Game Changers

‘This big, fat, shiny book on game-changing video games, from Pac Man to Call of Duty, Donkey Kong to Fortnite and beyond, is big, fat, shiny fun. Informed writing, sharp design, printed on nice heavy paper, a fitting tribute to gaming’s Hall of Fame.’ – Esquire

‘The book managed to surprise me, a hardened video game journalist. ’ – Polygon Chris Plante, Co-Founder and Editor-in-Chief

‘A smart, meaty, mature introductory course to gaming.’ – Polygon, Best Video Game Books of 2023

‘Evokes wonder and nostalgia.’ – Wallpaper*

‘An in-depth excavation into the evolution of video game design and technology.’ – Dazed

‘A highly informational tome that provides insight into 300 highly varied games … brings well-deserved attention to some of the more slept-on games that have ever been released.’ – ONE37pm

‘Game geeks, get ready!’ – The Media Tourist

‘Offers a sweeping view of the video game landscape and showcases its breadth.’ – GeekDad

‘Gamers of all types will appreciate this detailed history of video games … If you ever wished they’d take a break from screens to read instead, this is the book to do it.’ – Redbook Magazine

‘If you have any interest in games, you should definitely check out Game Changers.’ – Mobile Syrup

‘If you’re looking for an excellent, gorgeous coffee table book that has amazing games throughout history and great art … I definitely recommend it.’ – Russ Frushtick, The Besties Podcast

Phaidon Editors

Simon Parkin is an award-winning British author and journalist and an authority on video games. He is a contributing writer for the New Yorker, a regular contributor to the Guardian, and is a critic for the Observer newspaper. His work has been featured in The Best American Nonrequired Reading. He is the author of several books, including An Illustrated History of 151 Video Games (2019).

India Block is Deputy editor of Disegno, the international quarterly design journal, and a writer with a focus on architecture and design.