Release Date: March 29, 2016
222 pages
ISBN 13: 978­-1-­940535­-11-­1

When Derek Yu released Spelunky for free in 2008, his roguelike-inspired platformer took the indie game community by storm with its combination of classic platform mechanics, extreme difficulty, and random level generation. Four years later, Spelunky's HD remake went on to become PC Gamer's Game of the Year and earn perfect scores from Polygon and Eurogamer. But how is a "perfect" game made? 

Spelunky is Boss Fight's first autobiographical book: the story of a game's creation as told by its creator. Using his own game as a vehicle, Derek Yu discusses such wide-ranging topics as randomization, challenge, indifferent game worlds, player feedback, development team dynamics, and what's required to actually finish a game. Grab some ropes, a mattock, and your favorite pug—this book is going to dig deep.

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"Maybe the best primer on game design ever written." - Zach Gage

"Seriously, if you have any interest in game design or development, get this book." - Rami Ismail

“Quite possibly the best book about game design ever written.” - Chris Furniss

"Spelunky might be our Understanding Comics." - Adam Saltsman

"Derek Yu's book is my favorite writing on game design - maybe making ANY art - ever." - Adam Conover

"A fascinating tour of [Spelunky's] inner workings. [...] Coming from a developer who’s crafted one of the most intriguing, influential releases of the last decade, [the book is an] insightful look at how something so obsession-worthy comes together." - A.V. Club

"I have disliked every [game design] book I've that attempts to be instructional. Derek Yu's Spelunky is anecdotal, but full of wonder." - Ken Wong, lead designer of Monument Valley

"Well-written and humble throughout, the book humanizes a game that many developers and fans see as an unreachable pinnacle of minimalist design brilliance." - Destructoid

"Here everything is weaved in nicely, and I very much appreciate the touch of style and grace in this book." 8.5/10 - Paste

"If you’re anything like me, and you set Spelunky aside before delving into its considerable depths, this book is a superb enticement to return, better equipped and more knowledgeable, in search of still greater secrets." - ZAM

"It’s a great book for the fans of the game, as well as aspiring game developers." - Digital Trends, including the book on its Ten Books Any Gamer Will Love list

"The way Derek Yu communicates his struggles, joys, failures, and victories over the course of this book is truly an inspiration itself. This is a wonderful book." - Nintendo Link

Excerpt: Kotaku, Gamasutra

Interview: PC Gamer

More Reviews: Goodreads