Books We Recommend

There are a number of good books on the subject of game design. Many of them relate directly or indirectly to game writing. This list of recommended books was compiled by participants on our mailing list.

  • Game Writing: Narrative Skills for Videogames edited by Chris Bateman (that’s ours!)
  • Gender Inclusive Game Design by Sheri Graner Ray
  • Andrew Rollings and Ernest Adams on Game Design by Andrew Rollings and Ernest Adams
  • Designing Virtual Worlds by Richard A. Bartle
  • Game Design: From Blue Sky to Green Light by Deborah Todd
  • Massively Multiplayer Game Development 2 edited by Thor Alexander
  • Designing 3D Games That Sell! by Luke Ahearn
  • Swords and Circuitry: A Designer’s Guide to Computer Role-Playing Games by Neal Hallford with Jana Hallford
  • Writing for Animation, Comics, and Games by Christy Marx
  • Creating Emotion in Games by David Freeman
  • Character Development and Storytelling for Games by Lee Sheldon
  • Developing Online Games An Insider’s Guide by Jessica Mulligan and Bridgette Patrovsky
  • The Game Writing Handbook by Rafael Chandler
  • Game Development Essentials: Game Story & Character Development by Marianne Krawczyk; Jeannie Novak
  • Audio for Games: Planning, Process, and Production by Alexander Brandon
  • Voice Actor’s Guide to Recording at Home and On the Road 2/E by Jeffrey P. Fisher and Harlan Hogan
  • Directing Actors: Creating Memorable Performances for Film & Television by Judith Weston

Special thanks to Anna M. Dobritt for getting the list started.

If there’s a book you would like to suggest for our list, please join our general mailing list and make the recommendation. Tell us why you like the book and what it has to offer. Thanks!