Do You Like Video Games, Video Game History & Culture? DO YOU? DO YOU?

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https://storybundle.com/games

Ends in 21 days.  Minimum of $30 gets you 95 books.  And these are some fucking awesome books, some of which I've picked up previously. DRM free, multiple formats.

Everything from Atari 2600 stuff to NES to Ultima Online and World of Warcraft and first-person shooters and all points in between.   8-Bit to modern stuff.

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Every new generation of gaming hardware brings a new crop of remastered, remade, and reimagined classics from yesteryear. In that spirit, the Greatest Hits Game Bundle celebrates the history of video game development and culture by collecting 95 of our best books from game bundles of the past in one massive, final boss-sized compilation—and your last chance to get these DRM-free tomes at unbeatable prices.

Read more about the 95 books in the bundle here, and make sure to click on each cover for a synopsis, reviews and preview of each book.

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Don your adventurer's cap and delve into Dungeons & Desktops with historian and professor Matt Barton. Join fellow historian Jeremy Parish as he revisits the turbulent beginnings of Nintendo's breakout systems in volumes one and two of NES Works and Game Boy Works. Author, journalist, and game designer Leigh Alexander delivers a deeply personal account of the games industry in Clipping Through: One Mad Week in Video Games.

Venerable publisher Boss Fight Books delivers six of its critically acclaimed stories that weave personal histories into development sagas. Fight on the fields of Azeroth, through Hell, and up to the stars in David L. Craddock's Stay Awhile and Listen: Book I and Book II, which explore the making of Blizzard Entertainment's WarCraft and StarCraft franchises, and Blizzard North's Diablo and Diablo II.

All that, plus veteran games reporter Kyle Orland's anthology of articles and features, over a dozen of Hardcore Gaming 101's retrospectives and rankings of the greatest games of all time, author and strategy guide writer Doug Walsh's memoir of a career writing hint books for BradyGames and Prima, Rob O'Hara's and Jamie Lendino's histories of games developed for Commodore and Atari PCs, Unseen64's complete library of games you've never played on consoles like Sega Saturn and PlayStation One, John Harris's comprehensive guides to Animal Crossing: New Horizons and game hacks, collections of interviews with legendary game designers, and dozens more.

StoryBundle is a pay-what-you-want platform for independent authors to share their works with readers (and gamers) like you. Paying at least $5 will get you five books from the Greatest Hits Game Bundle, while paying $30 or more unlocks all 95 books. – David L. Craddock

Edited December 3, 2020 by atomheartbevo

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Partial listing of books 

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Stay Awhile and Listen Book 1 - Legendary Edition by David L. Craddock

"A fascinating behind-the-scenes look at the storied history and development of Diablo and the early days of Blizzard Entertainment."

 – Dr. Ray Muzyka, co-founder of BioWare

Stay Awhile and Listen (2): Lords of Terror Edition by David L. Craddock

"Stay Awhile and Listen weaves the words of the creators of Diablo into a compelling narrative and opens a window into the strange and wild world of the games biz. Reading this tale reminded me why I decided to leave the games business, and why I had to get back in."

 – Glenn Wichman, co-creator of Rogue

Dungeon Hacks: Expanded Edition by David L. Craddock

"Classic roguelike games may seem like yesterday's news, but they inspire game designers the world over to this day. Dungeon Hacks tells their story in compelling fashion and explains what they still have to teach us."

 – Warren Spector, director of Deus Ex and Disney's Epic Mickey

GameDev Stories: Interviews About Game Development and Culture by David L. Craddock

"By giving bedroom hackers equal billing with company founders, Craddock successfully illustrates the tremendous breadth of voices behind the creation of video games. Taken as a whole, Craddock's interviews masterfully weave together the artistry, business, and humanity of game development into a work that explains what game development is far more successfully than any individual could ever hope to."

 – Frank Cifaldi, game developer, founder of The Video Game History Foundation

GameDev Stories: Volume 2 by David L. Craddock

"By giving bedroom hackers equal billing with company founders, Craddock successfully illustrates the tremendous breadth of voices behind the creation of video games. Taken as a whole, Craddock's interviews masterfully weave together the artistry, business, and humanity of game development into a work that explains what game development is far more successfully than any individual could ever hope to."

