Next Level

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A01=Michael Cook
A01=Mike Cook
algorithm
artificial intelligence
Author_Michael Cook
Author_Mike Cook
autonomous
Category=PDR
Category=PDZ
Category=UGG
Category=UYQ
computer
computer science
creative AI
dungeons and dragons
eq_bestseller
eq_computing
eq_isMigrated=1
eq_isMigrated=2
eq_new_release
eq_nobargain
eq_non-fiction
eq_science
gaming
generation
generative systems
machine learning
non-fiction
procedural
software development
tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow
video games

Product details

  • ISBN 9781399423397
  • Weight: 460g
  • Dimensions: 160 x 236mm
  • Publication Date: 07 May 2026
  • Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
  • Publication City/Country: GB
  • Product Form: Hardback
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How generative systems are reshaping the way games are made, how we experience them, and what this reveals about creativity itself.

In video games creativity isn’t just seen, it’s played – from exploring endless landscapes to diving into character details and immersing ourselves in unpredictable narratives. Yet these elements are often the result of procedural generation – the creative use of algorithms to design game content. These generative systems lie behind some of the biggest hits in video game history, from genre-defying titles in the 1980’s to the most famous blockbusters of today.
Next Level demystifies the techniques that are often as mysterious as their creations. Written by game designer and creative AI researcher Mike Cook, this book takes us on a tour of generative systems past and present, exploring how they work, the artistic uses they have in some of our favourite games, and how these algorithms didn’t just revolutionise how we design games – they changed how we think about creativity itself.

Mike Cook is an AI researcher, game designer and writer from London, where he is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Informatics at King’s College London. He is best-known for his research into automated game design – building AI systems that can design games from scratch. His AI systems have won numerous awards.

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