Narrative Designer

TapBlaze; Los Angeles (CA); On-site; USD 70,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

TapBlaze is seeking a Narrative Designer to shape the Good, Great universe and craft chapters, characters, and lore for Good Pizza, Great Pizza, and Good Coffee, Great Coffee.

You will write in-game dialogue, design gameplay-driven stories, and collaborate with designers, artists, engineers, QA, and production to deliver memorable experiences for mobile and console players.

Qualifications

• Based in the Los Angeles area, or relocating before your start date.
• Onsite five days per week and that is not flexible.
• 3+ years of professional experience as a Narrative Designer, Narrative Writer, Game Writer, or similar narrative focused role in the video game industry, with at least one shipped title.
• Proven experience creating engaging dialogue, memorable characters, worldbuilding, and gameplay driven storytelling.
• Strong portfolio showcasing narrative design, dialogue writing, worldbuilding, character creation, and interactive storytelling.

Responsibilities

• Expand the Good, Great Universe through new Chapters, recurring characters, locations, organizations, traditions, and lore.
• Design stories that players experience through gameplay, not passive exposition.
• Collaborate with game designers so narrative and gameplay reinforce one another.
• Write dialogue for customers, recurring characters, and major story moments, keeping each character's voice within tight line limits.

Skills

Narrative design

Dialogue writing

Worldbuilding

Gameplay storytelling

Multidisciplinary collaboration

Localization awareness

Portfolio showcases

Tools

Yarn Spinner

Job description

Help Shape the Future of the Good, Great Universe

Great games are remembered because of the worlds they create and the characters players never forget. At TapBlaze, we're looking for a Narrative Designer to help shape the future of Good Pizza, Great Pizza, Good Coffee, Great Coffee, and future titles in the Good, Great universe.

This role is about more than writing dialogue. You'll help imagine what comes next: creating new Chapters, memorable characters, compelling gameplay driven stories, and the lore that brings our worlds to life. Working closely with designers, artists, engineers, QA, and production, you'll transform ideas into experiences millions of players will enjoy around the world.

Our games run on warmth and restraint. Small daily emotional beats, not melodrama. We believe beauty is in the details, and we're looking for someone who believes the same. If you're constantly asking What if?, finding stories in everyday life, and love building worlds players want to revisit, we'd love to meet you.

This is a full time, fully onsite position based in Los Angeles, California. We work together in person, five days a week. Remote and hybrid work are not available for this role.

About TapBlaze

TapBlaze is an independent game studio dedicated to creating games players will remember for decades. Since 2012, our games have been downloaded more than 300 million times worldwide. Every day, millions of players step into the worlds we've created. We don’t chase trends. We build timeless experiences grounded in warmth, charm, memorable characters, and gameplay first storytelling.

As an independent studio, everyone has the opportunity to make a meaningful impact. Great ideas can come from anyone.

Our values guide every decision we make: Ambitious, Disciplined, Ownership-minded, Results oriented. Extra-ordinary.

What You'll Create

Expand the Good, Great Universe

• Shape the future of the Good, Great universe through new Chapters, recurring characters, locations, organizations, traditions, and lore.

• Create memorable characters with distinct personalities, motivations, and relationships.

• Expand our universe while preserving the charm and consistency players love.

Design Gameplay Driven Stories

• Pitch original Chapter concepts, seasonal events, and long term story arcs.

• Design stories that players experience through gameplay, not passive exposition.

• Collaborate with game designers so narrative and gameplay reinforce one another.

• Create moments that connect emotionally through the small and the everyday: a regular who finally opens up, a two line exchange that lands.

Write In Game Narrative

• Write dialogue for customers, recurring characters, and major story moments, keeping each character's voice unmistakable within tight line and character limits.

• Create tutorials, UI copy, achievements, item descriptions, flavor text, and seasonal event content.

• Write concise, memorable dialogue tailored for mobile gameplay.

• Produce narrative documentation that supports localization across multiple languages.

Collaborate Across the Studio

• Partner with designers, artists, engineers, QA, production, and community support.

• Contribute creative ideas through brainstorming, playtesting, and iteration.

• Maintain character bibles, worldbuilding documentation, timelines, and narrative style guides.

You're a Great Fit If...

You're more than a writer. You think like a designer. You naturally ask questions like:

• What should happen in the next Chapter?

• How can gameplay tell a better story?

• What makes a character unforgettable?

• How can we make this world feel more alive?

You enjoy collaboration, embrace feedback, and care deeply about creating experiences players will remember long after they finish playing.

What You'll Bring

Required

• Based in the Los Angeles area, or relocating before your start date. This role is onsite five days per week and that is not flexible.

• 3+ years of professional experience as a Narrative Designer, Narrative Writer, Game Writer, or similar narrative focused role in the video game industry, with at least one shipped title.

• Proven experience creating engaging dialogue, memorable characters, worldbuilding, and gameplay driven storytelling.

• Strong instincts for warmth and restraint. You know how to make a short exchange carry emotional weight without melodrama.

• Experience collaborating with multidisciplinary game development teams.

• Strong portfolio showcasing narrative design, dialogue writing, worldbuilding, character creation, and interactive storytelling.

Preferred

• Experience developing narrative for live service games or seasonal events.

• Experience writing for mobile free to play games.

• Familiarity with Yarn Spinner or similar narrative tools.

• Experience writing for localization and multilingual audiences.

• Familiarity with Good Pizza, Great Pizza and Good Coffee, Great Coffee.

Physical Requirements

• Los Angeles, CA: Reliably commute or planning to relocate before starting work;

• Prolonged periods sitting at a desk and computer.

Compensation

The range for this role is $70,000 to $100,000 depending on experience.

Commitment to Diversity

As an equal opportunity employer committed to meeting the needs of a multigenerational and multicultural workforce, TAPBLAZE recognizes that a diverse staff, reflective of our community, is integral to a successful and ethical business. We hire local talent at all levels regardless of race, color, religion, age, national origin, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, or disability, and actively foster inclusion in all forms, both within our company and across interactions with vendors and partners.

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