Shelf

Books and games that shaped my thinking.

Related blog post The Boon of Dataflow

Books

Tools for Building

  • Designing Data-Intensive Applications Official O'Reilly Martin Kleppmann, 2017 The distributed systems bible
  • Designing Data-Intensive Applications (2nd Edition) Wishlist
    Official Amazon Martin Kleppmann, 2026 The update we've been waiting for
  • Domain Modeling Made Functional Official Pragmatic Scott Wlaschin, 2018 Changed how I think about types
  • Flow-Based Programming (2nd Edition) Official Amazon J. Paul Morrison, 2010 Programs as data pipelines
  • Lucid, the Dataflow Programming Language Wiki PDF Amazon William Wadge & Edward Ashcroft, 1985 Time as a first-class concept

Design

  • elm-ui: The CSS Escape Plan Official Alex Korban, 2019 UI without CSS battles
  • Refactoring UI Official Adam Wathan & Steve Schoger, 2018 Design taste for developers

Expanding Horizons

  • All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten Official Amazon Robert Fulghum, 1986 Simple truths, easily forgotten
  • The Empath's Survival Guide Official Amazon Judith Orloff, 2017 Feeling everything, on purpose
  • The Future of Fusion Energy Official Amazon Jason Parisi & Justin Ball, 2019 The hardest engineering problem
  • Thinking, Fast and Slow Amazon Daniel Kahneman, 2011 Why we fool ourselves
  • Way of the Peaceful Warrior Official Amazon Dan Millman, 1980 The present moment, practiced

Stories That Stay

  • The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared Official Amazon Jonas Jonasson, 2009 History rewritten with absurdity
  • The Egyptian Amazon Mika Waltari, 1945 Ancient world, timeless loneliness
  • Inheritance Cycle Official Amazon Christopher Paolini, 2003 Dragons and growing up
  • Shadows of the Apt Official Amazon Adrian Tchaikovsky, 2008 Insect-kinden and industrial war
  • To Sleep in a Sea of Stars Official Amazon Christopher Paolini, 2020 First contact done right
  • The Wandering Earth Amazon Liu Cixin, 2000 Scale beyond imagination
  • The Witcher Official Amazon Andrzej Sapkowski, 1993 Moral gray in every choice

Ways of Working

  • Rework Official Amazon Jason Fried & DHH, 2010 Permission to stay small
  • Shape Up Official Ryan Singer, 2019 How to scope and ship
  • Working in Public Official Amazon Nadia Eghbal, 2020 The economics of open source

For the Little Ones

  • Computer Engineering for Babies Official Chase Roberts, 2021 Logic gates with colors
  • Computer Engineering for Big Babies Official Chase Roberts, 2022 Building a CPU, toddler edition
  • Pepper & Carrot Official David Revoy, 2017 Open-source magic

Games

Narrative Adventures

  • A Plague Tale: Innocence + Requiem Steam 1 Steam 2 GOG 1 GOG 2 Asobo Studio, 2019–2022 Siblings in a dying world
  • Beyond Two Souls Steam Quantic Dream, 2013 Souls tethered across realities
  • BioShock: The Collection Steam GOG Irrational Games / 2K, 2007–2013 Would you kindly
  • Detroit: Become Human Steam Quantic Dream, 2018 What makes us human
  • Lost Words: Beyond the Page Steam GOG Sketchbook Games, 2021 Words that carry weight
  • Mafia Steam Illusion Softworks, 2002 Crime story that set the standard
  • Red Dead Redemption 2 Steam Rockstar Games, 2018 The end of an era
  • The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Steam GOG CD Projekt Red, 2015 Choices with consequences
  • What Remains of Edith Finch Steam Giant Sparrow, 2017 Stories within stories

Building & Strategy

  • Desynced Steam Stage Games, 2023 Robots building robots
  • Factorio Steam GOG Wube Software, 2020 The factory must grow

