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Narrative Game Design Intern Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Design Intern

New York, NY ยท Remote

$25/hr

The Design Intern is an early-career designer who contributes directly to the creation of visual ... Campaign visuals that translate narrative ideas into clear design * Success in this role means ...

Video Game Design Tutor

Miami, FL ยท Remote

$18 - $40/hr

Deep knowledge of game design principles, game mechanics, level design, narrative design, user interface design, game engines including Unity and Unreal, basic programming for games, art asset ...

Video Game Design Tutor

Trenton, NJ ยท Remote

$18 - $40/hr

Deep knowledge of game design principles, game mechanics, level design, narrative design, user interface design, game engines including Unity and Unreal, basic programming for games, art asset ...

Video Game Design Tutor

Tuscaloosa, AL ยท Remote

$18 - $40/hr

Deep knowledge of game design principles, game mechanics, level design, narrative design, user interface design, game engines including Unity and Unreal, basic programming for games, art asset ...

Video Game Design Tutor

Glen Cove, NY ยท Remote

$18 - $40/hr

Deep knowledge of game design principles, game mechanics, level design, narrative design, user interface design, game engines including Unity and Unreal, basic programming for games, art asset ...

Video Game Design Tutor

TX ยท Remote

$18 - $40/hr

Deep knowledge of game design principles, game mechanics, level design, narrative design, user interface design, game engines including Unity and Unreal, basic programming for games, art asset ...

Video Game Design Tutor

Miramar, FL ยท Remote

$18 - $40/hr

Deep knowledge of game design principles, game mechanics, level design, narrative design, user interface design, game engines including Unity and Unreal, basic programming for games, art asset ...

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Narrative Game Design Intern information

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$9

$19

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How much do narrative game design intern jobs pay per hour?

As of Aug 19, 2026, the average hourly pay for narrative game design intern in the United States is $19.38, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $14.42 and $21.63 per hour, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What does a narrative game design intern do?

A Narrative Game Design Intern assists in creating game stories, dialogues, and character development while collaborating with designers, writers, and developers. They may help craft branching narratives, refine in-game text, and ensure storytelling aligns with gameplay mechanics. Responsibilities can also include researching themes, playtesting for narrative coherence, and providing feedback on scripts or dialogue. This role offers hands-on experience in blending storytelling with interactive design.

What kinds of projects and responsibilities can a narrative game design intern expect during their internship?

As a Narrative Game Design Intern, you can expect to assist with tasks like writing dialogue, developing character backstories, and helping design branching narratives or quest structures within the game world. Interns often collaborate closely with writers, designers, artists, and programmers to ensure that story elements integrate smoothly with gameplay. You may participate in brainstorming sessions, provide feedback on story pacing, or help edit and review narrative content. The role offers a hands-on introduction to the game development process and is a great opportunity to gain mentorship and build a portfolio for future roles in game writing or design.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive in the narrative game design intern position, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Narrative Game Design Intern, you need a background in creative writing, storytelling, and a basic understanding of game design principles, often supported by coursework or experience in writing for interactive media. Familiarity with game engines (such as Unity or Unreal), scriptwriting software, and project management tools is often expected. Strong communication skills, teamwork, and the ability to accept and act on feedback distinguish successful interns. These abilities are crucial for effectively crafting interactive stories that engage players while collaborating smoothly within multidisciplinary game development teams.

More about Narrative Game Design Intern jobs

What cities are hiring for Narrative Game Design Intern jobs?

Cities with the most Narrative Game Design Intern job openings:

What states have the most Narrative Game Design Intern jobs?

States with the most job openings for Narrative Game Design Intern jobs include:

Infographic showing various Narrative Game Design Intern job openings in the United States as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 89% Full Time, 7% Part Time, and 4% Contract. Highlights an 83% Physical, 5% Hybrid, and 12% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $40,304 per year, or $19.4 per hour.

Narrative Designer - Trading Card Game

Fanatics Collectibles

Seattle, WA โ€ข On-site

$176K/yr

Full-time

Re-posted 10 days ago


Job description

About the Company

Fanatics Collectibles is a new company operating at the intersection of collectibles, culture, and technology. Backed by world-class investors, operators, and sports & entertainment partners, we are building the global leader in next-generation collectibles. As part of the broader Fanatics ecosystem, we leverage a digital sports platform that spans over 900 sports properties and engages more than 81 million fans. Together, we are reimagining every part of the collectibles experience for fans, partners, and creators.

