BECOME A GAME WRITER

Meet your instructor, walk through the course structure and final project, and set expectations for giving and receiving feedback.

• Course structure and expectations
• Assignments and final project overview
• Instructor introduction
• Why not AI
• Giving and receiving feedback

Explore the game writer's role in the design process, the power of storytelling in games, and the core toolkit every game writer needs.

• Role of a game writer in game design
• Storytelling's role in video games
• Key skills for game writers
• Game writer toolkit: engines, writing software, game writing tools
• References and resources

Assignment #1: Research 
Identify the types of games and stories that inspire you and that you'd like to make.

Learn how the game development process works and where a game writer fits into it, grounded in a real studio case study.

• Game development process overview
• The game writer's role in development
• Case study: Days Gone vs. League of Legends dev cycles

Master the building blocks of story structure, from pacing and player choice to platform-specific narrative constraints, using real games as your guide.

• Overall story structure
• Plotting and pacing
• Story structures: hero's journey, five-act structure
• Player choice
• Platform narrative constraints
• Case study: Games known for narrative

Assignment #2: Game Pitch 
In 2-3 sentences, pitch the narrative core of your final project, including genre and central story concept.

Build relatable, layered characters with real backstories, arcs, and voice, then put that theory into practice with a group character workshop.

• Relatable and interesting characters
• Character backstory and history
• Vocal tone, word choice, wants vs. needs
• Character arcs
• Non-player characters
• Workshop: Character Creation Jam

Assignment #3: Main Character Profile 
Create the main character(s) for your final project, covering their backstory, voice, goals, personality, and central conflict.

Craft dialogue that actually earns its place, whether it's a bark, a hint, or a full scene, and write it for distinct character voices.

• Engaging, realistic dialogue
• Writing for different character voices
• Dialogue's role: barks, hints, tutorialization, story
• Workshop: Writing Dialogue

Discover how genre shapes storyline, structure, and character archetypes, then apply it directly with a genre-specific writing workshop.

• Genre's influence on storyline
• Genre-specific requirements
• Character archetypes by genre
• Workshop: Genre-Specific Writing

Assignment #4: Dialogue 
Write a series of gameplay-specific barks and conversations for your main character.

Build a world with real internal consistency, depth, and narrative hooks, then break down an existing game world to see how it's done.

• Consistency across your world's rules and history
• Depth and complexity
• Narrative hooks
• Show, don't tell
• Workshop: Worldbuilding Breakdown

Assignment #5: Worldbuilding 
Build out the world of your game, including its rules, genre, and inspiration.

Structure quests with real motivation, conflict, and pacing, and collaborate like a mission designer through a quest outcome challenge.

• Quest structure
• Motivation
• Conflict and challenge
• Pacing
• Collaboration with mission designers
• Workshop: Quest Outcome Challenge

Learn how strong side content supports the main story without pulling focus, drawing on how Yakuza handles it at scale.

• Integrating side content into the main narrative
• Environmental storytelling
• Pacing and player engagement
• Working with design on narrative content
• Case study: Yakuza's side content

Explore branching storylines and multiple endings, and see how player choice and agency play out across some of gaming's biggest choice-driven titles.

• Branching storylines and multiple endings
• Player choice and agency
• Interactive storytelling
• Case study: Baldur's Gate 3, Life is Strange, Mass Effect

Assignment #6: Example Mission 
Write either a non-linear conversation in Twine, a linear mission script, or a cinematic script.

See how a game writer collaborates with designers, artists, and voice actors, then hear directly from a guest speaker on team communication.

• Collaboration in game development
• Working with mission, world, and level designers
• Working with artists and voice actors

Assignment #7: Final Project Prep 
Compile your assignments into a slide deck, share with peers for feedback, and refine before final submission.

Get a real look at where the game writing career path leads in 2027, plus practical guidance on IP rights, pitching etiquette, and interviews.

• Career trends of 2027
• Career paths for game writers
• IP fundamentals: ideas vs. expressions
• Pitching etiquette
• Contracts and NDAs
• Application portfolio and interview tips

Final Assignment: Game Story Pitch Deck
Create a deck pitching and fleshing out an original game story: plot, gameplay, main character, example dialogue, worldbuilding, and an example mission or cinematic script.