21 Best 「game」 Books of 2024| Books Explorer

In this article, we will rank the recommended books for game. The list is compiled and ranked by our own score based on reviews and reputation on the Internet.
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Table of Contents
  1. The Mystery of Chimney Rock (Choose Your Own Adventure #5)
  2. A Handheld History: A Celebration of Portable Gaming
  3. The Stuff Games Are Made Of (Playful Thinking)
  4. Gateway of Doom (Bk. 3) (Grail Quest)
  5. Avenger! (Way of the Tiger)
  6. Game Changers: The Video Game Revolution
  7. Wild Ride: Inside Uber's Quest for World Domination
  8. Like a Hurricane: An Unofficial Oral History of Street Fighter II
  9. Clash of the Princes: the Warlock's Way (Fighting Fantasy)
  10. The Videogame Industry Does Not Exist: Why We Should Think Beyond Commercial Game Production
Other 11 books
No.2
100

A Handheld History is a unique celebration of portable platforms and their iconic games. Forty years ago, businessmen fiddling with calculators inspired Gunpei Yokoi to create the Game & Watch. Ever since then, handheld gaming has been hugely influential, spawning communities who trade Pokémon in the playground and share Miis on the subway. This introspective adventure will delve into decades of gaming memories and reconnect you to that long car journey full of discarded AA batteries before speeding ahead to the contemporary days of blockbusters in your backpack.Handheld gaming is celebrated loudly, proudly, and across hundreds of beautifully assembled pages of art and essays. Featuring words from many incredible voices, this is an unmissable ode to the gaming device that you keep close to your heart - right in your jacket pocket.Words and art by: Alex OlneyAshensBob WulffBrian CrecenteHannah Kwan CosselmonJanet GarciaJason BradburyJeff GrubbJonathan TraynorKevin KensonLarry Bundy Jr.Mike DiverNuri DurrRaul HigueraSam McKenzieStephen Maurice GrahamPlus many more!

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No.3
88

A deep dive into practical game design through playful philosophy and philosophical play.\\nWhat are video games made of? And what can that tell us about what they mean? In The Stuff Games Are Made Of,experimental game maker Pippin Barr explores the materials of video game design. Taking the reader on a deep dive into eight case studies of his own games, Barr illuminates the complex nature of video games and video game design, and the possibilities both offer for exploring ideas big and small.\\nThrough a variety of engaging and approachable examples, Barr shows how every single aspect of a game—whether it is code, graphics, interface, or even time itself—can be designed with and related to the player experience. Barr’s experimental approach, with its emphasis on highly specific elements of games, will leave readers armed with intriguing design philosophy, conceptual rigor, and diverse insights into the inner life of video games. Upon finishing this book, readers will be ready to think deeply about the nature of games, to dive into expressive and experimental game design themselves, or simply to play with a new and expanded mindset.

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No.4
88

Ved hjælp af to terninger, papir og blyant skal du gennem eventyret og løse opgaven.\\nHusker du Messingdragen?\nDen slap ind i Avalon fra De Dødes Skrækkelige Kongerige – gennem DØDNINEPORTEN.\nOg Dødningeporten står stadig åben.\nOndskaben og dårligdom siver ind i Avalon fra De Dødes Skrækkelige Kongerige.\nDen Dødningeport skal lukkes!\nOg hvem skal gøre det?\nMerlin kender kun én der kan klare det!\nDig!\nKun du kan skaffe de stakkels borgere i Avalon lidt fred og ro!

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No.5
83

Avenger! (Way of the Tiger)

Thomson, Jamie
Fabled Lands Publishing

You are Avenger, a ninja trained in the Way of the Tiger, a lethal master of unarmed combat who must confront ultimate evil to avenge the death of your foster-father. Your foster-father’s assassin has stolen the scrolls of Kettsuin. Now, the secret word of power could be used to imprison the great god Kwon in Inferno forever – unleashing the forces of evil throughout the world of Orb. Your quest is to find the assassin before he reaches the Pillars of Change. The fate of Orb depends on your deadly skills and cunning. THE WAY OF THE TIGER is the eighties gamebook adventure classic now revised and expanded for a new generation of fans. You choose the skills and martial arts moves to defeat your enemies, gaining knowledge and honing your abilities to use as your quest progresses. Are you ready for the Way of the Tiger?

