The game industry is going nuts. Maybe you've noticed? 🫠
Studios are leaner. AI tools are everywhere. Budgets are tight. And competition remains fierce.
But writing for games is still extremely kickass work. Fact! Most game devs are fun, the work is satisfying...you get to create stories and games for a living. 🤩
So if you’re serious about having a sustainable, paid career in narrative design - and you must be, that's why you're here - just know that the bar isn’t just higher — it’s also moving.
That doesn't mean "give up." It doesn't mean "write harder" (how would you even do that?) It just means "think smarter." In other words, it's time to get strategic.
Good news, you are good at strategic thinking - you think that way every time you play a game, and figure out how to beat a level. Right? Use that same superpower to help you play the Video Game Industry Level, which is currently in Hard Mode. (It won't be that way forever. These things are cyclical. But let's deal with where things stand now.)
(This advice can work for game writers and narrative designers at every level - from "I'm just starting out" to "I've been at this for years and I've shipped multiple games.")
Great Writing Isn’t Enough Anymore (And Honestly, It Never Really Was)
If you’ve been reading these posts for a while, you already know that I am all about the importance of developing your writing skills and putting together a great set of samples. That's always going to be the backbone of a game-writing career, so if you've been working on that, GOOD. Those are table stakes. 🙌
That said:
📌 Studios are overwhelmed with applications.
📌 Portfolios often look REALLLLLLY similar. "Haven't I already looked at this one?"
📌 Tools like ChatGPT make it easier than ever to create “good-enough” writing. (I cannot believe writers would put together a portfolio using ChatGPT - that is INSANE - but I guess it happens.)
So what actually makes someone (like you, hi) stand out?
The trick is to emphasize not just how you write, but how you think — and how you work with others. Show them your brain at work.
Here are five smart moves that will help you stand out as a game writer in 2025 — and build a career that lasts.
For each one, I'll give a brief explanation, and then show how to take the first step towards implementing it. Pick the strategy that sounds like one you'd like. Or try them all, you maniac!
1. Create Systems, Not Scenes
If you've got a nice monologue in your portfolio, oh good...
But if you've got a dialogue tree that feels like emotional responses characters would actually have, AND responds to player choices? NOW we're talking.
Studios need writers who understand things like:
- VO bark formatting
- Dialogue branching logic
- Interactive storytelling
- Text pacing, character arcs, and design limitations
If your writing only exists in "I wrote a story" form, it’s hard for a studio to imagine how you’ll contribute to an actual project.
(If you're thinking, "I don't know how to do this!" - just try! Start experimenting. Lots of game writing is about learning by doing.)
2. Show Them How You Make The Donuts
Most writers focus only on the final deliverables for their portfolios. But that’s not what studios are thinking about, when they're deciding who to hire next.
They want to see:
- How you approach storytelling challenges
- What you would do with a playable story that isn't working structurally and/or emotionally
- How you think across disciplines - are you considering game design, for example?
That sounds intimidating, I know. But you can start small. Here's how:
🎮 Try this: Start adding short “developer notes” to your samples, like:
“This VO bark sequence was designed for repeatable combat interactions. The goal was to balance tone with clarity.”
This kind of dev note is going to get a narrative director to nod along, because this is exactly the kind of assignment they would give a junior game writer. Nice job, speaking their language!
(And if you're NOT thinking about how your samples could fit into an overall game, then you just found the best possible place to focus your energy. Start reviewing every piece in your portfolio with gameplay in mind.)
3. Help Other Game Writers Succeed
Most narrative design jobs are filled through word-of-mouth. If that sounds like some "insider-game" bullshit, I get that reaction. But don't hate the player, and don't hate the game, either. This is just human behavior 101. The reason people love word-of-mouth and recommendations is because of something that is as human as it gets - trust. And social proof. "I like this, and I know you - I think you'll like this, too."
Let's say you're a narrative director who needs to hire a new writer. Your production deadlines are crushing your team; you need to bring someone on that you know can do the job. If you hire the wrong person, you're going to make your team's life a living hell, and you'll make your coworkers big mad.
You've got two applicants. One has a fancy-schmancy portfolio. The other one comes highly recommended by your friend, who works at another game studio and knows this writer personally. Which one are you more likely to hire?
People want to work with writers they (or their friends) have seen in action — not just applicants on a spreadsheet somewhere.
So how do we help people get to know you? As with any of these strategies, start small.
