I’ve been a gamer my whole life and never really understood the home brew scene. I once had an R4DS and that was it. Reading this was eye opening, and I never once felt like it was pandering or spoke down to me. Im even tempted to hack open my own systems now!

The title of this book, which was written by Robin Wilde and is titled Homebrew Game Development and The Extra Lives of Consoles, gives away the subject matter, which is all about the creation of games on an independent level. I am currently enrolled in a course on game development, and I found this book to be an extremely helpful resource for not only learning how to give myself an advantage when it comes to the creation of games in the future but also gaining insights into the game industry as a whole.

It is written in a manner that is both formal and inviting, which makes reading it both fun and educational. It offers a great deal of insights and information about the gaming industry that is not widely known, which is something that is not always to be expected when thinking about it on a surface level.

To other game developers as well as people who are simply interested in the creative side of the gaming industry, I wholeheartedly endorse reading this book.

5/5 Stars from me.

***A big thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.***

I appreciated the angle the author took focusing on the artistry and not the technical specifics of the game creation, as it made an easier to digest and more interesting topic. The narrative flowed and was engaging, and I think anyone interested in video game history and the future of gaming would like this book. I also liked the examples of some of the most representative games in the home brew world, I think it gave a great overview of where the hobby is at and where it came from. I also found the section on non-consoles and failed consoles interesting and was a nice addition to the topic. Overall enjoyable and interesting read good for both newbies to the home brew world and people who have been in it for a while.