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No.6
83

Game Changers: The Video Game Revolution

Phaidon Editors, Phaidon
Phaidon Press

An A to Z of video games – 300 entries showcasing the most influential and celebrated games, consoles, publishers, and more\nA visual history of all things video games, this book will provide the reader with an overview of the gaming industry, from the very first game created around the mid-twentieth century, right through to the present day. Particular focus is given to advances within the industry during this time, such as new technologies, innovative gameplay, never-before-seen graphics, and design. An introduction by Simon Parkin provides an overview of gaming history, and exploring how iconic games have pushed the boundaries of the medium and 300 entries, hand picked by a panel of industry experts, showcase the most influential and celebrated games, consoles, publishers, and more. Each entry is accompanied by text informing the reader about the game and its history, its place in wider popular culture, and including useful information and facts, with exciting and sometimes unexpected pairings provided by the A to Z organisation. A glossary of key words and select biographies of influential creators and developers provides more context and a system of icons and infographics allows readers to see the connections between the book’s 300 entries. Wider gaming culture, and how it has grown from a niche hobby to a worldwide phenomenon, influencing popular culture, is also explored, making this the widest ranging survey of games and gaming available today.

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No.7
83

In your pocket is something amazing: a quick and easy way to summon a total stranger who will take you anywhere you’d like. In your hands is something equally amazing: the untold story of Uber’s meteoric rise, and the massive ambitions of its larger-than-life founder and CEO.Before Travis Kalanick became famous as the public face of Uber, he was a scrappy, rough-edged, loose-lipped entrepreneur. And even after taking Uber from the germ of an idea to a $69 billion global transportation behemoth, he still describes his company as a start-up. Like other Silicon Valley icons such as Steve Jobs and Elon Musk, he’s always focused on the next disruptive innovation and the next world to conquer.Both Uber and Kalanick have acquired a reputation for being combative, relentless, and iron-fisted against competitors. They’ve inspired both admiration and loathing as they’ve flouted government regulators, thrown the taxi industry into a tailspin, and stirred controversy over possible exploitation of drivers. They’ve even reshaped the deeply ingrained consumer behavior of not accepting a ride from a stranger—against the childhood warnings from everyone’s parents.Wild Ride is the first truly inside look at Uber’s global empire. Veteran journalist Adam Lashinsky, the bestselling author of Inside Apple, traces the origins of Kalanick’s massive ambitions in his humble roots, and he explores Uber’s murky beginnings and the wild ride of its rapid growth and expansion into different industries.Lashinsky draws on exclusive, in-depth interviews with Kalanick and many other sources who share new details about Uber’s internal and external power struggles. He also examines its doomed venture into China and the furtive fight between Kalanick and his competitors at Google, Tesla, Lyft, and GM over self-driving cars. Lashinsky even got behind the wheel as an Uber driver himself to learn what it’s really like.Uber has made headlines thanks to its eye-popping valuations and swift expansion around the world. But this book is the first account of how Uber really became the giant it is today, and how it plans to conquer the future.

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No.8
81

This oral history of Street Fighter II is an intimate look at the creation of the iconic game and its impact on the videogame industry.\nLike a Hurricane tells the story of the creation of one of the most important and beloved videogames of all time, Street Fighter II, and its subsequent impact on the industry, its creators, and the game-playing public that enthusiastically embraced it.\nThe culmination of years of research by gaming writer Matt Leone, Like a Hurricane gathers together more than sixty voices, spread across continents, disciplines, and companies, speaking candidly on the vision, fearlessness, and bold ambition that made Street Fighter II a household name.\nA collaboration between Read-Only Memory and Polygon, Like a Hurricane is an extended and enhanced print adaptation of Matt Leone’s series of in-depth oral histories, published online in serial form by Polygon. This physical version has been extended and enhanced for print, featuring over fifty specially commissioned illustrations and extra research content. Printed in multiple Pantone inks throughout

