The 100 Games That Taught Me Game Design

🔴 Get my premium monthly newsletter - https://gamemakerstoolkit.com/digest/ 🔴

One of the best ways to learn about game design is to just play a whole bunch of games. But with thousands of titles to choose from... where do you start? Well, this video lists 100 games that have most helped me in my journey to understand game development - from arcade classics to virtual reality thrills.

=== Corrections ===

Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare was developed by Infinity Ward, not Treyarch.

Spaceteam is actually still on the iOS App Store!

=== Important information ===

Content warning: Blood, Language, War

Backloggd list - https://www.backloggd.com/u/GameMakersTK/list/100-games-that-taught-me-game-design/

While most of the games are available on Steam, Xbox, PlayStation, or Switch, a few can be found elsewhere. Use these links to begin.

Space Invaders - https://www.vizzed.com/play/space-invaders-+-space-invaders-m-mame-online-arcade-49180-playable
Pac-Man - https://www.vizzed.com/play/pac-man-25th-anniversary-edition-(rev-200)-mame-online-arcade-44130-playable
Rogue - https://www.myabandonware.com/game/rogue-4n/play-4n
Tetris - https://www.retrogames.cz/play_136-GameBoy.php
Diablo II - https://eu.shop.battle.net/en-gb/product/diablo-ii
The Sims - https://www.myabandonware.com/game/the-sims-bf5
September 12th - http://www.newsgaming.com/games/index12.htm
Cookie Clicker -https://orteil.dashnet.org/cookieclicker/
Spelunky - https://spelunkyworld.com/original.html

=== Sources ===

[1] Resident Evil Creator Shinji Mikami Reflects... | Gamespot
http://www.gamespot.com/articles/resident-evil-creator-shinji-mikami-reflects-on-th/1100-6435918/

[2] Preview: Crazy Taxi: Fare Wars | 1UP
https://web.archive.org/web/20070927204306/http://www.1up.com/do/previewPage?cId=3158197

[3] 40 years and I'm still here | Game Developer
https://www.gamedeveloper.com/business/my-40-years-in-the-game-industry

[4] The Last Guardian creator... | The Guardian
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/jun/28/the-last-guardian-fumito-ueda-interview

[5] Rez - Tetsuya Mizuguchi's Timeless Masterpiece | Time Extension
https://www.timeextension.com/features/the-making-of-rez-tetsuya-mizuguchis-timeless-masterpiece

[6] Keita Takahashi talks Katamari Damacy | GameSpy
http://www.gamespy.com/articles/595/595110p1.html

[7] Spelunky by Derek Yu | Boss Fight Books
https://bossfightbooks.com/products/spelunky-by-derek-yu

[8] Designing side quests? Study these 7 games | Game Developer
https://www.gamedeveloper.com/design/designing-side-quests-study-these-7-games-and-some-chris-avellone-pointers-

[9] Soundbite: Age of Empires and Civilization... | The Life & Times of Video Games
https://lifeandtimes.games/episodes/files/soundbite-bruce-shelley

[10] Ahead of the Curve: The SpaceChem Postmortem | GDC Vault
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lH7gL3ivgFA

[11] Designing Mark of the Ninja - Nels Anderson | Full Indie
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IsHNpoleFp0

[12] Jake Solomon | Designer Notes
https://www.idlethumbs.net/designernotes/episodes/jake-solomon-part-1

[13] Brilliant Indie Game The Stanley Parable... | Wired
https://www.wired.com/2011/08/the-stanley-parable/

[14] Cow Clicker | Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cow_Clicker

[15] 18 things we learned about Alien: Isolation... | MCV UK
https://mcvuk.com/development-news/18-things-we-learned-about-alien-isolation-last-night/

[16] ’80 Days': Jules Verne-inspired game... | LA Times
https://web.archive.org/web/20140831040548/http://herocomplex.latimes.com/games/80-days-jules-verne-inspired-mobile-game-is-all-over-the-map/

[17] How Fortnite’s success... | Polygon
https://www.polygon.com/2019/4/23/18507750/fortnite-work-crunch-epic-games

[18] ...The aesthetics of frustration in Getting Over It | Gamasutra
https://web.archive.org/web/20190419044650/http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/312553/Designer_Interview_The_aesthetics_of_frustration_in_Getting_Over_It.php

[19] Designing Florence... | Game Developer
https://www.gamedeveloper.com/audio/designing-i-florence-i-to-convey-the-ineffable-feeling-of-being-in-love

[20] Understanding the meaningless ... Disco Elysium | Game Developer
https://www.gamedeveloper.com/business/understanding-the-meaningless-micro-reactive-and-marvellous-writing-of-i-disco-elysium-i-

[21] Road to the IGF ... Outer Wilds | Game Developer
- https://www.gamedeveloper.com/design/road-to-the-igf-alex-beachum-s-i-outer-wilds-i-

=== Chapters ===

00:00 - Intro
02:39 - 1 to 10
15:18 - 11 to 20
28:34 - 21 to 30
41:15 - 31 to 40
55:26 - 41 to 50
1:08:07 - 51 to 60
1:19:55 - 61 to 70
1:32:56 - 71 to 80
1:45:45 - 81 to 90
1:58:50 - 91 to 100
2:11:28 - Outro

=== Credits ===

Some music provided by Epidemic Sound - https://www.epidemicsound.com/referral/vtdu5y (Referral Link)

Other music from original soundtracks of games shown

Video credits - https://pastebin.com/iDY3GaAn