Matt Reynolds: Boss Fight Books (Spelunky)
Boss Fight Books is a series where authors write an entire book about a game they love. The Spelunky entry is unique; penned by the game's own developer, Derek Yu, it serves as an illuminating deep dive into the game's development, from its conception as a freeware PC game to a commercial project to Xbox Live Arcade, a burgeoning era for indies making it big on consoles.
As one of the games which helped usher in the modern roguelike, learning how a game as multifaceted and beloved as Spelunky came to be is a delight, especially in a book that's as easy to read as this; one particular highlight is explaining how procedural generation works, using ASCII-like diagrams to show how 'segments' flow together. It also offers an insight into the realities of development you rarely hear about - publisher relationships, working in a team, and the vital experience you gain from bringing projects to the finish line - that anyone interested in the process of making games will find fascinating, whether you've played Spelunky or not.