A one-of-a-kind book, Game Rules is the first book that attempts to establish a proper framework for game design, which was lacking at all. offers a unified blueprint for all game genres and is an excellent textbook or reference guide for game designers, developers, and professionals. it is exhaustive in its content, clear and meaningful in its approach.
features:
- The authors cover in-depth knowledge of game design, frameworks, and design principles and discuss many techniques, design issues, and other aspects of game design.
- Well-structured book with a lots of information and inspiring content, especially about expectations of a game, game culture and strategies.
- intense and technical reading, sometimes dry, suitable for those who are looking for professional game design and learning entirely about games.
- after reading the book, you will be able to create games and create them with lots of interactive elements, taking into account the user base, aesthetics, culture, vocabulary and emotional quotient .
You can buy this book here.
8. game mechanics: advanced game design by ernest adams and joris dormans
Rating: 4.2/5Level: Intermediate to Advanced
Game Mechanics is a detailed and carefully written book on how to create the mechanics for complex games and use novel prototyping techniques to develop and simulate games. this is a purely technical book that covers many concepts with examples to build a solid foundation and help you create games regardless of the genre you select.
features:
- great book for professionals and those who have some experience in game theory and design.
- very detailed and covers each concept in depth, it takes a lot of time and dedication to understand and work on each concept.
- This is the only book that covers the game mechanics in detail. (including machinations and design patterns) and explains why good mechanics is important.
- the book is a great academic read, as well as a guide and reference.
- the book It starts with basic definitions so you can skip those pages, but the real power of the book starts in chapter 5, machinations.
You can buy this book here.
9. a fun theory for game design by raph koster
Rating: 4.1/5Level: Intermediate
The book has many illustrations and examples, and the author’s style is humorous and witty. the “fun” he mentions in the title is fitting because it will explore a different definition of fun: problem solving, learning, and understanding different game design perspectives. Although it is a short book, the author covers many unusual events and projects.
features:
- This book won’t cover the fundamental basics, but it’s useful for building a game design career.
- A very engaging book, and the author focuses on how you can make your games are attractive. , interesting and challenging for a wider audience.
- no long texts, no verbosity, everything is written from a personal experience and therefore very relatable, and the drawings add weight to the reading.
- this book is not enough if you are looking for a detailed book on concepts; it’s a must-have companion to any other academic book you buy.
- very good analogies to explain how the brain works and how different people react in various situations.
You can buy this book here.
advanced level books
10. fundamentals of game engine development volume 1: mathematics 1st edition byeric lengyel
Rating: 4.8/5Level: Advanced
This is the first book in the series of books on game engine development and covers the mathematics required for game design. The book starts with basic concepts like algebra, geometry, and transforms and then goes into detail about more advanced concepts like vectors, matrix, advanced algebra, projective geometry, etc. the book is interesting and raises your level from very basic concepts to very advanced.
features:
- The code examples are in c++, but you can understand them whether you know c++ or not.
- The math concepts are covered from a gaming perspective and do not contain regular examples – the however, the learning is specific to game development.
- the author follows a very simple and easy to understand language with a well-organized learning approach.
- there are a lot of practice exercises at the end of each chapter.
- You should be familiar with calculus, trigonometry, and working with floating-point numbers before starting this book.
- Volume 2: Representation is a amazing book covering real time rendering in modern game engines.
You can buy this book here.
conclusion
If you have no idea where to start, start with leveling up or a game design workshop; both are amazing books for beginners. Games, Design, and Play are great books to expand your knowledge and take you to the next level of game design. Advanced books such as game rules and game mechanics will help him delve into game design and shape his career as a professional game designer. try these courses compiled by hackr.io to complement your learning. tell us which books you’d like to play with today!
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