What's worth fighting for as a narrative designer (and what to let go) | Narrative News June '25
Monthly thoughts on narrative design + resources + jobs listings!
Hello fellow narrative designers,
First off: happy Pride month! The games industry is and has always been a very queer and gender diverse space. Here’s to keeping it that way — and standing up to anyone, at any level, who threatens the security, safety, and support of our LGBTQ+ colleagues.
Which leads nicely into the topic I thought I’d muse on this month: what is worth fighting for at work, and what isn’t? What can you let go and what must you hold on to, as a creative writing on someone else’s project? I have a few thoughts on the matter after writing on game projects professionally for roughly five years now. Mind you, this advice is specifically for writers working at studios, not for those working on their own independent projects — but hopefully it’s of use, even if only to keep in mind for the future.
What to let go of, as a narrative designer
Most creative decisions: Unless you are the general manager of the entire project or the CEO, the buck does not stop with you. You were hired to provide dazzling suggestions. Suggestions that are just SO good they must be enacted. If your boss wants the main character’s hair to be chestnut rather than cobalt blue, well… so be it. You can certainly explain why blue makes more narrative sense but don’t expect to force the matter. It isn’t really your project at the end of the day. It’s the team’s project, and the vision for it is held by the general manager/CEO.
Petty squabbles with other writers: What if the person who wants to change your brilliant vision is not your boss but your co-worker, someone you are on a perfectly even footing with? Can you push back then? Well, you can but… most of the time they’re probably right. They’ve identified a problem, even if you don’t care for (or employ) their suggested solution. Consider it a blessing: you have a test reader making your stuff better before it reaches the desks of the higher-ups.
Preciousness about process: Forget inspiration, forget complex routines, and forget privacy — sometimes as a professional games writer you will have to write when you’re tired, sans tea, and on the spot in front of several other people. This was horrifying to me once upon a time, but one can get used to anything over time. Every draft has to start somewhere. It’s okay to show your coworkers that you’re not a genius on your first try. Chances are, they aren’t either.
Self-deprecation: Another tip I would’ve been loathe to hear when I was in my twenties — you should sell your ideas as though you believe in them one hundred percent. Don’t get me wrong, you can hedge and say that your idea is rough or a work in progress BUT that will only start your pitch off on the wrong foot. Give your audience something to be excited about! And if they aren’t, well, that’s where you employ the first few bullets on the list, stow your ego away, and work with them on a creative direction they like better.
What’s worth fighting for, as a narrative designer
Recognition of your work: You may be inclined to give people the benefit of the doubt when it comes to accidentally omitting your name from a document. I’m here to give you permission to be harsh on that matter and firmly demand a correction. And I’m not just referring to a game’s credits, I mean credit for everyday tasks. Make sure your work is being tracked in Jira. Announce it clearly and loudly in stand-ups. Make sure that people know what you are doing and how much you are doing. This makes it much harder for any potential manipulators to attempt to sway opinion on your work ethic or take credit for your work.
Matters of conscience: No job is worth betraying your moral compass — it’s far too high a price. If the powers that be want to go in a direction that is wrong-headed, mean-spirited, or in any way bigoted, speak up. You won’t regret it.
Your voice to be heard: Not all writers are yappers, contrary to public opinion. However, speaking as only a medium yapper myself — stay in the conversation. Even if other writers have offered ‘enough’ ideas already, offer your own. Your voice is valuable, and your employer is paying for it. Perhaps you are the slow and thoughtful type. That’s more than alright. If you add your thoughts last but they’re well fleshed-out and interesting, you’ve done exactly what you should.
That’s it, that’s all I’ve got… Agree? Disagree? Let me know below.
Now, on to the resources and jobs!
Events
Conferences
I am very excited that Narrascope is finally upon us! The yearly celebration of narrative games runs June 20th to June 22nd in Philadelphia and also, online. I’ve been having the most wonderful time playtesting games as part of the Narrascope Showcase jury and I am excited to announce that the shortlist has been announced! I’ll be diving more deeply into those games in the next edition of Narrative News, but for now check that out and, if you’re planning to attend, considering checking out my talk with the wonderful Shelby Moledina on Writing Absorbing Stories for Short Attention Spans.
For those in Toronto, check out Toronto Games Week, which runs June 12th to 18th and features quite a few activities to intrigue a games writer.
Meetups
The SF Bay Area Interactive Fiction Meetup is meeting in-person and online on June 7th and will potentially play The Little Match Girl Approaches the Golden Firmament, one of the Spring Thing best in show winners.
Jams + Competitions
The IntroComp is an annual competition where “participants develop excerpts of interactive fiction, gain feedback from audience reactions, and (hopefully!) use this feedback to release a fantastic final product.” You can register your intent to enter until June 30th.
Submissions for the REALLY BOOGALOO BAD IF jam are due by June 30th. With a name like that, how could you not give it a try! “Bring your terribly written, bug-riddled coded, nonsensical-story games along!”
The Neo Twiny Jam encourages participants to create an interactive fiction game of 500 words or less.
Heads up: the GMTK Game Jam 2025 is coming up! Consider creating a team. It runs from July 30th to August 3rd.
Jobs
Associate Localization Writer at Nintendo Redmond, USA-based. “Under direct supervision, write and review game text, voice scripts, manuals, package copy, and marketing materials for Nintendo products and services through launch and beyond.”
Technical Narrative Designer at CD PROJEKT RED Remote possible. “Seeking a mid-level Technical Narrative Designer to bridge the creative and technical aspects of storytelling within our next title, Project Sirius, a multiplayer game set within the world of The Witcher.”
Narrative Designer at Epic Games Open to multiple locations across US. “Epic Games is looking for a character-focused Narrative Systems Designer to join our dynamic team.”
Narrative Design Lead at Lucid Games Remote within Great Britain. “We are looking for a creative, passionate and experienced designer to join our team on a 12 month fixed term contract.”
Narrative Design Lead at Lunacy Games Remote. “We're looking for a talented & experienced Narrative Designer who can step in at a relatively advanced stage in the project.”
Senior Narrative Designer at Cloud Chamber Montreal, CA or Novato, USA. “Cloud Chamber is looking for an adventurously creative Senior Narrative Designer to join our global development team.” *Note: This has been up for a while, not sure what that means.
Thanks for reading! Pass on the good vibes and share this newsletter with other narrative designers.
About the Writer:
Rose Behar is a narrative designer at Scopely working on a new IP. Her previous work is featured in Longleaf Valley and Cell to Singularity, among other projects. She puts out the free Narrative News roundup every month.
Fantastic write-up as always! Thanks for your hard work supporting the game writing community!!
Biggest takeaway about being a writer: PICK. YOUR. BATTLES.
Love this, Rose!