This and 'The Games That Weren't' [1] are my favorite coffee table books. Like another commenter, I tend to just open to a random page and it's always a great tidbit of learning about gaming's history.
[1]: https://www.bitmapbooks.com/collections/all-books/products/t...
Anyone interested in CRPG design should really check out Tim Cain's youtube channel. He is the creator of Fallout. His channel is treasure trove of information and industry experience you won't find anywhere else.
100%. I find a good bit of his wisdom is broadly useful, at least in software development, and not just game dev.
It's a beautiful coffee table book, I love opening a page randomly and (re)discovering a game.
If you're more into JRPGs, Bitmap Books has got you covered as well [1]:
[1]: https://www.bitmapbooks.com/products/a-guide-to-japanese-rol...
More on The Last Update (2023) https://crpgbook.wordpress.com/2023/10/23/update-31-the-last...
My first HN post, in 2017 :) https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=14145252
Thanks! Macroexpanded:
The CRPG Book Project: Three Years Later - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=28496882 - Sept 2021 (10 comments)
CRPG Book Released - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=16308136 - Feb 2018 (61 comments)
The History of Computer RPGs - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=14145252 - April 2017 (91 comments)
Looks really comprehensive, thanks for sharing. Can't wait to dig in and add more stuff to my ever-expanding backlog. Loving all the screenshots too, something about that 90s-era pixel art is just so soulful and charming.
Their definition of CRPG seems really broad. I have never seen handheld games like pokemon included in that.
I have this book; it's a great book for enthusiasts.
Beautiful stuff, glad to see that Underrail also made it into the book. Underrail is probably the best Fallout-like game.
I own a physical copy. Great book.
This looks fantastic. Can't wait to get a printed version.
Anybody have further suggestions for books about games I should own?
Have the printed version of the CRPG book. It's great.
https://if50.textories.com/ is another really good one that dives into the early days of game design. The story around The Hobbit is a great example of emergent gameplay.
50 Years of Text Games is an excellent book