 – Frank Cifaldi, game developer, founder of The Video Game History Foundation

GameDev Stories: Volume 6 - How Games Are Made by David L. Craddock

"By giving bedroom hackers equal billing with company founders, Craddock successfully illustrates the tremendous breadth of voices behind the creation of video games. Taken as a whole, Craddock's interviews masterfully weave together the artistry, business, and humanity of game development into a work that explains what game development is far more successfully than any individual could ever hope to."

 – Frank Cifaldi, game developer and founder of The Video Game History Foundation

Red to Black - The Making of Rogue Legacy by David L. Craddock

"Indie game development is as much about the story behind the game as it is the game itself, and Red To Black is an engaging tale and another gem in Craddock's stellar series of game design narratives. It's full of controversy, conflict, family, and the iterative design of gameplay mechanics around player experience goals. You know, the building blocks of all classic drama."

 – Bryan J. Carr, Ph.D. Game Studies, University of Wisconsin Green Bay

Rocket Jump: Quake and the Golden Age of First-Person Shooters by David L. Craddock

"David does an exceptional job. This epic effort was the result of a ton of research and it shows."

 – John Romero, co-founder of id Software

Anything But Sports - The Making of FTL by David L. Craddock

"It's important to have someone like David trying to capture the history of our industry while it is happening. There are fascinating and important stories behind most every company and game that shed light on the drama that accompanies development."

 – Brian Fargo, founder of Interplay Entertainment and inXile Entertainment

Once Upon a Point & Click by David L. Craddock

"If you want to know more about the history of the franchise and its importance, I strongly recommend reading David Craddock's series. First-class material."

 – Gaga Games

Everybody Shake! - The Making of Spaceteam by David L. Craddock

"With Everybody Shake!, David Craddock again shows us the human beings behind the games we love: a great story of how three months of game development came out of three decades of gaming experience."

 – Glenn Wichman, co-creator of Rogue

Beneath a Starless Sky by David L. Craddock

"The scale of this is amazing. Holy shit, seven months of interviews, and it just shows everywhere."

 – 2018 Kunkel Awards Nominee: Excellence in Feature Writing

Stairway to Badass by David L. Craddock

"Holy Hell and Back! David Craddock wrote a book on Doom and it's great!"

 – John Romero, co-founder of id Software and co-creator of Commander Keen, Wolfenstein 3D, Doom, and Quake 

So You Want to Play Go? by Jonathan Hop

"Cannot recommend this highly enough! Learning Go can be a bit daunting at first, especially for those of us that do not have a lot of time to sit down and study the game and give it the time it deserves. However if you need the fundamentals this is THE BOOK to start with!"

 – Amazon Review

Put This In Your Brain: The Best of Unwinnable Weekly by Stu Horvath & the Unwinnable Writers

"From the moment it first appeared, Unwinnable has provided a consistent home to some of the most compelling, surprising and unusual essays about videogames and videogame culture to be found anywhere. Supporting more Unwinnable means more good writing coming into this world"

 – Tom Bissell (Harper's Magazine, Grantland, Gears of War: Judgement)

Designers & Dragons - 1970s, 1980s, 1990s & 2000s by Shannon Appelcline

"How about four new books, each focusing on the gaming companies that formed in the 70s, 80s, 90s, and 00s? And these aren't little thin volumes that quickly summarize the histories and individuals who were involved in the development of the hundreds and hundreds of RPGs since the 70s, either! The first volume comes in at 400 pages, and I've just finished reading it. In a word… outstanding!"

 – GeekDad

A Psychogeography of Games by Hannah Nicklin

"Nicklin's book makes an important contribution to understanding how and why people make games. It is an illuminating work that offers real insight and connection with designers and their processes through engaging interviews. The book is a fantastically curated collection focusing on some really important game artists, designers and indie developers."

