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rpg: recommended books and gear
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Books and hardware for rpg work, sourced from the GameDev.net catalog and reviewed by our editors. Links may earn us a commission at no cost to you.
Designing Games: A Guide to Engineering Experiences
Amazon · Book
Ready to give your design skills a real boost? This eye-opening book helps you explore the design structure behind most of today's hit video games. You'll learn principles and practices for crafting games that generate emotionally charged experiences - a combination of elegant game mechanics, compelling fiction, and pace that fully immerses players. In clear and approachable prose, design pro Tynan Sylvester also looks at the day-to-day process necessary to keep your project on track, including how to work with a team, and how to avoid creative dead ends. Packed with examples, this book will change your perception of game design.
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The Art of Game Design: A Book of Lenses
Amazon · Book
Presents over 100 sets of questions, or different lenses, for viewing a game’s design. Written by one of the world's top game designers, this book describes the deepest and most fundamental principles of game design, demonstrating how tactics used in board, card, and athletic games also work in video games. It provides practical instruction on creating world-class games that will be played again and again. New to this edition: many great examples from new VR and AR platforms as well as examples from modern games such as Uncharted 4 and The Last of Us, Free to Play games, hybrid games, transformational games, and more.
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Theory of Fun for Game Design
Amazon · Book
Now in full color, the 10th anniversary edition of this classic book takes you deep into the influences that underlie modern video games, and examines the elements they share with traditional games such as checkers. At the heart of his exploration, veteran game designer Raph Koster takes a close look at the concept of fun and why it’s the most vital element in any game. Why do some games become boring quickly, while others remain fun for years? How do games serve as fundamental and powerful learning tools? Whether you’re a game developer, dedicated gamer, or curious observer, this illustrated, fully updated edition helps you understand what drives this major cultural force, and inspires you to take it further.
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Unreal Engine 5 RPG Development: Master Blueprints, C++, Combat, AI & VFX - Build a Full Game from Scratch (Volume 1)
Amazon · Book
A hands-on Unreal Engine 5 guide for building a playable RPG from scratch with Blueprints and C++. It appears to cover combat, AI, and VFX, and is aimed at beginners or developers new to Unreal workflows.
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Game Design Deep Dive: Roguelikes
Amazon · Book
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The Routledge Handbook of Role-Playing Game Studies
Amazon · Book
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Teaching Video Game Design Fundamentals: A Guide for Educating with Practical Examples and Learning Materials
Amazon · Book
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Game Design Deep Dive: Role Playing Games
Amazon · Book
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Role-Playing Game Studies: Transmedia Foundations
Amazon · Book
A large academic handbook on role-playing games across tabletop, live action, computer RPGs, and MMORPGs. Useful as background reading for developers who want a broad view of RPG studies and history.
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Building an RPG with Unreal
Amazon · Book
A step-by-step guide to building the foundations of an RPG in Unreal Engine 4. It covers C++, Blueprints, and UMG, and is aimed at readers who already understand basic RPG conventions and are new to Unreal.
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Advanced Unity Game Development: Build Professional Games with Unity, C#, and Visual Studio
Amazon · Book
Walks through a complete Unity game project and explains the code, scripts, and project structure behind it. Aimed at developers who already know some Unity and want to see how to organize a larger game with C#, UI, audio, AI, and level setup.
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Writing Interactive Music for Video Games: A Composer's Guide
Amazon · Book
A focused guide to interactive music composition for video games, with tools and methods for professional scoring. Best suited to composers and advanced students who need to build adaptive game music systems.
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Programming for Game Design: A Hands-On Guide with Godot
Amazon · Book
A practical introduction to making game elements in Godot while learning GDScript. It covers core programming basics like variables, data structures, branching, looping, and UI design for beginners.
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Generative AI for Games: A Practical Guide to AI-Powered Game Development, Procedural Content, Game Design, Coding, Art, and Intelligent Workflows
Amazon · Book
A practical guide to using generative AI across game development tasks like procedural content, code assistance, art generation, and workflow automation. It seems aimed at developers, designers, and technical artists who want applied techniques rather than theory.
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The Game Production Handbook
Amazon · Book
A practical guide to game production processes from concept through gold master. Aimed at producers, leads, and studio managers who need an overview of how game projects are organized and run.
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Godot Game Development for Beginners: Learn GDScript, Master 2D Game Design, and Build Complete Games with Godot 4
Amazon · Book
A project-based introduction to Godot 4 and GDScript for complete beginners. It covers the editor, nodes, scenes, signals, physics, and 2D game building through hands-on examples.
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Principles of Animation & Game Design: Print Purchase Includes Free Online Access
Amazon · Book
A general reference on animation and game design, aimed at readers who want background on how moving graphics and game experiences are created. Based on the metadata, it looks introductory and broad rather than a hands-on guide for game production.
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Game Design: Principles, Practice, and Techniques - The Ultimate Guide for the Aspiring Game Designer
Amazon · Book
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Game Design Workshop: A Playcentric Approach to Creating Innovative Games, Fourth Edition
Amazon · Book
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The Godot Game Development Handbook: Master the Basics of Godot Engine, GDScript, 2D & 3D Design for Aspiring Game Creators.
Amazon · Book
A beginner-focused guide to getting started with Godot, GDScript, and basic 2D/3D game creation. It appears aimed at aspiring game creators who want a practical introduction to the engine and its scripting workflow.
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Godot Game Development for Everyone: Learn Modern 2D & 3D Game Design, UI Tools, and GDExtension Workflows with Step-by-Step Projects Using Godot 4
Amazon · Book
A project-based introduction to Godot 4 covering 2D and 3D game work, UI tools, and GDExtension workflows. It is aimed at beginners who want hands-on guidance building games and custom tools in Godot.
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Level Up! The Guide to Great Video Game Design
Amazon · Book
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Game Design Workshop: A Playcentric Approach to Creating Innovative Games
Amazon · Book
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Theory of Fun for Game Design
Amazon · Book
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