The Secret Science of Games

By: John Hopson

Narrated by: Matt Hicks

The Secret Science of Games is an accessible and entertaining guide to the hidden role of science in making games more fun. User experience (UX) research is a vital part of the story of how video games have become a cultural juggernaut, but game developers generally don’t speak publicly about how data shapes game design and game development.

This book is a friendly and practical tour of games research by someone who’s done the work, including true behind-the-scenes stories about how your favorite games really got made.

©2023 John Hopson (P)2023 John Hopson

Great overview of Games User Research

I really enjoyed John’s approach to helping demystify the world of games research. By providing examples from his own career and experience, I feel that the advice and tips shared in this book are extremely valuable for anyone considering a career in GUR, or simply learning more the science of making games!

John Hopson

…is my very smart, highly accomplished nephew. So of course I loved his book! I learned a lot from it too. I recommend it!

Good book. Great Narration

This is a fun book about video games. While the book is very interesting, I think it's the narrator is the best part of the audiobook. The narrator, Matt Hicks has such an enthusiastic way of reading the book. I'm taking a class in video game design but am not a big gamer. I wanted to learn more about the topic and got a bunch of books on video games from Audible to listen to during my commute. I just love how much fun this book was to listen to and the insights into the gaming industry along with how to make games better for the player.

Worth reading if you are remotely interested in games and UX

A very good introduction to gaming user research and user experience. Finished it in a couple of days and had a blast.

- It’s short and doesn’t drag on.
- Has a lot of fun stories from AAA games the author worked on.
- Has some interesting tips to help you in your career or games.

Worth reading if you are remotely interested in games and UX. Even expert user researchers with years of experience might find it interesting or the very least fun

Very good

It is useful what else do you need to know it’s cool and kinda funny