The 4 Best Game Dev Books I’ve Read

Aha! You fell for my clickbait. The top 4 books on game development that I’ve read, are also the only 4 books on game dev that I’ve read.

Since I can’t claim they’re the absolute best books out there, I’ll limit myself to describing what I found when reading them.

I hope at least one of them piques your interest.

Level Up — Scott Rogers

If you’re looking for a solid foundation on how to design a game, this is your best bet. It not only provides a comprehensive overview of the different components of a good video game but also gives specific tips on each aspect.

There are chapters on each of the 3 Cs (character, controls, camera), map layout, sound effects, music, enemies, quest, and much more.

Whenever I’m focusing on a specific development area, I look for the relevant chapters in the book to make sure I cover the most important points.

Disrupting The Game — Reggie Fils-Aimé

This is an autobiographical book. It doesn’t solely focus on video games, it is the story of how Reggie changed careers, and how he succeeded in the video game industry. It served as inspiration for me, at least it kept the dream alive.

Reggie studied Economics, like me; our first jobs were in the same company, and for many years he remained in consumer goods companies, just like me. In his book, he mentions anecdotes that I’ve also experienced working in Consumer Goods. And he became the CEO of Nintendo of America. Will I also become a Nintendo CEO? Maybe, someday.

If your day job isn’t related to video games, and you dream of getting a job at Nintendo or starting your own studio, this book will tell you the story of someone who did it.

How To Make a Video Game All By Yourself — Matt Hackett

If you’re making a game on your own or with a small group, this book will give you the right mindset.

As it mentions from the start, you are a producer, and your goal is to finish and launch a video game. Video games have to be fun and interesting, “find the fun.” That’s all you need to know. Sounds simple? Believe me, it’s not.

Every day, I wake up at 6 am and start working on my video game; at 7:30 am, I stop because I have to get ready for work, and I return at 7:30 pm to spend time with my wife.

If you’re making a video game and have a full-time job, you know time is scarce. If you’re looking to maintain balance in your life and spend time with your loved ones, you have to do magic or get some kind of miracle.

You have to focus on finishing your game; it has to be simple; you can’t be pretentious; there’s no time for it. It’s a challenge to organize everything, learn, and maintain motivation.

Remember that amid all the complexity, games have to be fun; add that to the mix. It’s harder than it sounds.

Video Game Careers Demystified — Michael Chang

I haven’t decided if I liked this book or not. I bought it because I want to learn more about the industry and the people in it.

I work in a multinational consumer goods corporation, it might sound strange, but I like the corporate world. I guess that videogame corporations are ten times more interesting.

Michael starts by narrating how his first vacation in 3 years is interrupted by a work crisis and how his team and he have to find a solution. It’s very well written; you can feel the pressure and stress we often face within corporations.

The book mixes these kinds of stories with interviews with industry figures and job descriptions.

While I enjoyed the anecdotes a lot, I felt the interviews were too simple, and the job descriptions were superficial.

I would have loved an organizational chart of a AAA studio or an indie studio and a description of each area. Has anyone else read it? I’m open to opinions.

You read it all!

I’m still looking for more books to read as I finish my next prototype (any recommendations are welcome). At the end of December 2023, I’ll release the first demo to collect feedback. As always, thank you for taking the time to read. Cheers.