MA Games Design (Narrative)
- MA
Overview
Do you love crafting worlds, characters, and stories that players care about? Join us and design the next generation of game narratives.
Imagine building a plane while flying it. That's how narrative designers have described the development process: simultaneously evolving the storyline for a game as you create it. Narrative design anticipates the entire game experience, from mechanics and worlds to player actions. Informed by leading narrative designers at Larian Studios, The Chinese Room and Creative Assembly, the MA Games Design (Narrative) presents a unique fusion of creative vision and technical expertise.
We know that the industry is looking for four highly desirable skills that you'll be able to demonstrate on completion of the programme: teamwork, storytelling, technical implementation, and critical thinking. Our teaching draws directly on collaborative research and development projects we've run with industry partners such as Meaning Machine, as well as the Bristol Digital Game Lab pioneering game making as research from heritage to mental health. This will support you to hone your strengths across systems design and storytelling - giving you a unique edge in the sector.
Our MA Games Design (Narrative) graduates leave us with a career-ready portfolio that showcases their strengths in narrative design. Through the dedicated portfolio unit, you can choose from options such as: Pitching a Game; Meeting an Industry Brief; Industry Placement; and Developing a Serious Game. Each option supports you in creating a polished narrative game demonstrator that highlights your creative and technical abilities. Your portfolio becomes a distinctive asset in a competitive job market and the foundation of your future job applications.
You'll learn from expert researchers and practitioners working at the forefront of narrative design. We've built industry talks and masterclasses into every unit to bolster your learning experience. You'll also be initiated into the game writers' room: a process for building rapport with your peers, tackling creative briefs, innovating through game jams, and creating narrative game experiences - all guided by a lead writer.
We believe the best work happens when we come together. Bristol is home to a thriving community of indie game developers, and you'll be learning in the heart of the city at our Temple Quarter Enterprise Campus. During your studies, we'll equip you with an Alienware gaming laptop that meets the demand of contemporary game design, game engines (Unity, Unreal), and AAA games.
You'll also get access to Bristol Digital Game Lab. Born at the University, the Game Lab is an international pioneer in exploring games as tools for change. The Game Lab bridges academia, industry, and the public sector. Its mission is to unlock the power of play for cultural, educational, and civic transformation.
We use innovative teaching methods to show you how to:
- Master narrative frameworks and the components of narrative design.
- Work across disciplines to understand the game development process.
- Use active play sessions to become critical, playful consumers.
- Test creative ideas in rapid prototyping sessions that reward risk-taking, accommodate failure, and enable reflection.
- Champion inclusivity and diversity through conscientious design.
- Make sure you can confidently use industry-standard tools and game engines to tell your own stories.
Programme structure
We've built our MA Games Design to mirror the journey a narrative designer takes, from ideation to execution.
Each mandatory unit reflects part of the process:
- Teaching Block 1 focuses on storytelling devices and narrative structure. Writing for Games (40-credits) immerses you in the collaborative environment of a game writers' room where you will script characters, questlines, and game worlds. Meanwhile, Storytelling and Games (20-credits) will explore the unique narrative potential of games. You will engage in active play sessions designed to deconstruct game narratives and reflect on their components, fostering a culture of critical thinking and conscientious consumption
- In Teaching Block 2 you return to the writers' room for Implementing Stories in Games (40-credits), which introduces game engines and the game development cycle to help you realise your ideas in practice. Alongside this, Writing with Emerging Technologies in Games (20-credits) exposes you to the history of games and technology, framing contemporary debates and inspiring critical approaches and responsible practice, particularly in relation to generative artificial intelligence (AI) and emergent technologies across the creative sector - including XR technology and Virtual Reality (VR).
- The Game Design Portfolio (60-credits) collates the skills and attributes required for narrative design into four projects: Pitching a Game; Meeting an Industry Brief; Industry Placement; and Developing a Serious Game. Whichever option you choose, you will work independently and as part of a team to realise a narrative game demonstrator that showcases your creative and technical skills. The programme culminates in an industry-focused showcase
- Part-time students take both TB1 units in year 1 and the TB2 units plus the Portfolio in year 2
Visit our programme catalogue for full details of the structure and unit content for our MA Games Design (Narrative).
Entry requirements
You will typically need a second-class honours degree (55% or higher) or an international equivalent in any discipline.
We will consider your application if your interim grades are currently slightly lower than the programme's entry requirements and may make you an aspirational offer. This offer would be at the standard level, so you would need to achieve the standard entry requirements by the end of your degree.
We will also consider your application if your final overall achieved grade is slightly lower than the programme's entry requirement.
If your achieved grade is lower than our entry requirements, your application may be more likely to receive an offer if you have additional qualifications.
If you have additional qualifications, please include your CV (curriculum vitae / résumé) when you apply, showing:
- a postgraduate qualification in any discipline.
See international equivalent qualifications on the International Office website.
Read the programme admissions statement for important information on entry requirements, the application process and supporting documents required.
If English is not your first language, you will need to reach the requirements outlined in our profile level C.
Further information about English language requirements and profile levels.
Fees and funding
- Home: full-time
- £13,100 per year
- Home: part-time (two years)
- £6,550 per year
- Overseas: full-time
- £29,300 per year
Fees are subject to an annual review. For programmes that last longer than one year, please budget for up to an 8% increase in fees each year.
More about tuition fees, living costs and financial support.
Alumni discount
University of Bristol students and graduates can benefit from a 25% reduction in tuition fees for postgraduate study. Check your eligibility for an alumni discount.
Funding and scholarships
Further information on funding for prospective UK and international postgraduate students.
Career prospects
You'll leave us with a career-boosting portfolio that showcases four key skills, identified by industry stakeholders and Bristol Digital Game Lab: teamwork, storytelling, technical implementation, and critical thinking.
You'll be able to explore a wide range of careers in the global games industry, including:
- Games writer
- Narrative systems designer
- Games designer
- Technical designer (narrative).
Progression opportunities include:
- Senior narrative designer
- Narrative lead
- Narrative director
- Creative director.
Your mastery of narrative design could also open doors to careers in applied games and media, from interactive digital narratives for cultural heritage to narrative-focused interactive film and TV experiences across platforms and genres.
Working with game engines also unlocks opportunities in creative technology growth sectors such as virtual production, immersive experiences, and digital simulation, as well as in further research and consultancy.
Contact us
- Contact
- Enquiries Team
- Phone
- +44 (0) 117 394 1649
- choosebristol-pg@bristol.ac.uk
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