Game Narrative Resources
This is a curated collection of resources for narrative designers and game writers. Apart from books, everything else listed here is free.

I only recommend what I personally found useful and plan to update this page regularly. Enjoy!

Books
Tools
Talks
Assorted Resources
Associated Design Disciplines
Advice for Beginners
Job Listings
Discord Communities

Books
Steering the Craft by Ursula K. Le Guin
Books are listed in no particular order, but this is the one I always recommend first.

Story: Substance, Structure, Style, and the Principles of Screenwriting by Robert McKee

Dialogue: The Art of Verbal Action for Page, Stage, and Screen by Robert McKee
"Story" and "Dialogue" lay a solid foundation in screenwriting. Comprehensive and practical.

Write Characters Your Readers Won't Forget by Stant Litore

Write Worlds Your Readers Won't Forget by Stant Litore
I'm generally skeptical of any book series on writing—most tend to beat about the bush. However, "Characters" and "Worlds" are short, sweet, and to the point. Check out the entire series here.

The Elements of Style by Strunk & White
Must-read pocket-sized classic.

Exercises in Style by Raymond Queneau
In which an anecdote is retold in 99 literary styles. The only book on the list that is not technically on writing, but it can teach you more than some books that are.

About Writing by Samuel R. Delany
Not to be confused with King's "On Writing." This one is much more advanced and insightful. To get a taste, check out About 5,750 Words from Delany's "The Jewel-Hinged Jaw."

Daemon Voices: Essays on Storytelling by Philip Pullman
Gives a lot of food for thought, but more philosophical than practical.

Wonderbook: The Illustrated Guide to Creating Imaginative Fiction by Jeff VanderMeer
Entertaining, inspiring, doubles as a nice coffee-table book.

Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art by Scott McCloud

Game Poems: Video Game Design as Lyric Practice by Jordan Magnuson

101 Things I Learned in Architecture School by Matthew Frederick

Books on game writing geared towards beginners:
Video Game Storytelling by Evan Skolnick

Game Writing: Narrative Skills for Videogames by Chris Bateman

Professional Techniques for Video Game Writing by Wendy Despain

Writing for Games: Theory and Practice by Hannah Nicklin

The Game Narrative Toolbox
There is also The Advanced Game Narrative Toolbox, which I haven't read.
Tools
Google Sheets/Excel
Spreadsheets are the Swiss Army knife of game development. Learn some functions to unleash their potential.

Twine
Neat tool for writing interactive fiction, prototyping branching stories, and making playable portfolio pieces.

Unreal Engine
Narrative designers are sometimes expected to implement content in-engine. Learn some basic blueprinting. To get started, check out Unreal documentation and official tutorials like Your First Hour In Unreal Engine 5.0. I also recommend Mathew Wadstein's YouTube channel.

Unity
Disclaimer: I've never used Unity—only worked in Unreal. You might want to learn one or the other or both.
Some studios use in-house engines, but between Unreal and Unity you'll be fine. To get started with Unity, check out its documentation and official tutorials.

Perforce/Git/etc.
No matter the engine, you need to be familiar with version control.

Miro
Digital whiteboard for real-time visual collaboration. You either love it, or love it.

Jira
Issue management tool essential to agile development.

Confluence
Wiki platform to keep lore bibles and design documents organized.

Honorable mentions, which I haven't used professionally but had a great time dabbling in both:
Inky

articy:draft
Talks
Assorted Resources
Self-Training in Narrative Design
Emily Short's blog is a gold mine, especially for interactive fiction and choice-based games.
This post in particular lists many resources—mostly on IF, but applicable to narrative design in general.
The ones I reference most often:
Storylets: You Want Them
Standard Patterns in Choice-Based Games
A Bestiary of Player Agency

Pixelles Game Writing Program
Pixelles offers a free online training program that is on par with paid courses. Brilliant for beginners.

Brandon Sanderson's Creative Writing Lectures
Fantastic course on sci-fi/fantasy writing available for free on YouTube.

Narrative Design Lectures by Johnnemann Nordhagen

Critical analysis. Entertaining and educational.
Game Maker's Toolkit

Extra Credits
Search for Game Design, Storytelling & Writing for Games playlists.

Deep dives into game/narrative design topics:
Polaris reports

Project Horseshoe reports

Narrative Mechanics: Strategies and Meanings in Games and Real Life

Game Spaces Speak Volumes: Indexical Storytelling

Danny Wadeson's blog
Features resources and guides for game writers.

Branching Conversation Systems and the Working Writer
on branching dialogue

Four Layers, A Narrative Design Approach by Thomas Grip

David Mamet's memo
on dramatic writing

Padgett Powell’s rules
on what writing should do

EF's Visit to a Small Planet: Some Questions to Ask a Play
on worldbuilding

Let's talk about Rosa var Attre
on sideshadowing

Screenplay Format and Examples

Script Slug
Big collection of publicly available scripts.

Game Documents
Big collection of publicly available game design documents.

Procedural Storytelling in Game Design
Good read for those interested in procgen.

Script Lock
Podcast about storytelling in games.

Gamer Motivation Model

Game Accessibility Guidelines

TV Tropes
Tropes are good. Cliches are bad. Use your discretion.

Capitalize My Title
Includes word counter, grammar checker, & headline analyzer tools.

Game UI Database
The ultimate resource for game UI references.

Game Conference Guide
Find game conferences by country/city.
Associated Design Disciplines
Cross-disciplinary collaboration is key in game development. Knowledge in different disciplines can not only help you build rapport with your colleagues, but also make you a more well-rounded designer and writer. Some good resources in other design areas:

The Art of Game Design: A Book of Lenses
If there's one book you need to read about game design, it's this one.

The Gamer's Brain: How Neuroscience and UX Can Impact Video Game Design
The most comprehensive treatise on user experience out there.

Game Design Wiki
Collection of resources for game designers, very well-organized.

Level Design Book
Online resource for level designers with terminology and key concepts.

Level Design: In Pursuit of Better Levels
Monumental level design document with knowledge from veteran devs.

The Design of Everyday Things
Advice for Beginners
Take any advice with a grain of salt, mine included. Mileage may vary.

How to Get a Job as a Games Writer

Letter to a Young Narrative Designer by Danny Wadeson

Game Dev 101 by Ed Stern

Getting a Job in Game or Narrative Design by Katie Chironis
Job Listings
LinkedIn/Discord Communities, see next section

Grackle HQ

GameJobs.co

Skillshot.pl in Poland

gamedevmap
Find game companies by country/city.

Skillsearch Salary Survey 2024 (and the one for 2023)
Accurate average salaries in Europe.

Numbeo
When comparing salaries in different countries and/or looking to relocate, always consider the cost of living. This is the best site to calculate it.
Discord Communities
where aspiring and working game narrative people congregate.

IGDA SIG Game Writing

Narrative House

The Discord for Interactive Narrative (to receive an invite, fill out the form)

Contacts
sasha.kirlee@gmail.com