🔧 Modding Communities

The vibrant subcultures of gamers and tinkerers who reshape commercial software into something personal, collaborative, and often more inventive than the original.

This is esports (and How to Spell it) – LONGLISTED FOR THE WILLIAM HILL SPORTS BOOK AWARD 2020

by Paul "ReDeYe" Chaloner • 2020

Esports started in 1980, runs on modder-built games, and won't push pros out at 25.

4.10

158

🎮 Esports Industry 🕹️ Gaming Culture 👩 Women In Gaming

This is esports (and How to Spell it) – LONGLISTED FOR THE WILLIAM HILL SPORTS BOOK AWARD 2020 Summary

This is esports (and How to Spell it) – LONGLISTED FOR THE WILLIAM HILL SPORTS BOOK AWARD 2020 87%

Esports started in 1980, runs on modder-built games, and won't push pros out at 25.

by Paul "ReDeYe" Chaloner 2020

4.10

158 ratings

🎮 Esports Industry 🕹️ Gaming Culture 👩 Women In Gaming

Blood, Sweat, and Pixels

by Jason Schreier • 2017

Behind the scenes of Destiny, Diablo, and Stardew Valley: chaos, crunch, and last-minute saves.

4.20

25k+

🎮 Video Game Development 🎬 Behind The Scenes 📰 Tech Journalism

Blood, Sweat, and Pixels 87%

Behind the scenes of Destiny, Diablo, and Stardew Valley: chaos, crunch, and last-minute saves.

by Jason Schreier 2017

4.20

25k+ ratings

🎮 Video Game Development 🎬 Behind The Scenes 📰 Tech Journalism

Coding Freedom

by Gabriella Coleman • 2012

They built a free software revolution while insisting they were not political at all.

3.82

280

💻 Hacker Culture 🐧 Free Software Movement 🌐 Digital Ethnography

Coding Freedom 87%

They built a free software revolution while insisting they were not political at all.

by Gabriella Coleman 2012

3.82

280 ratings

💻 Hacker Culture 🐧 Free Software Movement 🌐 Digital Ethnography

Masters of Doom

by David Kushner • 2003

Two coders, one lake house, and the game that turned office workers into after-hours warriors.

4.30

20k+

🎮 Video Game History 🕹️ Game Development 🚀 Tech Startups

Masters of Doom 86%

Two coders, one lake house, and the game that turned office workers into after-hours warriors.

by David Kushner 2003

4.30

20k+ ratings

🎮 Video Game History 🕹️ Game Development 🚀 Tech Startups

Cognitive Surplus

by Clay Shirky • 2010

Spare time, once captive to television, is now building public goods at the scale of nations.

3.83

6k+

🏭 Peer Production 🎬 Participatory Culture 🧠 Intrinsic Motivation

Cognitive Surplus 86%

Spare time, once captive to television, is now building public goods at the scale of nations.

by Clay Shirky 2010

3.83

6k+ ratings

🏭 Peer Production 🎬 Participatory Culture 🧠 Intrinsic Motivation

Press Reset

by Jason Schreier • 2021

Why game developers lose their jobs after shipping hit games, and who profits.

4.05

8k+

🎮 Video Game Industry 🛠️ Tech Labor ⏰ Crunch Culture

Press Reset 86%

Why game developers lose their jobs after shipping hit games, and who profits.

by Jason Schreier 2021

4.05

8k+ ratings

🎮 Video Game Industry 🛠️ Tech Labor ⏰ Crunch Culture

Smashing WordPress

by Thord Daniel Hedengren • 2010

Take WordPress beyond blogging with themes, custom post types, and the loop for any site.

3.76

247

🛠️ Wordpress Development 🎨 Theme Building 🔌 Plugin Development

Smashing WordPress 86%

Take WordPress beyond blogging with themes, custom post types, and the loop for any site.

by Thord Daniel Hedengren 2010

3.76

247 ratings

🛠️ Wordpress Development 🎨 Theme Building 🔌 Plugin Development

A Game Design Vocabulary

by Anna Anthropy • 2013

The grammar of game design: how to script a back-and-forth that players lose themselves in.

