Fundamentals of Game Design [Paperback]

Ernest Adams (Author), Andrew Rollings (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 23, 2006 | ISBN-10: 0131687476 | ISBN-13: 978-0131687479 | Edition: 1

For courses in Fundamentals of Game Design for all video game developers and designers

With a focus on designing for the commercial entertainment market, this text teaches the principles and practice of game design and covers each of the major game genres  individually.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Ernest Adams (Normandy, U.K.) is an independent game designer, writer, and teacher. He has worked in the game industry for 20 years. Ernest was most recently employed as a lead designer at Bullfrog Productions on the Dungeon Keeper series, and for several years before that he was the audio/video producer on the Madden NFL Football product line for Electronic Arts. For the last ten years he has written a regular column on game design for the Gamasutra developers' webzine. He was the founder of the International Game Developers' Association, and is a frequent lecturer at conferences and arts festivals around the world. His professional web site is at http://www.designersnotebook.com. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 600 pages
• Publisher: Prentice Hall; 1 edition (September 23, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0131687476
• ISBN-13: 978-0131687479
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 7.4 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #464,135 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Commercial game design at it's best, January 19, 2010

By 

Nicholas DiMucci "Neeko" (CT) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Fundamentals of Game Design (2nd Edition) (Paperback)

Ernest Adams brings to us a bible in commercial game design. Commercial is the keyword, as you'll be taught how to make a commercial game that will appeal to publishers and the masses alike. Some of the material may be a bit obvious to gamers and already working game designers, but don't over estimate the power of having someone actually spell it out to you, bringing many themes, ideas and rules from the depths of your subconscious to the forefront. This book also brings to light fine details that you wouldn't normally think about when designing a game, but are extremely critical in the overall design work.

If you are ready to design commercially appealing games, then this is your book. If you are more of an independent developer, looking to break the mold that most publishers wouldn't dare to fund, then perhaps you should look elsewhere.

12 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars If you want help in designing you game buy this book, February 10, 2009

By 

4th year Animation Student - See all my reviews

This review is from: Fundamentals of Game Design (Paperback)

I own about every game design book there is. This one actually helps me in designing my game. At the end of each chapter is a section that provides questions to ask yourself when your designing. This alone is worth the price of the book. Only negative is that its text focuses on digital games, but most of the principles will still apply to paper prototypes.

9 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars All Right, May 8, 2010

By 

B. Nye - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Fundamentals of Game Design (Paperback)

I got this as a text for a grad-level game design class. The book is all right, though nothing amazing. For someone who has played a decent amount of games in my life, it mainly seemed to just label things I already knew. There were a few interesting sections, but I probably could have learned much of that just from looking at some online articles on game design. This book might be more valuable for someone who doesn't tend to think much about the underlying mechanics of the games they play, however. On the bright side, it's an easy read and it makes sense. The depth isn't all that great, though.

Also, if you are looking for assistance in actually MAKING a game this won't help you at all. This is basically 100% conceptual, with no guidance on actually implementing a game in any way, shape, or form. It's clearly written for people who are planning on making computer games, however, as many of the concepts and examples aren't the best fits if you trying to do table top gaming.