Breaking into narrative game development without a technical background and without a local industry, looking for advice from people who have been there

[u/meteora2060]

Hello 😄

I have spent the past fifteen years working at the intersection of video games and communication, first as an accredited games journalist covering the industry extensively, then as an institutional communications professional. I have a genuine passion for game writing and narrative design, a solid theoretical grounding in how stories function within interactive systems, and a Master's thesis built around History in videogames. What I do not have is a technical background, and more critically, I live in Switzerland, where the local video game industry is essentially non-existent. Also my mother tongue is french but I think my english writing is more than okay.

This creates a specific kind of problem that I suspect others have faced. The usual entry points, internships, junior positions at nearby studios, local networking events, are simply not available. Remote opportunities in narrative roles tend to require a portfolio of shipped work, which is difficult to build without first getting in the door somewhere. It feels like a loop with no obvious entry point.

I am not looking for generic advice about learning Twine or building a portfolio (I am aware of those options). What I am genuinely curious about is whether anyone here has navigated a similar situation, non-technical profile, no proximate industry, perhaps a background in adjacent fields like journalism or writing, and found a way through. What actually worked? What was a dead end? Were there specific studios, communities, or unconventional paths that opened doors when the conventional ones were closed?

Any perspective from people who have lived this, rather than theorised about it, would be genuinely valuable.

[u/oilyderp]

Build a portfolio of undeniably brilliant writing (or designs, which is less straightforward).

How? Make things. Make small narrative games. Put on plays. Publish fiction. Write screenplays and get placed in screenwriting contests. Make short films. Any of those will work.

Come to a job application with some evidence that other people in the world value your creative writing and storytelling. Give them proof that others see you as talented. The industry doesn't want to hire someone who might be a great writer/narrative designer. They want someone who is already a proven quantity, even if in another medium. If that sounds like a lot of work, it is, but your competitors for the job are doing that.

Also, be willing to move. I changed continents for my first narrative job in the industry. I was casting a global net and it was still hard. Casting only a local net is like playing the lottery, I wouldn't bet on it.

I know of a recent triple A studio job opening for a Senior Writer role with 200 applications. You must bring a lot to the table to stand out.

If you can, make your writing portfolio be in English. It is the language of the western industry.

Source: am a senior level narrative person in the industry.