3.94

134

📗 Game Design ⚙️ Game Mechanics 🧩 Game Systems

A Game Design Vocabulary 86%

The grammar of game design: how to script a back-and-forth that players lose themselves in.

by Anna Anthropy 2013

3.94

134 ratings

📗 Game Design ⚙️ Game Mechanics 🧩 Game Systems

Working in Public

by Nadia Eghbal • 2020

Open source runs on solo maintainers, not communities. The scarcest resource: attention, not code.

3.92

951

💻 Open Source Software 💰 Creator Economy 👁️ Attention Economics

Working in Public 86%

Open source runs on solo maintainers, not communities. The scarcest resource: attention, not code.

by Nadia Eghbal 2020

3.92

951 ratings

💻 Open Source Software 💰 Creator Economy 👁️ Attention Economics

The Cathedral & the Bazaar

by Eric S. Raymond • 1999

Software theory said complexity needs one architect. Linux proved an open bazaar could do it better.

3.83

4k+

🐧 Open Source Movement 🏗️ Software Methodology 💻 Hacker Culture

The Cathedral & the Bazaar 86%

Software theory said complexity needs one architect. Linux proved an open bazaar could do it better.

by Eric S. Raymond 1999

3.83

4k+ ratings

🐧 Open Source Movement 🏗️ Software Methodology 💻 Hacker Culture

The Game Maker's Apprentice

by Jacob Habgood • 2006

Build games without writing code: a visual logic system that teaches design as you go.

3.94

148

🎮 Game Development Basics 🕹️ 2D Game Creation 🧩 Drag And Drop Coding

The Game Maker's Apprentice 86%

Build games without writing code: a visual logic system that teaches design as you go.

by Jacob Habgood 2006

3.94

148 ratings

🎮 Game Development Basics 🕹️ 2D Game Creation 🧩 Drag And Drop Coding

Persuasive Games

by Ian Bogost • 2007

A videogame's rules are arguments. Learning to read them changes how you see every screen.

3.84

360

🎮 Game Studies 📺 Media Theory 📜 Rhetorical Theory

Persuasive Games 86%

A videogame's rules are arguments. Learning to read them changes how you see every screen.

by Ian Bogost 2007

3.84

360 ratings

🎮 Game Studies 📺 Media Theory 📜 Rhetorical Theory

Community Building on the Web

by Amy Jo Kim • 1999

Nine design rules for online communities that earn trust and grow more intimate, not less.

3.68

101

🏘️ Community Management 🎨 Community Design 🔄 Membership Models

Community Building on the Web 86%

Nine design rules for online communities that earn trust and grow more intimate, not less.

by Amy Jo Kim 1999

3.68

101 ratings

🏘️ Community Management 🎨 Community Design 🔄 Membership Models

A Theory Of Fun For Game Design

by Ralph Koster • 2004

Games tap into your brain's learning circuits. The rush of fun is the moment something clicks.

3.90

3k+

🎮 Game Design 📚 Game Studies 🧠 Learning Through Games

A Theory Of Fun For Game Design 86%

Games tap into your brain's learning circuits. The rush of fun is the moment something clicks.

by Ralph Koster 2004

3.90

3k+ ratings

🎮 Game Design 📚 Game Studies 🧠 Learning Through Games

Game Design Workshop

by Tracy Fullerton • 2008

The prototyping-first method that catches design disasters before you write a single line of code.

4.11

513

🎮 Game Design 📐 Rapid Prototyping 🔄 Iterative Design

Game Design Workshop 86%

The prototyping-first method that catches design disasters before you write a single line of code.

by Tracy Fullerton 2008

4.11

513 ratings

🎮 Game Design 📐 Rapid Prototyping 🔄 Iterative Design

Game Development Patterns and Best Practices

by John P. Doran • 2017

Design patterns that ship games: when to use each and how they prevent late-stage collapse.

3.90

🎮 Game Development 🧩 Design Patterns 🧹 Clean Code

Game Development Patterns and Best Practices Summary

Game Development Patterns and Best Practices 86%

Design patterns that ship games: when to use each and how they prevent late-stage collapse.

by John P. Doran 2017

3.90

20 ratings

🎮 Game Development 🧩 Design Patterns 🧹 Clean Code

Just for Fun

by Linus Torvalds • 2001

A Finnish student created an operating system in his bedroom, then watched it swallow the world.

