Game Design for Teens (Premier Press Game Development) (ISBN 1592004962)

Table of Contents:
From the publisher's Web site. Features #The third installment in the popular line of For Teens books. #Covers the complete game design process, from idea, to design document, to development of the game. #Provides samples from real game design documents. #Helps readers develop the skills they need to express their game ideas clearly and thoroughly. #Examines game design theory as it applies to the different game genres. Table of Contents 1. What is Game Design? 2. What is a Game Designer? 3. The Design Document 4. The Game Idea 5. Creating the High Concept 6. Visualizing the Game 7. Designing Audio 8. Game Flow 9. Interface Design 10. Technical Design 11. Schedules and Budgets 12. Special Considerations Appendix A: Design Document

Good Place to Start:
I'm not a game design expert. I'm not in the gaming industry at all, except as a consumer. My son, on the other hand, has expressed a desire to "play test games" as a career. I thought, okay, let's check it out. Game Design for Teens is an introduction to the game design world (a complex, very technical realm), with the purpose of creating a game design document. Good: This book is written to the level of its intended audience. Good: It includes many good/relevant graphics. Good: Not designed to be a science book. Good: Keeps to the purpose/focus of the book with many good/relevant anecdotes. Other: It is a bit verbose/complex at times. Impressions: Good for young people interested in game design/development. Sincerely, JMS

Too general:
This book is far too general to be useful to anyone. There are far better books that address this topic.