Next Level: Making Games That Make Themselves

by Mike Cook

How generative systems are reshaping the way games are made, how we experience them, and what this reveals about creativity itself.

In video games creativity isn't just seen – it's played – from exploring endless landscapes, to diving into character details, to immersing ourselves in unpredictable narratives. Yet these elements are often the result of procedural generation – the creative use of algorithms to design game content. Procedural generation is the secret behind some of the biggest hits in video game history, from genre-defying titles in the 1980s, to the most famous blockbusters of today.

Next Level demystifies the collection of algorithms and procedural techniques that are often as mysterious as the things they create. Written by game designer and creative AI researcher Mike Cook, it takes us on a tour of generative systems past and present, exploring how they work, the artistic uses they have in some of our favourite games and how procedural generation didn't just change how we design games, but how we think about creativity.

Genres: Video Games, Nonfiction

288 pages, Hardcover

Published May 5, 2026

Reviews

[Tej Dhawan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an incredible book from cover to cover. I didn't quite know the level of detail and analysis to expect from the cover and description but am glad I read it in full. Written from a researcher's POV, the book cover and title page invite the reader with "making games that make themselves'. The subtitle leads one to believe that the book will be about artificial intelligence's impact on game development but the earliest chapters debunk that belief. The book begins with a discussion of randomness, the variety of die that are used to create randomness in simple games as well as complex, multiplayer systems that can use a 10 or even 20-sided dice.

The book digs into popular games such as Dungeons and Dragons that deploy randomness and unpredictability. It also introduces the reader to Exquisite Corpse; a children's game whose beginning premise promises connection between 'levels' through human creativity with simple yet elegant rules. It begins a detailed, research-driven journey into games from the 1980s and 1990s, their developers, and when available, the inspiration behind many. It speaks to designing levels within games, connecting them with logical pathways that lead a player while maintaining a logical start and end point.

I found the discussion of Noise and game design fascinating almost as much as a foray into the popular game Minecraft. The impact of TIGSource, a social community for game designers and developers is a worthy detour and prompted me to read further into its impact. Discussion continued through the book into games such as Dward Fortress and Caves of Qud before taking a deep, very deep detour into research-drive analysis, simulations, the future of predictive generation (different from generative AI), and the fun ahead. I liked the author's optimism about human creativity in game design and his reflective desire to continue research while simultaneously designing simpler games as his continued hobby.

A must-read for anyone interested in designing or researching games.

[ManOfLaBook.com · Rating 4 out of 5]

For more reviews and bookish posts visit: https://www.ManOfLaBook.com

Next Level: Making Games That Make Themselves by Mike Cook explains the world of Automated Game Design (AGD). Dr. Cook is an English game designer and academic.

In this book, the author finds a nice balance between creative entertainment and rigorous algorithmic logic. Like many other occupations, Al is changing the gaming industry, and this is true for the gaming industry as well.

Mike Cook's Next Level makes the argument that the future of gamine lies in Generative Design. This technology can create systems that autonomously build games, including creating levels and interactions based on user experience.

The title is misleading, no one is going to learn how to make "games that make themselves" by reading this book. You'll get a nice, somewhat granular overview of the technology. You don't have to read the whole book to realize it though, the first chapters will tell you exactly that this not what it's about.

I enjoyed the deep dive into the autonomous architecture which is discussed. I've built some games previously, some for fun, some for work (but they were still fun) but my experience was different as we had no engines. I still play games, if my limited time permits me, but I enjoy mostly RPG's like Assassin's Creed and Red Dead Redemption.

The author goes into some philosophy discussion about the nature of creativity. It was an interesting, thoughtful and fair discussion. I'm not an artist and really don't know enough or heard enough discussion to form an opinion. All I know is that Al can make graphics for this blog that I couldn't dream of making even if I worked whole days on them.

This is not an easy read though. If you're not interested in the mechanics of Al, technical granularity, or game theory and a bit of math, you'd probably find this book boring.

[Martin Maenza · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bloomsbury provided an early galley for review.

My former career was in software development and support, and my original thought when getting a computer science degree was to maybe get into game development. So, this book really caught my interest.

Cook does a wonderful job distilling various concepts like randomization, dynamic substitutions, simulations and more into easy to understand discussion. Yes, we get some math too. He also takes time to discuss past games that illustrate the concepts in action, giving the reader some familiar ground to see the end results.

I had a ball reading this one as it brought back a lot of warm nostalgia from my undergraduate days. Anyone interested in video games (as players or developers) will want to check this one out.

[Steve · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent overview, striking the right balance between accessibility and detail.