3.96

5k+

🐧 Open Source 💻 Software Development 📜 Technology History

Just for Fun 86%

A Finnish student created an operating system in his bedroom, then watched it swallow the world.

by Linus Torvalds 2001

3.96

5k+ ratings

🐧 Open Source 💻 Software Development 📜 Technology History

Video Game Storytelling

by Evan Skolnick • 2014

Screenwriting's classic tools applied to games, so story and gameplay pull the same direction.

3.99

503

🎮 Game Writing 📖 Interactive Storytelling 📐 Story Structure

Video Game Storytelling 86%

Screenwriting's classic tools applied to games, so story and gameplay pull the same direction.

by Evan Skolnick 2014

3.99

503 ratings

🎮 Game Writing 📖 Interactive Storytelling 📐 Story Structure

Level Up!

by Scott Rogers • 2010

The game design manual that puts controls, camera, and characters first, then shows you the rest.

4.09

1k+

🎮 Video Game Development 🛠️ Practical Game Design ⚙️ Game Mechanics

Level Up! 85%

The game design manual that puts controls, camera, and characters first, then shows you the rest.

by Scott Rogers 2010

4.09

1k+ ratings

🎮 Video Game Development 🛠️ Practical Game Design ⚙️ Game Mechanics

The Wealth of Networks

by Yochai Benkler • 2006

Free, voluntary collaboration now rivals the firm, upending the old rules of economy and democracy.

3.96

2k+

🌐 Digital Commons 👥 Mass Collaboration 💻 Open Source Culture

The Wealth of Networks 85%

Free, voluntary collaboration now rivals the firm, upending the old rules of economy and democracy.

by Yochai Benkler 2006

3.96

2k+ ratings

🌐 Digital Commons 👥 Mass Collaboration 💻 Open Source Culture

We Are Anonymous

by Parmy Olson • 2012

The internet's most notorious hacker collective was run by an FBI informant for eight months.

3.97

3k+

🏴 Hacktivist History 🌐 Digital Insurgency 🎭 Online Anonymity

We Are Anonymous 85%

The internet's most notorious hacker collective was run by an FBI informant for eight months.

by Parmy Olson 2012

3.97

3k+ ratings

🏴 Hacktivist History 🌐 Digital Insurgency 🎭 Online Anonymity

The Anarchist In The Library

by Siva Vaidhyanathan • 2004

The web set free-sharing anarchists against control-hungry oligarchs, and neither side is winning.

3.50

175

🛡️ Digital Rights ⚖️ Copyright Politics 🏛️ Cultural Commons

The Anarchist In The Library 85%

The web set free-sharing anarchists against control-hungry oligarchs, and neither side is winning.

by Siva Vaidhyanathan 2004

3.50

175 ratings

🛡️ Digital Rights ⚖️ Copyright Politics 🏛️ Cultural Commons

Cult of the Dead Cow

by Joseph Menn • 2019

From BBS pranks to Pentagon briefings: how a hacker collective wrote the playbook for cyberdefense.

3.75

2k+

💻 Hacker Culture ✊ Hacktivism 🛡️ Ethical Hacking

Cult of the Dead Cow 85%

From BBS pranks to Pentagon briefings: how a hacker collective wrote the playbook for cyberdefense.

by Joseph Menn 2019

3.75

2k+ ratings

💻 Hacker Culture ✊ Hacktivism 🛡️ Ethical Hacking

Designing Games

by Tynan Sylvester • 2013

Build games as emotion machines: a systems guide to rules, choices, and difficulty.

4.47

517

🎮 Game Design 🧠 Player Psychology 🔄 Iterative Design

Designing Games 85%

Build games as emotion machines: a systems guide to rules, choices, and difficulty.

by Tynan Sylvester 2013

4.47

517 ratings

🎮 Game Design 🧠 Player Psychology 🔄 Iterative Design

Tribe of Hackers

by Marcus J. Carey • 2019

The cybersecurity insight too many ignore: secure your people, not just your network.

