Acknowledgments -- Contents -- Foreword -- Preface -- Beautiful Games -- Serenity and Wonder -- Telling a Story -- Escape to the Shadows -- The Supernatural and the Surreal -- Turning Tragedy into Horror -- Playing Detective -- Fantasy Worlds -- Indie Freedom in a Triple-A Studio -- Rising from the Ashes -- Uncharted Territory -- Pushing Boundaries -- Idealized Fighters and Stylized Violence -- Sex and Violence -- Epic Quests and Everyday Life -- Parody with Cute Characters -- Building New Worlds -- Laughter and Absurdity -- Microbudget Games -- Roots in Film -- Creativity under Constraint -- Cheerful Color and Simple Gameplay -- Culture and History -- Representing Native Cultures -- Remixing History -- Childhood Influences -- Twisted Fairy Tales -- Bringing Childhood Fantasies to Life -- A Game that Never Ends -- About the Author.