Books like Press start to play by Daniel H. Wilson


A groundbreaking anthology of short stories from award-winning writers and game-industry titans who have embarked on a quest to explore what happens when video games and science fiction collide. From text-based adventures to first-person shooters, dungeon crawlers to horror games, these twenty-six stories play with our notion of what video games can be-and what they can become-in smart and singular ways.
First publish date: 2015
Authors: Daniel H. Wilson
★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 4.0 (1 community ratings)

Press start to play by Daniel H. Wilson

How are these books recommended?

The books recommended for Press start to play by Daniel H. Wilson are shaped by reader interaction. Votes on how closely books relate, user ratings, and community comments all help refine these recommendations and highlight books readers genuinely find similar in theme, ideas, and overall reading experience.


Have you read any of these books?
Your votes, ratings, and comments help improve recommendations and make it easier for other readers to discover books they’ll enjoy.

Books similar to Press start to play (13 similar books)

Ready Player One by 11320606|Ernest Cline book cover

📘 Ready Player One

In 2044, teenager Wade Watts lives for the virtual utopia OASIS, where he hunts legendary puzzles from old pop culture for a hidden prize that could change the world.

★★★★★★★★★★ 4.0 (284 ratings)
Similar? ✓ Yes 0 ✗ No 0
Snow Crash by 6259283|Neal Stephenson book cover

📘 Snow Crash

Neal Stephenson’s cyberpunk classic follows hacker Hiro as he confronts a deadly digital drug in a slick, future Metaverse full of hackers, virtual reality, and ancient Sumerian intrigue.

★★★★★★★★★★ 4.0 (180 ratings)
Similar? ✓ Yes 0 ✗ No 0
Burning Chrome by 6920463|William Gibson book cover

📘 Burning Chrome

A collection of William Gibson's early short fiction from the late 1970s and early 1980s.

★★★★★★★★★★ 3.9 (45 ratings)
Similar? ✓ Yes 0 ✗ No 0
Console Wars by 11627107|Blake J. Harris book cover

📘 Console Wars

An overview of the intense competition between Nintendo and Sega that shaped the early history of home video game consoles.

★★★★★★★★★★ 3.4 (9 ratings)
Similar? ✓ Yes 0 ✗ No 0
Blood, sweat, and pixels by 11874845|Jason Schreier book cover

📘 Blood, sweat, and pixels

A behind‑the‑scenes look at how blockbuster titles like Uncharted 4, Halo Wars, and Destiny are crafted, exploring the hurdles and demands that shape their design.

★★★★★★★★★★ 4.3 (3 ratings)
Similar? ✓ Yes 0 ✗ No 0
Game design workshop by 4570864|Tracy Fullerton book cover

📘 Game design workshop

As experienced teachers of novice game designers, the authors have discovered patterns in the way that students grasp game design — the mistakes they make as well as the methods to help them to create better games. Each exercise requires no background in programming or artwork, releasing beginning designers from the intricacies of electronic game production and allowing them to learn what works and what doesn't work in a game system. Additionally, these exercises teach important skills in system design: the processes of prototyping, playtesting, and redesigning.

★★★★★★★★★★ 5.0 (1 rating)
Similar? ✓ Yes 0 ✗ No 0
The Ultimate History of Video Games by 6930026|Steven L. Kent book cover

📘 The Ultimate History of Video Games

This book is a history of the Video Game Industry, from types of electronic entertainment that were available before video games, to the improvements up until the year 2001. It begins with a look at the origins of Pinball, and other novelty games, then on to games that were played on giant computers, and then finally to the invention of the Video game, and the growth of the industry. Each section has many quotes from people involved with the creation, design, or field of video games. At the center of the book is a 18 pages of of black and white photos of the various people and events mentioned. It also details the video game influences of video games into the cultures of the world, from movies to cereal boxes and toys. This book was originally released in the year 2000 under the title "The First Quarter: A 25-Year History of Video Games," without Chapter 30, the 'Time Line', and the "Index". Two editions almost identical, except the name of the publisher are known to exist. In these the publisher, on the Title-Copyright page, the spine and reverse cover of the book, have different names while the rest of the book is identical, including the same ISBN.

★★★★★★★★★★ 3.0 (1 rating)
Similar? ✓ Yes 0 ✗ No 0
Sword art online by 11825720|Reki Kawahara book cover

📘 Sword art online

"Linked up and logged into the deadly VMMORPG "Sword Art Online" in both the real and virtual worlds, Kirito is stuck in a hell of one man's making, and like everyone else, unable to escape until the game is beaten"--

★★★★★★★★★★ 4.0 (1 rating)
Similar? ✓ Yes 0 ✗ No 0
Fallout by 7788121|Gwenda Bond book cover

📘 Fallout

Lois Lane, a new student at East Metropolis High, teams up with her online friend Smallville Guy to confront bullying video gamers known as the Warheads, uncovering a dangerous virtual‑reality experiment.

★★★★★★★★★★ 3.0 (1 rating)
Similar? ✓ Yes 0 ✗ No 0
Press Reset by 11874845|Jason Schreier book cover

📘 Press Reset


★★★★★★★★★★ 4.0 (1 rating)
Similar? ✓ Yes 0 ✗ No 0
Game over by 6733263|Andrew Klavan book cover

📘 Game over

Rick battles in a virtual reality world where victory feels almost inevitable and danger lingers around every digital turn.

★★★★★★★★★★ 4.0 (1 rating)
Similar? ✓ Yes 0 ✗ No 0
Fundamentals of Game Design by 4759169|Ernest Adams book cover

📘 Fundamentals of Game Design


★★★★★★★★★★ 0.0 (0 ratings)
Similar? ✓ Yes 0 ✗ No 0
The Time Traveller's Almanac by 7919151|Jeff VanderMeer book cover

📘 The Time Traveller's Almanac


★★★★★★★★★★ 0.0 (0 ratings)
Similar? ✓ Yes 0 ✗ No 0

Some Other Similar Books

The Art of Game Design: A Book of Lenses by Jesse Schell
Super Mario: How Nintendo Conquered America by Super Mario Bros. Movie
Gamify: How Gamification Motivates People to Do Extraordinary Things by Brian Burke
Console Wars: Sega, Nintendo, and the Battle That Defined a Generation by Blake J. Harris
The Indie Game Developer Handbook by Richard Hill-Whittall

Have a similar book in mind? Let others know!

Please login to submit books!