3.90

262

👤 Human Element 🔐 Security Fundamentals 🌐 Community Building

Tribe of Hackers 85%

The cybersecurity insight too many ignore: secure your people, not just your network.

by Marcus J. Carey 2019

3.90

262 ratings

👤 Human Element 🔐 Security Fundamentals 🌐 Community Building

Game Mechanics

by Ernest Adams • 2012

Visualize your game's economy, simulate rival strategies, and nail the balance before you ship.

4.12

185

🕹️ Game Systems Design 📊 Internal Economies 🏗️ Design Patterns

Game Mechanics 85%

Visualize your game's economy, simulate rival strategies, and nail the balance before you ship.

by Ernest Adams 2012

4.12

185 ratings

🕹️ Game Systems Design 📊 Internal Economies 🏗️ Design Patterns

Unboxed

by Gordon Calleja • 2022

Board games succeed or fail on six forms of involvement. Most designers only account for one.

3.46

🎲 Board Game Design 📚 Game Studies 🧠 Play Theory

Unboxed 85%

Board games succeed or fail on six forms of involvement. Most designers only account for one.

by Gordon Calleja 2022

3.46

13 ratings

🎲 Board Game Design 📚 Game Studies 🧠 Play Theory

Context

by Cory Doctorow • 2011

3.66

372

🕸️ Internet Freedom 📜 Copyright Reform 🔐 Digital Rights

Context 85%

by Cory Doctorow 2011

3.66

372 ratings

🕸️ Internet Freedom 📜 Copyright Reform 🔐 Digital Rights

Kali Linux Revealed

by Raphaël Hertzog • 2017

Deploy Kali Linux like a pro: from verified download to custom, attack-ready distro.

3.79

155

🎯 Penetration Testing ⚖️ Ethical Hacking 🐧 Linux Administration

Kali Linux Revealed 85%

Deploy Kali Linux like a pro: from verified download to custom, attack-ready distro.

by Raphaël Hertzog 2017

3.79

155 ratings

🎯 Penetration Testing ⚖️ Ethical Hacking 🐧 Linux Administration

Here Comes Everybody

by Clay Shirky • 2008

Forming a group just became free. That doesn't upgrade institutions; it upends them.

3.78

7k+

🖥️ Internet Culture 📱 Digital Sociology ✊ Collective Action

Here Comes Everybody 85%

Forming a group just became free. That doesn't upgrade institutions; it upends them.

by Clay Shirky 2008

3.78

7k+ ratings

🖥️ Internet Culture 📱 Digital Sociology ✊ Collective Action

One Up

by Joost van Dreunen • 2020

Three transformations in four decades, and each one rewarded strategy over creative genius.

4.13

213

🎮 Video Game Industry 🏗️ Platform Economics 📡 Digital Disruption

One Up 85%

Three transformations in four decades, and each one rewarded strategy over creative genius.

by Joost van Dreunen 2020

4.13

213 ratings

🎮 Video Game Industry 🏗️ Platform Economics 📡 Digital Disruption

Game Programming Patterns

by Robert Nystrom • 2011

The programming patterns that make game code resilient to change, and the ones that don't.

4.49

2k+

🎮 Game Programming 🧩 Design Patterns 🏗️ Software Architecture

Game Programming Patterns 85%

The programming patterns that make game code resilient to change, and the ones that don't.

by Robert Nystrom 2011

4.49

2k+ ratings

🎮 Game Programming 🧩 Design Patterns 🏗️ Software Architecture

A Composer's Guide to Game Music

by Winifred Phillips • 2014

Game music bends to the player. The craft, technology, and business behind interactive scores.

4.21

175

🎮 Game Music Composition 🎧 Interactive Audio 🔄 Adaptive Music

A Composer's Guide to Game Music Summary

A Composer's Guide to Game Music 85%

Game music bends to the player. The craft, technology, and business behind interactive scores.

by Winifred Phillips 2014

4.21

175 ratings

🎮 Game Music Composition 🎧 Interactive Audio 🔄 Adaptive Music

The Board Game Designer's Guide

by Joe Slack • 2017

Design the feeling first. A four-step cycle that turns a rough prototype into a hit.

