📖 Overview
Jordan Mechner is an American video game designer, author, and screenwriter best known for creating the Prince of Persia video game franchise. He pioneered the use of rotoscoping in video game animation, a technique he first employed in his 1984 game Karateka and later refined in Prince of Persia.
Before becoming a prominent game designer, Mechner studied at Yale University while simultaneously developing his first hit game Karateka for the Apple II computer. The success of this initial venture allowed him to focus on game development full-time, leading to the creation of Prince of Persia in 1989.
In addition to game design, Mechner has worked as a screenwriter and authored several graphic novels. He wrote the screenplay for the 2010 Disney film adaptation of Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, and published a graphic novel titled Templar in 2013.
Mechner has maintained detailed journals throughout his career, documenting the development process of his games. These journals were later published, offering rare insights into early video game development, with The Making of Prince of Persia: Journals 1985-1993 becoming particularly notable among game developers and historians.
👀 Reviews
Readers appreciate Mechner's detailed development journals for their honest portrayal of game creation in the 1980s. The Making of Prince of Persia Journals receives 4.5/5 stars on Goodreads, with readers noting his candid accounts of setbacks and self-doubt. One reader called it "a time capsule of early game development."
His graphic novel Templar (3.8/5 on Goodreads) draws praise for its historical research and art style. Several reviews highlight the clear storytelling and character development. Amazon reviewers averaged 4.2/5 stars.
Criticism focuses on pacing issues in Templar, with some readers finding the middle section slow. A few reviews note that the development journals can be repetitive with technical details.
Across platforms, readers connect with Mechner's openness about creative struggles. Multiple reviews mention appreciating his willingness to share failures alongside successes. The authenticity of his writing style receives consistent mention, especially in the journal collections.
Goodreads Ratings:
Making of Prince of Persia: 4.5/5 (500+ ratings)
Templar: 3.8/5 (1,000+ ratings)
📚 Books by Jordan Mechner
The Making of Prince of Persia: Journals 1985-1993
A collection of the author's personal development diaries during the creation of the Prince of Persia video game, detailing technical challenges and creative decisions.
Templar A graphic novel following a group of knights who protect a secret treasure during the fall of the Templar Order in medieval France.
Prince of Persia: The Graphic Novel A parallel storyline graphic novel that weaves together two Prince of Persia tales, one set in the ninth century and one in the present day.
Solomon's Thieves Book one of a graphic novel trilogy about the persecution of the Knights Templar in medieval France.
Second Sight A collection of film criticism covering international cinema from the 1920s through the 1990s, focusing on visual storytelling techniques.
Templar A graphic novel following a group of knights who protect a secret treasure during the fall of the Templar Order in medieval France.
Prince of Persia: The Graphic Novel A parallel storyline graphic novel that weaves together two Prince of Persia tales, one set in the ninth century and one in the present day.
Solomon's Thieves Book one of a graphic novel trilogy about the persecution of the Knights Templar in medieval France.
Second Sight A collection of film criticism covering international cinema from the 1920s through the 1990s, focusing on visual storytelling techniques.
👥 Similar authors
Ernest Cline writes about video game culture and virtual worlds, with stories that blend gaming history with adventure narratives. His works like Ready Player One share themes of video game nostalgia that appear in Mechner's writing.
Blake J. Harris chronicles the history of video game companies and development through narrative non-fiction. His books Console Wars and History of the Future provide behind-the-scenes accounts of the gaming industry similar to Mechner's journals.
Austin Grossman creates stories about video game development and the people who make games. His novel YOU draws from firsthand industry experience like Mechner's work.
David Kushner documents the history of video games and their creators through investigative journalism and storytelling. His books Masters of Doom and Jacked examine game development from an insider perspective comparable to Mechner's accounts.
Tristan Donovan focuses on video game history and development through research-based narratives. His book Replay: The History of Video Games covers industry evolution in ways that complement Mechner's personal documentation of game creation.
Blake J. Harris chronicles the history of video game companies and development through narrative non-fiction. His books Console Wars and History of the Future provide behind-the-scenes accounts of the gaming industry similar to Mechner's journals.
Austin Grossman creates stories about video game development and the people who make games. His novel YOU draws from firsthand industry experience like Mechner's work.
David Kushner documents the history of video games and their creators through investigative journalism and storytelling. His books Masters of Doom and Jacked examine game development from an insider perspective comparable to Mechner's accounts.
Tristan Donovan focuses on video game history and development through research-based narratives. His book Replay: The History of Video Games covers industry evolution in ways that complement Mechner's personal documentation of game creation.