Life & fun · alternatives · 2026

24 alternatives to Games People Play

The basic handbook of transactional analysis

Below are 24 products that do a similar job, ranked by how close each is in meaning and then by launch-day votes. Games People Play launched in 2016; newer entries below may have overtaken it.

1. 1
   Theory of Fun for Game Design▲67

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

   2015 · amazon.com · its alternatives →

2. 2
   The Art of Strategy▲68

   A game theorist's guide to success in business and life

   2015 · amazon.com · its alternatives →

3. 3
   21st Century Game Design▲83

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

   2015 · amazon.com · its alternatives →

4. 4
   Getting Gamers▲58

   The psychology of video games

   2015 · amazon.com · its alternatives →

5. 5
   How Games Move Us: Emotion by Design ▲70

   A look at how games make us feel

   2016 · amazon.com · its alternatives →

6. 6
   Happy Mitten - 37: Board Games, Business, and Protospiel Ann Arbor▲51

   Interviews and play testing with designers and publishers

   2016 · happymittengames.com · its alternatives →

7. 7
   Who Gets What - And Why▲62

   The hidden world of matchmaking and market design

   2015 · amazon.com · its alternatives →

8. 8
   Graphism▲71

   Games for Designers

   2015 · graphism.fr · its alternatives →

9. 9
   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 →

10. 10
    Finite And Infinite Games▲69

    Practically a unified-field theory of human relationships

    2015 · amazon.com · its alternatives →

11. 11
    Reality is Broken▲65

    Why Games Make Us Better & How They Can Change the World

    2015 · amazon.com · its alternatives →

12. 12
    Game Writing▲73

    Narrative Skills for Videogames

    2016 · amazon.com · its alternatives →

13. 13
    Happy Mitten - 38: Board Games, Business, and Lessons Learned▲52

    Magnifying faults to improve efficacy as a game publisher

    2016 · happymittengames.com · its alternatives →

14. 14
    Playing Lean▲104

    A board game that teaches the Lean Startup Methodology

    2015 · playinglean.com · its alternatives →

15. 15
    Happy Mitten - 33: Board Games, Business, and Scott Almes▲52

    Going from first time designer to published and full time

    2016 · happymittengames.com · its alternatives →

16. 16
    Reality is Broken▲60

    Why games make us better and how they can change the world

    2015 · amazon.ca · its alternatives →

17. 17
    The Design of Influence: How to Craft Products that Move People▲93

    Use social psychology to design engaging digital experiences

    2015 · its alternatives →

18. 18
    Articulating Design Decisions▲64

    Learn to explain your design decisions so people agree!

    2015 · amazon.com · its alternatives →

19. 19
    Spaceteam: The Card Game▲113

    A chaotic and cooperative card game.

    2015 · playspaceteam.com · its alternatives →

20. 20
    Happy Mitten - 29: Board Games, Business, and Tox from Crits Happen▲51

    Tox gives a reviewer's take on making an exceptional game

    2016 · happymittengames.com · its alternatives →

21. 21
    TidePool▲63

    Personality insights via scientific games

    2014 · tidepool.co · its alternatives →

22. 22
    Happy Mitten - 35: Board Games, Business, and Andrew Federspiel▲51

    Pulling off a career change into the board game industry

    2016 · happymittengames.com · its alternatives →

23. 23
    From Barbie to Mortal Kombat▲67

    Explores the complicated issue of gender in computer games­

    2015 · amazon.com · its alternatives →

24. 24
    The Strategy of Conflict▲61

    Nobel Prize winner's analysis of game theory and conflict

    2016 · 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 →