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- BA (Hons) Games Narrative*
BA (Hons) Games Narrative*
BA (Hons) Games Narrative aims to equip graduates with the skills to create compelling, interactive stories for the gaming industry, emphasising 'Meaningful Games' and understanding themes such as gender and identity awareness in games alongside technical proficiency and game development knowledge.
- Duration: 3 or 4 years full-time
- Placement year: Optional 1 year
- Course code: I622 (UCAS)
- Institution code: A66 (UCAS)
- Duration: 3 or 4 years full-time
- Placement year: Optional 1 year
- Course code: I622 (UCAS)
- Institution code: A66 (UCAS)
Overview
The BA (Hons) Games Narrative course aims to equip you with the skills to create compelling, interactive stories for the gaming industry, emphasising 'Meaningful Games' and understanding themes such as gender and identity awareness in games alongside technical proficiency and game development knowledge.
You'll explore narrative design, player agency, and game mechanics, preparing for careers such as narrative designer, scriptwriter, and transmedia storyteller.
* This course is subject to validation.
BA (Hons) Games Narrative course information
During the course, you’ll develop a comprehensive portfolio of narrative design skills, showcasing your ability to create immersive and interactive stories for games through your own imagination and implementing immersive technology such as AI. This portfolio will reflect your individual style and technical proficiency, preparing you for a range of roles within the gaming and creative industries.
The BA (Hons) Games Narrative course is designed to equip you with the skills and knowledge to create engaging and interactive stories for the gaming industry. A core focus of the course is on Meaningful Games—games that convey powerful messages and themes beyond entertainment—and understanding how storytelling can provoke thought and inspire social change.
You'll also explore critical themes such as gender and identity, learning how to create narratives that are inclusive and resonant with diverse audiences. Through hands-on projects and collaboration, you'll develop immersive narratives while gaining valuable industry insights, preparing them for a variety of roles in the gaming and creative industries.
Placement year
All undergraduate courses at AUB offer an optional placement year, to be taken between your second and third years of study.
If you’re unsure about this optional placement, you don’t need to decide now. Once you’re here and studying with us, the course team will discuss the placement options with you, so when the time comes, you can make a decision that’s right for you.
Level 4 (first year)
The first unit, Introduction to Game Narratives, shows you the core elements of narrative structure, storytelling techniques, and your application within the gaming context. You'll explore how narrative shapes player experiences and you'll begin to understand the relationship between traditional storytelling methods and interactive media including the use of AI. This unit lays the groundwork for more complex narrative studies, helping you to build a solid foundation in crafting compelling game narratives.
The second unit, Character Development and World-Building allows you to understand the creation of immersive worlds and believable characters, essential components of any successful game narrative. By learning the principles of world-building, you'll be equipped to design environments that enhance the player’s journey, while character development focuses on crafting engaging, multidimensional characters that drive the story forward. This unit encourages creativity and a deep understanding of how settings and characters work together to create compelling experiences.
The final unit, Storytelling Through Games (Narrative) is a part-shared unit with BA (Hons) Games Art and Design. This unit explores the mechanics of storytelling within interactive and game-based formats, emphasising the creation of Meaningful Games. You'll learn how to design stories that convey deeper messages and themes, engaging players on multiple levels. You'll explore narrative techniques tailored for interactivity, such as dialogue systems, branching storylines, and non-linear storytelling. This shared unit allows for interdisciplinary collaboration, providing insight into how narrative integrates with art and design in the game creation process.
Level 5 (second year)
The opening unit of Year 2 is Gender, Identity, and Values (Narrative) is partly shared with BA (Hons) Games Art and Design. This unit focuses on critical themes like diversity, representation, gender, and identity in game narratives. You'll analyse and create stories that reflect a broad spectrum of human experience, learning to consider ethical storytelling and cultural sensitivity. Alongside these themes, you'll experiment with techniques for creating branching narratives and providing meaningful player agency, ensuring that decisions within a game influence the narrative in significant ways.
This leads on to the Self-Initiated Project. In this unit, you take full ownership of a narrative project of your creation. You'll propose, plan, and develop a narrative design, applying the skills and knowledge gained from previous units. You'll examine the relationship between game mechanics and narrative, ensuring that the story and gameplay mechanics complement each other. This project allows you to explore your creative direction, honing your ability to merge story and gameplay while managing a long-term design process.
The Launchpad (Narrative) unit runs throughout the year and is partly shared with BA (Hons) Games Art and Design and BA (Hons) Business of Games. This industry-focused unit helps you to prepare for the transition from university to professional roles in the gaming industry. You'll build a professional portfolio showcasing your narrative designs, engage with industry professionals, and learn about the practical aspects of career development. Topics include intellectual property, collaboration within game development teams, and market trends. The unit is designed to prepare you for future employment, freelancing, or further study in the field.