3.71

🎲 Board Game Design 🔄 Iterative Design 😄 Player Experience

The Board Game Designer's Guide 85%

Design the feeling first. A four-step cycle that turns a rough prototype into a hit.

by Joe Slack 2017

3.71

82 ratings

🎲 Board Game Design 🔄 Iterative Design 😄 Player Experience

Pro Git

by Scott Chacon • 2009

Learn Git from the inside out: snapshots, branching, and the reflog that saves lost work.

4.18

3k+

🗂️ Version Control 💻 Command Line Tools 🤝 Code Collaboration

Pro Git 85%

Learn Git from the inside out: snapshots, branching, and the reflog that saves lost work.

by Scott Chacon 2009

4.18

3k+ ratings

🗂️ Version Control 💻 Command Line Tools 🤝 Code Collaboration

Lost in a Good Game

by Pete Etchells • 2019

The research that clears video games of harm, and the surprising ways they improve our lives.

3.72

752

🎮 Video Game Psychology ⏳ Screen Time Research 🌐 Digital Culture

Lost in a Good Game 85%

The research that clears video games of harm, and the surprising ways they improve our lives.

by Pete Etchells 2019

3.72

752 ratings

🎮 Video Game Psychology ⏳ Screen Time Research 🌐 Digital Culture

Modern Software Engineering

by David Farley • 2021

Software is not a craft; it's a science. The discipline that turns teams into learning machines.

4.16

1k+

🔬 Scientific Engineering 🔄 Continuous Delivery 🔁 Feedback Loops

Modern Software Engineering 85%

Software is not a craft; it's a science. The discipline that turns teams into learning machines.

by David Farley 2021

4.16

1k+ ratings

🔬 Scientific Engineering 🔄 Continuous Delivery 🔁 Feedback Loops

The Kickstarter Handbook

by Don Steinberg • 2012

Your Kickstarter succeeds on 30 days, a video, and the crowd you build beforehand. The playbook.

3.74

133

🎯 Crowdfunding 💡 Creative Entrepreneurship 👥 Audience Building

The Kickstarter Handbook 85%

Your Kickstarter succeeds on 30 days, a video, and the crowd you build beforehand. The playbook.

by Don Steinberg 2012

3.74

133 ratings

🎯 Crowdfunding 💡 Creative Entrepreneurship 👥 Audience Building

Atomic Design

by Brad Frost • 2016

Chemistry meets web design: a method for building reusable component systems from the ground up.

4.00

1k+

🎨 Interface Design 🧩 Design Systems 🧱 Modular Design

Atomic Design 85%

Chemistry meets web design: a method for building reusable component systems from the ground up.

by Brad Frost 2016

4.00

1k+ ratings

🎨 Interface Design 🧩 Design Systems 🧱 Modular Design

The Network State

by Balaji S. Srinivasan • 2022

Startup companies become unicorns. What if startup communities become countries?

3.92

1k+

🚀 Startup Societies 🌐 Digital Sovereignty ⚖️ Moral Innovation

The Network State 85%

Startup companies become unicorns. What if startup communities become countries?

by Balaji S. Srinivasan 2022

3.92

1k+ ratings

🚀 Startup Societies 🌐 Digital Sovereignty ⚖️ Moral Innovation

Moral Combat

by Patrick M. Markey • 2017

Crime fell as gaming rose. The evidence never held, and the outrage is a recycled panic.

4.18

173

😱 Media Moral Panics 🎮 Video Game Studies 🔫 Violence And Media

Moral Combat 85%

Crime fell as gaming rose. The evidence never held, and the outrage is a recycled panic.

by Patrick M. Markey 2017

4.18

173 ratings

😱 Media Moral Panics 🎮 Video Game Studies 🔫 Violence And Media

Eurogames

by Stewart Woods • 2012

Postwar Germany rejected war games and invented a genre where elegance matters more than conquest.

3.78

137

🎓 Game Studies 🎲 Board Game Culture 📐 Game Design Theory

Eurogames 85%

Postwar Germany rejected war games and invented a genre where elegance matters more than conquest.

by Stewart Woods 2012

3.78

137 ratings

🎓 Game Studies 🎲 Board Game Culture 📐 Game Design Theory

Linux Basics for Hackers

by OccupyTheWeb • 2018

Learn Linux the hacker's way: terminal-first networking, scripting, and vanishing without a trace.

