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HTML5 Games: Novice to Ninja is a practical guide to building browser games with JavaScript. It is aimed at web developers who already know HTML and CSS and have reasonable JavaScript experience; you do not need prior game-development experience. Published by SitePoint in February 2018, it covers core game-building ideas that remain useful, while browser-specific details should be checked against current documentation.
Who should read HTML5 Games: Novice to Ninja?
The book is for readers who can already build web pages and write JavaScript, but want to apply those skills to playable games. SitePoint says readers should be proficient in HTML and CSS and reasonably experienced with JavaScript; previous game-development experience is not assumed. If you are new to programming, first get comfortable with variables, functions, objects, events, and basic page structure.
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HTML5 Games: Creating Fun with HTML5, CSS3, and WebGL | $7.96 | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 |
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Foundation Game Design with HTML5 and JavaScript | $41.82 | Buy on Amazon |
| 3 |
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HTML5 Game Development For Dummies | $10.97 | Buy on Amazon |
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Pro HTML5 Games | $4.99 | Buy on Amazon |
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HTML5 Games: Creating Fun with HTML5, CSS3 and WebGL | $112.04 | Buy on Amazon |
Its approach is hands-on: rather than treating game development as only a collection of graphics tricks, it builds toward complete projects across several genres. That makes it suitable for a web developer who wants to understand how game systems fit together, not just how to draw an image on a canvas.
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The progression moves from the repeating logic at the heart of a game to the systems that make a game feel complete. It introduces game design and the game loop, then develops rendering and input before covering animation, maps and cameras, collisions, AI, mathematics and physics, audio, game feel, optimization, and packaging.
#1 Best Overall
- Core structure: game design, a running game loop, and reusable JavaScript entities and systems.
- Visuals and control: Canvas graphics, animation, maps, cameras, and player input.
- Interaction: collision detection, AI, mathematics, and physics.
- Polish and delivery: Web Audio API sound and music, game feel, performance optimization, and packaging.
Projects and examples include a platformer, shoot ’em up, dungeon crawler, and physics-based game. The breadth is useful: readers encounter both the moment-to-moment mechanics and the supporting work required to turn a prototype into a more finished browser game.
How does the game loop work?
A game loop repeatedly gathers input, updates the world, checks interactions, and redraws the scene. In the book’s Level 1 chapter, author Earle Castledine summarizes the idea: “Fetch user input. Move everything just a tiny bit. Check if anything overlaps. Draw everything. Repeat this 60 times every second.” The sequence is the important part; the quoted 60-times-per-second figure is a conceptual description, not a universal requirement for every modern browser game.
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- Collect input: read controls such as keyboard or pointer actions.
- Update: move characters and other objects according to the game’s rules.
- Check interactions: test for overlaps or other events that change the game state.
- Render: draw the current state so the player can see the result.
- Repeat: continue updating and rendering while the game is active.
This model gives a beginner a useful way to divide a game into manageable responsibilities. Input, world updates, collision checks, and drawing can be reasoned about separately even though they work together during play.
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What should readers know about its age?
The book was published in February 2018. Its explanations of loops, entities, collision logic, physics concepts, and game feel can still help readers understand how browser games are structured. Browser APIs and compatibility details, however, can change. When implementing a project today, confirm current behavior in up-to-date browser documentation rather than assuming every API example or compatibility note in a 2018 text still applies unchanged.
The companion code site describes examples using native JavaScript modules and transpiled ES5 alternatives. That offers a way to follow the projects in different JavaScript environments, but it should not be taken as a guarantee that every original setup step matches current tooling.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Book details and code examples
O’Reilly’s catalog lists the book at 462 pages, with an estimated reading time of 10 hours and 40 minutes; these are catalog figures, not measures of learning outcomes. The ISBN is 9781492065401. The companion code examples are available from SitePoint’s book page and are described as including native JavaScript module examples and transpiled ES5 alternatives.
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- Used Book in Good Condition
The title is listed by both O’Reilly and SitePoint. Availability and access terms can vary, so check the current listing if you are deciding where to obtain it.
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