Get Free Shipping on orders over $0
Next Level : Making Games That Make Themselves - Dr Mike Cook

Next Level

Making Games That Make Themselves

By: Dr Mike Cook

Hardcover | 5 May 2026

At a Glance

Hardcover


$51.75

or 4 interest-free payments of $12.94 with

 or 

Available: 5th May 2026

Preorder. Will ship when available.

How generative systems are reshaping the way games are made, how we experience them, and what this reveals about creativity itself.

In video games creativity isnât just seen â" itâs played â" from exploring endless landscapes, to diving into character details, to immersing ourselves in unpredictable narratives. Yet these elements are often the result of procedural generation â" the creative use of algorithms to design game content. Procedural generation is the secret behind some of the biggest hits in video game history, from genre-defying titles in the 1980s, to the most famous blockbusters of today.

Next Level demystifies the collection of algorithms and procedural techniques that are often as mysterious as the things they create. Written by game designer and creative AI researcher Mike Cook, it takes us on a tour of generative systems past and present, exploring how they work, the artistic uses they have in some of our favourite games and how procedural generation didnât just change how we design games, but how we think about creativity.

More in Impact of Science & Technology on Society

Stolen Focus : Why You Can't Pay Attention - Johann Hari

RRP $26.99

$21.74

19%
OFF
Technofeudalism : What Killed Capitalism - Yanis Varoufakis

RRP $26.99

$22.99

15%
OFF
Invisible Women : Exposing Data Bias in a World Designed for Men - Caroline Criado Perez
Gender and Digital Media : A Critical Companion - Hakan  Ergul

RRP $326.00

$280.99

14%
OFF
Gender and Digital Media : A Critical Companion - Hakan  Ergul
Muskism : A Guide for the Perplexed - Ben Tarnoff

RRP $59.99

$57.75

Resist : A Christian Catechism for a New Dark Age - Fr Daniel French
The Invisible Rainbow : A History of Electricity and Life - Arthur Firstenberg
We Are As Gods : A Survival Guide for the Age of Abundance - Peter H. Diamandis