Andrew Rollings and Ernest Adams on Game Design

How often have you heard "anyone can design a game?" While it
seems likean easy job, game ideas are cheap and plentiful.
Advancing those ideasinto games that people want to play is one of
the hardest, and mostunder-appreciated, tasks in the game
development cycle. Andrew Rollingsand Ernest Adams on Game
Design introduces both students and experienced developers to
the craft of designing computer and video games for the retail
market. The first half of the book is a detailed analysis of thekey
game design elements: examining game concepts and
worlds,storytelling, character and user interface design, core
mechanics andbalance. The second half discusses each of the major
game genres(action, adventure, role-playing, strategy, puzzle, and
so on) andidentifies the design patterns and unique creative
challenges thatcharacterize them. Filled with examples and
worksheets, this book takesan accessible, practical approach to
creating fun, innovative, andhighly playable games.