Towards Mecca » Book Recommendation: A Theory of Fun

theoryoffun Prior to becoming a game designer, I had actually not read any books on game design. I’ve been an avid gamer since the age of 5 and a web/graphic designer since highschool so it wasn’t much of a stretch, but I hadn’t had any actual formal education in the field prior to getting into the industry. It’s funny but I started reading game design books only after getting the job. So far, all of the books I’ve read on the subject have been an utter waste of time except for a Theory of Fun by Raph Koster.

A Theory of Fun is a light-hearted attempt to explain complicated psychological theories to the layman. It was completely successful since I now understand why I make many of the choices that I make while designing games, and I’m much better at channeling that energy in a positive and time-effective way. The book manages to stay entertaining from beginning to end and never lost me for a second. The pacing was just great.

However, I have to recommend that you read this book without actually buying it if possible. Before you flame me for a pirate and a hypocrite allow me to explain please. As of the writing of this post, the book is on sale on Amazon.com for a whopping 200$. I’m sure that’s due to well-deserved high level of demand, but the book consists of a short 220 pages, half of which are only pictures. Yes, the subject matter is great and yes, people should pay for what they read/watch/play etc… but 200$ for 2-3 hours of reading is absurd! Personally, I borrowed the book from work and do intend to buy it if I ever find it around the 20$ or 30$ mark (which is still generous IMO).

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So there you have it. A book recommendation that urges any game designer or aspiring game designer to read a book, but not necessarily to purchase it….