Production Point by Benjamin Anderson (PDF + EPUB)

An easy recommendation for every first-time game developer!

After spending some time working on a prototype for my game, I started to feel that something was wrong with the process, and I was not sure where to take it next. After reading the book, I now understand that I have started building features and mechanics without fully identifying the fun (or “the toy”). I gained a new perspective on development that I will use across my projects going forward.

The book’s language is simple, the content is properly structured, and the concepts are well articulated. It cites other useful resources and references them diligently, allowing the reader to dive deeper into each topic.

One thing I missed is concrete examples of games in different genres for paper prototyping and the process of “finding a toy”. The limitations of paper call for creative solutions that a beginner might struggle to identify. Same as for “finding the toy” since the fun in one’s favorite games can be hard to pinpoint and stems from a combination of mechanics (or various moments in the game) rather than a single thing. Still, the author provides helpful pointers on how to explore these topics more deeply, and introducing these lesser-known concepts is already of huge value.