Role Overview

Fanatics Collectibles is building the future of trading card games.

The Fanatics TCG studio is focused on creating original worlds that are designed to live for decades - expressed through gameplay, art, story, and collectible objects. Our ambition is to build franchises that are not only widely played, but deeply felt.

We are seeking aย Narrative Designer to help shape the worlds, characters, and stories that define our games.

This is not a role focused solely on writing text. It is a role aboutย building worlds - establishing the underlying logic, tone, and emotional core of new universes, and ensuring that every part of the player experience reflects that foundation.

You will work closely with Creative, Game Design, and Art to develop narrative systems that live inside the cards themselves - where mechanics, visuals, and story reinforce one another.

The ideal candidate brings strong storytelling instincts, a systems mindset, and a passion for creating worlds that players want to return to again and again.

What You'll Do

Build Worlds That Can Sustain a Franchise

  • Develop theย foundational lore, cosmology, and narrative structureย of new TCG worlds.ย 
  • Define factions, cultures, characters, and conflicts that can evolve over many sets and years.ย 
  • Help establish theย tone, themes, and emotional identityย of each franchise.ย 

Integrate Story with Game and Product

  • Partner with Game Design to ensure thatย mechanics and narrative reinforce each other.ย 
  • Collaborate with Art and Creative teams to align onย visual storytelling and world cohesion.ย 
  • Contribute to the development ofย set themes, narrative arcs, and character moments.ย 

Design Narrative Systems for Cards

  • Develop approaches for how story is expressed throughย card names, flavor text, mechanics, and set structure.ย 
  • Ensure that narrative isย discoverable through play and collection, not just external content.ย 
  • Help define how narrative evolves across releases and expansions.ย 

Create and Support Narrative Content

  • Writeย flavor text, card names, and supporting narrative content.ย 
  • Contribute to world guides, story bibles, and internal documentation.ย 
  • Support external storytelling efforts (e.g., web content, marketing beats, potential media extensions).ย 

Collaborate Across the Studio

  • Work closely with Creative, Design, Product, and Marketing teams to ensure narrative consistency.ย 
  • Participate in early ideation, helping shape concepts before they become fully defined.ย 
  • Provide feedback that elevates theย coherence and emotional impactย of the world.ย 

What You Bring

  • 3+ years of experienceย in narrative design, writing, or worldbuilding for games, publishing, or related media.ย 
  • Strong ability to developย original worlds, characters, and narrative frameworks.ย 
  • Experience working inย collaborative, cross-functional environments.ย 
  • Ability to balanceย creative vision with system constraints.ย 
  • Excellent writing skills across bothย short-form (e.g., flavor text)ย andย long-form (e.g., lore, story guides).ย 
  • Passion forย fantasy, sci-fi, and worldbuilding-driven storytelling.ย 

Preferred Qualifications

  • Experience working onย trading card games, tabletop games, or live service games.ย 
  • Background inย fantasy or sci-fi writing.ย 
  • Familiarity with how narrative can be expressed throughย game systems and mechanics.ย 
  • Experience contributing toย original IP or franchise development.ย 

Why Join Fanatics TCG

Fanatics Collectibles is building the future of fandom.

The Fanatics TCG studio is a rare opportunity to create entirely new worlds - worlds that will be expressed through millions of cards, shared across global communities, and evolved over many years.

As a Narrative Designer, you will help define the stories that live inside those worlds - shaping the characters, conflicts, and moments that players and collectors connect with.

If you're excited about building worlds and telling stories that unfold one card at a time, we'd love to hear from you.

Ensure your Fanatics job offer is legitimate and don't fall victim to fraud.ย  Fanatics never seeks payment from job applicants.ย Feel free to ask your recruiter for a phone call or other type of communication for interview, and ensure your communication is coming from a Fanatics email address (including @collectfanatics.com).ย  For added security, where possible, apply through our company website atย www.fanaticsinc.com/careers