Rating: ★ ★ (2/5)

As a fan of video games, I was really looking forward to "The Age of Video Games", but unfortunately it didn’t work for me. The jokes didn’t land most of the time, I couldn’t connect with the characters, and the history felt forced rather than engaging. Even though the graphic novel format should have made the story more accessible, I found myself distracted by little details that were left out or glossed over.

I understand it’s a huge subject to cover in a relatively short book, but at times it almost felt misleading or oversimplified. While I appreciate the effort to condense the history of gaming, this one just wasn’t the right fit for me.

If you want to learn more about the history of video games I recommend this! It was super engaging while still being educational. There is a lot of text though so some people could struggle with that.

I loved the art style and thought the story was fun. I really appreciated the large focus on marginalised people who have been overlooked by the industry, despite the contributions they have made.

A few of my favourite games were mentioned which was super cool (gone home!!!), and I also discovered some new (to me) games that I'm excited to check out!

My favourite fact I learned was that Space Invaders was partly inspired by The War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells. I think that is very cool and will be telling everyone I know lol

This book was SO cute!! I loved the format in how the author takes the reader through pivotal moments in video game history, and I really enjoyed being able to explore those in a cute setting/art style.

I had a lot of fun with this one! This lively graphic novel takes you through the history of video games, providing tidbits and insight that may be totally new to many readers. The catalyst for the tale is that the author and illustrator are actually characters in the story and are basically traveling through time to witness these historical moments, a la Bill and Ted. This is a really cool way to share the information, but I feel like it would have fit better if there were more of a solid storyline happening to them. I assume they're doing it so they can make a book together? The interactions between these characters are awkward at best, with the two having different priorities throughout this exploration. It's all kind of meta, which is neat. Lots of information shared in a fun, accessible way. The two clearly have definite respect for the artform so it was interesting to see how willing they were to call out the problems of this media as well.
Very neat, very informative. I do desire a more clear connection between the two characters because I felt it drew me out of the immersion, but not so much that it was a problem.

This graphic novel was a lot of fun and very informative. I loved the art and how nostalgic the game references were. My only complaint is that sometimes the lettering/text felt very small and hard to read especially in places were a lot of text was included in a small frame.

The Age of Video Games is a lively, illustrated dive into gaming history (from Pong to VR) told through a time-traveling narrative featuring the author, illustrator, and a robot guide. It’s a clever setup with charming art and lots of nostalgic references, making it accessible for both newcomers and longtime fans.

The book covers a wide range of milestones and offers genuinely interesting insights. However, the dialogue can feel forced, and the storytelling sometimes loses focus with a chronology that jumps around. It’s informative, but the pacing and tone don’t always land.

Still, it’s a fun and approachable way to explore gaming’s evolution, worth picking up if you enjoy graphic nonfiction or want a light introduction to the world of video games.

Thanks to Andrews McMeel and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Oof well this was unfortunately disappointing. While the art is stunning and the premise is interesting, I found it fell quite flat. I'm not even sure who the target market is...

The Age of Video Games reads like a mash-up of Wikipedia articles alongside a silly adventure of the illustrator and author making their way through the history of videogames. The antagonistic tone between the characters is an odd choice, which I didn't fully understand. Particularly the characters hating on the little AI robot following along the journey, even though both characters are constantly streaming random facts in the same tone. This was a missed opportunity to do something really interesting with the classic archetype of a little bot in a videogame.

There is a ton of information packed into the pages, and I found it interesting at first when it focused on the beginning of the technology, however, it got overwhelming. It also was told in a haphazard way. You would start on a topic, go through the history, then later when another topic would start, we'd go back in time again, instead of weaving it all together.

The biggest pros for this book are how often it references women, BIPOC, and LGBTQIA, people who have been involved in video games and their creation over the years.

Very complete and comprehensive history of videogames, in a chronological sense, as an art form, it's relation with computers and technology, as a medium of expression, the separation between AAA and indie games, etc. I'm not the most well versed person in videogames but I had a lot of fun seeing all these familiar names be it people or retro games.

While personally I really didn't care at all about the story of the journalist and the artist inside the comic I admit it does lighten up a bit what would essentialy be a time-line. And the playfullness does add to the "game" atmosphere (and it also heavily reminds me of Split Fiction so... bonus points for that) It doesn't add up much but it's not detrimental by any means.

A Passionate Tribute to Gaming History

Jean Zeid’s The Age of Video Games is a concise yet engaging dive into the evolution of video games, written with clear affection for the subject. From arcade classics to modern gaming culture, the book offers an accessible overview that balances historical milestones with personal anecdotes and cultural context. Readers unfamiliar with the industry will appreciate its approachable tone, while longtime gamers may enjoy the nostalgic nods and reflections. Though not exhaustive, it captures the essence of gaming’s impact on generations. A great starting point for anyone curious about the cultural significance of video games.

This is the second graphic novel that I've read about the history of video games and this version was further reaching and included several details that I haven't known about. What makes this version stand out is its inclusion of women and queer people in the development of video games throughout their history. Also its mentions of the contributions made by those outside of the U.S. and Japan. Another unique inclusion of I appreciated was the projects or technologies that failed, but paved the way for other successes. While its easy to know what was successful and made its cultural footprint on our world, the failures are just as interesting and shows the possibilities for alternate historical developments.

Overall the tone was fun and the overarching narrative between the graphic novel creators helped propel me through each chapter. Otherwise, each chapter is a bit of a scramble, collecting as much info about each topic as possible on each page. The descriptions are rich with information, characters, and dates, while the visuals are fun and referential to a wide variety of games. It's definitely not the best reference for understanding the history of video games in a clear linear story, instead it teaches history through a web of interacting plot points (or technological/artistic developments).

