narrative design & writing
I'm a passionate and experienced writer who knows narrative is at its best when deeply tied to the other disciplines of game-making. My work focuses on imagined communities, emergent stories, and making room for the player.
alexbnewcombe@gmail.com
@WriterNewcombe
LinkedIn
Game narrative is often described as being in tension with gameplay, but my best storytelling happens when examining and playing with that tension. I love to find ways to turn gameplay into narrative, taking what game designers are excited about and making the story celebrate it instead of ignoring it.
alexbnewcombe@gmail.com
@WriterNewcombe
Game narrative is often described as being in tension with gameplay, but my best storytelling happens when examining and playing with that tension. I love to find ways to turn gameplay into narrative, taking what game designers are excited about and making the story celebrate it instead of ignoring it.
SAMPLES
Rookie's Adventures - Club Penguin Island Click for video
I wrote many quests for Disney's Club Penguin Island. Rookie's quest line was challenging due to limited gameplay scope. However, by focusing on the character relationships, the world, and the humour, it ended up a success that connected with players.
The Djinni - Interactive Fiction Click to play
Play a travelling merchant who is forced into an uneasy alliance with a Djinni (genie).
I wrote this to explore trust and player agency inside of branching stories. Shellbeard Battle - Club Penguin Island Click for video
This is the culmination of a comedy-adventure quest line where players help Rockhopper the pirate retrieve a fabled treasure.
This finale battle features some defining character moments as well as a lot of variant dialog based on player action. Item Descriptions - Club Penguin Island Click for full list
A small selection of the hundreds of items on Club Penguin Island. These were meant to inspire players' creativity and roleplay in addition to being funny & enjoyable.
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Weird Montreal - World Building Project Click to read full document
Weird Montreal is a magical, post-apocalyptic setting that brings the myths and superstitions of the city to life. This setting bible contains characters, short fiction pieces, locations, a timeline and even a glossary for the new, weirder, Montreal.
H Plus - Sci-Fi Cutscene Script Click to read script
A short dialogue-driven cutscene for H Plus, a squad tactics game taking place on the moon of Titan. This scene takes place midway through the story, just as the battles between the rebel workers and the authoritarian company begin to take on a bigger scope.
Fate's Plight - Fantasy Cutscene Script Click to read script
This short scene is my take on fantasy in a hypothetical action game.
I grew up on fantasy and I love it, but I also feel its long-established tropes need to be shaken up and messed with. Cecilia - Short Fiction Click to read
This short story takes place in the near future where advanced helper AI have disrupted nearly everything, including crime and law enforcement.
Cecelia was originally published in issue 6 of Here Be Monsters, a fiction anthology I co-founded and ran for several years. |