7-7-7 Rule for Game Design (Paperback)

Recommended, with the caveat that it is not a gentle introduction.

I was looking for something that would bridge the gap between tutorials and proper reference material, and this does that well. It is denser than the page count suggests, and I found myself slowing down around the middle. The balance between theory and practice is well judged; neither side dominates. Recommended, with the caveat that it is not a gentle introduction.

The clearest explanation of game design I have come across.

There is a particular kind of technical book that is dense without being difficult, and this is one of them. The exercises at the end of each chapter are worth doing — they caught a few misconceptions I did not know I had. The balance between theory and practice is well judged; neither side dominates. Worth the money and the reading time, without hesitation.

Strong content, uneven pacing. I would still recommend it.

I have been working with game design for a few years now and I still found plenty here that was new to me. A couple of chapters felt like they could have been merged, but that is a minor complaint. Some of the diagrams are dense and I had to reread a few sections, though that may just be me. Worth picking up if you already have the basics. Set realistic expectations and you will get a lot out of it.