Basic Fun With Adventure Games

(cross-posted from my old Amazon review)

I first ran across this book at my local library when I was about 10 years old (twelve years ago, as of 2009). I'd just finished playing Colossal Cave, one of the first “text adventure” games, and I wanted to make my own. This book was just the drive my young brain needed to really start learning how to program.

It has several chapters on basic programming theory, with extensive yet readable code examples. It starts off with the general concept of adventure games, and gradually walks the reader through the creation of a short, yet intriguing game about a secret agent, complete with movement, items, rooms, characters, and special sequences. All is presented in an easy-to-understand manner that doesn't feel condescending.

At the end of the book, there is a huge appendix, listing all the code needed to create the game. It must be typed in by hand, but that's part of the charm of writing your own video game adventure. The source code was almost as helpful as the rest of the book, as I learned how to “read” the program and troubleshoot any errors. It can be compiled with nearly any BASIC compiler available free on the internet (I recommend Microsoft QuickBasic 7.1)

In short, I would recommend this book to anyone, young or old, who would like to start programming with a fun, if primitive language. The reading level is targeted to young teens (the game has some shooting and spy action), but can be understood by even a precocious ten-year-old like me, if they're motivated.