- Find a few writer friends who can vouch for you
- Get involved with a community (Discord, cough) and be awesome in it - helpful, collaborative, etc. People in these online spots are often working game devs, who are probably lurking (so that they don't get pestered). If you share useful, smart, and thoughtful ideas, odds are they'll notice. And if they know your name when a job opens up at their studio, they might refer you. Crazier things have happened. I bet you can think of some people you only know online, but you like their posts a lot. Yeah?
- Say in touch with people who’ve given you feedback (and know what you can do)
🎮 Try this: Start or join a small writing group. Two or three people, trading samples monthly, is more powerful than you think. Help each other succeed. When they feel ready to apply for jobs, give them a testimonial on LinkedIn or their portfolio site! And ask them to do the same for you. They'll jump at the chance to help you.
4. Show That Some People Had The NERVE To Critique Your Work - And What You Did About It
It’s one thing to say “I’m open to feedback.” A lot of narrative directors will hear that and think, "Yeah, but are you, though?"
The only way to show you can take it is to show that you can take it — especially in front of other people.
This is truly important, because the ability to work with feedback is the mark of a professional.
Showing that you've received feedback and incorporated it into your work helps studios see:
- That you're open to growing and improving
- That you can take notes and implement them
- How you’ll work on a team, with other humanoids
Studios aren’t just hiring your portfolio. They’re hiring the person who shows up to team meetings.
They want to know that if they ask for changes, you're open to hearing what they have to say.
🎮 Try this: Write a draft of something. Show it to your writing group. Get their feedback. Hone in on the criticism that resonates - the notes that have you nodding, saying "Hm, they've got a point there." Revise your draft, based on the constructive parts of their feedback. And on your portfolio site, show it all: your first draft, their notes, and your second draft.
Does that sound insane? It is not. I GUARANTEE game studios will love to see it.
(If you want to avoid putting first drafts front and center, reverse-engineeer: put the final version first, and then let visitors click through to see the process, from end to beginning.)
5. Anchor Your Career To Your Own Personal Weirdness
No two game writers are alike. The ones who stand out are the ones who don't hide who they are. They are obsessed with and/or great at SOMETHING.
Some writers are just funny as shit. Some writers REALLY like the ins-and-outs of branching dialogue. Some writers can build sci-fi worlds like nobody's business.
They are good at these things because they started out naturally interested in these things. You start with what you love, and then get good at creating what you love.
The goal isn’t to box yourself in and limit your options.
It’s to become memorable.
(When I first started out, I thought "I would be happy writing anything!" I found out the hard way that I do not like military shooters. At all. If I had been honest about that up front, I would have had an easier go of things.)
Studios don’t remember “the rando with decent fantasy samples.” They remember the writer who, for example, breaks down how (and why) they are obsessed with writing morally complex choices in low-tech worlds.
One big standout feature of nerds (of which I am one) is we are EXTREMELY INTO the things we like. Share your passions with game studios, which are also full of nerds. Game recognize game.
What do you care about? Don't make them guess. Tell them. (You want to talk about it anyway, right?)
🎮 Try this: In your portfolio bio, tell the reader, loud and clear, what you're really into. "If I could spend my entire career writing smartass NPC dialogue, I'd die a happy man." (And if you're not sure what is your jam, ask your friends. They hear you talk about it all the time, I bet.)
How to Put This Into Action (This Week)
You don’t need to overhaul your whole career. Ain't nobody got time for that.
Start small — but be strategic.
✅ Pick one of the five moves and take action this week
✅ Revisit your portfolio: What does it say about your process? Your voice? Your readiness?
✅ Join (or rejoin) a critique group. Even one thoughtful fellow writer can change everything.
✅ Figure out what makes you you - and make that part of your bio.
Remember: momentum is built one 15-minute effort at a time. Followed by a nap.
You’re Closer Than You Think
If you think game writing is competitive, you are correct.
But it’s also wide open — now and forever — for writers who are thoughtful, proactive, and ready to grow.
These five career moves aren’t fluff. They’re based on how studios make hiring decisions.
And if you want more help figuring out what to focus on next — we've put together a free tool to help you do just that.
Find your level. Take your next step. And kick much ass.
Susan’s first job as a game writer was for “a slumber party game - for girls!” She has gone on to work on over 25 projects, including award-winning titles in the BioShock, Far Cry, and Tomb Raider franchises. Titles in her portfolio have sold over 30 million copies and generated more than $500 million in revenue. She founded the Game Narrative Summit at GDC. Now, she partners with studios, publishers, and writers to help teams ship great games with great stories. She is dedicated to supporting creatives in the games industry so that they can do their best work.