 – Alan Hook, Lecturer in Interactive Media at Ulster University

The Game Beat by Kyle Orland

"There aren't many people whose perspective on video games and the media mean as much to me as Kyle Orland's. Kyle has always been an earnest and curious chronicler of video game journalism, so it should be no surprise that this collection of much of his work covering that space over the last decade-plus has both of those values. For anyone interested in the real challenges of working this beat, this collection is an easy recommendation."

 – Chris Grant, editor-in-chief, Polygon

HG 101 Presents: An Unofficial Guide to Castlevania by Kurt Kalata

"No stone has been left unturned in this lovingly constructed tribute to one of gaming's most enduring franchises, and it's clear that Kalata himself is a massive, massive follower of the games. It's incredibly difficult to translate the appeal of a website into a printed book, but this venture is a wonderful success, striking the perfect the balance between text and imagery to create a tome which is easy to pick up for a quick read, but hard to put back down again afterwards."

 – Nintendo Life

HG101 Presents: Sega Arcade Classics Vol. 1 by Kurt Kalata

"I consider myself fairly well-versed on many of these games and I was constantly learning new and fascinating tidbits while reading this. The writing is passionate, but also level-headed, professional, and informed. The page layouts are bright and colorful, totally fitting the Blue Skies Sega of the era."

 – Blue Skies Daily

HG101 Presents: Unofficial Guide to Konami Shooters by Kurt Kalata

"I bought this on a whim to satiate a lifelong love of the Gradius franchise, but was amazed how much content, facts, and research went into this book. I bought the kindle copy, but will be upgrading to a physical copy immediately! If you love SHMUPs, Konami, Gradius (and more), video games - you should definitely pick this up."

 – Joe M., Amazon.com review

HG101 Presents: The Guide to Shoot-em-ups Vol. 1 by Kurt Kalata

"I am thrilled beyond belief that this not only exists, but the attention to detail and fantastic layout within.... Stunning cover art, and the overall production looks and feels wonderful. Similar size and format to a comic book trade. Can't wait for volume 2!"

 – Dan A, Amazon.com review

HG101 Presents: The Guide to Retro Indie Games Vol. 1 by Kurt Kalata

"Great book, provides great information (and several pictures) about many Indie games. Waiting for vol. 2!"

 – Amazon Review

HG101 Presents: Contra and Other Konami Classics by Kurt Kalata

"Hardcore Gaming 101 books are a treat. Packed with game details, screen shots, and game pedigrees, the retro gamer and collector can appreciate the depth and even-keeled writing. Do note that the subtitle: "...and other Konami Classics" means this book is not entirely about the Contra series. There is coverage on related Konami titles, many of which are obscure. What's nice is that you can discover some games of the same ilk."

 – Amazon Review

HG101 Presents - The 200 Best Video Games of All Time by Kurt Kalata

"Each title gets a page made up of words, artwork and screens, as well as a "see also" section at the bottom which cites a similar release which is also worth a look. You could therefore say that the actual list stands at 400 - and that doesn't include the 55 runners-up which are included at the close of the book, with each getting a short description and screenshot. All of this results in a frankly incredible resource for anyone interested in the history of gaming - all major genres are touched upon, and while you could argue that some are featured more heavily than others (sports and racing games have little coverage, while RPGs - western and Japanese - are in abundance), it does an excellent job of presenting a more rounded picture of gaming's greatest achievements."

 – Nintendo Life

Retro Game Super Translation Selection by Kurt Kalata and Hanenashi Error

"Very interesting look into how translations during the 1980s and 1990s went. The author looks at quirks and clever localization both for games from Japanese to English, and from English to Japanese, with context and explanations to elaborate on why the translator did what they did. Very recommended!"

 – Amazon.com review

HG 101 Digest Vol 1 - Strider and Bionic Commando by Kurt Kalata

"An excellent write-up of the Strider and Bionic Commando series, from the original classics to modern remakes/sequels. Also contains shorter reviews of other games like Umihara Kawase and fun mini-reviews of Japanese Famicom and Playstation games."

 – Leonard Martinez, Amazon.com review

Braving Britannia by Wes Locher

"I had no idea what to expect from the book Braving Britannia: Tales of Life, Love, and Adventure in Ultima Online by Wes Locher. I've never played Ultima Online, or any Ultima game if I'm being honest. I do, however, love hearing about why massively multiplayer online roleplaying games are so important to the those that play them, and a people's history of the grandfather of all MMORPGs sounded like it would provide that. I wasn't disappointed."

