DESIGNING THE USER EXPERIENCE OF GAME DEVELOPMENT TOOLS

Tommy Foo
31 minutes ago
2 min read

David Lightbown

This is the definitive guide on how to design game development tools. The book begins with the foundations of user experience and how they apply to game development tools, then guides you through the User-Centered Design process – the gold standard in user experience design – which involves watching users work, understanding their goals, designing efficient and learnable user interfaces, and refining them through targeted evaluation techniques.

This completely revised and expanded second edition includes nine new inserts with deep dives into topics such as:

How to design intuitive tools
When to follow standards and when to innovate
AI and game development tools
What games can teach us about tools design
Why watching users work is essential

It also features excerpts from interviews with game industry legends, offering their advice on tools development:

John Romero, co-founder of id Software and designer of DOOM and Quake
Tim Sweeney, CEO of Epic Games

Designing the User Experience of Game Development Tools is ideal for anyone who makes, uses, or benefits from game development tools. It explains complex concepts in a clear, accessible way and shares proven techniques backed by real-world examples and extensive references. Whether you're building a quick script or a full-scale level editor, this book offers the guidance and strategies you need to create tools that empower people to focus on making the best games possible.

PUBLICATION DETAILS

LANGUAGE	BINDING	EDITION	ISBN	YEAR	PAGES
English	Hardcover	2nd	9781032982588	2025	210
English	Paperback	2nd	9781032982601	2025	240
English	eBook	2nd	9781040658055	2025	240
English	Paperback	1st	9781482240191	2015	188
English	Hardcover	1st	9781138427631	2017	188