Por: Kadu Terra
20 Books About Gaming to Read in 2025
Video games aren’t just for killing time anymore. They’re how we tell stories, build communities, and figure things out about ourselves and the world. Whether you’re making games, analyzing them, or just logging hours on your favorite title, there’s a book here that’ll make you think, laugh, or maybe even reframe the way you play. Read on to check out the best books about gaming to read in 2025.
1. Masters of Doom by David Kushner
Think of this as gaming’s version of a rock band origin story. It follows John Carmack and John Romero, the brilliant (and volatile) minds behind Doom and Quake. They changed the game, literally and culturally. This one’s as thrilling as any shooter you’ve played.
2. Blood, Sweat, and Pixels by Jason Schreier
You know how hard games are to beat? Turns out making them is harder. Schreier goes behind the scenes of beloved titles like The Witcher 3, Stardew Valley, and Uncharted 4 and uncovers the late nights, breakdowns, and small miracles that got them over the finish line.
3. The Art of Game Design by Jesse Schell
Designing games isn’t about magic, it’s about lenses. Schell gives you 100+ ways to look at your game idea from different angles, and the best part is how practical it all feels. Whether you’re prototyping or polishing, it’s a go-to guide.
4. Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin
This one’s a novel. But it gets game development right. Zevin explores the friendship between two designers, touching on success, loss, and the weird intimacy of shared creative work. You don’t need to be a gamer to love it, but if you are, it hits harder.
5. Reality Is Broken by Jane McGonigal
McGonigal flips the script: maybe real life is the broken one. Games, she argues, can give us meaning, community, and agency. It’s hopeful, smart, and brimming with examples of how games can help us heal or grow.
6. Game Design Workshop by Tracy Fullerton
You’ll find this in game dev classrooms, but it’s approachable enough for curious hobbyists. Fullerton lays out the essentials, such as concepting, prototyping, and playtesting, with prompts and exercises that get you moving from idea to build.
7. Replay by Tristan Donovan
Donovan tells the story of video games from a wide lens. It’s global, historical, and filled with wild facts. He doesn’t just cover the hits, he brings in voices from Japan, Europe, arcades, PC mods, all of it.
8. You Died by Keza MacDonald and Jason Killingsworth
If you’ve survived Dark Souls, you know it’s not just a game, it’s an experience. This book dives into the community, the frustration, and the unexpected emotional payoff of perseverance. There’s also a ton of love here for FromSoftware’s vision.
9. Watch Me Play by T.L. Taylor
Streaming didn’t just change how we watch games. It changed what games are. Taylor explores Twitch culture, labor, performance, and how identity gets tangled in public play. Deep but totally readable.
10. Beyond the Screen by T.L. Taylor
Taylor returns to talk about how gamers find belonging. From MMOs to online casinos like 10CRIC (https://www.10crics.com/casino/), she explores how digital worlds give rise to real social connections. A thoughtful look at why these spaces matter.
11. The Ultimate History of Video Games by Steven L. Kent
This is a brick of a book, in the best way. It’s packed with anecdotes, corporate drama, and behind-the-scenes decisions that built the consoles and franchises we know today. Great for lore nerds.
12. Virtual Society by Herman Narula
Narula looks past the metaverse buzz to what’s really changing. Digital spaces are becoming social defaults, and games are the blueprint. He’s a little utopian, but his ideas are grounded in real tech and trends.
13. Death by Video Game by Simon Parkin
This one’s emotional. Parkin travels the world to tell stories of people whose lives were shaped or even saved by games. It’s not all feel-good, though. There’s tragedy, obsession, and the strange power games hold over us.
14. Women in Game Development by Jennifer Brandes Hepler
A frank and eye-opening collection of essays from women across the industry. From animators to writers to execs, their voices map out the terrain of progress and resistance in a still-too-male field.
15. Games and Culture (Journal)
More academic but super rich. If you like diving into race, gender, economics, or politics in games, this journal delivers well-researched, well-argued takes from top scholars.
16. The Game Believes in You by Greg Toppo
Toppo brings a journalist’s eye to classrooms where games are transforming education. His examples, like math RPGs or sandbox science, show how good design can unlock real learning.
17. Super Mario: How Nintendo Conquered America by Jeff Ryan
Mario wasn’t always a sure bet. Ryan shows how Nintendo built an empire, made smart (and weird) choices, and managed to keep Mario relevant for decades.
18. Rise of the Videogame Zinesters by Anna Anthropy
This book is pure energy. Anthropy wants everyone making games, especially folks who’ve been shut out. She breaks down tools, mindset, and why personal games matter just as much as polished ones.
19. Slay by Brittney Morris
Fiction again, but powerful. A Black teen builds a secret online game to celebrate Black culture, only to have it threatened. It’s a sharp, emotional read that touches on identity, gatekeeping, and digital ownership.
20. How to Talk About Video Games by Ian Bogost
Sometimes smart people get weird about games. Bogost embraces that. His essays bounce from goofy to academic and back again, unpacking what games mean without ever taking them or himself too seriously.
Why These Books Matter in 2025
Games aren’t side quests anymore. They shape how we communicate, learn, compete, and relate to each other. These books give context, critique, and heart to the games we play and the worlds they build. If you want to go deeper into the culture you already love or if you’re just game-curious, this list is a solid place to start.
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