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Format
Live online
Level
Beginner-intermediate
Teaching hours
16:00–18:30 Berlin / CET
10:00–12:30 New York / EST
07:00–09:30 Los Angeles / PST
20:30–23:00 Mumbai / IST
00:00–02:30 Tokyo / JST (next day)
Duration
7 weeks
Focus
Narrative design for mobile games
Course dates 2027
28th January, 4th February, 11th February, 18th February, 25th February, 4th March, 11th March
Who is this course for?
This course is designed primarily for screenwriters, film and television writers and other professional storytellers who are curious about working in games or adding interactive storytelling to their creative toolkit.
It is especially suited to writers who:
want to understand what narrative designers actually do
are interested in moving between film, television and games
want practical experience of writing for interactive formats
want to understand how story, player behaviour and game mechanics work together
are considering applying for narrative design or game writing roles
want to begin building a narrative design portfolio
Please note! If your main profession is not writing, we still welcome your application, regardless of creative sector. It is, however, important that you work in the creative industries.
You do not need previous game-industry experience, coding skills or technical knowledge.
You should, however, be curious about games and ready to start playing them with a writer's eye.
What you will learn
By the end of the course, you will understand how to:
Think like a narrative designer
Understand the difference between screenwriting, game writing and narrative design - and how narrative designers collaborate with the wider game team.
Write for a player, not just an audience
Explore player motivation, behaviour, attention and choice, and learn how these affect narrative decisions.
Understand the language of game design
Learn the fundamentals of core loops, progression and mechanics so you can communicate effectively with game designers.
Write characters and dialogue for games
Develop character voice, motivations, emotional dynamics, dialogue and monologue for interactive experiences.
Tell stories without dialogue
Use environments, visual information, progression and player discovery to communicate narrative.
Start building a professional portfolio
Learn how to turn exercises and projects into work that demonstrates your narrative design thinking clearly to studios and collaborators.
MEET YOUR INSTRUCTOR
Rachel Prianka Darshan is a narrative designer and writer working across games, with experience in mobile storytelling, character-driven writing and narrative systems.
She has worked in game narrative across titles including Farmville 2 and Merge Mansion, and brings a practical understanding of how story functions in mobile games, not only as dialogue and character, but in relation to player behaviour, progression, mechanics and live product realities.
Rachel’s teaching bridges the gap between traditional storytelling and interactive narrative design, helping screenwriters and other professional storytellers understand how to apply their existing strengths in a game context.
In this course, Rachel will guide participants through the foundations of narrative design, game writing, environmental storytelling and portfolio development, with a particular focus on how to create story experiences for players rather than passive audiences.
Rachel Darshan
The Course
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What exactly is narrative design, and how is it different from screenwriting?
We'll begin by looking at the role of the narrative designer and at one of the biggest shifts screenwriters encounter when entering games: you no longer control exactly how the audience experiences the story.
We'll explore:
screenwriting vs game writing and narrative design
linear and interactive storytelling
systemic storytelling
writing stories that survive interruption
storytelling in environments where attention may be short or fragmented
how narrative interacts with gameplay rather than sitting alongside it
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In film and television, you write for an audience. In games, you write for someone who can act.
This session introduces the player as an active part of the storytelling system.
We'll explore:
who plays mobile games
casual and core audiences
different player motivations
understanding player behaviour through data
retention, engagement and drop-off
story beats and cutscene engagement
the FTUE - First-Time User Experience
writing for players across different cultures and contexts
designing narrative for people you may never meet
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You don't need to become a game designer.
But a narrative designer needs to understand how games work.
This session gives you the game-design literacy needed to communicate with designers and make narrative decisions that support the game rather than fight against it.
We'll explore:
core gameplay loops
progression
rewards and feedback
player motivation
mechanics and emotion
how narrative and mechanics influence each other
communicating within the game team
why playing games is part of the job
You'll also learn how to play games analytically - looking beyond whether you enjoy a game to understand why its systems work.
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Now we return to familiar territory, characters and dialogue, but examine how they change when written for games.
We'll explore:
writing engaging dialogue for mobile games
writing monologue
creating memorable characters
personality, backstory and motivation
character emotion and dynamics
establishing a distinctive character voice
maintaining tonal consistency across an ensemble
writing within the constraints of an interactive product
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Some of the strongest storytelling in games happens without a single line of dialogue.
This session explores how environments, visual information and player discovery can carry story.
We'll examine two real-world case studies: Angry Birds Journey and Merge Mansion.
We'll explore:storytelling through space
visual clues and narrative information
player-led discovery
environmental reveals
pacing narrative through progression
communicating tone without dialogue
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Knowing narrative design is one thing. Showing that you can do it is another.
The final part of the course focuses on turning your new skills into work you can actually show.
We'll explore:
what narrative design portfolios need to demonstrate
what studios are looking for when reviewing work
choosing the right pieces
presenting scripts and dialogue
presenting visual or environmental storytelling
screenshots, walkthroughs and supporting explanations
where and how to host your portfolio
communicating your thinking clearly rather than simply presenting the finished result
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You'll take work developed during the course and begin shaping it into portfolio-ready narrative design material.
This isn't a course where you simply listen to lectures.
During the programme you'll produce practical work including:
a player persona
a First-Time User Experience narrative sequence
a gameplay-loop analysis
gameplay core loop
a narrative opportunity based on a game mechanic
original character profiles
game dialogue and character monologue
an environmental storytelling sequence
material suitable for developing into your narrative design portfolio
What you'll create
Frequently Asked Questions
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Not at all. This course is designed specifically for screenwriters and other professional storytellers who are curious about games but may have little or no experience in the games industry.
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No. You don’t need to be an experienced gamer to take part. Curiosity about interactive storytelling is much more important. The course uses mobile games as an accessible way to explore how story, player behaviour and game systems work together.
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No technical or game development background is required. The course focuses on narrative design, storytelling and player experience rather than coding or programming.
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Yes. Instalment payments are available. If you are accepted onto the course, we can arrange a payment schedule with you before confirming your place.
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We occasionally offer early-bird pricing, partner discounts or a limited number of reduced-fee places. Any available discounts will be listed on the course page or can be discussed after acceptance.
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We plan to record the teaching sessions where possible, so participants can revisit the material or catch up if they need to miss a session. Some interactive discussions or guest sessions may not be recorded.
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Expect a manageable amount of practical work between sessions. The assignments are designed to help you apply what you’ve learned and gradually build material for your portfolio rather than create a heavy academic workload.
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You’ll develop several pieces of narrative design work during the course, including exercises around interactive storytelling, player choice and mobile game narrative. The aim is to leave with material you can refine and present as part of a narrative design portfolio.
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Yes, we welcome applicants from different creative professions.