Action & Combat

  • Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Potato PC
    Steam Sandfall Interactive, 2025 Turn-based against the inevitable
  • Chorus Steam GOG Deep Silver Fishlabs, 2021 Starfighter with a soul
  • DOOM: The Dark Ages Steam id Software, 2025 Rip and tear, medieval style
  • EVERSPACE Steam GOG Rockfish Games, 2017 Roguelike in the stars
  • God of War + Ragnarök Steam 1 Steam 2 Santa Monica Studio, 2018–2022 Father and son against fate
  • Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice + Saga Steam 1 Steam 2 GOG 1 Ninja Theory, 2017–2024 Psychosis rendered real
  • Katana ZERO Steam GOG Askiisoft, 2019 Time bends to the blade
  • Metro: Last Light Redux + Exodus Steam 1 Steam 2 GOG 1 GOG 2 4A Games, 2013–2019 Survival in the tunnels and beyond
  • TimeShift Steam Saber Interactive, 2007 Bending time to survive
  • Transistor Steam GOG Supergiant Games, 2014 A voice in the sword

Puzzle & Mind-bending

  • Braid: Anniversary Edition Steam GOG Number None, 2008 Time as a puzzle mechanic
  • COCOON Steam GOG Geometric Interactive, 2023 Worlds within worlds
  • Gorogoa Steam GOG Buried Signal, 2017 Hand-drawn reality folding
  • Half-Life: Alyx No VR
    Steam Valve, 2020 VR's killer app
  • Portal + Portal 2 + Revolution Steam 1 Steam 2 Steam 3 GOG 1 GOG 2 Valve / Portal Revolution Team, 2007+ Now you're thinking with portals
  • Quern: Undying Thoughts Steam GOG Zadbox Entertainment, 2016 Myst's spiritual successor
  • Supaplex Steam Digital Integration, 1991 Classic that started it all
  • Superliminal Steam GOG Pillow Castle, 2019 Perception is everything
  • The Room Collection Steam Fireproof Games, 2014 Tactile mystery boxes
  • The Talos Principle 1 & 2 Steam 1 Steam 2 GOG 1 GOG 2 Croteam, 2014–2023 Philosophy through puzzles

Horror & Psychological

  • DISTRAINT 1 & 2 Steam 1 Steam 2 GOG 1 GOG 2 Jesse Makkonen, 2015–2018 The price of ambition
  • Happy Game Steam GOG Amanita Design, 2021 Nightmares in crayon
  • In Sound Mind Steam GOG We Create Stuff, 2021 Therapy sessions from hell
  • Inscryption Steam GOG Daniel Mullins Games, 2021 Cards with teeth
  • Layers of Fear Steam GOG Bloober Team, 2023 Madness in paint
  • Little Nightmares Steam GOG Tarsier Studios, 2017 Childhood fears manifested
  • Martha Is Dead Steam GOG LKA, 2022 War, loss, and identity
  • Pony Island Steam GOG Daniel Mullins Games, 2016 The devil's arcade machine
  • SOMA Steam GOG Frictional Games, 2015 Identity at the end of the world
  • The Hex Steam GOG Daniel Mullins Games, 2018 Game characters know too much

Atmospheric & Artistic

  • GRIS Steam GOG Nomada Studio, 2018 Grief painted in watercolor
  • Growbot Steam GOG Wabisabi Play, 2021 Organic space station
  • Heal Steam Jesse Makkonen, 2020 Memories fading
  • INSIDE Steam GOG Playdead, 2016 Darkness without words
  • LIMBO Steam GOG Playdead, 2010 A boy in the shadows
  • Ori and the Blind Forest + Will of the Wisps Steam 1 Steam 2 Moon Studios, 2015–2020 Beauty in motion
  • Planet of Lana Steam GOG Wishfully Studios, 2023 Hand-painted invasion
  • The Last Campfire Steam GOG Hello Games, 2020 Finding hope in despair
  • The Vanishing of Ethan Carter Steam GOG The Astronauts, 2014 Mystery in the valley

Co-op & Multiplayer

  • It Takes Two Steam Hazelight Studios, 2021 Saving a marriage, literally
  • Shift Happens Steam Klonk Games, 2017 Size-shifting teamwork
  • Split Fiction Potato PC
    Steam Hazelight Studios, 2025 Co-op across realities

Whimsical & Charming

  • A Juggler's Tale Steam GOG kaleidoscube, 2021 Strings attached, literally
  • Catie in MeowmeowLand Steam GOG ARTillery, 2022 Alice meets cats
  • High On Life Steam GOG Squanch Games, 2022 Talking guns, alien cartel
  • Lost in Random Steam Zoink Games, 2021 Fate rolled on dice