Breaking Into Game Narrative Design | Feat. Yevgeny Blinov

Yevgeny Blinov started by modding Warcraft III, worked his way through technical art and game design, and eventually landed where he always wanted to be - writing and designing narrative for video games. In this conversation, we dig into what narrative design actually means, how it differs from pure writing, and what the role looks like across indie studios vs. AAA teams.
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We also get into the practical side: how to build a portfolio from scratch when you have no shipped games, which tools let writers create playable work without being programmers, and why Yevgeny believes the recent wave of AI-assisted writing is doing real damage - not just to game quality, but to how designers think and collaborate.
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🎯 If you are trying to break into the games industry as a writer, or you are already working in narrative and want a clearer picture of the craft and the pitfalls - this one is for you.
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⏱️ Timestamps:
00:51 – Introduction to Narrative Designer Yevgeny Blinov
01:55 – Entering Game Development Through Technical Roles
03:00 – Why Technical Knowledge Helps Writers Make Better Games
04:36 – Different Types of Writing Roles in Games
07:42 – What a Narrative Designer Actually Does
10:46 – When Studios Need Multiple Writers
13:00 – Environmental Storytelling vs Dialogue
14:46 – How Beginners Can Start Writing for Games
16:54 – What Makes a Strong Writer Portfolio
20:02 – The Problem With AI-Generated Writing in Games
27:32 – Why AI Makes Creatives Stop Thinking Deeply
34:22 – Movies vs Games: Biggest Differences in Storytelling
38:05 – Why Games Are a More Powerful Storytelling Medium
43:02 – Half-Life 2 & Games That Revolutionized Narrative Design
45:52 – Are Games Becoming More Like Interactive Movies?
59:00 – Final Thoughts & Closing Conversation
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► Yevgeny Blinov works
Solar Sails: Space Pirates
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1292310/Solar_Sails_Space_Pirates/

Defcon Zero
https://store.steampowered.com/app/2923140/Defcon_Zero_Frontlines_of_Tomorrow/

► Vojta Nevrela on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vojta-nevrela-234248247/

Видео Breaking Into Game Narrative Design | Feat. Yevgeny Blinov канала GameReady