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Contract Game Narrative Designer Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Naughty Dog

Senior Game Designer (Combat)

Santa Monica, CA · On-site

$145K - $181K/yr

... narrative, gameplay, and technology. Naughty Dog recently released The Last of Us Part II ... Mentor junior designers and contribute to the overall growth of the design team What skills you ...

Fanatics Collectibles

Game Designer - TCG

Seattle, WA

$176K/yr

Collaborate with narrative design, creative, and product teams to ensure mechanics are well ... Deep passion for trading card games as both a designer and a player Location All employees of ...

Fanatics Collectibles

Game Designer - TCG

Seattle, WA · On-site

$98K - $123K/yr

Collaborate with narrative design, creative, and product teams to ensure mechanics are well ... Deep passion for trading card games as both a designer and a player Location All employees of ...

Lightspeed Studios

Senior Mission Designer

Irvine, CA · On-site

$93.10 - $216.70/hr

Collaborate with other game development teams--game designers, narrative designers, artists, and programmers--to ensure that the mission design aligns with the game's overall vision and mechanics.

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How much do contract game narrative designer jobs pay per year?

As of Aug 22, 2026, the average yearly pay for contract game narrative designer in the United States is $149,118.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $155,000.00 and $155,000.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is a contract game narrative designer?

Contract Game Narrative Designers are professionals hired on a temporary or project basis to develop the storyline, dialogue, and world-building elements for video games. They collaborate with game developers, artists, and programmers to ensure that the narrative fits seamlessly with gameplay and overall design. Their responsibilities often include writing scripts, creating character backstories, and ensuring the consistency of the game’s tone and plot. Unlike full-time employees, contract narrative designers typically work for a set duration or on specific projects before moving on to new assignments.

How does a contract game narrative designer typically collaborate with other departments during a game's development?

As a contract game narrative designer, you'll regularly interact with game designers, artists, and programmers to ensure the story integrates seamlessly with gameplay and visuals. You'll participate in meetings to align on narrative direction, provide feedback on dialogue implementation, and adjust scripts based on technical or design constraints. Clear communication and flexibility are key, as you'll often need to adjust your work to fit changing timelines or evolving game mechanics. Your contributions help shape the player's emotional journey while ensuring consistency and feasibility within the project's scope.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a contract game narrative designer, and why are they important?

A Contract Game Narrative Designer should possess strong storytelling abilities, experience with narrative design principles, and a background in creative writing or game development. Familiarity with game engines (such as Unity or Unreal), branching dialogue tools (like Twine or Ink), and version control systems is often required. Exceptional communication, adaptability, and collaboration skills help them work effectively with multidisciplinary teams and adjust narratives based on feedback. These competencies ensure engaging, cohesive game stories that enhance player experience and align with project goals.
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Contract Game Narrative Designer jobs near you
Infographic showing various Contract Game Narrative Designer job openings in the United States as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 100% Full Time. Highlights an 67% In-person, and 33% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $149,118 per year, or $71.7 per hour.

Senior Game Designer (Combat)

Naughty Dog

Santa Monica, CA • On-site

$145K - $181K/yr

Full-time

Re-posted 23 days ago

Job description

Ability to work onsite from our Santa Monica, CA based studio is required.
For nearly 40 years, Naughty Dog has been crafting best-selling, critically acclaimed games that constantly push the boundaries of narrative, gameplay, and technology. Naughty Dog recently released The Last of Us Part II Remastered as well as a current generation remake of The Last of Us Part I for the PS5. We're also proud to say that The Last of Us Part I is now available for the first time on PC.
Naughty Dog games have long been lauded for their evocative, character-driven stories and attention to detail. We are committed to innovation within our games and as such have curated some of the top creative and technically innovative minds in the industry. We welcome diverse candidates and believe that a broad range of cultural and life experiences contribute to the overall well-being and success of the studio and the titles we craft together.
What you will do:
  • Pitch, design, implement, and own enemy NPC archetypes
  • Work with AI programmers to develop foundational NPC technology and implementing and tuning enemy AI behaviors
  • Work with animators to develop enemy locomotion and traversal, melee moves, ambient behaviors, and other custom abilities. Make every enemy archetype feel unique and memorable
  • Collaborate with the Design team to conceptualize, prototype, implement, tune, and balance gameplay mechanics and systems
  • Communicate with animation, programming, and art departments to effectively produce the assets and code support required for the enemies you're owning
  • Write and maintain documentation that establishes the core vision of the enemy archetypes
  • Drive communication and collaboration for enemies you design and the levels they are in, ensuring communication across disciplines and meeting deadlines
  • Effective and respectful communicator and collaborator, both with other designers and members of other departments
  • Facilitate playtesting and feedback sessions to iterate on combat systems and fine-tune them based on player experiences
  • Mentor junior designers and contribute to the overall growth of the design team

What skills you will use:
  • 5+ years of industry experience in combat design and/or technical design for games, specifically focused on developing action-adventure or shooter games
  • At least one shipped title as a combat designer or similar role. Experience with behavior trees or similar NPC AI concepts preferred
  • Strong coding ability: Computer Science degree preferred though not required
  • Proficient in using game engines and tools (e.g., Unreal Engine, Unity) for combat implementation and design scripting (C#, Lua, Visual Scripting)
  • Welcomes feedback on their work and embraces the "let's try it" mentality
  • Proficient and effective communication skills, including diagramming and sketching
  • Fluent in modern character action-adventure and shooter combat games. Maintains knowledge of the broader gaming landscape trends
  • Knowledge of narrative structure and how it intersects with gameplay and combat
  • A keen eye for detail in character action games, able to tune gameplay systems to make them feel smooth and impactful
  • Strong leadership and mentoring skills

The estimated USA base pay range for this zone (Los Angeles area) is listed below. This role may be eligible for additional compensation packages that includes annual bonus and other incentive plans.
$145,100-$181,400 USD
Please note, Sony Interactive Entertainment conducts background checks at the offer stage for all new employees (which may include criminal background checks for some roles) and will need to process personal information to support these checks.
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