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No Starch Press

Invent Your Own Computer Games with Python, 4th Edition

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Description

Invent Your Own Computer Games with Python will teach you how to make computer games using the popular Python programming language—even if you’ve never programmed before! Begin by building classic games like Hangman, Guess the Number, and Tic-Tac-Toe, and then work your way up to more advanced games, like a text-based treasure hunting game and an animated collision-dodging game with sound effects. Along the way, you’ll learn key programming and math concepts that will help you take your game programming to the next level. Learn how to: –Combine loops, variables, and flow control statements into real working programs –Choose the right data structures for the job, such as lists, dictionaries, and tuples –Add graphics and animation to your games with the pygame module –Handle keyboard and mouse input –Program simple artificial intelligence so you can play against the computer –Use cryptography to convert text messages into secret code –Debug your programs and find common errors As you work through each game, you’ll build a solid foundation in Python and an understanding of computer science fundamentals. What new game will you create with the power of Python? The projects in this book are compatible with Python 3. Read more

Publisher ‏ : ‎ No Starch Press


Publication date ‏ : ‎ December 16, 2016


Edition ‏ : ‎ 4th


Language ‏ : ‎ English


Print length ‏ : ‎ 376 pages


ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1593277954


ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 56


Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.38 pounds


Reading age ‏ : ‎ 10 years and up


Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 7.05 x 0.79 x 9.25 inches


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Top Amazon Reviews

    • Interest is the best teacher.
Format: Paperback
Interest is the best teacher. That is why I choose this book to teach my sons Python. The book is well written. My teenage son followed it to learn Python and build a few games in Python. I will guide my son to continue to learn Python with the book as a reference. I highly recommend it for kids and interested adults to learn programming in Python. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on April 11, 2026 by YL_NJ
    • Best book for teaching beginners (children or adults!) how to program in Python from scratch.
Format: Paperback
I just finished reading "Invent Your Own Computer Games with Python", and it's my new all-time favorite book for beginners who want to learn how to program. Al's outdone himself with this one. He does an incredible job of teaching the reader how to program in Python from scratch; whenever he comes to a concept that the reader may not be familiar with, he explains it clearly and thoroughly using simple English, and then demonstrates why the concept is useful. The writing in this book is tight, engaging, entertaining, and just seriously impressive, and the projects are super fun too. I particularly liked the Tic-Tac-Toe project: I thought it was really clever to have the reader implement an AI for one of their games so early on in the book, instead of burying something fun like that in a later chapter. I don't know if Al's gotten way better at writing over the past few years, or if he's gotten a great editor, or some combination of the two; but whatever the cause, this book really shines. When I read his book "Making Games with Python & Pygame" (published in 2012), I found that he sometimes explained concepts using frustratingly vague language, or introduced them in an order that bothered me, and I also noticed a few typos and bugs in that book's prose and code; I found basically zero such issues in "Invent Your Own Computer Games with Python". The only main thing I wish he'd change is that he uses mixedCase for his variable and function names, but snake_case is the naming standard in Python programs (documented in PEP8). It's not obvious to me why he prefers mixedCase, and this seems like something that shouldn't have survived to the fourth edition of this book. All in all, though, this is a problem I'm more than willing to overlook, given how otherwise excellent this book is. From now on, whenever a friend asks me what the best way is of learning to program, I'm going to point them directly to this book. Keep up the great work, Al! ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on October 23, 2017 by jrheard
    • Learn Python through game program creation
Format: Paperback
This book is a fun way to learn Python programming by teaching the language elements by writing games. From simple statements, using the debugger, designing programs logically with flowcharts, processing a main event loop, to incorporating player-missile graphics and sound, this books provides a good introduction to Python by building games and providing insights into how to build your own games. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on November 6, 2025 by kraxmo
    • Its a good book but with a warning
Format: Paperback
Its a good book but with a warning. You learn a lot about logic and how to design your code/app. He explains each section of the code to you in detail about what it is doing. Right away he teaches you about debugging and how to use that to figure out how the code works. I'd recommend the book for any adult, I would not recommend giving it to your 10 year old kid as they may lose interest pretty quick. Some of the logic is definitely for someone with a bit of previous in school programming or past history of it. I've done simple coding and took Java in college and I even had to really think and investigate on some of the logic. I'd advise you to go over the book yourself before giving to your child to be able to help explain. Another warning is some of the code is really long, lots of typing. And I'd suggest downloading the source files as the code in the book isn't always correct to begin with so your app may not run. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on October 9, 2017 by root_pound
    • Another winner from No Starch Press.
Format: Paperback
Writing simple games was an enjoyable way to learn Python. I had a great time typing in in the code, testing, and then seeing how I could customize these games. You could ask AI to write these games for you. There is still value in undersanding how code wor
Reviewed in the United States on May 31, 2026 by John Lockney
    • Good Book
Format: Paperback
Good coding book
Reviewed in the United States on March 1, 2026 by Cat55
    • A Must-Have Guide for Aspiring Programmers and Game Developers
Format: Paperback
"Invent Your Own Computer Games with Python" is a truly fantastic book. It goes far beyond just teaching game creation; it lays a solid foundation in so many fundamental programming topics that are essential for writing any kind of software, not just games. You really learn the core concepts needed to succeed. However, the way it uses game development to teach these concepts is definitely the best part! It makes learning engaging and practical. After working through this book, I genuinely feel equipped to create a huge range of projects, perhaps even anything I can imagine building. Honestly, this was the best purchase I've made in a long time, and that's saying something because I'm not usually a huge fan of reading! If you want to learn Python and programming in a fun, hands-on way that delivers real results, I highly recommend this book. It truly empowers you to start inventing your own creations. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on April 28, 2025 by Alex
    • Amazing book for Gamedev basics
Format: Paperback
I love video games im learning blender substance and so much more to better make my own assets but this book helps me with the basics with python games im usually into Unity or Unreal but I can say this has spread a new light on game development using this book
Reviewed in the United States on October 26, 2025 by Brendan

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