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20 Essential Games to Study
The purpose of this book is to look over the past 35 years of games to discuss titles whose design deserves to be studied by anyone with an interest in game design. While there are plenty of books that focus on the technical side of Game Development, there are few that study the nature of game design itself. Featuring a mix of console and PC offerings, I purposely left off some of the easy choices (Mario, Starcraft, Call of Duty, Overwatch) to focus on games that stood out thanks to their designs. Key Features
104 pages, Paperback
Published November 5, 2018
3 people are currently reading
43 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
September 3, 2025
بیشتر شبیه یک پست ردیت طولانی بود. مطالب خوبی میگفت ولی برای هر کسی با یکم اطلاعات از تاریخ گیم یا کسی که این بیست تا رو بازی کرده باشه کاملا تکراریه.
January 5, 2025
A good primer on a selection of benchmark games in the canon. The book was a little clunky at time and needed a little more editing, but overall a solid foundation for game designers and ludologists alike.
February 10, 2025
Bycer is a phenomenal game player (non-competitive), critic of game designing and also, a phenomenal author. In this case, his flair for writing is as sharp as his keen look on details of the games.
Most of the books on game design are technical, involving source codes, engines, patches, platform-dependent codes, some 3D/ 2D modelling, etc. And some books are nothing more than a repository of collections of snaps/ screenshots of myriad of games like the Album Cover collection of a punk kid.
This book strikes a balance between technical details of the game design as well as the overall appeal to the consumers. The average consumer is introduced to a history of games with innovative designs while the game developers are exposed to the inner machinations of a game and how it strikes a chord with the consumer base.
Nothing in the book is new. The games are a cult classic. You and I have played some, if not all, of them. However, how they appealed to us, or why are they classics or why do we liked playing them for so long, have been explored in this book. A sort of template of designs and rationale for uniqueness of the said games have been provided, that may be used by an aspiring game developer to make an ingenious product or at least a game which would leave a mark in the psyche of players in this world of quick dopamine hit.
It includes games from varied genres- boss fights, adventure, RPG, platformer, action, stealth, multiplayer, shooters, etc. From multi-systems approach to loot-oriented to level-up to procedurally-generated world. I even liked the emphasis on value systems and points as the author has seemingly discarded the games which allow the player's character to break the game. However, he makes an exception (won't reveal here though) if it does not dull the fun as the game proceeds.
Overall I liked the idea of how the author has judged the game worthy enough to be included in the list. Some factors include- fun in replaying, challenging with a reward system, player involvement- be it prompt reaction time or intense thought, unique situations, not repetitive, freedom of players, connectivity with other players, comfortable experience on the desired platform (PC, Console, etc), etc.
Do give it a read!
Most of the books on game design are technical, involving source codes, engines, patches, platform-dependent codes, some 3D/ 2D modelling, etc. And some books are nothing more than a repository of collections of snaps/ screenshots of myriad of games like the Album Cover collection of a punk kid.
This book strikes a balance between technical details of the game design as well as the overall appeal to the consumers. The average consumer is introduced to a history of games with innovative designs while the game developers are exposed to the inner machinations of a game and how it strikes a chord with the consumer base.
Nothing in the book is new. The games are a cult classic. You and I have played some, if not all, of them. However, how they appealed to us, or why are they classics or why do we liked playing them for so long, have been explored in this book. A sort of template of designs and rationale for uniqueness of the said games have been provided, that may be used by an aspiring game developer to make an ingenious product or at least a game which would leave a mark in the psyche of players in this world of quick dopamine hit.
It includes games from varied genres- boss fights, adventure, RPG, platformer, action, stealth, multiplayer, shooters, etc. From multi-systems approach to loot-oriented to level-up to procedurally-generated world. I even liked the emphasis on value systems and points as the author has seemingly discarded the games which allow the player's character to break the game. However, he makes an exception (won't reveal here though) if it does not dull the fun as the game proceeds.
Overall I liked the idea of how the author has judged the game worthy enough to be included in the list. Some factors include- fun in replaying, challenging with a reward system, player involvement- be it prompt reaction time or intense thought, unique situations, not repetitive, freedom of players, connectivity with other players, comfortable experience on the desired platform (PC, Console, etc), etc.
Do give it a read!
May 16, 2022
At first, it’s a bland top ten list, but Bycer does a great job of giving more than game synopsis. Each exploration of a game includes lots of little details about what makes each game meaningful to designers and the industry direction together.
Games that I before thought “oh that was fun for some reason,” now I can point to and say “here is exactly why: the health system!”
I appreciate this more in depth look at design and think it can be really helpful for budding designers to begin putting words to abstract concepts.
Games that I before thought “oh that was fun for some reason,” now I can point to and say “here is exactly why: the health system!”
I appreciate this more in depth look at design and think it can be really helpful for budding designers to begin putting words to abstract concepts.
May 19, 2019
At parts an insightful journey into a selected set of gameplay mechanics and video games that are a prime example of implementing them right. Occasionally veers into confusing tirades on weird details in games like The World Ends with You, but mostly helps learn to identify and appreciate the ingenuity of certain games' design.
As an amateur games reviewer I found this a useful guide.
As an amateur games reviewer I found this a useful guide.
November 10, 2024
This book is a good idea but I didn't find the commentary so enlightening. I ended up watching a couple of playthroughs for the games mentioned in there that I had never played—that was helpful.
January 27, 2025
Interesting collection of games with innovative and interesting concepts in history
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews