Game writing portfolio
About Me / Game Writing
Core Skills: Layered Worldbuilding, Branching Narratives, Distinct Characters, Production-Ready Narrative, Bahasa Indonesia Localization, Tailored Visual Documentation, Version Tracking
Software: Miro, Figma, Notion, Twine, Kit Scenarist, Google Docs & Slides, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop, DaVinci Resolve
Language: Bahasa Indonesia (Native), English (Proficient)
Having worked in both narrative and non-narrative roles across various disciplines, my game writing and narrative design adapt flexibly to the ever-changing development process while maximizing narrative potential within production feasibility.
Experience: Product Designer (B.Des), 3D Environment Artist, Graphic Designer, Videographer, UNICEF Mentor
SOLO PROJECTS SHOWCASE
Concept: A survival detective game with fundamental moral conflict from layered psychological narratives, dark atmospheric exploration, and unexpected combats in two worlds
Genre: Third-Person Shooter, Mystery, Thriller, Psychological
Production Time: Dec 2025 - Jun 2026 (Developed in parallel with the project's Level Design)
Output:
Narrative & Writing: 11-Page Character Bark Sheet, 30-Page Screenplay, Character Relationship Flowchart
Design Documentation: 17-Page GDD, 12-Page LDD, One-Pager, Level Design Matrix, Architectural & Asset Database (Miro), Level Flowcharts, Game Beats, Beat Charts, Mission Flows, Bubble Diagrams
Gameplay & Visuals: 31-Min Blockout Gameplay, 12-Min Level Art Walkthrough, Blockout & Art Pass Render Galleries
Key Features: Immersive atmosphere, diverse gameplay flow with rich worldbuilding, unpredictable transition into combat inside the nightmares, moral conflict against a kid’s innocence
Role: Game Writer, Narrative Designer
Software: Miro, Figma, Notion, Kit Scenarist, Google Docs, Google Slides, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop, DaVinci Resolve
Responsibilities:
Designed a corrupted political system between corporations, politicians, and police, highlighting its impact on the victims
Wrote 50 interactable letters with diverse content for environmental storytelling to deepen the lore
Authored a 3-act narrative and missions inside a 3-story interior building for a 30-minute gameplay prototype
Created 12 interactable NPCs with distinct characteristics, connected backstories, and interaction responses that shaped the mission design
Made effective documentation by tailoring formats to fit the specific needs of various development phases
Organized audio design for the gameplay prototype and level walkthrough videos to fit the intended tension and narrative progression
Concept: A dark escape-exploration game with immersive narrative investigation through the eyes of a child escaping abduction revolves around a satanic cult and human trafficking loop
Genre: Mystery, Suspense, Psychological, Drama
Production Time: Oct 2024 - Dec 2025 (Developed in parallel with the project's Level Design and 3 other solo projects across Level Design & Game Writing)
Output:
Narrative & Writing: 3-Page Character Bark Sheet, 35-Page Screenplay, Worldbuilding Flowcharts, Character Relationship Flowchart, Narrative Timeline
Design Documentation: 13-Page GDD, 10-Page LDD, One-Pager, Level Flowcharts, Game Beats, Beat Charts, Mission Flows, Visual References
Gameplay & Visuals: 8-Min Blockout Gameplay (1.6x Speed), 9-Min Blockout Walkthrough, Blockout & Art Pass Render Galleries
Key Features: Tactical hide-and-fight gameplay, connecting clues to uncover stories, atmospheric storytelling, emotional and psychological explosion
Role: Game Writer, Narrative Designer
Software: Figma, Notion, Kit Scenarist, Google Docs, Google Slides, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop, DaVinci Resolve
Responsibilities:
Designed narrative and mission progression based on identified blockout potential inside an iterative development process
Researched and adapted historical events into narrative worldbuilding uncovered through exploration and interactable items
Created hide-and-seek 3-act missions utilizing prop placement and player sightlines to intensify anticipation
Directed navigation paths through exploration missions that covered blockout weak points and limited asset variety
Established explosive character development that changed the mission approach from passive victim to active survivor
Designed four enemy types with distinct personalities, aggressiveness, and combat approaches to enrich hide-and-seek gameplay
Concept: A fan project spin-off of Control by Remedy Entertainment. A cinematic adventure with crime investigation flashbacks, delivered from the perspective of a grandfather with photographic memory and mental illness
Genre: Detective, Story-Rich, Suspense, Drama
Production Time: Apr 2024 - Dec 2025 (Developed in parallel with the project's Level Design and 3 other solo projects across Level Design & Game Writing)
Output:
Narrative & Writing: 2-Page Character Bark Sheet, 30-Page Screenplay, Game Deconstruction & Narrative Analysis, Worldbuilding Flowcharts, Character Backstories, Character Relationship Flowchart, Narrative Timeline
Design Documentation: 13-Page GDD, 10-Page LDD, One-Pager, Level Flowcharts, Game Beats, Beat Charts, Mission Flows, Visual References
Gameplay & Visuals: 5-Min Level Art Gameplay (1.6x Speed), 3-Min Blockout Walkthrough, Blockout & Art Pass Render Galleries
Key Features: Layered Dual-Timeline Investigation, atmospheric nostalgia in present time, re-living nightmares into madness, the illusion of safety
Role: Game Writer, Narrative Designer
Software: Figma, Notion, Kit Scenarist, Google Docs, Google Slides, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop, Clip Studio Paint, DaVinci Resolve
Responsibilities:
Structured an applicable Beat Chart and Character Relationship Flowchart to facilitate dual narrative progression
