Start with high-confidence game design books, then narrow by subgenre or adjacent topics.
Advanced Game Design
Michael Sellers
A Playful Production Process
Richard Lemarchand
The Art of Game Design
Jesse Schell
Level Up! the Guide to Great Video Game Design
Scott Rogers
Designing Games
Tynan Sylvester
Theory of Fun for Game Design
Raph Koster
The Ultimate Guide to Video Game Writing and Design
Flint Dille, John Zuur Platten
