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Trainee 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 · On-site

$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 ...

Naughty Dog

Game Designer, Level (Contingent)

Santa Monica, CA · On-site

$58.03 - $65/hr

  • Medical

  • Dental

  • Vision

... narrative, gameplay, and technology. Naughty Dog recently released The Last of Us Part II ... Effective and respectful communicator and collaborator, both with other designers and members of ...

Naughty Dog

Associate Game Designer, Technical

Santa Monica, CA · On-site

$37 - $50/hr

  • Medical

  • Dental

  • Vision

We're looking for self-motivated, proactive designers who enjoy creating unique experiences and can ... Prototyping, implementing, and owning gameplay scenarios, narrative sequences, interactive objects ...

Cinnamon

Principal Playable Character Designer

Irvine, CA · On-site

$120 - $170/hr

Our design teams work closely across gameplay, narrative, engineering, and art to create memorable roster-based experiences for a global audience. We're looking for a senior designer to lead the ...

Naughty Dog

Senior Technical Designer

Santa Monica, CA · On-site

$114K - $122K/yr

Prototyping, implementing, and owning gameplay scenarios, narrative sequences, interactive objects ... Working with minimal supervision while keeping lead designers and directors well-informed. What ...

PlayStation Global

Senior Technical Designer

Santa Monica, CA · On-site

$114K - $122K/yr

Prototyping, implementing, and owning gameplay scenarios, narrative sequences, interactive objects ... Working with minimal supervision while keeping lead designers and directors well-informed. What ...

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Trainee Game Narrative Designer information

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How much do trainee game narrative designer jobs pay per hour?

As of Aug 13, 2026, the average hourly pay for trainee game narrative designer in the United States is $36.10, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $29.57 and $38.70 per hour, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What types of projects and collaboration can a trainee game narrative designer expect during their first year on the job?

As a Trainee Game Narrative Designer, you will typically work on smaller narrative tasks, such as writing dialogue, creating character backstories, and assisting with quest or mission design. You can expect to collaborate closely with senior narrative designers, game writers, and other departments like art and game design to ensure consistency and coherence in the story elements. Early on, you may also contribute to brainstorming sessions and playtesting, receiving feedback to refine your work. This collaborative environment helps you build essential skills and prepares you for more complex narrative responsibilities as you advance.

What is the difference between Trainee Game Narrative Designer vs Junior Game Writer?

AspectTrainee Game Narrative DesignerJunior Game Writer
Required CredentialsBasic understanding of storytelling, some related education or courseworkSimilar; often a degree in creative writing, game design, or related field
Work EnvironmentEntry-level, learning-focused, collaborative with design and development teamsEntry to mid-level, producing narrative content under supervision
Employer & Industry UsageUsed in game studios for training roles, internships, or apprenticeshipsCommonly employed in game companies for narrative content creation

The main difference is that a Trainee Game Narrative Designer is an entry-level position focused on learning and developing skills, often within a training or internship program. A Junior Game Writer is a more experienced role responsible for creating and editing narrative content, with some independence. Both roles require storytelling skills and familiarity with game development, but the Trainee position emphasizes learning and growth.

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

To thrive as a Trainee Game Narrative Designer, you need strong storytelling abilities, a grasp of narrative structure, and often a degree in creative writing, game design, or a related field. Familiarity with interactive storytelling tools like Twine, Ink, or game engines such as Unity and Unreal Engine is typically required. Collaboration, open-mindedness, and clear communication help you work effectively within multidisciplinary teams and incorporate feedback. These skills ensure compelling, cohesive narratives that enhance player engagement and contribute to a game's overall success.

What is a trainee game narrative designer?

A Trainee Game Narrative Designer is an entry-level professional who works on creating the story, dialogue, and narrative structure for video games under the supervision of experienced designers. They help shape the game's world, characters, and plot, ensuring that the storytelling aligns with gameplay and engages players. This role often involves writing scripts, collaborating with other developers, and learning industry tools and conventions. It's a starting point for those passionate about storytelling and games, offering hands-on experience in narrative design.
More about Trainee Game Narrative Designer jobs
What cities are hiring for Trainee Game Narrative Designer jobs? Cities with the most Trainee Game Narrative Designer job openings:
What are the most commonly searched types of Game Narrative Designer jobs? The most popular types of Game Narrative Designer jobs are:
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Trainee Game Narrative Designer jobs near you
Infographic showing various Trainee Game Narrative Designer job openings in the United States as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 79% Full Time, 16% Part Time, and 5% Contract. Highlights an 74% In-person, and 26% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $75,084 per year, or $36.1 per hour.

Senior Game Designer (Combat)

Naughty Dog

Santa Monica, CA • On-site

$145K - $181K/yr

Full-time

Re-posted 14 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.
Please refer to our Candidate Privacy Notice for more information about what personal information we collect, how we use it, who we share it with, and your data protection rights.

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