[Hiring] Senior Narrative Writer @Ravenwake Games

Role Description

We’re seeking a contract Narrative Writer for a 12-week engagement to help define the story of a new, unannounced cozy life sim built on an iconic, globally loved brand. You’ll write for a young adult audience (core 19–35) in a grounded, cozy town, where the tone is light, humorous, and ironic with a few intentional, heartfelt beats. This is a writing role, not an implementation role: you’ll own the story outline, cast, opening experience, and early dialogue and quest scripts, and our game designers will bring them into the engine.

• Shape the Story Outline: Create a story outline deck plus an extended doc version. Land a strong opening hook, a clear antagonist, and 1–2 core villains with complex, reasonable motivations.
• Build the Cast: Create a first-pass list of town NPCs with metadata and a town registrar.
• Write Character Briefs: Develop 5 detailed character briefs for key townsfolk.
• Draft the Opening Experience: Write a detailed first draft of the first-time user experience story.
• Write Dialogue and Quest Scripts: Write a handful of mid-game dialogue scripts and 1–2 simple quest scripts for our vertical slice area, ready for a game designer to implement.
• Hold the Tone: Keep writing light, witty, and hopeful.
• Collaborate and Iterate: Partner with production and design leads, take feedback quickly, and revise to meet brand partner guidelines.

Qualifications

• A Game Writer: You have professional writing credits on at least one game.
• You’re a writer first; engine implementation is not required.
• Life Sim Literate: You understand cozy and life sim games such as Stardew Valley, Palia, Animal Crossing, and Disney Dreamlight Valley, and how story drives their progression.
• Brand Enthusiast: You’re genuinely excited to write for an iconic, aspirational brand.
• Funny with Heart: You write sitcom-style banter, irony, and situational humor, and can land a serious beat without tipping into darkness.
• Concise: You write tight, readable dialogue within strict length limits.
• Brand-Safe: You use sound judgment on tone and themes when writing within licensed IP guardrails.
• Self-Starter: You thrive in early, ambiguous development and deliver organized, high-quality docs on a fast 12-week timeline.
• Strong Communicator: You articulate story decisions clearly and give and receive feedback well.

Nice to Have

• A deep understanding of games, including how narrative ties into quests, careers, and relationship systems.
• Experience writing for licensed IP and working through licensor reviews.
• Experience writing for short in-engine cinematics and voice-over.
• Experience writing for a young adult, primarily female audience.

Be Aware of Fraudulent Recruiting Activities

Ravenwake Games will never ask applicants for social insurance numbers, date of birth, bank account information or other sensitive information in job applications. Additionally, our recruiters do not communicate with applicants through free e-mail accounts (Gmail, Yahoo, Hotmail) or through online messaging apps (WhatsApp, Hangouts). We will never ask applicants to provide payment during the hiring process or extend an offer without conducting a phone, live video or in-person interview.

Ravenwake is an Equal Opportunity Employer.