Lead Writer/Narrative Designer
Design – Kirkland, Washington
Harebrained Schemes seeks an experienced game writer for a new project! We’re looking for someone who can sketch characters quickly with screenplay efficiency, has a good ear for dialogue, and the ability to write bon mots that are both witty and reveal subtext.
This is a full-time, onsite position in our Kirkland WA studio.
What You'll Do
- Collaborate with the project’s Game Director and design team in order to design and deliver concise, engaging game dialogue and writing.
- Collaborate with the Game Director, art team and audio team to create gripping stories that draw the player into the game world.
- Bring characters to life and make them memorable with short bursts of dialogue, designed to effectively convey context and attitude.
- Tell impactful, character-driven stories.
- Write additional in-game material such as briefings, found narrative items, and background descriptions.
Required XP
- 5 or more years professional writing experience in games, film, or comics - including at least one released commercial project as a writer or narrative designer. You MUST include a link to your released commercial project as part of your application to be considered for this role.
- Outstanding talent for crafting snappy, engaging dialogue. Character conversations flow quickly with good diction and grammar.
- Ability to conceive of interesting situations and character motivations as context for game play and combat.
- Ability to craft nonlinear narrative experiences, and an understanding of the differences between nonlinear storytelling and the linear storytelling found in scripts and novels.
- Attention to detail - high accuracy with grammar, spelling, and punctuation is critical.
- Able to match writing style and tone to the needs of a project.
- Strong creative collaboration and communication skills - game writing takes iteration.
- High-energy, self-motivated, flexible-thinker.
Bonus XP
- Prior experience writing for video games.
