Press Start! -- Welcome, N00bs! -- Ideas -- Writing the story -- You can design a game, but can you do the paperwork? -- The three Cs, part 1: character -- The three Cs, part 2: camera -- The three Cs, part 3: controls -- Sign language: HUD and icon design -- Everything I learned about level design, I learned from level 9 -- The elements of combat -- They all want you dead -- The nuts and bolts of mechanics -- Now you're playing with power -- Multiplayer- the more the merrier -- Everybody wins: monetization -- Some notes on music -- Cutscenes, or no one's gonna watch 'em anyway -- And now the hard part -- Continue? -- Bonus levels: 1. The one-sheet sample -- 2. The ten-page design document sample -- 3. Game design document template -- 4. The medium-sized list of story genres -- 5. Game genres -- 6. The big list of environments -- 7. Mechanics and hazards -- 8. Enemy design template -- 9. Boss design template -- 10. High-concept pitch presentation -- 11. Achievement unlocked: exactly like making chili.