7-7-7 Rule for Game Design (Paperback)

The clearest explanation of game design I have come across.

I have been working with game design for a few years now and I still found plenty here that was new to me. I particularly liked the way the author builds up from simple cases before introducing the harder material. The progression from chapter to chapter is well thought out; nothing feels out of order. The chapters on game design are the strongest — the examples are stripped down but complete, and I could follow along without constant guessing. If you have the prerequisites, this is an easy recommendation. I will be keeping it on my desk rather than the shelf.

The clearest explanation of game design I have come across.

I bought this on a whim after seeing it mentioned in a forum thread, and I am glad I did. The early chapters move quickly through material I already knew, but the later sections were genuinely new to me. A couple of chapters felt like they could have been merged, but that is a minor complaint. The early chapters move quickly through material I already knew, but the later sections were genuinely new to me. If you have the prerequisites, this is an easy recommendation. I will be keeping it on my desk rather than the shelf.

Recommended, with the caveat that it is not a gentle introduction.

There is a particular kind of technical book that is dense without being difficult, and this is one of them. The examples are small enough to type out and experiment with, which is exactly what I want from a book like this. I appreciated the honesty about what the book does not cover — it saved me from expecting things that were not there. The book rewards careful reading. Skimming it would be a mistake. A good addition to a technical library, as long as you know what you are buying.