Embedded heavy emotional progression into 3-act narrative gameplay with present and flashback cutscenes
Deconstructed 4 games from Remedy Entertainment into categorized data on narrative structure, multiverse aspects, and gameplay DNA
Designed exploration and object/NPC discovery missions to trigger narrative progression and player emotional engagement
Established interconnected backstories between lore-accurate characters from the Control IP and original characters from the project
Provided cinematic visual references that acted as the main lighting and foliage guide during the level art phase
Concept: A branching survival game entwined with supernatural powers, fast-paced combat, and dark psychological depth of Indonesian culture, designed for memorable replayability
Genre: Third-Person Shooter, Mystery, Action, Choice Matters
Production Time: Mar 2024 - Nov 2025 (Developed in parallel with the project's Level Design and 3 other solo projects across Level Design & Game Writing)
Output:
Narrative & Writing: 4-Page Character Bark Sheet, 42-Page Screenplay, Character Backstories, Character Relationship Flowchart, Narrative Timeline
Design Documentation: 14-Page GDD, 10-Page LDD, One-Pager, Branching Level Flowcharts, Game Beats, Branching Beat Charts, Branching Mission Flows, Visual References
Gameplay & Visuals: 8-Min Level Art Gameplay (1.6x Speed), 4-Min Blockout Walkthrough, Blockout & Art Pass Render Galleries
Key Features: Interconnected gameplay & story, mysterious voice manipulating monsters, burden of leadership, powerful yet powerless combat
Role: Game Writer, Narrative Designer
Software: Figma, Notion, Kit Scenarist, Google Docs, Google Slides, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop, Clip Studio Paint, DaVinci Resolve
Responsibilities:
Designed three branching routes with two outcomes based on the correlation between player choices and protagonist responsibility
Balanced three explorable areas through mission design, combat difficulty, events, and interactables for Telekinesis mechanic
Localized an Indonesian poem into English while preserving tone, context, prose, and cultural nuances
Authored a production-ready 42-page screenplay for cinematic cutscenes across a 3-act narrative and three branching choices
Created two types of outcomes/consequences based on how responsible the player acts as a leader rather than relying on pure luck
Managed version control across two iterations to balance mission design and ensure seamless transitions across branching options
Concept: A survival detective game interwoven with deep depth of Indonesian culture, wrapped in layered narratives, eerie combat, and dark-psychological atmospheric gameplay
Genre: Third-Person Shooter, Mystery, Thriller, Psychological
Production Time: Jan 2024 - Oct 2025 (Developed in parallel with the project's Level Design and 3 other solo projects across Level Design & Game Writing)
Output:
Narrative & Writing: 3-Page Character Bark Sheet, 30-Page Screenplay, Worldbuilding Flowcharts, Creature Life Cycles, Character Backstories, Character Relationship Flowchart
Design Documentation: 14-Page GDD, 10-Page LDD, One-Pager, Level Flowcharts, Game Beats, Beat Charts, Mission Flows, Visual References
Gameplay & Visuals: 6-Min Level Art Gameplay (1.6x Speed), 4-Min Blockout Walkthrough, Blockout & Art Pass Render Galleries
Key Features: Immersive atmospheric terror, intense combat under hallucination, digging information from the past, descent into madness
Role: Game Writer, Narrative Designer
Software: Figma, Notion, Kit Scenarist, Google Docs, Google Slides, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop, Clip Studio Paint, DaVinci Resolve
Responsibilities:
Established monster worldbuilding inspired by dark human nature and Indonesian culture to deepen relatability to real-life events
Created a complete creature lifecycle correlated with the player, worldbuilding, and narrative progression within a 3-act narrative
Illustrated 4 monsters and 8 characters using Clip Studio Paint for the character flowchart and creature classification
Designed two contrasting narrative plots of mundane investigation and high-tension horror within one progressive story
Provided feasible visual references from movie screenshots for blockout, level art, and video editing in post-production
Constructed a tailored Beat Chart, Game Beat, Mission Flow, GDD, One Pager, and other document formats usable for future projects
Agate academy: Blacksad under the skin (fan remake)
Concept: Adapted a choice-based video game into an illustrated physical book and Twine prototype as a final project for a Game Development 101 course at Agate Academy
Genre: Exploration, Puzzle, Point & Click, Comic Book, Noir
Production Time: Sep 2023 - Oct 2023
Output: Interactive Twine Prototype, 24-Page Illustrated A5 Booklet (with Numbered Borders), Physical Bookmark / Choice Tracker
Key Features: Branching narrative in printed book, illustrated Twine adaptation, noir black-and-white artwork, instant choice and consequences
Role: Game Writer, Game Designer
Software: Notion, Twine, Clip Studio Paint, Adobe Illustrator, DaVinci Resolve
Responsibilities:
Managed an end-to-end 8-day production timeline from initial ideation to physical playtesting and documentation
Adapted 53 minutes of 3D video game gameplay into an illustrated 24-page A5 booklet facilitating branching choices and replayability
Authored novel-like narrative descriptions for both print and Twine formats while preserving the original game’s noir tone
Illustrated key gameplay scenes using Clip Studio Paint and Adobe Illustrator to enhance the game experience
Designed a physical choice-tracking system using a custom bookmark and numbered border references on the booklet
Conducted playtests and collected user feedback for post-mortem analysis and future refinement of the project
© 2025 Nurhasanah Umar. All rights reserved.