The second book from Ideaplatz founder Cheryl Platz, The Game Development Strategy Guide: Crafting Modern Video Games That Thrive has been lauded as a handbook for game developers at any stage of their career looking to make sense of an industry thrown into turmoil:
“An amazingly broad and contemporary take on our industry.” – Will Wright, creator of The Sims
“A true tour de force that deserves a prominent place in every game developer’s library!” – Weszt Hart, Co-author, Digital Thriving Playbook
Shipped on September 16, 2025.
Author Cheryl Platz is currently on tour with the book with previous stops in Tokyo, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Seattle, and San Francisco and virtual events with groups around the world including the UK, Ohio, and California. She will be speaking at the Global Innovation Forum in London in November. To book her for your event or podcast, reach out using this form.
“Get It” Recommendation from Kirkus Reviews
“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.”
Read the full review on Kirkus (October 2025 print edition)
Explore the Book
There’s so much content to explore for The Game Development Strategy Guide that it needed its own site. Head to gamedevelopmentstrategyguide.com for content including:
- Chapter quests
- The Enduring Play Podcast
- Book tour reports
- Additional support materials
About The Game Development Strategy Guide
Chapter Listing
Chapter 1: What Makes Us Play
Chapter 2: The Living Business of Games
Chapter 3: Putting the Dev in Game Development
Chapter 4: Game Designer’s Toolkit
Chapter 5: Game Experience Design in Practice
Chapter 6: The Why of Multiplayer
Chapter 7: Engaging Players over Time
Chapter 8: Creating Immersive Worlds
Chapter 9: From Emergence to Prosocial Gaming
Chapter 10: The Money Game
Chapter 11: Efficient and Ethical Economies
Chapter 12: Gaming Technology Platforms
Chapter 13: The Good and Bad of Game Dev Processes
Chapter 14: Let the Right Ideas Win
Chapter 15: Failure to Thrive
Who Should Read This Book
This book is for anyone and everyone interested in working on and creating games, including the
following people:
- Aspiring game developers of any discipline.
- Veteran game developers looking to reframe their understanding of game development to account for modern trends and standards.
- Creative leaders who need to build and support environments where great video games are created.
- Game designers trying to improve their understanding of the business considerations that have felled so many recent games.
- User experience designers looking to understand, define, and expand their impact in the broader video game market.
- Producers struggling with the choice of business model or monetization choices for their games.
- Partners to video game developers like legal counsel, business development, venture capitalists, marketing, licensing, and human relations.
Enduring Play Podcast
Now available on your favorite podcast platform: the Enduring Play Podcast, which brings to life the interviews that inspired the Game Development Strategy Guide. Season 1 brings you behind the scenes and provides deep context for 10 of the industry experts featured in the book, and Season 2 expands on the themes to continue your game dev education. Head to enduringplay.com for more information or to listen for free on the web.
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