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With books, you're less likely to drop your phone in the toilet.
With books, you’re less likely to drop your phone in the toilet.
Image: Indi Samarajiva/Flickr

It’s easy to get started with game development, thanks to a variety of pre-made game engines that help you create basic games quickly. But to make anything substantial – not to mention anything unique or ground-breaking – you’ll need to invest time and effort into your programming skills.

For learning a deep topic like game programming, nothing beats a book. You can throw it in your bag and read it anywhere – on the bus, at school, on your lunch break, on the toil… well, you get the idea.

The game programming books listed below are some of the best available, and they come highly recommended by professional game programmers like Brandon Fogerty, David Galloway, Dan Posluns, Brian Gish, and Yours Truly – me. Start at the top, and build your coding chops as you work through the list.

Note: For younger children, see the list of coding books for kids.
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By Posted in Podcast, Tools 1 Comment

In this episode of Game Industry Career Guide Podcast, I answer a question from Danielle, who asks “I’m looking to go into Game Design. Do you have a suggestion for the best laptop to use? What are some of the requirements a Game Designer would want in a computer?”

In this episode, you’ll learn:

  • Why your choice of computer depends on your software
  • How to find out what type computer is needed for each game engine
  • How to make an informed choice for the best performance while you design games

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By Posted in Tools 7 Comments

The best way to learn how to make a video game, is to make a video game. And the sooner you start, the sooner you’ll see the look of surprise on your friends’ faces the first time they play a game made by you.

But you’re probably asking yourself, what’s the very first step I should take? What free game development tools should I use?

It may seem overwhelming at first, but fear not. These free game engines will get you started fast. Even if you don’t know programming, you can make your first game starting today.Read more »

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By Posted in Applying, Resume, Tools 49 Comments
This article is part of our Video Game Job Hunt Guide. Read the full guide to learn how to write a strong resume, build a winning portfolio, ace your job interviews and more.
Old typewriter
I typed my gaming resume on this clacker. J/K.

When I applied for my first game studio job back in 2001, I knew that a good resume was important. Naturally I searched the Internet, hoping to find good advice and resume samples that worked. There wasn’t much out there back then. But what little I did find was conflicting and contradictory. Not helpful.

Functional or chronological? Combination or targeted? Formal or creative? MS Word or PDF? It shouldn’t have been so hard to get a straight answer.

That was a long time ago. Today, there’s 100 times more advice out there and it’s 1,000 times more conflicting and contradictory. Still not helpful!Read more »

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By Posted in Careers, Tools 14 Comments

The Internet is full of info about the game industry. But only a handful of resources cut through the noise to offer current, practical information to help you get a job and grow your career in games. And they’ll save you a lot of time and effort along the way.

The resources below are the cream of the crop, and come recommended by top game schools and industry professionals. And – bonus! – most of them are absolutely free. Enjoy!

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