Narrative Designer

Rebellion; Town of Oxford; On-site; CAD 84,000 - 122,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

22 days holidays + Christmas closure

Private Medical Insurance

Enhanced Pension Scheme

Mental Health & Wellbeing Support

Discounts & social events

Job summary

Rebellion in the UK is seeking an experienced Narrative Designer to shape quest and dialogue design across a varied slate of projects, including Atomfall. You will implement narrative systems using our in-house engine and collaborate with design, art, audio, and systems teams to deliver engaging storytelling.

Based in Oxford or Warwick, the role offers relocation support and a dynamic, creative environment with a strong emphasis on narrative quality and player experience.

Qualifications

• Advanced knowledge of creating narrative design documents.
• Advanced knowledge of the video game development process.
• Advanced knowledge of production pipelines.

Responsibilities

• Take ownership of narrative systems ensuring setup and implementation in line with the project scope and design direction.
• Apply best practices, production pipelines, and workflows with limited guidance.
• With moderate oversight, use appropriate tools, including in-house tools, to implement Narrative and Dialogue.
• With moderate oversight, develop detailed Narrative Design Documents both independently and through close collaboration with other disciplines, based on the creative vision of the project.
• Interface with Level Design to design and implement quest structure into levels.
• Interface with Systems Design to support creation and implementation of gameplay mechanics, quests and objectives that tie into game structure.
• Collaborate with UI to design suitable communication of quest structure to the player.
• Implement lines in the dialogue system (incl. managing localised text).
• Collaborate with Audio to manage creation of casting documents for main characters, create and format recording scripts and where appropriate support with recording sessions by providing context and narrative direction.
• Assist in scheduling and task tracking of narrative work, get time estimates from downstream departments.
• Communicate and collaborate with code on creation and iteration of dialogue tools and mechanics.
• Regularly play the game and evaluate your own work ensuring it is in line with the project direction & intended feel, raising any identified issues with appropriate stakeholders.
• Support the Lead Narrative Designer in any ad hoc tasks and duties.

Skills

Narrative design

In-house engine

Storytelling

Collaboration

Tools

In-house tools

Job description

We want you to #JOINTHEREBELLION!

For 30 years we’ve been independently developing and publishing incredible video games at our multiple studios founded by Jason & Chris Kingsley, but Rebellion is more than just games. We have our own film studio, we create board games, publish books, and through 2000AD, publish comics and graphic novels such as the amazing Judge Dredd.

We’re looking for an experienced, dynamic Narrative Designer to work on a varied slate of exciting new projects in development right now! This is a great opportunity to join the team behind the BAFTA winning Atomfall.

In this role, you will be responsible for quest and objective design, with a focus on the practical implementation of narrative systems using our in‑house engine. The Narrative team collaborates across a broad variety of projects, covering everything from World War II to the far‑future! It’s a fast‑moving, varied environment where every day brings something new.

This exciting opportunity can be based out of any of our studios in OxfordorWarwick, offering flexibility, collaboration, and the chance to work with a world‑class team! We can provide a relocation package, including movingassistance, temporary accommodation, and full support to ensure a smooth transition to yournew environment.

Responsibilities

• Take ownership of systems that have primary narrative focus ensuring setup andimplementationin line with the project scope and design directionCollaborate with other design specialisms to defineall narrative content within thegame.
• Apply best practices, production pipelines, and workflows with limited guidance.
• With moderate oversight, useappropriate tools, including in‑house tools, to implement Narrative and Dialogue.
• With moderate oversight, develop detailed Narrative Design Documents both independently and through close collaboration with other disciplines, based on the creative vision of the project.
• Interface with Level Design to design and implement quest structure into levels.
• Interface with Systems Designto support creation andimplementationofgameplay mechanics, quests andobjectivesthat tie into game structure.
• Collaborate withUItodesignsuitablecommunication ofquest structure to the player.
• Implement lines in the dialogue system (incl. managing localised text).
• Collaborate with Audio tomanage creation of casting documents for main characters, create and formatrecordingscriptsand whereappropriate supportwith recording sessions by providing context and narrative direction.
• Assistin schedulingand task trackingof narrative work, get time estimates from downstream departments.
• Communicate and collaborate with code on creation and iteration ofdialoguetools and mechanics.
• Regularly play the game and evaluate your own work ensuring it is in line with the project direction & intended feel, raising any identified issues withappropriate stakeholders.
• Support the LeadNarrativeDesigner in any ad hoc tasks and duties.

• Advancedknowledge of creatingnarrativedesign documents andspecifications.
• Willingness and ability to deliver high quality results using tools and processesrequiredto get the job done.
• Advancedknowledge of the video game development process.
• Advancedknowledge of production pipelines.

We offer an extensive benefits package to our team including:

• 22 days holidays + Christmas closure (typically 4 days) & Bank holidays (increasing with service at 5 years – one day each year until you reach 31 days)
• Private Medical Insurance, healthcare cash plan, including dental and Vision
• Life Assurance, Income Protection & Critical Illness Cover
• Enhanced Family Leave
• Interest Free, Tax-Free loans
• Enhanced Pension Scheme
• EAP a range of Mental Health and Wellbeing Support
• Plus loads more… including a wide range of discounts, freebies, and social events!

Right to Work Statement

This role is only open to applicants who have the permanent right to work in the UK. We are unable to provide or take over visa sponsorship, either now or in the future. Applicants must therefore be able to demonstrate their ongoing eligibility to work in the UK without the need for employer sponsorship.

Life at Our Oxford HQ

Our riverside headquarters in Oxford places you a short walk away from the city centre. Renowned for its rich historical backdrop and esteemed educational institutions, Oxford offers a unique blend of tradition and modernity, with its beautiful architecture and green spaces.

Oxford also boasts excellent transport links, making it easy to navigate both the city and the wider country. The city’s train station, just a short walk from our studio, offers frequent services to London, as well as direct routes to major cities like Birmingham, Manchester, and Reading and we also offer free parking at the studio.

Our open‑plan office promotes teamwork and innovation, with regular interaction with senior management and other departments, alongside access to free hot drinks, a handy tuck shop onsite and a range of local pubs, cafes and dining options nearby helping make every workday enjoyable!

Inside Rebellion

Whichever team you join at Rebellion we are proud of our open, friendly, and creative atmosphere. We love what we do, and we have fun doing it! As a big indie developer, we have complete creative freedom over our titles which allows us to work on a massive variety of projects across all the major platforms.

Find out more about us here

Our size, stability, and the variety of in‑house expertise across multiple industries, makes Rebellion completely unique! We work in our own way, and we celebrate that as the key to our success. We foster an inclusive culture where you are encouraged to be yourself, to express your creativity and your talent. We are people focused and will support you in every way to can be the best at what you do. We recognise the importance of enjoying what you do and having a healthy work‑life balance. We offer a friendly, creative, and relaxed working atmosphere, with sensibly managed projects and a wide variety of benefits and development opportunities for all our teams to ensure you are fully supported with your physical and Mental Well‑being.

We are actively recruiting for a diverse team and continue to add to our culture of growth and inclusion. Rebellion encourages innovation in all areas, and we look forward to hearing how you can help us to be better. We encourage all demographics of culture, gender, ethnicity, neurodiversity and beyond, because a representative team makes better products.

Visit our Careers website to view all our live vacancies: Rebellion: Careers

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