ADVANCED GAME WRITING

Get familiar with the course roadmap, key deliverables, and final project while discovering how narrative development works inside a professional game studio.

• Instructor intro
• Course overview
• Lessons & deliverables
• Narrative development in class vs. the industry

Discover how narrative fits into game development and learn how writers collaborate with designers, artists, and producers to bring games to life.

• Game narrative vs. other forms of storytelling
• Game narrative roles & narrative department structure
• Other game development roles & hierarchy
• The importance of collaboration
• Project development lifecycle

Learn how strong game stories begin by defining a clear creative vision, core themes, and narrative pillars that guide the entire production.

• Understanding the game’s vision
• Developing a narrative vision
• Inheriting a narrative vision 
• “The pitch”: Review the sample project 

Assignment #1: Themes & Narrative Pillars

Turn high-level ideas into concise, production-ready story treatments that align teams and keep development moving in the same direction.

• Preparation & research
• What should & shouldn’t be in a story treatment
• Understanding the audience you’re writing for 
• Validation & approval processes
• Case Study: Halo 4

Assignment #2: Story Treatment

Transform narrative concepts into structured game flows and collaborative story frameworks that balance storytelling with gameplay.

• Types of narrative elements & delivery mechanisms
• Different types of game structures
• Role of the writers’ room
• Translating the docs into a structured story flow
• Workshop: Creating an outline/flow chart for the game

Build believable worlds, memorable characters, and practical lore documentation that supports both storytelling and cross-disciplinary development.

• Working with a shared universe
• Establishing the rules of your world
• Character development: Balancing the character with NPCs
• Designing factions that align with gameplay’s needs
• Lore documentation & over-documentation

Assignment #3: Lore Document

Design narrative-driven missions and quests that seamlessly integrate with level design, pacing, and the player's experience.

• Integrating narrative with other disciplines’ workflows
• Elements of a mission, level, quest
• Linear vs. non-linear storytelling
• ‘Passing the baton’: Navigating collaboration
• Workshop: Level walkthrough outline

Create a production-ready narrative slice that connects cinematics, gameplay, dialogue, and tutorials into one cohesive player experience.

• Mapping individual narrative beats 
• Planning for iterative development
• Different types of content 
• Integrating narrative into tutorialization & onboarding
• Case Study: The Last of Us

Assignment #4: Narrative Slice

Learn how to give, receive, and apply professional feedback to strengthen narrative content and collaborate effectively across development teams.

• Principles of receiving & delivering feedback
• Feedback vs. direction
• Examples of constructive & unconstructive feedback
• Narrative feedback for/from non-narrative departments 
• Conducting peer review sessions
• Workshop: Peer review feedback

Adapt your narrative to changing creative direction, gameplay needs, and production realities while keeping the story focused and cohesive.

• Tracking the content’s purpose 
• Adapting to non-narrative iteration
• Rough implementations & reviewing in-game
• Adapting to change & uncertainty 

Expand storytelling beyond dialogue by designing environmental, systemic, and interactive narrative features that deepen player immersion.

• Telling stories through interactions
• Non-verbal communication: Environment art, action, etc.
• String content vs. voiced content
• Narrative systems: Branching, relationships, discoverable content, barks
• Case Studies: Examples of narrative features & systems

Assignment #5: Barks & String Content 

Craft meaningful player choices and branching narratives that deliver impactful consequences without losing scope or clarity.

• Branching vs. linear narrative
• Types of branching content: Dialogue, action, story
• The importance of choices & consequences
• Examples of tools & approaches

[Optional] Assignment #6: Branching Narrative Sequence

Evaluate how narrative performs inside the game, refining story delivery through implementation, playtesting, and production workflows.

• The game as the source of truth
• Voice-over & performance capture processes
• Assessing story & gameplay comprehension

Bring everything together by producing a polished, production-ready narrative pass for a complete game level that showcases your storytelling skills.

• Final project review
• Identifying areas requiring revision & editing 

Final Project: Game Level Content

Explore advanced narrative responsibilities, leadership opportunities, and practical strategies for building a successful career in the games industry.

• Infusing narrative in non-narrative areas
• Working with localization
• Taking on a leadership role
• Career, industry & cultural realities
• Guidance for going forward
• Case Study: Star Wars Battlefront 2