Level 6 (third year)
The start of the final year has the unit Advanced Narrative Techniques, this unit takes you into advanced narrative techniques such as transmedia storytelling, where stories span multiple platforms (e.g., games, films, books), and explores how immersive worlds can be created with complex narrative structures. You'll refine their ability to design layered, engaging narratives that are rich in detail and creativity. This unit encourages you to push the boundaries of conventional game storytelling, exploring innovative approaches that resonate with modern audiences. Alongside this, the Industry Report unit tasks you with conducting research into the gaming industry, with a focus on how narrative design is utilised across different sectors. You'll analyse current trends, investigate specific roles related to narrative within the industry, and explore potential career paths. This report will offer a deep understanding of how their skills can be applied in the professional world and give them insights into the business side of game development.
The final two terms are made up of a Final Major Project unit. This self-initiated project serves as the culmination of the course, where you'll develop a comprehensive narrative design for a game. Drawing on feedback from tutors and peers, you'll integrate everything learned throughout the course, from storytelling techniques and world-building to player agency and mechanics. This project is an opportunity for you to showcase your mastery of narrative design and create a piece that's portfolio-ready and industry-competitive.
Alongside the Final Major Project, you'll work on the Reflective Journal unit where you'll maintain a Reflective Journal documenting your creative process, narrative decisions, and personal growth. This journal helps you to critically evaluate your work, identify areas for improvement, and reflect on how your understanding of narrative design has evolved, and is instead of a standalone dissertation. It serves as a vital tool for personal development, encouraging you to continually assess and refine their creative approach.
"As creators of interactive worlds and storytellers of the digital age, you have the power to craft narratives that not only entertain but challenge, inspire, and connect. In this course, you’ll learn to harness that power, shaping stories that leave a lasting impact on players and the world around them."
Application process
Once you've found the perfect Undergraduate course, you can apply to study via UCAS, including direct entry applications to second and third year.
When applying through UCAS, use the institution code A66 for courses taught at Arts University Bournemouth. For courses based at Bournemouth and Poole College, use code B49. We'll then use your completed UCAS form to make decisions about your application. You can find out more on entry requirements in our apply section.
When you apply to one of our courses, it's important that you help us get a good picture of both you and your work – so you'll need a great personal statement. We want to know more about why you're interested in the course, your key influences, and what you hope to do after your studies.
If you're invited for an interview, many of our courses will ask to see a portfolio of your work so we can get more insight into your ideas and abilities. To help you, we've created guidelines outlining what we expect from your portfolio for each course.
The fee that you pay the Arts University Bournemouth provides the necessary equipment and training for you to complete your course.
You may also choose to buy some items of personal equipment such as a laptop or tablet computer, but this is not required; desktop and laptop computers are available for you to use in common study areas, including a loan system in the Library.
If you decide to undertake an optional placement year, the tuition fee is £1,850. This is subject to inflationary increases based on government policy, and providing you progress through the course in the normal timeframe (no repeat years or breaks in study).
For the majority of our courses, we'll ask you to digitally submit a portfolio as part of the application process.
Portfolios should show examples of your work – both finished and work in progress – that demonstrate your interests and skills. We expect to see around 10 slides/images in your portfolio that shows your identity as an artist.
If we ask for a digital portfolio then we'll give you 30 days to submit it. Sometimes we'll need a portfolio submitted quickly if there's a UCAS set deadline approaching, but if you need more time, just let us know and we'll try to help.
We've created specific portfolio guidelines for each of our courses, you can take a look at these below.
If you've applied to study an online postgraduate (MA) degree, please refer to the AUB Online portfolio guidelines.
This course will require you to attend an in-person audition and/or interview. If you're invited to one, you'll be given at least 10 days notice.
Studios and resources
Throughout the BA (Hons) Games Narrative course, you'll be immersed in the gaming industry to gain a deep understanding of the wide range of opportunities available to narrative designers. Engaging with various sectors of the gaming world, from AAA studios to indie developers, will equip you with the creative and technical tools needed to continue crafting compelling game narratives beyond the course, whether in professional game development or further study and research.
You’ll have the chance to network with industry professionals such as narrative designers, game writers, producers, and studio leads, gaining insights into the diverse pathways for making a career in game storytelling. These connections will provide valuable industry perspectives and help you explore potential roles and income streams as a narrative designer in the fast-evolving gaming industry.
Teaching, learning and assessment
The BA (Hons) Games Narrative course offers a unique blend of creative development, theoretical instruction and practical application, immersing you in the world of interactive storytelling. Teaching methods include a combination of lectures, workshops, and hands-on projects, with an emphasis on developing narrative concepts and applying them to game design. You'll frequently work on both individual and group projects, exploring your own creative ideas while refining your storytelling techniques.