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No.10
80

The precarious reality of videogame production beyond the corporate blockbuster studios of North America. The videogame industry, we're invariably told, is a multibillion-dollar, high-tech business conducted by large corporations in certain North American, European, and East Asian cities. But most videogames today, in fact, are made by small clusters of people working on shoestring budgets, relying on existing, freely available software platforms, and hoping, often in vain, to rise to stardom--in short, people working like artists. Aiming squarely at this disconnect between perception and reality, The Videogame Industry Does Not Exist presents a much more accurate and nuanced picture of how the vast majority of videogame-makers work--a picture that reveals the diverse and precarious communities, identities, and approaches that make videogame production a significant cultural practice. Drawing on insights provided by over 400 game developers across Australia, North America, Europe, and Southeast Asia, Brendan Keogh develops a new framework for understanding videogame production as a cultural field in all its complexity. Part-time hobbyists, aspirational students, client-facing contractors, struggling independents, artist collectives, and tightly knit local scenes--all have a place within this model. But proponents of non-commercial game making don't exist in isolation; Keogh shows how they and their commercial counterparts are deeply interconnected and codependent in the field of videogame production. A cultural intervention, The Videogame Industry Does Not Exist challenges core assumptions about videogame production--ideas about creativity, professionalism, labor, diversity, education, globalization, and community. Its in-depth, complex portrayal suggests new ways of seeing, and engaging in, the videogame industry that really does exist.

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No.11
80

You are Spider-Man, and you must find and stop a mysterious villain who has taken control of all energy in the city of New York.

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No.12
79

You are Lone Wolf. In a devastating attack the Darklords have destroyed the monastery where you were learning the skills of the Kai Lords. You are the sole survivor. You swear revenge. But first you must reach Holmgard to warn the King of the gathering evil. The servants of darkness relentlessly hunt you across your country and every turn of the page presents a new challenge. Choose your skills and your weapons carefully - for they can help you succeed in the most fantastic and terrifying journey of your life. The LONE WOLF adventures are a unique interactive fantasy series - each episode can be played separately or you can combine them all to create a fantastic role-playing epic.

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No.13
79

Breaking down the 40-year history of the world's most popular art form, one video game at a time Pong. The Legend of Zelda.Final Fantasy VII. Rock Band.Fortnite. Animal Crossing: New Horizons. For each of the 40 years of video game history, there is a defining game, a game that captured the zeitgeist and left a legacy for all games that followed. Through a series of entertaining, informative, and opinionated critical essays, author and tech journalist Jordan Minor investigates, in chronological order, the innovative, genre-bending, and earth-shattering games from 1977 through 2022. Minor explores development stories, critical reception, and legacy, and also looks at how gaming intersects with and eventually influences society at large while reveling in how uniquely and delightfully bizarre even the most famous games tend to be. From portly plumbers to armor-clad space marines and the speedy rodents in between, Video Game of the Year paints individual portraits that, as a whole, give readers a stronger appreciation for the vibrant variety and long-lasting impact of this fresh, exciting, and massively popular art form. Illustrated throughout with retro-inspired imagery and featuring contributions from dozens of leading industry voices, including New York Times bestselling author Jason Schreier (Blood, Sweat, and Pixels; Kotaku), Max Scoville (IGN), Rebekah Valentine (IGN), Blessing Adeoye Jr. (Kinda Funny), and Devindra Hardawar (Engadget), this year-by-year anthology is a loving reflection on the world's most popular art form.              Featured Games: 1977 - Pong; 1978 - Space Invaders; 1979 - Speed Freak; 1980 - Pac-Man; 1981 - Donkey Kong; 1982 - Pitfall!; 1983 - Dragon's Lair; 1984 - Tetris; 1985 - Super Mario Bros.; 1986 - Dragon Quest; 1987 - The Legend of Zelda; 1988 - Mega Man 2; 1989 - SimCity; 1990 - The Secret of Monkey Island; 1991 - Sonic the Hedgehog; 1992 - Wolfenstein 3D; 1993 - NBA Jam; 1994 - Super Street Fighter II Turbo; 1995 - Donkey Kong Country 2; 1996 - Super Mario 64; 1997 - Final Fantasy VII; 1998 - Metal Gear Solid; 1999 - System Shock 2; 2000 Counter-Strike; 2001 - Halo: Combat Evolved; 2002 - Grand Theft Auto: Vice City; 2003 - The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker; 2004 - World of Warcraft; 2005 - Resident Evil 4; 2006 - Wii Sports; 2007 - Rock Band; 2008 - Spore; 2009 - Uncharted 2; 2010 - Super Meat Boy; 2011 - Minecraft; 2012 - Telltale's The Walking Dead; 2013 - Depression Quest; 2014 - Destiny; 2015 - The Witcher 3; 2016 - Pokémon Go; 2017 - Fortnite; 2018 - Super Smash Bros. Ultimate; 2019 - Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice; 2020 - Animal Crossing: New Horizons; 2022 - The Stanley Parable: Ultra Deluxe

