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zeroone's review
4.0
Sid Meier's memoir starts off as his game catalogue all the way from his university times at the late 1970s. Back then he would make games "technology first", based on what was possible with the very limited technology of the time.
The book progresses chronologically, and so it is only after the first hundred pages or so after the technology has advanced enough so that Meier could start making the kind of games he wanted to make. This is when the big names such as Pirates!, Railroad Tycoon, and Civilization come into play and the book gets even more interesting.
We learn about Meier's interests, which are numerous, and game design principles. Meier may hold on to game ideas even for decades before finally implementing them, but there's also the story of the "dinosaur game" that he really wanted to make but, despite several different prototypes, just could not make into a fun experience for the players.
Each chapter is supposed to give details on a game or a few, listed below the title of the chapter, but towards the end the connection becomes weak at best, and we get to read other kinds of interesting "ramblings" (in a good way!). For example, after the chapter about Sid Meier's Civilization: Beyond Earth, I had to check back whether Beyond Earth was actually mentioned at all.
The book progresses chronologically, and so it is only after the first hundred pages or so after the technology has advanced enough so that Meier could start making the kind of games he wanted to make. This is when the big names such as Pirates!, Railroad Tycoon, and Civilization come into play and the book gets even more interesting.
We learn about Meier's interests, which are numerous, and game design principles. Meier may hold on to game ideas even for decades before finally implementing them, but there's also the story of the "dinosaur game" that he really wanted to make but, despite several different prototypes, just could not make into a fun experience for the players.
Each chapter is supposed to give details on a game or a few, listed below the title of the chapter, but towards the end the connection becomes weak at best, and we get to read other kinds of interesting "ramblings" (in a good way!). For example, after the chapter about Sid Meier's Civilization: Beyond Earth, I had to check back whether Beyond Earth was actually mentioned at all.
aurumarii's review
4.0
Really enjoyed this one. Sid gives a lot of insight into the world of game development. Highly recommended for fans of strategy games or even just PC games in general
benjatk's review against another edition
funny
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
4.0
ethanzo's review
4.0
A very fun book that makes me excited to play more Civilization! Getting an inside perspective on the gaming industry and how games are made and the work that goes into them felt very eye opening.
adambest's review
4.0
Neat read. Learned a lot about a bunch of his games, and some that I hadn't heard of, and some that were never released.
eznark's review
3.0
Decent enough, disappointed with how little time he spent reflecting on the later years.