Library guides
Subject: Computer science, Multimedia and TelecommunicationsVideo game development
This guide offers support materials to help you design and program your own video games. It brings together sources of information on game engines such as Unity, basic programming languages such as C++, C# and LUA, as well as places to find graphic and audio resources, and platforms where you can publish your final project.
Video game conceptualization
Game Design
A manual for independent developers covering all aspects related to the development cycle of a video game, from its initial creation to its publication and commercialization on virtual platforms.
Hill-Whittall, R. (2015) The indie game developer handbook. Burlington, Mass: Focal Press. Available at: https://learning.oreilly.com/library/view/the-indie-game/9781138828421/xhtml/Cover.xhtml (Accessed: January 31, 2023).
A practical book that explains how to create and improve the interaction design of a video game, to make it more fun, entertaining and addictive for players.
Koster, R. (2013) A theory of fun for game design. 2nd edition. Sebastopol, CA: O'Reilly Media Inc.Available at: https://learning.oreilly.com/library/view/theory-of-fun/9781449363208/index.html (Accessed: January 31, 2023).
A theoretical approach to game design, which will help you analyse them in depth and apply new methodologies and strategies to create innovative products.
Salen, K. & Zimmerman, E. (2004) Rules of play: game design fundamentals. Cambridge, Mass: MIT Press
A study of game design that encompasses a wide range of different disciplines. It offers question sets and other materials that should help you appreciate the cornerstones of game design and create increasingly attractive products.
A theoretical and practical approach to the creative process of game design based on examples, technical illustrations and exercises. It covers design, production, programming and visual design.
Fullerton, T., Swain, C., & Hoffman, S. (2008) Game design workshop: a playcentric approach to creating innovative games. London: CRC Press. Available at: https://discovery.biblioteca.uoc.edu/permalink/ 34CSUC_UOC/166h2gj/cdi_proquest_ebookcentral_EBC330258 (Accessed: January 31, 2023).
A toolkit of ideas for game designers, with solutions and ideas for solving the most common problems in the field of game design.
A guide to the skills needed for storyboarding, character and environment creation, level design, programming and testing.
Mitchell, B. L. (2012) Game design essentials. 1st edition. Indianapolis, Ind: John Wiley & Sons. Available at: https://discovery.biblioteca.uoc.edu/permalink/34CSUC_UOC/1asfcbc/alma991000732450306712 (Accessed: January 31, 2023).
This manual will teach you the basics of game design by learning specific vocabulary from the field.
Anthropy, A. & Clark, N. (2014) A game design vocabulary exploring the foundational principles behind good game design. 1st edition. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Addison-Wesley. Available at: https://discovery.biblioteca.uoc.edu/permalink/34CSUC_UOC/1asfcbc/alma991000732765706712 (Accessed: January 31, 2023).
A theoretical and practical manual that follows a methodology focusing on the development of games based on functionality and establishing coherent rules.
Burgun, K. (2015) Clockwork Game Design. 1st edition. Routledge. Available at: https://discovery.biblioteca.uoc.edu/permalink/34CSUC_UOC/1asfcbc/alma991000732805406712 (Accessed: January 31, 2023).
A bachelor's degree final project that encapsulates the basic theory of video game design, analyses the player experience in qualitative terms, and extracts game mechanics to apply solutions to design problems.
A practical manual for learning the essential principles of game design. You will learn how to conceptualize an idea, define the scope and structure of your project, and present and communicate it effectively.
Kramarzewski, A. & De Nucci, E. (2018) Practical Game Design. 1st edition. Packt Publishing. Available at: https://learning.oreilly.com/library/view/practical-game-design/9781787121799/ (Accessed: January 31, 2023).
Gain in-depth your knowledge using this manual, which will teach you to think like a designer in order to solve problems effectively and efficiently.
Terminology
A glossary of terms from the field of video game development and the Unity game engine.
A glossary of terms from the Unreal Engine.
The "video game engine" Wikipedia entry.
The English Wikipedia entry containing a glossary of terms frequently used in the video game industry.
Librarians responsible for this library guide
Lis Balcells
Operative subgroup: Librarian for Computer Science, Multimedia and Telecommunications, vocational training Operative group: Library for Learning