Please note that this role is only available to candidates currently located in Berlin, Germany.

The Narrative Designer will take ownership of key narrative design and content development for Suzerain: Project Vanguard. The role focuses on shaping a new country setting within the Suzerain universe, co-developing narrative direction, and delivering implementation-ready narrative content. The Narrative Designer will work closely with writing, design, and production to ensure narrative systems, player choice, and political dynamics are coherent, reactive, and aligned with the established Suzerain format.

Essential qualifications

• Proven experience as a narrative designer or writer on narrative-driven games with branching structures and player choice.
• Demonstrated ability to shape narrative direction collaboratively and translate high-level themes into concrete, system-aware content.
• Strong understanding of political, social, or institutional storytelling within interactive formats.
• Excellent writing skills, with a consistent grasp of tone, voice, and long-form narrative cohesion.
• Experience designing decision-based narratives with consequences, state tracking, and reactivity.
• Familiarity with narrative implementation workflows and the creation of structured, implementation-ready documentation.
• Experience collaborating closely with design, production, and technical teams in a game development environment.
• Strong organizational skills and comfort using tools such as Miro, Notion, Codecks, or comparable production systems.

Preferred qualifications

• Strong familiarity with the Suzerain universe and its narrative format.
• Experience developing new settings or countries within an established fictional canon.
• Experience with flow-based writing editors such as Articy Draft
• Background in political theory, history, or socio-economic research relevant to systemic narrative design.
• Own key narrative design and narrative content development for Suzerain: Project Vanguard.
• Co-develop narrative direction with the Lead Writer, shaping themes, tone, political tensions, and the player’s journey within the new country setting.
• Build and maintain the foundational elements of the new country, including history, institutions, factions, key figures, and societal pressures, ensuring consistency with the Suzerain universe.
• Design and document branching story structures, decision points, consequences, and state-based reactivity aligned with the established Suzerain narrative format.
• Write and iterate narrative content such as scenes, dialogue, events, and decision frameworks, maintaining consistency of voice, tone, and lore.
• Conduct lore and reference research to ensure continuity with existing Suzerain canon and internal coherence across all narrative content.
• Produce implementation-ready briefs and structured handoff materials, including event logic notes, variable hooks, and content requirements.
• Collaborate with game design and technical counterparts to ensure narrative content integrates effectively with systems, UI presentation, and content tools.
• Maintain narrative documentation and task tracking using Miro, Notion, Codecks, and related team tools, keeping materials accessible and current.
• Review implemented narrative content and lead revisions based on playtests, QA findings, and team feedback, improving clarity, pacing, and logical consistency. 

Job benefits

• Health & Wellbeing. Free Urban Sports Club membership for all Berlin-based permanent employees.
• Public Transportation. Fully covered Deutschland-Ticket (BVG) for nationwide public transport.
• Flexible Hours. Start your day between 8:00–10:00 CET with core hours from 10:00–15:00 CET.
• Hybrid Work. We embrace a hybrid work schedule, requiring in-office presence on 3 days, with the flexibility to work remotely for the remaining 2 days of the week (calculation is based on full-time position).
• Work from Abroad. Up to 10 remote work days per year from outside Germany.
• Team Events. Regular team events and access to the NLND community network.
• Feedback & Growth. Regular feedback sessions to support your development.
• Annual Bonus. Performance-based annual bonus.
• Vacation. 24 paid vacation days (full-time).

Additional Details:

• Location: Berlin, Germany
• Contract type: On-Payroll, Full-time (40h/week), fixed-term contract (with a strong possibility of extension or conversion to permanent employment based on performance and project requirements)
• Compensation: The expected annual gross salary range for this role is approximately 40.000 - 50.000 EUR, depending on experience and qualifications.
• Expected Start Date: 01.06.2026