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No.14
79

How games create beauty and meaning, and how we can use them to explore the aesthetics of thought. Are games art? This question is a dominant mode of thinking about games and play in the twenty-first century, but it is fundamentally the wrong question. Instead, Frank Lantz proposes in his provocative new book, The Beauty of Games, that we think about games and how they create meaning through the lens of the aesthetic. We should think of games, he writes, the same way we think about literature, theater, or music--as a form that ranges from deep and profound to easy and disposable, and everything in between. Games are the aesthetic form of interactive systems, a set of possibilities connected by rules of cause and effect. In this book, Lantz analyzes games from chess to poker to tennis to understand how games create beauty and evoke a deeper meaning. He suggests that we think of games not only as hyper-modern objects but also as forms within the ancient context of artistic production, encompassing all of the nebulous and ephemeral qualities of the aesthetic experience.

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No.15
79

More than an app! You make the decisions! You are an Interplanetary Spy. Your mission is to capture Phatax, the Kirillian. He is a ruthless criminal who has stolen the Royal Jewels of the planet Alvare and kidnapped its young prince. You must recover the jewels and bring Phatazx back alive! You work for the Interplanetary Spy Center, a far-reaching organization devoted to stopping crime and terrorism in the galaxy. While you are on your mission, you will take your orders from the Interplanetary Spy Center. Follow your instructions carefully. You will be traveling alone on your mission. If you are captured, the Interplanetary Spy Center will not be able to help you. Only your wits and your sharp spy skills will help you reach your goal. Be careful. Keep your eyes open at all times.

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No.16
78

The Art of the Box

Bitmap Books
Bitmap Books
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No.17
78

Baron Sukumvit's devilish labyrinth of Fang is riddled with fiendish traps and bloodthirsty monsters.

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No.18
78

Doom Guy: Life in First Person

Romero, John
Harry N. Abrams

The inspiring, long-awaited autobiography of video-game designer and DOOM cocreator John Romero\\nJohn Romero, gaming’s original rock star, is the cocreator of DOOM, Quake, and Wolfenstein 3-D, some of the biggest video games of all time. Considered the godfather of the first-person shooter, a genre that continues to dominate the market today, he holds a unique place in gaming history. In DOOM Guy: Life in First Person, Romero chronicles, for the first time, his difficult childhood and storied career, beginning with his early days submitting Apple II game code to computer magazines and sneaking computers out the back door of his day job to write code at night.\\nIndustry-redefining breakthroughs in design and tech during Romero’s time at id Software made DOOM and Quake cultural phenomena, and this thrilling story recounts every step of the process, from collaborative, heavy metal–fueled days spent crafting the industry’s most revolutionary and cutting-edge games to a high-profile falling-out with id cofounder John Carmack. After years in the gaming spotlight, Romero is now telling his story—the whole story—shedding new light on the development of his games and his business partnerships, from the highest highs to the lowest lows, sharing insights about design, code, the industry, and his career right up to today. Sharing gratitude for a lifetime in games, Romero reveals the twists and turns that led him, ultimately, to be called DOOM Guy.

