Reader reviews

Useful in parts. Fine as a reference, less so as a cover-to-cover read.

There is a particular kind of technical book that is dense without being difficult, and this is one of them. The balance between theory and practice is well judged; neither side dominates. I found myself making notes in the margins, which is always a good sign. Fine, but there are stronger books on the same subject if you look around.

Outstanding. I kept finding reasons to come back to it.

I had been on the fence about this one for a while, and I should have bought it sooner. A couple of chapters felt like they could have been merged, but that is a minor complaint. The book rewards careful reading. Skimming it would be a mistake. One of those books that pays for itself within the first few chapters. Highly recommended.

A useful guide. The examples assume a particular environment, but that is fixable.

I read this over a couple of weekends alongside a small side project, which turned out to be the ideal way to approach it. The author is unusually honest about where the simplifications break down, which I appreciated. The author is unusually honest about where the simplifications break down, which I appreciated. Recommended, with the caveat that it is not a gentle introduction.

Very good, with a few caveats. The core material is strong.

I bought this on a whim after seeing it mentioned in a forum thread, and I am glad I did. The chapters on introductory & beginning are the strongest — the examples are stripped down but complete, and I could follow along without constant guessing. Some terminology is introduced without much ceremony; I had to look a few things up along the way. Worth picking up if you already have the basics. Set realistic expectations and you will get a lot out of it.

A superb guide. The examples are small but complete.

I read this over a couple of weekends alongside a small side project, which turned out to be the ideal way to approach it. The chapters on game design are the strongest — the examples are stripped down but complete, and I could follow along without constant guessing. The author clearly knows the subject deeply and has thought hard about how to teach it. The author avoids over-explaining, which keeps the pace up but means you need to pay attention. I have already recommended it to two colleagues and will recommend it to more.

Three stars feels about right. Useful, but not essential.

I was looking for something that would bridge the gap between tutorials and proper reference material, and this does that well. Some of the diagrams are dense and I had to reread a few sections, though that may just be me. The code samples assume a particular environment, which took a bit of fiddling to get running properly. The early chapters move quickly through material I already knew, but the later sections were genuinely new to me. Three stars feels about right. It will stay on my shelf, but it will not be the first one I reach for.