Shelf

Books and games that shaped my thinking.

Books

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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