After reading apply. 25 books for the game developer

I offer a selection of always relevant books on programming, game design and concept art for beginners and experienced gamedev fighters. Of course, at the head of professional development is practice, but these books will save you time and allow you to not invent a bicycle again.



Development

Game Development Essentials: An Introduction
Book Jeannie Novak - a good introductory course in geymdev. The author reveals topics such as industry development, features of the script in games, the process of developing and organizing a team, while minimizing the technical component. You will understand all the stages of creating games in modern realities: design, development, testing, release, distribution and support.

And quotes from experienced developers from Ensemble Studios, Obsidian Entertainment, Infinity Ward and other eminent companies will be especially useful, and, most importantly, put into practice.

Mathematics for 3D Game Programming and Computer Graphics
Book for those who are already familiar with game development. The author begins with a basic level of vector geometry and linear algebra, then moves on to more complex 3D programming topics, such as lighting problems or determining visibility. The book greatly simplifies the search for information, as it is a course of classical mathematics, in which everything is laid out on the shelves. And, of course, without practice anywhere - various tasks will help to master the material, and examples of C ++ and GLSL code are available on the site mathfor3dgameprogramming.com.

Artificial Intelligence for Games
If you want to learn the basic techniques for using artificial intelligence (AI) in games, be sure to read Artificial Intelligence for Games. In the book you can find both academic expositions of algorithms and practical examples of the implementation of such tasks as the design of game artificial intelligence and the use of suitable data structures.

You will learn the basic concepts of AI, its structure, methods of implementation and design - all with numerous examples from games. To consolidate the material at the end of each chapter there are thematic exercises.
AI Source Code Library: github.com/idmillington/aicore

Unity Game Development Essentials
Unity is increasingly used for game development, so do not ignore books dedicated exclusively to this constructor. Will Goldstone simply and consistently described the process of creating a game on Unity: from the development of the character and the environment to the export of the game and trial testing. All information is laid out on shelves, the program interface is described in detail and the basic concepts that you will need to work are described.
As you read the book, you will create your 3D game with an interactive environment, a first-person character, soundtracks, dynamic effects and interesting tasks inside the main plot.

Game programming patterns
The book is designed for beginners in gamedev, but not in development. The author describes in detail the design patterns designed to make the game faster, the code cleaner, and making changes to it easier. Templates are grouped according to their purpose, with each of them taken out in a separate chapter and supported by examples. You can study them in any order: the templates are completely independent of each other. It is worth noting that even the complex things in the book are written in simple language, and the code examples are not overloaded and easily perceived.

GPU Pro Book Series .
Each of the six books is dedicated to advanced graphics processing techniques. Naturally advanced at the time of the release of the book. A lot of attention in the series is paid to the graphics of mobile games, shaders and lighting effects. The information is not repeated, many important details and nuances are revealed, work with specific tools is described, and ready-made algorithms are given that are quite applicable in the work. The theory is backed up by practice: examples are freely available, but without reading books they are of little use.

Game Programming Gems Book Series
One of the most famous and sought-after series of books on game programming. Not for beginners: the material is quite complicated. In general, these are collections of articles of various problems written by programmers for programmers. Each book contains 40-70 articles, each article contains a solution to one specific problem. Do not reinvent the wheel - use the experience of leading industry experts for typical tasks and free up time for more complex and global ones.

Game Engine Architecture, Second Edition
A good guide to the theory and practice of game development. The publication covers a fairly wide range of issues. And all the described concepts and methods are used in real game studios, such as Electronic Arts and Naughty Dog. For those who want to dig deeper, links to additional materials are provided.

The second edition is supplemented with relevant information, including C ++, the architecture of the eighth generation of game consoles (Xbox One and PlayStation 4) and technologies for developing a sound engine for AAA games.

DirectX: advanced animation
This is the best edition of three-dimensional animation in Russian. Suitable for those who are already familiar with DirectX, although there are several points clearly for beginners. The methods of morphing, believable animation of soft and hard bodies, skeletal and facial animation, synchronization with sound, character animation are considered. Describes how to work with shaders, activated textures and .X files. The author correctly and readily sets forth the theory, while sharing his own experience.

Development and debugging of shaders
No shaders anywhere. The book is for those who want to create truly realistic and impressive effects in games. Suitable for both beginners and experienced developers. This is a practical guide for developing GLSL shaders for Windows and Linux with different versions of the OpenGL library. The author covered a wide range of issues: from basic lighting models to writing and debugging GLSL shaders on RenderMonkey.

Artificial intelligence in computer games. How to train virtual characters to respond to external influences
An excellent Russian-language book on the design of artificial intelligence in games, which reveals the basic concepts, gives a theoretical basis and practical recommendations. You will learn how to create autonomous characters that will realistically respond to events around them. The movement control, shooting, weapon selection, work with objects and objects, emotions and the choice of action are examined in detail. The test platform is a realistic three-dimensional game. Anatomy for sculptors

concept art

. Understanding the human figure
Handbook of a beginner concept. In game development, you can’t do without knowledge of human anatomy and the structure of muscles that affect body plastics. From numerous illustrations, you will learn how muscles react to movement and what shape they take in specific poses. The author literally put the person on the bones, did not miss a single detail right down to facial expressions.

