New book by Cheryl Platz honored for its groundbreaking approach to demystifying and documenting modern video game development with new tools and insights in a fun and accessible way
Bellevue, WA : The Game Development Strategy Guide: Crafting Modern Video Games That Thrive is a uniquely expansive take on end-to-end on video game development written by designer and creative director Cheryl Platz that’s being celebrated by early reviewers as a ‘tour de force’ for developers at all stages of their careers. The book covers everything from player motivation to video game economies, as her experience in senior leadership for video games made it clear that the ability to understand other disciplines differentiated key teams. According to author Platz, “So many of my discussions when coming in as a new team leader were helping demystify questions like ‘What is my role? What is their role? How do our jobs relate on this game?’ And at the same time, one’s constantly trying to help non-development partners like legal and marketing understand this behemoth of a process. I wanted a single book I could hand anyone asking these questions to build a shared language of understanding and collaboration towards building better games.”
Early reviewers have taken note of the book’s unique stylistic structure which engages readers directly as a player progressing through the material, and the diverse reference material that will expand any gamer or game developer’s repertoire.
Kirkus Reviews, the globally respected review publication for traditional and indie publishers, gave The Game Development Strategy Guide a coveted “Get It” rating in August, but the celebration doesn’t stop there – the book has been honored with selection for feature in the October 15 Kirkus Reviews print magazine. Only a few independently published books receive this honor in any given issue.
To preview why Kirkus Reviews is so excited about The Game Development Strategy Guide, check out the review on the Kirkus Reviews website:
“Platz treats the history of gaming with reverence, mentioning deep cuts such as MadMaze alongside indie darlings like Unpacking; this makes the guide feel truly all-encompassing—as expansive as an open-world RPG—in a way that will resonate with industry insiders, newbie developers, and curious players alike. A wide-ranging introduction to how games are made, balancing insider rigor with accessibility.”
Kirkus Reviews, the game development strategy guide (october 15, 2025 print edition)
Well-respected reviewers from across the video game industry agree with this praise:
“An amazingly broad and contemporary take on our industry. Whether you are new to the gaming industry or a veteran, if there is only one book you read about the game industry and all the different points of view on it? It should probably be this one.”
Will Wright, game designer; creator of The Sims, SimCity, and Spore; BAFTA Fellow; co-founder of game development studio Maxis
“Cheryl Platz’s book is a true tour de force that deserves a prominent place in every game developer’s library!”
Weszt Hart, Co-author, Digital Thriving Playbook; Board member, Thriving in Games Group
“If every game developer is a gamer first, why not speak to them in gamer terms? Every career needs a walkthrough like this!”
Dr. Christopher Maverick, Assistant Teaching Professor of English, Digital Narrative and Interactive Design, University of Pittsburgh
“An essential resource for developers who want to build a standout video game that thrives in a crowded market — and avoid the critical failures that plague many games.”
Catt Small, Independent Game Developer and Executive Director of the Game Devs of Color Expo
“This guide is an amazing crash course for anyone who wants to make games that actually succeed.”
– Jesse Schell, author of The Art of Game Design
The Game Development Strategy Guide: Crafting Modern Video Games That Thrive is currently available for pre-order at most digital booksellers, including publisher Rosenfeld Media. The book releases worldwide on September 16, 2025. Cheryl’s first book, Design Beyond Devices: Creating Multimodal, Cross-Device Experiences, launched as a bestseller on Amazon’s user experience charts in 2020 and remains available worldwide.
In parallel with the book launch, Cheryl has launched “Enduring Play: A Game Development Podcast,” a free companion podcast which brings to life 10 of the 14 expert interviews that informed the book with thoughtful, high-production, high-context episodes that ensure no wisdom is left on the cutting room floor. Episode 1, “Using UX Strategy to Put Players First with Celia Hodent” launched on August 19, 2025 and new episodes will air weekly though October on all major podcast platforms and at enduringplay.com.
Via her design education company Ideaplatz, LLC, Cheryl has launched a yearlong book tour with the debut of her well-received talk “Modern Motivators of Play” on the mainstage at the Seattle Indies SLICE Expo at Seattle’s McCaw Hall. She will next be delivering a keynote talk in Tokyo this September called “Future Sight in Design”. Cheryl is actively looking to speak with organizers of potential tour stops: bookstores, libraries, conferences, and schools – and interested parties can submit inquiries here.
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Cheryl Platz
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