Blood, Sweat, and Pixels

Fascinating behind the scenes view on how video games are made. And it's hard!

This book gave me a new perspective on gaming and how passionate people dedicate endless hours on creating a new game. I didn't realize how much these teams need to crunch (aka “to work extra hours for extended periods”) in order to meet a deadline or finish a game.

A video game is a complex interactive experience that is somewhere between art and technology. There is an analogy in the book that says: “...making a game is like constructing a building during an earthquake. Or trying to drive a train while someone else runs in front of you, laying down track as you go.”

Each chapter tells the story of one video game and my top 3 favorites stories were:
1) Stardew Valley (I haven't played this particular game, but it's fascinating to learn that it was a one-person-team game, truly indie),
2) Dragon Age: Inquisition (I love this game and it's interesting to understand the team's effort to make the best Dragon Age they possibly could),
3) The Witcher 3 (I am currently still playing this game which has one of the best storytelling and world building I've seen on action RPG's).

This book is interesting, fun and a must-read if you ever played or still play video games.