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No.19
78

Masters of Doom is the amazing true story of the Lennon and McCartney of video games: John Carmack and John Romero. Together, they ruled big business. They transformed popular culture. And they provoked a national controversy. More than anything, they lived a unique and rollicking American Dream, escaping the broken homes of their youth to co-create the most notoriously successful game franchises in history—Doom and Quake—until the games they made tore them apart. Americans spend more money on video games than on movie tickets. Masters of Doom is the first book to chronicle this industry’s greatest story, written by one of the medium’s leading observers. David Kushner takes readers inside the rags-to-riches adventure of two rebellious entrepreneurs who came of age to shape a generation. The vivid portrait reveals why their games are so violent and why their immersion in their brilliantly designed fantasy worlds offered them solace. And it shows how they channeled their fury and imagination into products that are a formative influence on our culture, from MTV to the Internet to Columbine. This is a story of friendship and betrayal, commerce and artistry—a powerful and compassionate account of what it’s like to be young, driven, and wildly creative. “To my taste, the greatest American myth of cosmogenesis features the maladjusted, antisocial, genius teenage boy who, in the insular laboratory of his own bedroom, invents the universe from scratch. Masters of Doom is a particularly inspired rendition. Dave Kushner chronicles the saga of video game virtuosi Carmack and Romero with terrific brio. This is a page-turning, mythopoeic cyber-soap opera about two glamorous geek geniuses—and it should be read while scarfing down pepperoni pizza and swilling Diet Coke, with Queens of the Stone Age cranked up all the way.”—Mark Leyner, author of I Smell Esther Williams

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No.20
77

Gaming legend and boss level disruptor Reggie Fils-Aimé, retired President and Chief Operating Officer of Nintendo of America Inc., shares leadership lessons and inspiring stories from his unlikely rise to the top. He mastered these lessons to build a long and storied career, and you too can leverage these lessons to springboard your own ultimate success and happiness. Although he's best known as Nintendo's iconic President of the Americas-immortalized for opening Nintendo's 2004 E3 presentation with, "My name is Reggie, I'm about kicking ass, I'm about taking names, and we're about making games"-Reggie Fils-Aimé's story is the ultimate gameplan for anyone looking to beat the odds and achieve success. Learn from Reggie how to leverage disruptive thinking to pinpoint the life choices that will make you truly happy, conquer negative perceptions from those who underestimate or outright dismiss you, and master the grit, perseverance, and resilience it takes to dominate in the business world and to reach your professional dreams. As close to sitting one-on-one with the gaming legend as it gets, you will learn: About the challenges Reggie faced throughout his life and career-from his humble childhood as the son of Haitian immigrants, to becoming one of the most powerful names in the history of the gaming industry. What it takes to reach the top of your own industry, including being brave enough to stand up for your ideas, while also being open to alternative paths to success. How to create vibrant and believable visions for your team and company. How to maintain relentless curiosity and know when to ask questions to shatter the status quo.

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No.21
77

"On my business card, I am a corporate president. In my mind, I am a game developer. But in my heart, I am a gamer." --Satoru Iwata THE USA TODAY BESTSELLER "A welcome salve and a book that anyone who cares about gaming should own and read." - Forbes Satoru Iwata was the global president and CEO of Nintendo and a gifted programmer who played a key role in the creation of many of the world's best-known games. He led the production of innovative platforms such as the Nintendo DS and the Wii, and laid the groundwork for the development of the wildly successful Pokémon Go game and the Nintendo Switch. Known for his analytical and imaginative mind, but even more for his humility and people-first approach to leadership, Satoru Iwata was beloved by game fans and developers worldwide. In this motivational collection, Satoru Iwata addresses diverse subjects such as locating bottlenecks, how success breeds resistance to change, and why programmers should never say no. Drawn from the "Iwata Asks" series of interviews with key contributors to Nintendo games and hardware, and featuring conversations with renowned Mario franchise creator Shigeru Miyamoto and creator of EarthBound Shigesato Itoi, Ask Iwata offers game fans and business leaders an insight into the leadership, development, and design philosophies of one of the most beloved figures in gaming history.

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