Action Anatomy: For Gamers, Animators, and Digital Artists
The book provides a set of basic knowledge for creating and correctly animating the human body. All parts of the body and their proportions are examined in detail, depending on gender, age, and physical fitness. In addition to analyzing various body positions in everyday situations, the work of muscles during movement is well demonstrated: the book contains a lot of storyboards for walking, running, climbing and climbing stairs, jumping and so on.

3DTotal's Concept Art for Games
The book covers 3 main categories that require the creation of a concept: environment, characters and transport. In each of them you will be offered proven techniques for developing your ideas into a ready-made elaborated concept and phased rendering with comments. The manual is suitable for designers, illustrators and artists who want to try their hand at gamedev.

How to design: Concept Design Process, Styling, Inspiration, and Methodology
The author has combined such disciplines as industrial design, illustration and architecture, creating some foundation for mastering the profession of conception. He describes in detail each step in the development of the concept, backing it up with numerous examples. The book focuses on stylization and inspiration. In addition, the author described his personal approach to the development of the concept, which he successfully applies in his work - the eight-step method.

Game design

Game Design Workshop
With this book, you can begin to get acquainted with the game design. You will receive a set of basic knowledge for working in the industry and will be able to practice using exercises. The book reveals the basic concepts and terminology, elements of game design, prototyping and testing of the game with subsequent changes in design. The author has something to offer and industry veterans - the book contains interviews with famous developers such as American McGee, Genova Chen, Brenda Romero, Peter Molyneux, Rob Prado.

The Art of Game Design: A Book of Lenses
A book about how a game designer can become better: what skills and knowledge are needed for this, how to get them. You will find a lot of useful things for yourself, regardless of your experience in game dev, and really take a fresh look at the games. Throughout the book, the author turns to psychology, architecture, music, mathematics, and cinema. It offers a hundred tips and leading questions so that you can answer one main question: what will make your game even better?

A Theory of Fun for Game Design
This is more of a comic book than a book. A great example of how to easily and clearly talk about important and difficult things. The author focuses on the concept of pleasure as one of the most important elements of the game. You will not find detailed manuals or technical nuances here, but you will find out which patterns exploit popular games and why some games quickly become boring, while others are popular over the years.

Level Up! The Guide to Great Video Game Design
The second edition of Level Up is suitable for both beginners and industry professionals. The author shows how the idea is gradually turning into a finished high-quality project and how it should be promoted to the market. The presentation is consistent and logical, each subsequent chapter is based on material from the previous ones. You will learn how to create exciting levels, strong opponents and precise controls in the game. The book is devoid of complex theoretical treatises, contains well-designed examples and high-quality illustrations.

Rules of Play: Game Design Fundamentals
The rules of the game - this is an exhaustive encyclopedia for beginners in game dev, which will give you a wide theoretical base for understanding the game industry. This book will focus not on technologies like C ++, DirectX or OpenGL, but on the elements that underlie game design. Most examples do not even apply to computer games. First, the authors determine the properties of successful games and how to focus on gameplay, then analyze them in detail. The book does not require in-depth knowledge in mathematics, sociology or other fields.

Challenges for Game Designers
The book consists of 24 short, but very informative chapters, independent of each other, they can be read in any order. Each of them is devoted to a narrow but important topic, for example, creating sequels, designing puzzles, or mastering an unfamiliar genre. Practical tasks will teach to apply the acquired knowledge and explore the topic more widely. Moreover, none of the tasks even requires a computer. The book does not give an overall picture of the industry and is more suitable for improving the skills of specialists already working in game dev.

What Video Games Have to Teach Us About Learning and Literacy
This is a psychological study about the motivation of players. The author believes that good games teach you to make decisions, develop skills and make you think outside the box. It is these games that have commercial success, because if you find it too easy, you quickly lose interest. You will learn what motivates players to spend so much time and money on games, and learn how to use the motivation of players by applying specific cycles or scenarios proposed in the book. This will help you create a truly exciting project.

Flow. Psychology of Optimal Experience
The book is entirely devoted to the state of the flow - euphoric and absolute involvement. There are no ready-made solutions or step-by-step instructions. This voluminous and complex study explains how your game can be more fun and make the player happy. The author talks about how people understand and achieve a state of happiness, and considers the common elements inherent in the state of flow. Understanding these elements will help you make a game that cannot be torn away.

For Snack

Marketing Games
I would like to complete the selection with a book for a small team of developers about PR and promotion of games. This is a collection of practical tips, such as “where to start,” “who to work with” or “what to prepare for the announcement.” Naturally, it is not enough for the full development of the subject, but it will undoubtedly be useful in the initial stages. The book is written in understandable language, completely devoid of theory and, pleasantly, is in the public domain.

Of course, the list of books can be continued endlessly, but the above publications definitely deserve your attention.