Sacred Places

This is a list of the most important books in my Game Design library and the reason why they are so important to me. Everybody has their own unique approach to game design and may have their own favorite tomes which they rely on. This is a peek at my personal library.

We’ll start out with the nuts and bolts of game design:

The art of Game design, A book of lenses, by Jesse Schell

This will cover just about everything related to game design. It is a pricey book, but it covers every aspect of design and is well worth it. This is basically the foundation of my game design library and I couldn’t imagine being without it. (3 Squirrels)

Building Blocks of Tabletop Game Design, An encyclopedia of Mechanisms by Geoffrey Englestein and Isaac Shalev.

This is a catalog of every common game mechanism used in modern games. A very thorough listing of game mechanisms, which I consider to be the gold standard. Whenever I dream up some hairbrained mechanism, I check in this book to see if somebody has already done it, or something like it. It is also a good reference for when you really need a cool mechanism, or it can be used as a Thesaurus to inspire new ideas which build on earlier practices. (5 Squirrels)

The Design of Everyday Things by Don Norman

This may sound like some type of boring product design book, but in reality it’s about the psychology of design. It covers many topics, like the principles of human interaction, cognition and emotion. It sheds light on how the human mind interacts with the products we design as well as how it processes information and interprets what we encounter as we engage with the devices and systems around us. It also discusses how errors and misinterpretations can occur and how to avoid them. This is a must read for anybody designing anything! (3 Squirrels)

Uncertainty in Games (Playful Thinking) by Greg Costikyan

This book explains how every game requires some type of uncertainty. The uncertainty in chess, for example, lies in the inability to predict exactly how your opponent is going to move. Every game has its own type of uncertainty which is explored in this book. This uncertainty comes in many forms that you may not realize until it’s pointed out to you. (2 Squirrels)

Writing to be understood, What works and why  by Anne Janzer

This is an enlightening guide to writing non-fiction. It has really helped me understand my target audience when writing rules for games. I highly recommend this. (1 Squirrel)

Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman

This is a fascinating look into how we interpret the world around us. The basic premise is that our thought processes are split between a primitive but necessary automatic level and a more deliberate but much slower conscious and deliberate level. It explains the strengths and shortcomings of each level, and uses these to explain our quirks and behaviors like loss aversion, imprinting, and many other facets of our thinking. If you’ve ever wondered what’s going on inside a game player’s mind, this book can help you find out. (3 Squirrels)

Nudge, By Richard H. Thaler

A compelling look at what drives us to do what we we do. How people, our environment and social pressures guide our decisions. We can use these tools to guide players on a fascinating journey within our games. (3 Squirrels)

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The following books are less essential to my design library, but still important. They delve deeper into some topics and provide interesting perspectives. I am glad to have them.

Board Game Design Advice, from the best in the world. By Gabe Barrett

This book asks the same questions to a hundred or so of the top board game designers world wide. It is basically a feel good book. It is nice to know that you aren’t the only one going through the problems you encounter when designing a game. It is also nice to know that there may not be one right answer to a given question. There are many different approaches and many common problems encountered when designing games. It’s nice to hear so many unique perspectives. (2 Squirrels)

Influence by Robert B Cialdini

Have you ever wondered what compels us to do things? This book will explain what drives us to do the things we do for better or worse. It is an expose’ on the influence peddlers, fast talking salespeople, compelling ads and media tricksters which control and exploit us. It is both a safety manual and a “how to guide” on influencing human behavior. This is a must read for people who want to manipulate others for fun… (by Designing Games) (4 Squirrels)

Scarcity, by Sendhil Mullainathan

This book deals with scarcity of resources and how it can have very strong effects on an individual. This is a very powerful effect which can be utilized in board games in many ways. (3 Squirrels)

Predictably Irrational by Dr. Dan Ariely

Another psychology book about how we are such irrational beings. This will also provide insight into game players’ odd and sometimes bizarre behaviors. (3 Squirrels)

Blink by Malcolm Gladwell

A peek under the hood of our subconscious mind. It shows how we often make decisions on a subconscious level, then consciously convince ourselves that we were very clever. (Confirmation Bias) It is a guide to the care and feeding and the function of our subconscious mind. It sheds some light on the decisions we make when playing games. (2 Squirrels)

GameTek by Geoffrey Englestein

No library is complete without a few words from Geoff Englestein. This is a collection of his most fascinating topics discussed on the GameTek segment of the Ludology podcast, distilled into one book. A fascinating and informative read. (4 Squirrels)

The Kobold guide to Board Game Design by Mike Seliker

A collection of insights and anecdotes from game designers like Richard Garfeild, Steve Jackson, James Ernest and many more. It’s really fascinating and fun read. (2 Squirrels)

Your Move by Joan Moriarty and Johnathan Kay

A game scholar and a game guru from “Snakes and Lattes board game café in Toronto, team up to discuss the social implications of modern board games. They tackle some controversial topics like colonialism, cultural appropriation and people behaving badly; as well as lighter topics like “That Stupid Free Parking Rule” in monopoly. I really enjoyed this book. (2 Squirrels)

The Game inventors Guidebook by Brian Tinsman

Game design in a nutshell. This is a great beginner’s primer on game design, and was the first book in my game design library. It’s a little outdated, but provides a good overall picture of the game making process. (2 Squirrels)

Winning the Brain Game by Mathew May

A fascinating look at how to overcome the roadblocks to truly creative thinking. A must read for any game designer. (2 Squirrels)

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I would love to hear about the cherished members of your own design library. Please leave a comment to recommend a book or tell me how absolutely right or wrong I am about my current selections.