 – Joesph Langdon / Sidequest

21 Unexpected Games to Love on the Atari VCS by John Harris

"20 Reasons explains that in its prime, the Atari VCS (or 2600, as I knew it) was doing things the public had not thought possible, and yet, it existed under staggering limitations. The book looks at the ways in which VCS games turned these limitations to their advantage and gets you, the reader, thinking about creativity and limitations. The experience of reading it is both like a themed meditation and like a quirky tour."

 – Jim Kang

Memories of Arcadia by John Harris

"Extended Play is an oasis of quiet explanation and thought about overlooked works in a time overwhelmed by Twitter-tailored takes on whatever garners the most 'engagement.' Sitting down to read it specifically for a few minutes always feels worth the time."

 – Jim Kang

Somebody Set Up Us the ROM, Part One by John Harris

"John Harris takes you on a tour of your favorite classic games as you've never seen them before. There is impressive creativity and talent in these hacks." – Matthew Green

Fallen Down - Heartache & Compassion in Undertale by Joel Couture

"Couture's book perfectly encapsulates what makes this game so special. It's well worth a read for anyone that enjoys this indie classic."

 – Elizabeth Henges, RPGSite

Figure Fight by John Harris

"John Harris taught me things about how Smash uses amiibo under the hood that I had absolutely no idea was happening. If you want to raise a top tier amiibo, this must be your first read."

 – Matthew Green, pressthebuttons.com

Level Up! A JRPG Creator's Handbook by John Harris

"If you want an understanding of RPG Maker, this book is the place to start. The lengthy appendices chronicle some of the most memorable titles in the genre and are worth reading alone even if you're not an aspiring developer."

 – Matthew Green, pressthebuttons.com & Power Button podcast

Bug Voyage! by John Harris

"Video games are pretty cool when they're working, but WAY cooler when they ALMOST work. If you've ever felt the pang of existential terror when you clipped through a wall, John Harris will make you feel better. And if you haven't, he'll tell you how to get started!"

 – Zachary Spector

Faster Than Light by Jamie Lendino

"If you were into home computing in the 1980s, this is an absolute must read."

 – Old School Gamer Magazine

The Walkthrough: Insider Tales from a Life in Strategy Guides by Doug Walsh

"The Walkthrough is not only a great story. It's a time capsule I'll return to when my eyes land on my strategy guides and I grow nostalgic, and want to feel like that kid who used to sneak strategy guides into class and get swept away in tips, tricks, cheat codes, and pro strategies."

 – David L. Craddock, Author of Arcade Perfect

Honoring the Code by Matt Barton

"Fans of classic games will appreciate the insider stories and explanations of the reasoning behind particular choices in game play and development. Students of game history will benefit from the detailed look at specific moments in the development of many significant games. The author is obviously very knowledgeable and passionate about games and communicates that clearly throughout the text. … Summing Up: Recommended. Students of all levels in game design programs; general readers."

 – E. Bertozzi, Long Island University, in CHOICE

Dungeons & Desktops by Matt Barton

"Dungeons & Desktops: The History of Computer Role-Playing games is an incredible tour-de-force of a recreational industry."

 – The Midwest Book Review, April 2008

Videogames for Humans by Merritt Kopas

"With each chapter in Videogames for Humans I immediately felt a specific kind of affectation I often associate with Twine games—contemplative, slow, mysterious and exciting. These are games that often beg for reflection and context, and it's apt that artists working in a medium as seemingly antiquated as interactive fiction are developing works of digital play and storytelling with such depth."

 – VICE Motherboard

Exp. Negatives by Mathew Kumar

“Game journalism could use more writing of this caliber.” – Chad Sapieha, The Globe and Mail

Video War by Stephen Manes

"A fun, modern, and above all teenage novel about fighting city hall."

