Life & fun · alternatives · 2026

24 alternatives to Designing Virtual Worlds

The most comprehensive treatment of virtual world design

Below are 24 products that do a similar job, ranked by how close each is in meaning and then by launch-day votes. Designing Virtual Worlds launched in 2015; newer entries below may have overtaken it.

1. 1
   Learning Virtual Reality▲95

   Developing immersive experiences and applications

   2015 · amazon.com · its alternatives →

2. 2
   Designing the Invisible▲69

   Create great web experiences

   2015 · fivesimplesteps.com · its alternatives →

3. 3
   Theory of Fun for Game Design▲67

   Thoughts on the most important element of any game's design

   2015 · amazon.com · its alternatives →

4. 4
   Motion Design for iOS▲188

   A book about designing animations for iOS

   2014 · designthencode.com · its alternatives →

5. 5
   Adaptive Web Design, Second Edition▲79

   Crafting Rich Experiences with Progressive Enhancement

   2016 · adaptivewebdesign.info · its alternatives →

6. 6
   Will VR make us better humans?▲105

   An illustrated explainer, from Hardbound.

   2016 · its alternatives →

7. 7
   Design for Humanity▲74

   The past, present, and future of anthropomorphic design

   2016 · its alternatives →

8. 8
   Presence▲81

   Science fiction novel about the future of Virtual Reality

   2016 · amazon.com · its alternatives →

9. 9
   Mapping Experiences▲69

   A complete guide to creating value through journeys

   2016 · oreilly.com · its alternatives →

10. 10
    The User Experience Team of One▲64

    A Research and Design Survival Guide

    2015 · rosenfeldmedia.com · its alternatives →

11. 11
    21st Century Game Design▲83

    Who are we designing games for and how do we do it best?

    2015 · amazon.com · its alternatives →

12. 12
    Six Circles▲74

    An experience design framework

    2016 · userpathways.com · its alternatives →

13. 13
    Inclusive Design Patterns▲79

    Dozens of practical examples and workflows

    2016 · smashingmagazine.com · its alternatives →

14. 14
    Hamlet on the Holodeck▲67

    The future of narrative in cyberspace

    2015 · amazon.com · its alternatives →

15. 15
    The Art of Game Design: A Book of Lenses▲72

    Ryan Hoover's fave book on The Twenty Minute VC

    2015 · amazon.com · its alternatives →

16. 16
    Don't Make Me Think, Revisited▲80

    A common sense approach to web usability

    2015 · amazon.com · its alternatives →

17. 17
    Real-Life UX Processes▲85

    Peek inside design at Slack, Autodesk, and others.

    2016 · uxpin.com · its alternatives →

18. 18
    ResearchVR 007 - The Glass ceiling in VR ecosystems EU vs. US▲54

    glass ceiling in European virtual reality ecosystem ;)

    2016 · main.podigee-cdn.net · its alternatives →

19. 19
    for / with / in▲54

    Experiments and conversations about design in the browser

    2015 · htmloutput.risd.gd · its alternatives →

20. 20
    Designing Interactions▲91

    Interviews with influential designers

    2015 · amazon.com · its alternatives →

21. 21
    The Project Guide to Enterprise Product Design▲93

    Free e-book. UX best practices from real projects.

    2016 · uxpin.com · its alternatives →

22. 22
    a16z - Mapping the Future of Virtual Reality▲83

    What that looks and feels like

    2016 · soundcloud.com · its alternatives →

23. 23
    UX Design Process Best Practices▲76

    Documentation to move design forward

    2016 · uxpin.com · its alternatives →

24. 24
    Communicating Design▲68

    Developing web site documentation for design and planning

    2017 · amazon.com · its alternatives →

Ranked by how close each launch is in meaning, then by votes. Prices were read from each product’s own site when checked and can change. Refine with your own description →