[bitwize]

Sounds like BASIC Computer Games by David Ahl.

Link to book's contents (Ahl released his works into the public domain): https://www.atariarchives.org/basicgames/

Artwork example: https://www.atariarchives.org/basicgames/showpage.php?page=8...

(Was this your pontoon bot? I think those are supposed to be ice skates...)

[LarryMade2]

I tink this was the one on pontoons -

https://archive.org/details/More_BASIC_Computer_Games/page/n...

[codpiece]

Thank you both, this is exactly the illustrator!

[codpiece]

Oh, these are so great! It really does look like the illustrator! Especially this one: https://www.atariarchives.org/basicgames/showpage.php?page=9... Thank you!

[bitwize]

These books were classics back in the day, and are fondly remembered by hackers who got their start on micros in the 70s or 80s. Clearly they had an influence on you, too.