 – L. A. Weekly

The Untold History of Japanese Game Developers Vol. 1 by John Szczepaniak

"We now have a window into Japanese game development and its history where previously there was only hearsay and PR press releases. The absence of any PR people acting as gatekeepers is also very apparent here and the result is a clear and very human take on the people being interviewed. Much of what is revealed is also utterly fascinating. There are also poignant aspects to the book too, as many important and interesting figures have sadly passed away. These individuals are given obituary pages listing their works as well as their involvement. It's eminently clear that this kind of book is very much long past due."

 – Forbes

The Untold History of Japanese Game Developers: Vol. 2 by John Szczepaniak

"Each and every page is dripping with amazing facts and information, as well as jaw-dropping anecdotes that could only have been unearthed during an informal, face-to-face interview. If you have even the most cursory interest in games from the Far East, then both of these books are essential reading."

 – NintendoLife

Souls of Darkness by Gary Butterfield

"I absolutely loved "Souls of Darkness" It was like revisiting my childhood as an adult, eerily familiar, however a completely unique experience, just as hilarious and terrifying as childhood tends to be."

 – Luke Palmer, Goodreads

Commodork - Sordid Tales from a BBS Junkie by Rob O'Hara

"One note in this book particularly struck me: in the beginning days of home computers people who had a home computer were very actively using them – "Nobody sat around mindlessly playing Solitaire all day long back then". Indeed, the happy few who had home computers in the 1980s / 1990s had a strong interest in doing stuff with those computers. I know I was able to make 17-hour "computering" days. The book is about Robs' memories from growing up with computers (his parents supporting him a lot), the rampant copying of software that happened and the growth and decline of BBSes. A wonderful book, very recognizable when you went through the same stuff around the same time. And Rob is good at storytelling which makes this a very nice book to read. 5 out of 5 stars."

 – Koos van den Hout at The Virtual Bookcase

Candid Conversations in Code by Ethan Johnson

"It is easy to forget the often humble origins of the video game industry, which has proven to be has impactful to modern culture as the radio and television. Candid Conversations of Code puts to page the lives and careers of several of its pioneers, providing engaging first-hand accounts from a wide array of programmers and developers from the industry's early infancy. It is essential reading for any enthusiast of the history of video games and electronics."

 – Derek L of the Hellenistic Age Podcast

Game Boy Works Vol. I by Jeremy Parish

"A wonderful, in-depth look at the early years of gaming's most recognizable portable. Author Jeremy Parish takes a great deal of care in thoughtfully exploring the first year of the device, encompassing both the device's creation and its early library of software. Like all the work Parish creates, Game Boy World is an exceptionally professional and insightful take on game design and preservation. A must-read for gamers who are open to learning something about the history of the medium they so enjoy." – Amazon Review

Critical Hits by Zoe Jellicoe

"It seems a whole new generation of writers and thinkers have grown up and now want to give videogames the same robust treatment normally reserved for literature, film and art theory … It's about time, and seemingly leading the charge over here is editor Zoë Jellicoe."

 – The Thin Air

Heterotopias 001 by Gareth Damian Martin

"Heterotopias is a smart and beautiful zine, the meeting point between Foucault and video games I never knew I wanted"

 – Martin Robinson, Features Editor, Eurogamer

Clipping Through - One Mad Week in Video Games by Leigh Alexander

"Alexander immerses us in this land of neon lights, screens, keen techies and knowledgeable colleagues, while simultaneously immersing us in her own head; a place of human doubt, insecurities, memories, purpose and determination. And seemingly perpetual hangovers."

 – Alex Lemcovich

Boss Fight Books: EarthBound by Ken Baumann

"The breadth of Baumann's interests and his infectious love for humanity make him the perfect writer to do this game justice."

 – The Rumpus

Boss Fight Books: Jagged Alliance 2 by Darius Kazemi

[Kazemi's book] weaves together industrial history, design analysis and Robert Yang-style code diving. The result is not just a good read, but also a blueprint for holistic critique. 8/10

 – Paste

Boss Fight Books: Super Mario Bros. 2 by Jon Irwin

"A good Mario game is always about the secrets, about the warp zones, trick quicksand and Yoshi waiting atop the castle. Moments both humorous and poignant characterize this surprisingly human account… but I'll leave you to discover them yourself."

