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I am Timothy J. Shaw, a Narrative Designer with a background in architecture and an MA in Game Design. Recently I led the narrative direction for an indie game team of 20+ members, shaping the overall story, character motivations, voice lines, and lore, including a Catacombs level map and enemy concept art, supported by mood boards and diagrams. I believe in balancing traditional storytelling with modern tools. I value AI as a workflow aid but prefer writing using imagination and research to preserve authenticity and personal voice. I am passionate about producing narrative works at all scales, from small game barks to sprawling lore, and I enjoy collaborating across disciplines to craft engaging player experiences.…I am Timothy J. Shaw, a Narrative Designer with a background in architecture and an MA in Game Design. Recently I led the narrative direction for an indie game team of 20+ members, shaping the overall story, character motivations, voice lines, and lore, including a Catacombs level map and enemy concept art, supported by mood boards and diagrams. I believe in balancing traditional storytelling with modern tools. I value AI as a workflow aid but prefer writing using imagination and research to preserve authenticity and personal voice. I am passionate about producing narrative works at all scales, from small game barks to sprawling lore, and I enjoy collaborating across disciplines to craft engaging player experiences.

Timothy J. Shaw

Writer, Story Producer, Game Designer, +2

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I am Timothy J. Shaw, a Narrative Designer with a background in architecture and an MA in Game Design. Recently I led the narrative direction for an indie game team of 20+ members, shaping the overall story, character motivations, voice lines, and lore, including a Catacombs level map and enemy concept art, supported by mood boards and diagrams. I believe in balancing traditional storytelling with modern tools. I value AI as a workflow aid but prefer writing using imagination and research to preserve authenticity and personal voice. I am passionate about producing narrative works at all scales, from small game barks to sprawling lore, and I enjoy collaborating across disciplines to craft engaging player experiences.…I am Timothy J. Shaw, a Narrative Designer with a background in architecture and an MA in Game Design. Recently I led the narrative direction for an indie game team of 20+ members, shaping the overall story, character motivations, voice lines, and lore, including a Catacombs level map and enemy concept art, supported by mood boards and diagrams. I believe in balancing traditional storytelling with modern tools. I value AI as a workflow aid but prefer writing using imagination and research to preserve authenticity and personal voice. I am passionate about producing narrative works at all scales, from small game barks to sprawling lore, and I enjoy collaborating across disciplines to craft engaging player experiences.

Available to hire

I am Timothy J. Shaw, a Narrative Designer with a background in architecture and an MA in Game Design. Recently I led the narrative direction for an indie game team of 20+ members, shaping the overall story, character motivations, voice lines, and lore, including a Catacombs level map and enemy concept art, supported by mood boards and diagrams.

I believe in balancing traditional storytelling with modern tools. I value AI as a workflow aid but prefer writing using imagination and research to preserve authenticity and personal voice. I am passionate about producing narrative works at all scales, from small game barks to sprawling lore, and I enjoy collaborating across disciplines to craft engaging player experiences.

Skills

Experience Level

Expert

Expert

Expert

Expert

Expert

Expert

Expert

Intermediate

Intermediate

Intermediate

Intermediate

Intermediate

Intermediate

Intermediate

Intermediate

Intermediate

Language

English

Fluent

Work Experience

Narrative Lead at Indie Game Team Project

January 1, 2025 - Present

Led narrative design for a game demo, authored overall story, character motivations, voice lines/barks, designed a Catacombs level map, created enemy concept art, and conducted background research (mood boards and diagrams).

Narrative Designer at Game Jam Group Projects

January 1, 2022 - December 31, 2024

Contributed narrative foundations for multiple short-form games under tight deadlines; developed story beats, signposting for player navigation, proposed innovative mechanics, mapped layouts in Unreal Engine, and aligned visuals with the artistic style.

Narrative Lead at Indie Game Team

January 1, 2025 - Present

Led the narrative direction for a game demo within a 20+ person team; responsible for the game's overarching story, character motivations, voice lines/barks, and lore development. Created a Catacombs level map, concept art for an enemy, and conducted background research (mood boards and diagrams) to inform direction and design.

Narrative Designer / Team Member at Various Game Jam Group Projects

January 1, 2022 - December 31, 2024

Applied narrative design to rapid-prototype game jams under tight deadlines; developed story foundations for dialogue and signposting to aid player navigation. Took on additional roles in small teams, contributed ideas for new mechanics, designed maps, blocked levels in Unreal Engine, and aligned work with the desired artistic style while conducting in-depth theme research.