Hi.
My name is Harald Hagen. I'm a freelance game writer and narrative designer based in London. I began writing for games professionally in 2014 and have since worked on indie titles The Stillness of the Wind, MarZ Rising, Tempest Citadel, NEO Scavenger, and others, while also writing short fiction and scripts in my spare time. My work tends to examine how player verbs shape character, how to support the emotions driving an experience, and where to worldbuild with brevity.
In pre-antiquity (2011), I graduated summa cum laude from the Savannah College of Art and Design, earning a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Interactive Design/Game Development with a focus in storytelling.
Before moving to the UK, I grew up in Indonesia. True to form, I frequently miss the bountiful rains, the boisterous thunder, and the endless warmth.
What do I do?
To every story, we bring a piece of ourselves. For me, writing stories for games mixes the concision of short fiction with a firm understanding of the medium's manifold ingredients. That includes saving a seat for the player.
As a game writer and narrative designer, my job is to build a stage that allows players to be their own storyteller — a framework composed of characters, dialogue, plot, and rich worlds to explore. Achieving this requires an expertise in narrative to work in tandem with a game's systems and the talented designers who made them.
Over the years, I've had the pleasure of working with clients and developers from around the world. Each project gives me the opportunity to do something I love: to bring great stories to great games.