Latest Storybundle goes deep with Spelunky, Go & more

bundle_105_cover[So excited to be debuting the latest Game Storybundle – this one took some compiling, and had me commissioning exclusive eBooks, finding some supercool hidden gems like Jon Peterson’s tome, and even researching books on Go! My comments on each book are below the announce, and I hope you enjoy.]

Continuing its popular “pay what you want” ebook bundles, StoryBundle is very proud to present the Giga Game StoryBundle – the latest in the series of its acclaimed eBook bundles. This specially picked set of 8 fascinating game culture & history books once again features a multitude of great titles – including exclusive eBooks – for a fraction of their retail price.

The basic purchase tier ($3 or above) for the Mega Game StoryBundle includes a bundle-exclusive book, Matthew Wasteland’s ‘Surviving The Game Industry: A Wasteland Guide’ – a hilarious compilation of satirical Game Developer magazine columns by the AAA game industry veteran & co-author of acclaimed ‘The Writer Will Do Something’. Also included is Ian Bogost’s ‘How To Talk About Videogames’, super-sharp writing and criticism from the game designer and academic behind Cow Clicker and far more erudite concepts besides.

Additionally available at this tier is ‘Playing At The World’ by Jon Peterson, a masterful large-scale book on the origins of wargames and role-playing games & how they grew up to become Dungeons & Dragons, as well as ‘A Psychogeography Of Games’ from Hannah Nicklin, a happily meandering interview travelogue thinkpiece connecting and talking with creators like Jake Elliott (Kentucky Route Zero), Holly Gramazio (Tiny Games) & Ed Key (Proteus).

The higher-tier rewards – available at the payment tier of $12 or your local equivalent – include Derek Yu’s Boss Fight Books title ‘Spelunky’, an acclaimed deep dive behind scenes on the seminal procedurally generated platformer, mapped out by its creator himself. Plus you get ‘GameMaker Language – An In-Depth Guide’ from Benjamin Anderson, a book that goes deep into scripting in GameMaker Studio, from the basic underpinnings to complex topics like physics/AI.

In honor of Google Deepmind’s AlphaGo win, you’ll get ‘So You Want To Play Go, Vol.1’ by Jonathan Hop, a perfect introduction to the ancient Chinese strategy game, as well as ‘Hardcore Gaming 101 Digest Vol. 2: Taito Arcade Classics’ from Kurt Kalata & friends, providing a super-entertaining factual romp through Taito’s best and weirdest, from Elevator Action to Liquid Kids & beyond. – Simon Carless

The initial titles in the Giga Game Bundle (minimum $3 to purchase) are:

  • A Psychogeography of Games by Hannah Nicklin
  • How to Talk About Videogames by Ian Bogost
  • Playing at the World by Jon Peterson
  • Saving the Game Industry: A Wasteland Guide (StoryBundle Exclusive!) by Matthew Wasteland

If you pay more than the bonus price of just $12, you get all seven of the regular titles, plus seven more:

  • GameMaker Language by Benjamin Anderson
  • Boss Fight Books: Spelunky by Derek Yu
  • So You Want to Play Go? by Jonathan Hop
  • HG101 Presents: Taito Arcade Classics by Kurt Kalata

Finally, both the optional charity and the curator’s full cut from this bundle will be going to the Prisoners Literature Project (http://http://prisonlit.org/), a vitally important all-volunteer, non-profit group that sends donated books – almost 3,000 per month in more than 800 packages – directly to prisoners throughout the United States.

The bundle is available only for a limited time via http://www.storybundle.com. It allows easy reading on computers, smartphones, and tablets as well as Kindle and other ereaders via file transfer, email, and other methods. You get multiple DRM-free formats (.epub, .mobi and some .pdf) for all books!

It’s also super easy to give the gift of reading with StoryBundle, thanks to our gift cards – which allow you to send someone a code that they can redeem for any future StoryBundle bundle – and timed delivery, which allows you to control exactly when your recipient will get the gift of StoryBundle.

Why StoryBundle? Here are just a few benefits StoryBundle provides.

  • Get quality reads: We’ve chosen works from excellent authors to bundle together in one convenient package.
  • Pay what you want (minimum $3): You decide how much these fantastic books are worth to you. If you can only spare a little, that’s fine! You’ll still get access to a batch of exceptional titles.
  • Support authors who support DRM-free books: StoryBundle is a platform for authors to get exposure for their works, both for the titles featured in the bundle and for the rest of their catalog. Supporting authors who let you read their books on any device you want—restriction free—will show everyone there’s nothing wrong with ditching DRM.
  • Give to worthy causes: Bundle buyers have a chance to donate a portion of their proceeds to the Prisoners Literature Project.
  • Receive extra books: If you beat the bonus price, you’ll get the bonus books!

StoryBundle was created to give a platform for independent authors to showcase their work, and a source of quality titles for thirsty readers. StoryBundle works with authors to create bundles of ebooks that can be purchased by readers at their desired price. Before starting StoryBundle, Founder Jason Chen covered technology and software as an editor for Gizmodo.com and Lifehacker.com.


Surviving The Game Industry: A Wasteland Guide – Matthew Wasteland (Storybundle exclusive!)
“This hilarious compilation of satirical Game Developer magazine columns – by the AAA game industry veteran & co-author of acclaimed ‘The Writer Will Do Something’ – has a unique insider view into the function and dysfunction that made the console game biz tick.”

How To Talk About Videogames – Ian Bogost
“Super-sharp writing and criticism from the writer, game designer and academic behind Cow Clicker and far more erudite concepts besides. A must-read if you like your games cleverly deconstructed and contextualized.”

Playing At The World – Jon Peterson
“A masterful large-scale book on the origins of wargames and role-playing games & how they grew up to become Dungeons & Dragons, with lots of fascinating custom research throughout – a deep dive, but unmissable.”

A Psychogeography Of Games – Hannah Nicklin
“A happily meandering interview travelogue and thinkpiece, connecting with creators like Jake Elliott (Kentucky Route Zero), Holly Gramazio (Tiny Games) & Ed Key (Proteus) and talking to them about life, their environment and how it affects their games.”

Boss Fight Books: Spelunky – Derek Yu
“An acclaimed deep dive behind the scenes on the seminal procedurally generated platformer, mapped out by its creator himself. Super-readable, and one of my favorite books ever written by a game designer.”

GameMaker Language – An In-Depth Guide – Benjamin Anderson
“One of the first game development-specific books we’ve had in Storybundle, this GML scripting guide gets rave reviews and goes deep into scripting in GameMaker Studio, from the basic to complex topics like physics/AI.”

So You Want To Play Go, Vol.1 – Jonathan Hop
“A perfect introduction to the ancient Chinese strategy game from a veteran player and teacher. If you were fascinated by Google Deepmind’s AlphaGo win, you’ll want to check this out.”

Hardcore Gaming 101 Digest Vol. 2: Taito Arcade Classics – Kurt Kalata & friends
“A super-entertaining factual romp through Taito’s best and weirdest, from Elevator Action to Liquid Kids & beyond, in HG101’s traditionally smart style, plus some intriguing bonus features.”

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *