‘Women in game development book’ shows how to break into the industry

Games have been perceived as a guy thing back to the beginning of the industry. But that’s never been true, and a new book helps dispel that myth.

Women in Game Development: Breaking the Glass Level Cap is about how women have played pioneering roles in the male-dominated field of game development. Edited by Jennifer Brandes Hepler and published by CRC Press, the paperback is a compilation of essays about women who have played important roles in the industry.

The stories include essays by Megan Gaiser, former head of Nancy Drew game developer Her Interactive. She is currently co-CEO of Spiral Media Ltd and principal of Contagious Creativity. She’s also a speaker on our panel on creativity and diversity at GamesBeat 2016. Other writers include Jane Ng (artist for Firewatch), Brianna Wu (founder of Giant Spacekat), and Laralyn McWilliams (creative director for Free Realms).

The one thread that the women in the book — programmers, artists, designers, producers, and executives — share is a passion that drives them to keep making games. Women are roughly 22 percent of the industry, and they’ve dealt with a lot of difficult issues such as sexism and harassment. But as tough as that might seem, they are also passionate game makers who bring a different perspective to making games for diverse audiences.