Senior Writer

About Us:

Beamdog, a leading video game studio based in Edmonton, Alberta, has been creating captivating gaming experiences since 2009. Led by industry veteran Trent Oster, the studio has become renowned for developing enhanced editions of classic games and original content across multiple platforms, including Nintendo Switch, PlayStation, Xbox, PC, and mobile devices. Best known for reviving iconic Dungeons & Dragons RPGs like Baldur’s Gate and Planescape: Torment, Beamdog is dedicated to delivering unforgettable experiences for gamers worldwide.

Position Summary:

As a Senior Writer, you will create engaging characters, dialogue, and stories that bring our games to life. Working closely with creative leadership and other disciplines, you will contribute ideas and narrative expertise while building on the project’s established voice, themes, and creative direction. This hands-on role combines original writing, editing, and narrative implementation, with a focus on delivering compelling, high-quality content that supports gameplay and meets production needs.

This position offers remote work within Canada, hybrid, or onsite work arrangements, with a strong preference for candidates based in Edmonton, Alberta, who can spend time working from our office.

Responsibilities:

• Collaborate with the Design Director and/or project leadership to develop and maintain narrative themes, tone, and style that support the game’s creative vision and intended player experience.
• Write compelling characters, dialogue, quests, and storylines, developing character biographies, motivations, relationships, and arcs that remain consistent across narrative content and gameplay.
• Write and revise combat barks, quest banter, lore, and other in-game text, adapting voice and style to the needs of the project.
• Produce high-quality narrative content that meets agreed production targets and maintains the project’s established voice, tone, and brand, communicating progress and dependencies to support timely delivery.
• Translate narrative concepts, outlines, and creative briefs into production-ready content, incorporating feedback from creative leadership and relevant partners throughout drafting and revision.
• Work closely with designers, artists, and other disciplines to integrate storytelling with gameplay, worldbuilding, and visual presentation.
• Review and edit narrative content for clarity, pacing, continuity, character voice, and consistency with established lore and style guidelines.
• Implement and refine narrative content using project tools and game engines, working with other disciplines to address technical constraints and issues identified through playtesting.
• Contribute to narrative documentation, including style guides and story outlines.
• Provide constructive peer feedback and mentor less experienced writers and narrative designers, sharing expertise to strengthen the quality and consistency of the project’s narrative content.
• Other duties as assigned.

Requirements:

• Significant professional writing experience in the game or entertainment industry, including writing contributions to at least one shipped game.
• Strong understanding of interactive storytelling and game-design fundamentals, including experience developing branching dialogue or nonlinear narratives.
• Demonstrated ability to write clear, engaging stories and distinctive characters with consistent voices, motivations, and emotional depth.
• Demonstrated ability to quickly understand an established brand and creative direction, sustaining its themes, tone, style, and character voices.
• A demonstrated record of sustained, high-quality writing output, with the ability to work independently, prioritize assignments, and meet the volume, pace, and revision demands of game production.
• Strong editing skills, with experience revising creative content for clarity, structure, pacing, and consistency.
• Ability to interpret and incorporate creative feedback, including making substantive revisions to meet project needs.
• Strong collaboration and communication skills, with experience working across disciplines and presenting narrative ideas clearly.
• Strong research and problem-solving skills, with the ability to adapt narrative ideas to technical, production, and resource constraints.
• Experience implementing narrative content in game engines such as Unreal or Unity, or comparable narrative development tools.

Bonus Points:

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in English, Creative Writing, Theatre, Film, or a related field.
• Familiarity with JIRA, Perforce, and other production or version-control tools.
• Experience developing narrative style guides, maintaining continuity across substantial bodies of content, and providing peer mentorship.
• Strong preference to those based in Edmonton, Alberta.

What We Offer:

• Competitive salary based on experience and qualifications.
• Three weeks of paid vacation, generous paid sick leave, additional paid personal days, and a paid studio closure over the holiday season.
• Comprehensive health and dental benefits, including enhanced mental health support.
• RRSP matching to support your long-term financial goals.
• Flexible work arrangements, with remote, hybrid, and in-office options.
• A collaborative environment where you can share ideas, strengthen your craft, and help shape the player experience.

An up to date portfolio/writing samples must be included with your application. There may also be an assessment portion associated with the recruitment process for this role. Thank you to all applicants for your interest in Beamdog. Only candidates selected for an interview will be contacted.

Beamdog is committed to building a diverse team and an inclusive workplace. We encourage applications from people of all backgrounds, identities, and experiences.

Originally posted on Himalayas