The 6 best video game books of 2024

The end of one year and the beginning of another is my favorite time to catch up on the pile of books on my bedside table. In late December, the nights are dark, the cocoa is hot, and the blankets are cozy, making it oh-so easy to sink into the pages of a coffee-table book full of comforting pixel art. By January, I have that annual urge for self-improvement motivating me to learn something new, like the broadly forgotten histories of long-dead gaming companies.

Perhaps, if you’re like me, then you’ve begun to sift through the stacks at your local library or surf through your online bookstore of choice. But what to pick? Throughout 2024, I devoured a bounty of gaming books. I’ve narrowed the collection down to six that should appeal to every reader, whether you prefer your gaming books oozing with art and design or loaded with academic research and theory.