 – Entropy

Boss Fight Books: Chrono Trigger by Michael P. Williams

"At once an autobiography, an enthusiast's ode to the early years of gaming, and a coming of age story of boy-meets-cartridge."

 – Ted Woolsey

Boss Fight Books: ZZT by Anna Anthropy

"Moving and interesting even if you've never played the game—and that might be the truest mark of a successful piece of criticism."

 – Matt Bell, author of 'In the House upon the Dirt between the Lake and the Woods'

Boss Fight Books: Galaga by Michael Kimball

"'Galaga' rejects the Buzzfeeding of the immediate past, avoiding glib 'Remember this thing?' obviousness and petulant 'those were the days' nerd-culture nonsense for a literary experiment that takes aim at a classic arcade game and explodes it into 256 poignant pieces."

 – City Paper

Continue? The Boss Fight Books Anthology by Gabe Durham

"The fact that the writers & editors approached this writing with such maturity, levity, and commitment to the medium & its aspects is what makes this a quality anthology. It truly embraces games as a medium rather than just a children's pastime. It shows the beauty, the horror, and the truth that video games have the power to unlock within our hearts & minds."

 – Matt Lewis

You Died: The Unofficial Dark Souls Companion by Keza MacDonald and Jason Killingsworth

"Amazing… You Died deserves spots on shelves. It deserves to be copied and emulated a hundred times over. Give me fifty more of books with this much heart and serious attention to the micro and macro waves of how games wash over players and bystanders alike."

 – 9/10, Paste Magazine

Generation Decks: The Unofficial History of Magic the Gathering by Titus Chalk

"It was a pleasure to read this well researched book and get back in touch with the game design world from the '90s."

 – Richard Garfield, game designer and creator of Magic: The Gathering

Trigger Happy 2.0 by Steven Poole

"Throughout Trigger Happy 2.0, Poole demonstrates the imagination to see things in an unusual way and the confidence to know that he's right, and that slam-dunk accuracy is his secret weapon … wildly energising… If you read about games, it's focused literary joy."

 – Eurogamer

Dungeons & Dreamers by Brad King and John Borland

"Dungeons & Dreamers tells the epic story of the rise of the games industry from its geeky roots to its mass market dominance. None of us who were there at the beginning had any expectations it would rise to overshadow all other communications media combined…but it has."

 – Richard Garriott de Cayeux, creator of the Ultima franchise

Game of X - Vol 1.: The Untold History of Xbox by Rusel DeMaria

"Rusel achieves the nearly impossible by cutting through the noise and through the fog of history to bring you the true events that gave birth to Xbox: The highs, the lows, and even a few things that might have been better left forgotten. There's so much here that even those of us who were there at the beginning never knew. I suspect the man must have the world's only working time machine. I can't recommend this book enough."

 – Kevin Bachus, Xbox co-founder

Game of X - Vol. 2 by Rusel DeMaria

"Rusel DeMaria delivers the colorful and unlikely stories of the earliest days of games at Microsoft as well as the technology that enabled games, which also made Xbox possible before it was even on the radar."

 – Ed Fries, former VP, Microsoft Games Studios

 

[SimonBolivar 10,958]

I thought this was going to be a thread about how bad Ready Player Two is, but I'm pleasantly surprised with this collection.

[atomheartbevo 89,668]

1 minute ago, SimonBolivar said:

I thought this was going to be a thread about how bad Ready Player Two is, but I'm pleasantly surprised with this collection.

I'm downloading them now.  Over 2.9GB of books.  Worth a helluva lot more than $30, that's for sure. 

[Hozz 1,017]

Nice find.  In for the book on Jagged Alliance 2!

[atomheartbevo 89,668]

They've added a few more books, this deal ends in three days.

[ztejas 43,448]

I thought the point of playing video games was that I didn't have to read books.

[gyroprotagonist 2,592]

 

On 12/22/2020 at 12:43 AM, ztejas said:

I thought the point of playing video games was that I didn't have to read books.

Why should we have to go to class read if we came here to play FOOTBALL video games, we ain't come here to play SCHOOL read, classes books are pointless