Video Game Research Lab

These are all books that explore game design and its many facets. Some of these books go over game design in a broader sense, while others focus on specifics.

• The Art of Game Design: A Book of Lenses by Jesse Schell
• Games, Design and Play: A Detailed Approach to Iterative Game Design by Colleen Macklin
• Level Up! The Guide to Great Video Game Design by Scott Rogers
• Game Design Workshop: A Playcentric Approach to Creating Innovative Games by Tracy Fullerton
• Game User Experience and Player-Centered Design by Barbaros Bostan
• Theory of Fun for Game Design by Raph Koster
• Hideo Kojima: Progressive Game Design from Metal Gear to Death Stranding by Bryan Hikari Hartzheim

These are all books about programming, specifically for video games. If you want to learn how to develop your own games, start here to find out more about game engines and programming languages.

• Artificial Intelligence in Games by Paul Roberts
• Game Engine Architecture by Jason Gregory
• Game Coding Complete by Mike McShaffry
• Mathematics of Game Development: A Collection of Applied Lessons by Jacob Enfield

All of these books surround video game art. From 3D modelling to environmental design to concept art, here you can peruse beautiful artwork and character designs.

• Game Art: Art from 40 Video Games and Interviews with their Creators by Matt Sainsbury
• A Complete Guide to Character Rigging for Games Using Blender by Armin Halač

These are all books regarding the history of video games. If you want to learn more about where video games started or learn more about the most popular video game franchises, click one of the links below!

• Video Games Have Always Been Queer by Bo Ruberg

All of these books are about the video game industry and people's experiences working in it. If you are interested in working in the game industry, or if you're interested in the work of others in the game industry, read one of the books below!

• The Strange Works of Taro Yoko: From Drakengard to NieR: Automata by Nicolas Turcev