Games Design and Creative Writing

Games design and creative writing are two disciplines with a deep and growing connection. Narrative is at the heart of many of the most compelling games, and the craft of writing, character development, world-building and storytelling has become central to how games are designed and experienced. Creative writing, in turn, has been transformed by the interactive and non-linear possibilities that games represent: writers who understand game design can work in a medium that no other form of storytelling provides.

Studying both together gives you a distinctive creative profile that is directly relevant to an industry that increasingly values the intersection of design and writing.

At the University of Hull, this three-year full-time degree develops your skills and knowledge across both disciplines. You will learn the principles of game design, including mechanics, systems, level design, user experience and the iterative development processes that professional studios use, alongside creative writing in its various forms: fiction, narrative design, dialogue, screenwriting and world-building. The combination encourages you to think about how stories are told in interactive media and how design and narrative decisions shape each other.

You will work on substantial creative and design projects that build your portfolio and your practical production skills.

Critical thinking, creative experimentation and the ability to give and receive honest feedback are central to the learning experience in both areas. You will develop your voice as a writer and your judgement as a designer, and you will learn to work collaboratively in the way that games development actually demands.

Graduates from games design and creative writing programmes move into narrative design, game writing, game design, level design, UX writing, screenwriting, fiction writing, publishing, and roles in the broader creative industries. The combination of design and writing expertise is increasingly sought after by games studios, and the creative and analytical skills you develop transfer well to other sectors.