Narrative Systems Designer / Non-linear Narrative Consultant

# Narrative Systems Designer / Non-linear Narrative Consultant We are looking for an experienced Narrative Systems Designer to support the development of an advanced non-linear historical adventure game currently in production. This is not a project starting from scratch. The core story, characters, chronology, narrative structure and gameplay concept are already substantially developed. We have also defined the current system used to translate the narrative into playable sessions, including player priorities, information discovery, narrative progression, daily structure and end-of-day summaries. We are looking for someone who can work with us as an external specialist to review, challenge and validate this existing approach. The objective is not to rewrite the story or redesign the game, but to help us ensure that the current narrative system is coherent, robust and understandable from a player perspective, and to identify potential improvements before we move further into implementation. The work may include reviewing areas such as: * Non-linear narrative progression * Player knowledge and information tracking * Narrative states, triggers and dependencies * Critical versus optional information * Dynamic priorities and player guidance * Events that progress independently of player actions * Alternative routes to relevant information * Fail-forward mechanisms * End-of-day summaries and recap systems * Narrative pacing and information overload * Consistency between narrative design and gameplay structure We are particularly interested in candidates with experience in narrative-heavy adventure games, investigation games, RPGs, immersive sims or other games where players can discover information and progress through the narrative in different orders. The selected person would initially review the system already developed, discuss it with us and help us validate its strengths and weaknesses. Depending on the outcome, the collaboration could continue into the refinement of specific parts of the system. The project is a historical fiction based on real places, historical context and documented events, although the game itself is fictional. We value practical game-design experience more than purely literary experience. We are not currently looking for a writer to create new characters, dialogue or storylines. Because the project is still under development, candidates selected for detailed discussions will be required to sign an NDA before receiving confidential project materials. When applying, please briefly explain: * Your experience designing or reviewing non-linear narrative systems * Games or projects where you have worked with player-driven narrative progression * How you would normally approach the review of an existing narrative system rather than designing one from scratch * Your availability and preferred working arrangement