List of Books About Video Games - Design and Theory

Design and Theory

8 Bits of Wisdom: Video Game Lessons for Real Life's Endbosses

(ISBN 978-1466328860) by Andy Schindler

Andrew Rollings and Ernest Adams on Game Design

(ISBN 1-59273-001-9) by Andrew Rollings, Ernest W. Adams.

The Art of Computer Game Design

(ISBN 0-88134-117-7) by Chris Crawford is attributed by Wolf & Perron in The Video Game Theory Reader as being the first book devoted to the theory of video games. It was originally published in Berkeley, California by McGraw-Hill/Osborne Media in 1984. The original edition is now out-of-print but available for free download from a site maintained by Washington State University, Vancouver.

Character Development and Storytelling for Games

(ISBN 1-59200-353-2) by Lee Sheldon. This book is part of the Game Development Series.

The Art of Gaming and Cloning

(ISBN 1-69999-353-2) by Brandy Manda. This book is part of the Skills to Go Series.

Chris Crawford on Interactive Storytelling

(ISBN 0-321-27890-9) by Chris Crawford.

Creating Emotion in Games: The Craft and Art of Emotioneering

(ISBN 1-59273-007-8) by David Freeman.

Designing Virtual Worlds

(ISBN 0-1310-1816-7) by Richard Bartle. Definitive work on MMO/virtual world development.

Developing Online Games: An Insider's Guide

(ISBN 1-59273-000-0) by Jessica Mulligan, Bridgette Patrovsky.

Digital Gameplay: Essays on the Nexus of Game and Gamer

(ISBN 0-7864-2292-0) edited by Nate Garrelts.

Expressive Processing: Digital Fictions, Computer Games, and Software Studies

(ISBN 978-0262013437) by Noah Wardrip-Fruin, Assistant Professor at University of California, Santa Cruz.

Extra Lives: Why Video Games Matter

(ISBN 978-0-307-37870-5) by Tom Bissell

Fun Inc.: why games are the 21st century's most serious business

(ISBN 0-7535-1985-2) written by Tom Chatfield. A cultural and intellectual exploration of the multiple roles played by games in the 21st century, and the myths and attitudes surrounding them.

Game Architecture and Design: A New Edition

(ISBN 0-7357-1363-4) by Andrew Rollings, Dave Morris.

The Game Design Reader

(ISBN 978-0-262-19536-2) by Katie Salen and Eric Zimmerman.

Game Design: From Blue Sky to Green Light

(ISBN 978-1-56881-318-9) by Deborah Todd, 2007 Frontline Award Finalist, "One of the top 5 industry books of 2007" by Game Developer Magazine.

Game Design: How to Create Video and Tabletop Games, Start to Finish

(ISBN 978-0-7864-6952-9) by Lewis Pulsipher, 2012.

Game Design: The Art and Business of Creating Games

(ISBN 0-7615-3165-3) Bob Bates.

Game Design: Theory and Practice

(ISBN 1-55622-912-7) by Richard Rouse III.

Game Design Foundations, Second Edition

(ISBN 1-59822-034-9) by Roger E. Pedersen.

Game Design Workshop: Designing, Prototyping, and Playtesting Games

(ISBN 1-57820-222-1) by Tracy Fullerton, with Steven Hoffman and Chris Swain.

Game Interface Design

(ISBN 1-59200-593-4) by Brent Fox.

Game Work: Language, Power, and Computer Game Culture

(ISBN 0-8173-1418-0) by Ken S. McAllister.

Gamer Theory

(ISBN 0-67402-519-9) by McKenzie Wark. Book website.

Half-Real: Video Games between Real Rules and Fictional Worlds

(ISBN 0-262-10110-6) by Jesper Juul. Book website.

Innovation and Marketing in the Video Game Industry: Avoiding the Performance Trap

(ISBN 978-0-566-09167-4) by David Wesley and Gloria Barczak. Book website.

Inside Electronic Game Design

(ISBN 1-55958-669-9) by Arnie Katz and Laurie Yates

Introduction to Game Development

(ISBN 1-58450-377-7) by Steve Rabin. This book is part of the Game Development Series.

Level Up! The Guide to Great Video Game Design

(ISBN 047068867X) by Scott Rogers.

The Medium of the Video Game

edited by Mark J. P. Wolf

More Than A Game: The Computer Game as Fictional Form

(ISBN 0-7190-6365-5) by Barry Atkins

Patterns in Game Design

(ISBN 1-58450-354-8) by Staffan Bjork and Jussi Holopainen. This book is part of the Game Development Series.

Play Between Worlds: Exploring Online Game Culture

(ISBN 0-262-20163-1) by T.L. Taylor.

Playing to Win

by David Sirlin

Rules of Play : Game Design Fundamentals

(ISBN 0-262-24045-9) by Katie Salen, Eric Zimmerman.

Synthetic Worlds: The Business and Culture of Online Games

(ISBN 0-226-09626-2) by Edward Castranova.

The Business and Culture of Digital Games: Gamework and Gameplay

(ISBN 1-4129-0047-6) by Aphra Kerr.

A Theory of Fun for Game Design

(ISBN 193211197-2) by Raph Koster

Trigger Happy

(ISBN 1-55970-598-1/ISBN 1-84115-121-1) by Steven Poole examines videogames in terms of their aesthetic appeal — what makes certain games more fun to play than others. It covers aspects such as the effective use of space and perspective in videogames, rewards and progression through games, the design of an appealing video game character and the debate over violence in games.

21st Century Game Design

(ISBN 1-58450-429-3) by Chris Bateman and Richard Boon. This book is part of the Game Development Series.

Understanding Digital Games

(ISBN 1-4129-0034-4/ISBN 1-4129-0033-6) by Jason Rutter and Jo Bryce. (Table of contents and contributing authors), (Introduction to collection)

The Video Game Theory Reader

edited by Mark J. P. Wolf and Bernard Perron

The Video Game Theory Reader 2

edited by Bernard Perron and Mark J. P. Wolf

The following are taken from Recommended Reading lists in the Centennial College Seminar Series: The Video Game Industry Lecture Series handouts (2005).

Creating the Art of the Game

by Matthew Omernick. “A great reference to great modelling and texturing techniques.”

Animating Real-Time Game Characters (Game Development Series)

by Paul Steed. “Tips and tricks on game animation from the professionals in the industry, especially for the 3D Max artist.”

Game Modeling Using Low Polygon Techniques

by Chad Walker and Eric Walker. “…For the beginner. Learn to design, sketch and model for low-polygon content.”

Ultimate Game Design: Building Game Worlds

by Tom Meigs. “An insiders perspective on advanced techniques for creatiing compelling characters and vivid environments. Good reference for artists using Maya.”

Character Development and Storytelling for Games (Game Development Series)

by Lee Sheldon. “An excellent writers aid in creating content and writing for characters in a game setting.”

Gaming 101: A Contemporary History of PC and Video Games

by George Jones.

Supercade: A Visual History of the Videogame Age 1971-1984

by Van Burnham.