Customer Reviews

Fundamentals of Game Design

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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.

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.

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.

This was a truly comprehensive work, with clear language and superb similes. The step-by-step approach was suited for both beginners and experts. I enjoyed the writing and expert layout. Thanks to the author.

Provides a lot of good advice for game designers. Adams lays out the "player centric" design approach fairly well, with an eye squarely on creating commercial games. Nothing on programming, but then that's not the book's purpose.

This seller shipped the item very promptly. It was nice to have the book in time for my class. Thank you!