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By Bob Nystrom. The essential guide to design patterns for game developers. Clear examples in a game context. Also free to read online.
By Jesse Schell. Over 100 "lenses" to examine your game design decisions. The bible of game design thinking.
By Scott Rogers. A practical guide to game design, from concept to completion. Great for beginners and veterans alike.
By Jason Schreier. Behind-the-scenes stories of how games are really made. Inspiring and eye-opening.
A drawing tablet is essential for digital art. Wacom, XP-Pen, and Huion all make great options at various price points.
A good monitor makes a huge difference. Look for 1440p+, good color accuracy, and low response time for testing games.
Test your games with real controllers. Xbox, PlayStation, and 8BitDo controllers all work great for PC game dev.
For recording sound effects, voiceover, or devlogs. USB mics like the Blue Yeti or Samson Q2U are popular starter picks.