Throughout the course, you'll use a range of methods to create and develop their concepts, as well as implement emerging technologies, such as AI, gaining valuable technical skills that are essential for a career in game narrative design. Regular feedback from tutors supports continuous growth, while guest lectures from industry professionals offer insights into the latest trends and practices. The course encourages self-directed study, empowering you to think creatively and solve complex narrative challenges independently.
Independent learning is a core element of the BA (Hons) Games Narrative course, encouraging you to explore their unique storytelling styles within the gaming industry. Assignments often involve self-directed research, narrative development, and problem-solving, fostering critical thinking and creativity. You'll undertake independent projects, guiding your ideas from concept to completion, allowing you to apply your skills in real-world contexts.
Alongside hands-on learning, you're encouraged to stay informed on industry trends and technologies. This self-directed approach cultivates ownership, adaptability, and resilience – key traits for success in the dynamic and evolving field of game narrative design. Ultimately, it prepares you to become independent and innovative narrative designers.
Each unit is assessed separately, and the assessment forms part of the unit. Assessment both provides a measure of your achievement and also gives you regular feedback on how your learning is developing.
You'll receive a final mark for each unit in the form of a percentage, which will be recorded on your formal record of achievement (transcript). Each component of assessment is graded using a notched marking scale, whereby only certain marks are used within each grade. The only marks available within any 10-point band are *2, *5 and *8 (e.g. 62, 65, 68). These marks correspond to a low, mid, and high level of achievement within each grade band.
All learning outcomes must be passed to successfully complete the unit.
On successful completion of your Honours degree course, you'll be awarded a degree classification based on your unit marks. The final classification is determined using all unit marks at Levels 5 and 6 using two different algorithms, which are detailed in the HE Student Regulations. If the two algorithms produce different results, you'll be awarded the higher class of degree.
If you've joined Level 6 through either the Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) route or having completed a Foundation Degree (FdA), the final classification is determined using only your unit marks at Level 6.
Firstly, through regular review of coursework you'll receive feedback on how your learning is developing towards the achievement of the learning outcomes – formative assessment. This process is delivered through the tutorial and critique experience; by engaging with this process, you'll develop your knowledge and skills.
You can experience the assessment process from an increased personal perspective and make serious critical decisions in conjunction with the teaching staff regarding their peers’ work.
Formative assessment is provided during tutorials where an action plan is formulated to develop your work. Viewings and critiques offer indications of the quality of work and how it relates to the assessment criteria. Formative assessment points will be outlined in the online unit information and within the scheme of work.
The second purpose is to provide a measure of your achievement, in the form of a mark or classification, at the end of a defined period of study, i.e. unit, level, or final award – summative assessment.
Career destinations
Graduates of the BA (Hons) Games Narrative course will be well-prepared for a variety of roles within the gaming and creative industries. Potential career destinations include:
- Narrative Designer – Crafting the storylines, dialogues, and character arcs that drive a game's narrative.
- Game Writer – Writing scripts for in-game dialogue, cutscenes, and interactive storytelling elements.
- Scriptwriter for Games – Creating detailed scripts for characters, environments, and branching narratives.
- Transmedia Storyteller – Developing narratives that span multiple platforms, such as games, films, books, and other media.
- Interactive Story Designer – Designing interactive stories for games, virtual reality, and other immersive platforms.
- AI Games Prompter – Working with AI systems to generate dynamic, player-responsive narratives.
- Content Designer – Focusing on how narrative integrates with gameplay, designing missions, quests, or narrative-driven content.
- Creative Director – Leading the narrative vision of a game or multimedia project, overseeing the storytelling and player experience.
- Transmedia Writer – Crafting stories that exist across games, films, and digital platforms to create rich, cohesive universes.
- Freelance Writer/Consultant – Offering narrative design or storytelling expertise to game developers, studios, and creative agencies.
Trips and visits
During the academic year, at least one excursion to London or another UK cultural hub is planned. Due to Bournemouth's proximity to London, you can easily plan excursions to the city's art galleries and museums to supplement their academic work. Professional progress as practitioners depends on primary research.
Trips give you confidence, promote independence and present opportunities for future professional and personal development.
Any additional fees are disclosed before the visit.
Visiting tutors play a pivotal role on the BA (Hons) Games Narrative course. The industry professionals provide invaluable insights into the creative industry, sharing their expertise and experiences. They conduct workshops, lectures, and participate in critiquing student work, offering constructive feedback from both an education and industry perspective.
Their presence can also offers the opportunity to network and learn about potential career paths, industry trends, and professional practices. Visiting tutors often bring diverse perspectives and unique skill sets, enriching the learning experience and fostering a deeper understanding of the standards and expectations of the creative industries.