4.12

595

🎯 Penetration Testing 🐧 Linux Fundamentals ⌨️ Command Line Mastery

Linux Basics for Hackers 85%

Learn Linux the hacker's way: terminal-first networking, scripting, and vanishing without a trace.

by OccupyTheWeb 2018

4.12

595 ratings

🎯 Penetration Testing 🐧 Linux Fundamentals ⌨️ Command Line Mastery

Without Their Permission

by Alexis Ohanian • 2013

A college project became a top-ten site. Why that path is open to everyone.

3.70

2k+

🚀 Tech Startups 🌐 Internet Culture 📖 Founder Memoir

Without Their Permission 85%

A college project became a top-ten site. Why that path is open to everyone.

by Alexis Ohanian 2013

3.70

2k+ ratings

🚀 Tech Startups 🌐 Internet Culture 📖 Founder Memoir

Get Together

by Bailey Richardson • 2019

Start with five passionate friends, not 500 strangers: the lean playbook for communities that last.

3.77

735

🧱 Community Building 🔧 Lean Methodology 🙋 Participatory Design

Get Together 85%

Start with five passionate friends, not 500 strangers: the lean playbook for communities that last.

by Bailey Richardson 2019

3.77

735 ratings

🧱 Community Building 🔧 Lean Methodology 🙋 Participatory Design

The Art of Game Design

by Jesse Schell • 2008

Players feel your work, they don't read it. A hundred ways to design what they feel.

4.39

3k+

🎮 Game Design 🧠 Player Psychology 🔄 Iterative Design

The Art of Game Design 85%

Players feel your work, they don't read it. A hundred ways to design what they feel.

by Jesse Schell 2008

4.39

3k+ ratings

🎮 Game Design 🧠 Player Psychology 🔄 Iterative Design

The Kobold Guide to Board Game Design

by Mike Selinker • 2011

Designing a board game is designing an emotion. The craft of mechanics, pacing, and playtesting.

4.06

645

🎲 Board Game Design ⚙️ Game Mechanics 🔬 Playtesting

The Kobold Guide to Board Game Design Summary

The Kobold Guide to Board Game Design 85%

Designing a board game is designing an emotion. The craft of mechanics, pacing, and playtesting.

by Mike Selinker 2011

4.06

645 ratings

🎲 Board Game Design ⚙️ Game Mechanics 🔬 Playtesting

Broad Band

by Claire L. Evans • 2018

Women created the first program, the first compiler, and the early web. Then they were erased.

3.93

2k+

👩‍💻 Women In Computing 🖥️ Computing History 🌐 Internet History

Broad Band 85%

Women created the first program, the first compiler, and the early web. Then they were erased.

by Claire L. Evans 2018

3.93

2k+ ratings

👩‍💻 Women In Computing 🖥️ Computing History 🌐 Internet History

The Future of the Internet--And How to Stop It

by Jonathan L. Zittrain • 2008

Wikipedia and malware share one cause: an open internet. The locked-down alternative kills both.

3.86

1k+

🌐 Internet Governance ⚖️ Cyberlaw 🕸️ Decentralized Networks

The Future of the Internet--And How to Stop It Summary

The Future of the Internet--And How to Stop It 85%

Wikipedia and malware share one cause: an open internet. The locked-down alternative kills both.

by Jonathan L. Zittrain 2008

3.86

1k+ ratings

🌐 Internet Governance ⚖️ Cyberlaw 🕸️ Decentralized Networks

Understanding Software

by Max Kanat-Alexander • 2017

Code that's easy to write is hard to maintain. Here's how to flip that equation.

3.58

179

🛠️ Software Craftsmanship 🧹 Code Quality 🔍 Debugging Methods

Understanding Software 85%

Code that's easy to write is hard to maintain. Here's how to flip that equation.

by Max Kanat-Alexander 2017

3.58

179 ratings

🛠️ Software Craftsmanship 🧹 Code Quality 🔍 Debugging Methods

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