SAM CAST
Howdy, I'm Sam, and I love crafting stories for games.
If you're reading this, you might be considering hiring me. Which is very kind of you. I'd like you to consider it a little more thoroughly, so here's some info:
I'm a writer, quest/narrative designer, and creative director. I built my own studio and made my own game, and I love working with other creative folks. I specialize in writing and designing for RPGs, and my preferred genres are Fantasy and Cyberpunk, though I've got love for games of all sorts. While comedy and whimsy are my proverbial bread and butter thus far, I also have a penchant for the dark and morose, with many personal projects in that vein.
I excel at making characters that stick with players, building worlds that beckon, designing quests worth embarking upon, and writing engaging dialogue. If that sounds like something you could use, check out my work below and let’s chat.
GAME PROJECTS
You gotta make games to make games. I’ll explain later.
The Bureau of Fantastical & Arcane Affairs
I wrote this trailer!
A whimsical, choice, and consequence-driven open-world first-person RPG filled with humor and heartfelt moments. I served as the lead quest designer and writer, as well as the game director, art director, and whatever else the team needed me to step up to be. I wrote, designed, and implemented over 20 heavily branching quests and 100 characters, built an entirely unique world, and managed over 100 people. Under my guidance, and with no budget, the game has reached millions of players before launch and amassed over 30,000 wishlists on Steam.
Ledgerbound
I didn’t write this trailer, but it’s still pretty cool.
A turn-based companion-focused RPG where you play as a real hero: an insurance adjuster. I served as a contract writer on this project, where I wrote around 30 scenes. I worked closely with the creative director and lead writer to ensure I matched the tone and voice of the companion characters throughout their arcs while cranking the raunchy-humor dial to the max.
WORK
A sampling of my other work for you to peruse.
Screenplay
A fantasy, game-centric dialogue sample demonstrating creativity, effective use of voice, ability to write alongside gameplay elements, and concise characterization.
Interactive Quest
A Twine-based branching quest sample showcasing player choice, effective narrative design, ambient worldbuilding, and NPCs acknowledging those choices. Includes a flowchart.
Worldbuilding Sample
Two short samples of ambient worldbuilding through notes and audio logs. One page long for the portfolio reviewer with places to be!
BLOG
Wanna know more about my passion for storytelling and games? Check out my Blog.
You can also find these on my linkedin.
Additional Work
Writing With Constraints
Looking for something in particular?
A realistic, production-limited rewrite of Dishonored’s opening scene, including matching sentence syllables because talking animations are content-locked.
Barks
A sample of character barks with my bark writing process on full display.