Worldbuilding for Video Games

Learn the fundamentals of building video game worlds, from a writer’s perspective. - University of British Columbia

A game’s setting is second in importance only to the game’s player character - and some say it’s more important. Game designers must create a compelling new world that players will want to explore and inhabit for many, many hours. Game writing is a collaborative process, and worlds are designed with input from art directors, level designers, and even marketing teams. But writers have an integral role in making these worlds feel rich, deep and believable.

In this course you’ll learn to use the tools of environmental storytelling, lore, readables and audio/video logs to help create a memorable game setting. Verified learners will access additional game industry interviews, assignments and discussion topics, connecting with a community of other writers and game enthusiasts.

What you'll learn

How level designers and the art team approach the game world, and how the narrative designer works with them
Environmental storytelling: how the setting creates mystery, reveals history and furthers the game’s story
Learn how to create compelling found narrative
How writers of lore and backstory can learn from real-world research and history
Tools and techniques for creating compelling audio and video logs