7 Must-read Books for Game Designers
Abstract
This article discusses when and how game design has become a profession as well as when it has formed enough to be considered as a separate discipline. Also it suggests 7 books that every game designer needs to read and explains what special value those books contain and how they can help one to shape as a professional game designer. Although there are other articles suggesting game design books, the authors of those articles are not suggesting specific order of reading them. Whereas, in this article books are presented in a specific order which enables the reader to enhance game design skills smoothly. Moreover, the order and the reasons for reading these books are thoroughly explained.
Disclaimer: This article is not meant to market any of the below mentioned materials, but instead to provide information about where and what to learn.
Introduction
Playing games has been with humanity for thousands of years. Some of those games we play even today (see Table 1). Not only for humans, but also for many animals play has always been a critical form of self development. Play is teaching vital skills for the rest of their life [1].
Table 1: Games have been with us for 1000s of years
Games | Date |
|---|---|
Hunting games | from time immemorial |
Senet | 5000+ years old (ancient Egypt) |
The Royal Game of Ur | 4500+ years old |
Olympic Games | 2800 years old |
Go | 2500 years old |
Chess | 1500 years old |
But when did game development become a profession? How much knowledge and skills have we accumulated until now? How mature is that knowledge?
Within this article we will understand when game design has become a profession. And if we want to make games
what we need to learn,
from which sources to learn?
Game Design as a profession
In 1950s video games have appeared as a result of pure academic interest. Soon, in 1971 first arcade games have been created (Galaxy Game, Computer Space). In 1972 first game console Magnavox Odyssey has been created which allowed to play video games at home. 1978 is considered to be the beginning of Golden age of arcade video games. [2]
So in early 70s people started to make money by creating games. Making games have become profitable and, hence, companies needed more professionals who could make them. Thus, the profession of game design is about 50 years old.
(As Scott Rogers mentioned in comments, "people have been making money designing games since 1883" but this didn't form a game market where significant number of professionals could work as game developers.)
Over time more platforms have been appearing, technology was developing and more people were working as game developers. Naturally, professionals were interested in why some games are more fun to play than the others. How to make better games? Trying to answer these questions accumulated enough knowledge that enabled us to talk about game design not just as a profession, but as a separate discipline. In Image 1 you can see a timeline of important events that contributed to the establishment of game design as a separate discipline.
Image 1: Game Design is becoming a separate discipline
Here is some data to justify the timeline:
First game development conference - GDC has been organized by Chris Crawford in 1988 in his living room with only 27 game designers. The second conference, that was held the same year attracted already about 125 professionals. [3]
Game design schools offering game design degrees:
Date of Offering Game Design Degree | Institution |
|---|---|
1998 | DigiPen Institute of Technology [4] |
2002 | School of Cinematic Arts at the University of Southern California [5] |
2005 | Game Design and Development Program at Michigan State University [6] |
2007 | Rochester Institute of Technology (first game development courses started in 2001) |
2018 | University of Utah’s Entertainment Arts and Engineering Program (University of Utah offered game design programs as part of a film degree and a computer science degree since 2009 [7]) |
Game design books and the dates they have originally been published:
Originally published | Game Design Book, Author |
|---|---|
2002 | The Art of Interactive Design by Chris Crawford |
2003 | Chris Crawford on Game Design by Chris Crawford |
2003 | Rules of Play: Game Design Fundamentals by Katie Salen, Eric Zimmerman |
2004 | Chris Crawford on Interactive Storytelling by Chris Crawford |
2004 | Game Design Workshop: A Playcentric Approach to Creating Innovative Games by Tracy Fullerton |
2004 | A Theory of Fun for Game Design by Raph Koster |
2006 | Fundamentals of Game Design by Ernest Adams |
2008 | Game Feel: A Game Designer's Guide to Virtual Sensation by Steve Swink |
2008 | The Art of Game Design: A Book of Lenses by Jesse Schell |
One might argue that there was a game design school in the world established earlier than 1998 (e.g. LED school in Osaka in 1986 [8]). Or the first game design book was not written in 2002 but much earlier (e.g. The Art of Computer Game Design by Chris Crawford originally published in 1984). But these are exceptions rathe