Thank you to NetGalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I don't know if it was just me or if the graphic novel came up incredibly blurry in the reader for everyone. It made an already dense work harder to read, especially without a zoom function. This isn't really a mark against the read itself, just that the experience of reading became a little more difficult.

The comic is chalk full of information, going from the various inceptions of video games to esports and VR gaming. There was so much ground covered, so many games mentioned that I had never even heard of, that it became a bit of a whirlwind after a while. I learned a lot from this comic, though, judging from other reviews, it wasn't entirely accurate. Still, I think this comic has the potential to grasp the attention of those that are truly engaged in video game history.

I didn't really care for the author stand ins. They felt a little shoehorned in with constant "You're old" or "Ah the strange youth of today" jokes. I think a more straightforward, factual approach may have been better or a little less invasive framing device.

This title might be a little too much for my teen graphic novel collection, as its history and references may appeal more to older audiences. so I may have to give it a pass when ordering. Still there are some fun facts to be gained here and a new appreciation for the virtual worlds we have all come to know and love.

Published by Andrews McMeel and available July 22, 2025, The Age of Video Games caught my attention for being about my favorite pastime. Even though I've read and listened to so much about the history of gaming, I'll always enjoy hearing about it again. Maybe it's all the experience talking, but I wasn't as impressed with this book as I'd hoped. It has very little chronological organization, such as jumping from Pac-Man in 1980 to Out Run in 1986, which doesn't make much sense. The dialog is frequently awkward, thanks to being translated from French-- while I'm not great at French myself I don't think it was translated well enough to flow in English. A lot of information is left out-- there's nothing about the Xbox and its impact on the industry, for example; and it repeats a disproved urban legend that Space Invaders led to a shortage of 100 yen coins. That's not a huge issue, just one that I should think should be fact checked. I did appreciate the insight into some French developments, which I'm not as familiar with as the American and Japanese industries (interesting now that I think of it that they don't mention that Ubisoft is French). The art is nice and has some good details that reflect the (mostly) visual nature of video games, and I'm very happy to see an appearance by Jerry Lawson, developer of the Fairchild Channel F. Overall, I'd say this isn't much more than a serviceable introduction to video game history. It's too unfocused and sometimes baffling to read.

While I like the idea of a visual history of video games, I could neither connect with the art style nor the humour. I would have liked a less author-centric book with more (accurate) information about video games and development itself. The inaccuracies are the second thing why I would hesitate recommending this book, especially to gamers. Some information was abbreviated so much that it became factually wrong like what happened to Wolfenstein in Germany.

I would maybe recommend it to people who are not too deep into gaming otherwise it might be more frustrating than entertaining reading this.

3 ⭐️

Videogames promise another life in pixels.

This graphic novel felt like walking around a museum. There was so much to see, a lot of history and so much information. Perhaps a bit too much information and text for a graphic novel.

I enjoyed learning more about the history of gaming and I loved the art!

Thanks Netgalley for letting me read this digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I love video games. I love reading. This book is a happy combination of my two favorite hobbies.

Let me start off by saying this book is dense. It's designed like a graphic novel and but the sheer amount of information in it definitely made it feel like I was reading a textbook. There's a ton of good information about not only the video games but the important people and companies behind them. Maybe too much information, in fact. With how many names and dates you get bombarded with, it felt like I didn't get much time to process the information before the characters moved onto the next topic at times. I think the characters interjecting with what I can only describe as Millennial Humor quips really helps break up the lore dumping Jean Zeid does.

After reading this, I learned about a few games I've never even heard of and I appreciate that it put a spotlight on some minority developers. You always hear the big names like Shigeru Miyamoto and Nolan Bushnell when people talk about the history of video games. Rarely do people also include the likes of Carol Shaw or Jerry Lawson who are just as important. Overall, I enjoyed the book. I can see it being a bit of a slog if you're only a casual gamer or if you try to binge read it though.

The first half of this book had me reading snippets out loud because I was fascinated by the history. Where it fell apart was reaching the modern age of video games as it dived into the various types of games but neglected the development of new consoles and more interesting technology like it did in the first half. As a life-long gamer, I appreciated a lot of the insight and several of the references. I'm glad it included BIPOC and women developers and acknowledged the misogyny in the industry. This is an informative graphic novel that would be a good addition to public libraries.

Thank you to NetGalley and publisher for the opportunity to read and review.

The history aspect of this graphic novel intrigued me and kept me going throughout the book because sadly the rest fell flat for me. Émilie's and Jean's story didn't catch my interest.

This is a very very dense graphic history book. I would say it's better for adults who are interested in the topic more than anything. I definitely don't dislike it I just wish there was more breathing space between the facts and historical events to give the reader time to digest the information a little better, this is especially true in the first chapter.

My library has been expanding their graphic nonfiction books since they are so much more accessible to different level readers. That being said this is such a niche topic and with how much info is thrown at you I wouldn't call this a read for everyone. The humor is cute but some of it you need to be of a certain age to appreciate/understand the joke.

I would like to thank McMeel Publishing and NetGalley for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book laid out a pretty fun storyline of two characters(the author and artist) and a small game system exploring the history of gaming and gaming tech. The history was interesting, though the artist character being antagonistic about this history was… distracting. Certain references, for a book coming out in 2025, were probably not the best idea. But I learned a good deal, I felt old as soon as it hit games I remember playing as a kid, and I got jumpscared by a Markiplier reference. Not a bad way to spend an afternoon.

A creative way to tell the history of video games. Perfect for all ages, the colorful and engaging comic has information for both those new to video games and those who grew up with the early systems/games.