Star control 2 (1992; PC, 3DO): choose your own space adventure -- Super Metroid (1994; Super Nintendo): the blueprint of Metroidvania design -- X-COM UFO defense (1994; PC and Playstation 1): multi-system gameplay -- The logical journey of the Zoombinis (1996; PC): a rewarding experience -- Goldeneye 64 (1997; Nintendo 64): bringing the FPS to the consoles -- Metal gear solid (1998; Playstation 1): tactical espionage gameplay -- Diablo II (2000; PC): the art of loot -- Half-Life 2 (2004; PC and multiple platforms): sectional design -- Katamari Damacy (2004; Playstation 2): simplistic beauty -- Devil may cry 3 (2005; Playstation 2): bringing style to the action genre -- Shadow of the Colossus (2005; Playstation 2): boss-focused design -- Team fortress 2 (2007; PC and multiple platforms): the birth of games as a service -- The world ends with you (2007; Nintendo DS): thinking way outside the box -- Left 4 dead (2008; PC, Xbox 360, and Mac): (co-op) friends to the very end -- Spelunky (2008; PC, and multiple platforms): procedural platforming -- Demon's souls (2009; Playstation 3): the action rogue-like -- Plants vs. zombies (2009; PC and multiple platforms): the ultimate hardcore casual game -- The binding of Isaac (2011; PC and other platforms): perfected persistence -- Infinifactory (2015; PC): emergent puzzle design -- Doom (2016; PC and consoles): fighting in flow.
Summary:
"The purpose of this book is to look over the past 35 years of games to discuss titles whose design deserves to be studied by anyone with an interest in game design. While there are plenty of books that focus on the technical side of Game Development, there are few that study the nature of game design itself. Featuring a mix of console and PC offerings, I purposely left off some of the easy choices (Mario, Starcraft, Call of Duty, Overwatch) to focus on games that stood out thanks to their designs"-- Provided by publisher.
This resource is supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act as administered by State Library of Iowa.