★★★★★ 5
Level Up Again: Essential Third Edition for Video Game Designers
Format: Paperback
If you’re serious about making fun and successful videogames, you will buy, read and learn from Level Up! 3rd Edition. I was the first person to pre order the 1st edition, and as someone who worked alongside Scott Rogers at videogame publisher THQ, I can tell you this newly expanded volume is the most complete, accessible guide to video game design yet.
Scott Rogers remains the “heavy hitter” I described in my original review—equal parts lifelong gamer, pen and paper enthusiast, and seasoned industry pro. He’s witnessed games evolve from the ground up, studied every mechanic, and distilled decades of professional game design wisdom into lessons both beginners and veterans can apply immediately.
Building on the solid foundation of the 1st edition—history, team roles, idea to concept mapping, the Triangle of Weirdness, and the Beat Chart—the 3rd Edition has been expanded to cover today’s challenges. You’ll see how to develop ideas with real world appeal and weave monetization strategies into your game designs from day one.
A new chapter on playtesting walks you through structuring tests, gathering actionable feedback, and iterating mechanics, saving you weeks of blind alleys.
There’s an in depth exploration of pre production through post mortem so you can avoid feature creep, scope collapse, and production bottlenecks.
You’ll also find dedicated guidance for console, mobile, VR/AR/MR, and live service games—including detailed control schemes, UI/UX patterns, and economy rules tailored to each platform. And consistent with the first two editions, Scott includes new exercises and analogies—even an original chili recipe that illustrates balancing risk versus reward in game economies (and because Scott loves chili).
You’ll still find the clear “Universal Truths” synopses at each chapter’s end, an updated table of contents and index for quick reference, and the cartoons and Rogers isms that make complex concepts easier to understand. If you want to level up your game design knowledge, grab this 3rd Edition of Level Up! For a deep dive on the original material, see my full review of the 1st edition on Amazon.
Laddie Ervin
Scott’s former boss and video game industry professional.
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Reviewed in the United States on April 17, 2025
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