Game Dev | Null: True Stories from Game Development

by Claire Blackshaw

This is an industry of make believe where we make fantasy reality but at a cost. The insane day to day is filled with fun tales of nerf guns and late night pizza. All the time a darker side lies on the edge from broken lives to homeless developers waiting on that final paycheck is on the edges of our industry. This is a collection of true accounts, washed and anonymised for you, a cathartic telling from me and my friends in the industry. I’ve tried to balance the humorous absurd with the dark. In my development doodles I hope to show you not the day to day but the unusual moments. So you can laugh and identify with them but also if you ever face stories like these in your own life you know you are not alone. I hope you share your tales with your friends and ask for help when you need it, and if you are just curious about development I hope this shows you another side.

89 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 25, 2018

About the author

With a passion for stories I grew up in South Africa with a strong desire to make games. Writing and directing for the stage was my main outlet growing up as well as writing and running roleplaying modules.
Moving to the UK in 2005 and joining the game industry I discovered my tribe and through a range of studios and places I've programmed, designed and consulted on games. I've also been known to do talks at various conferences.
Since 2013 I've also been running a small press publishing company with my wife for books and comics called Flammable Penguins.

Reviews

[Jason Walter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Flashbacks to my time

Reading the scenarios Claire has presented brought me back to my time in Game Development. This book is Funny, topically and in some cases really insightful into the industry and the absurdities you find in it. If you work in games dev, or are interested in the craziness that occurs when your favourite games are being made, give it a read

[D.H. Dhaenens · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliantly funny look at the games industry!