HI! I’m Andrea Blythe. I am a game writer and narrative designer, creating fantastical, horrifying, and weird adventure games. I bring an editorial eye, keeping the full game project in perspective, and specialize in creating specific characters, each with a strong unique voice; crafting cinematic or quest scenes; and developing narrative structures to support the unique gameplay experience.

I have worked as both a freelancer and solo developer on various games projects — including working on projects for Lost Lake Games and One Frog Games. My solo work includes the Bitsy adventure game What Lies Underneath (which won an award for Best Art in the Greenlight Jam 2022) and the Twine interactive fairy tale Bluebeard.

In addition, I continually expand my knowledge of the games industry. I explore game design by playing a variety of games, perform deep narrative design analysis, and continued my education by taking in-depth classes, such as The Narrative Department’s Game Writing Master Class I & II.

Additional Writing Experience

Outside of games, I am a published author. I have written and published four poetry books, along with a number of short stories and poems in journals and online publications, as well as short films. My most recent book is Necessary Poisons, published by Interstellar Flight Press in 2024

My poetry book Twelve: Poems Inspired by the Brothers Grimm Fairy Tale won a second place in the 2021 Elgin Awards and my collaborative poetry book Every Girl Becomes the Wolf, written with Laura Madeline Wiseman, won third place in the 2019 Elgin Awards. My writing has also been nominated for the Pushcart Prize, Rhysling Award, Sundress Best of the Net, and Independent Best American Poetry.

I have also collaborated on the script and story development for two short films, including “Firecracker,” which was written, produced, edited, and submitted in under 48 hours. In addition, I collaborated with a producer and director to write and develop a 12-episode independent musical romantic comedy web series (which is currently on development hiatus). 

A Handful of Games That Inspire Me

The Fallout Series (Interplay Entertainment and Bethesda) — Playing the first Fallout on my family computer in the late ’90s was a formative experience. The original game and those that followed kicked off a long-standing love for two things — role-playing games and post-apocalyptic and dystopian storylines.

The Last of Us (Naughty Dog) — I have played The Last of Us at least four times, returning to the story and game experience over and over again because it is so moving and emotionally complex.

Disco Elysium (ZA/UM) — As a poet, I can’t help but be drawn to the lyrical, intricate writing of Disco Elysium. The way this game blends RPG elements with an expansive choice-based narrative with a literary flair is deeply inspiring — and illustrates how rich, vibrant writing can have a place in games development.

Portal and Portal 2 (Valve) — Platforming and puzzle solving combined one of the most iconic game villains ever written. With her brilliant quips and biting sarcasm, GLaDOS is both menacing and hilarious.

The Walking Dead and The Wolf Among Us (Tell Tale Games) — Although each game explores different story genres (grounded horror compared to noir fantasy), both of these Tell Tale games illustrate the impact that making difficult choices can have on the player’s experience of the narrative.

Inside (Play Dead) and Journey (Thatgamecompany) — I love the way both of these games craft fascinating and powerful narratives without using a single line of text. It’s a beautiful demonstration of how art, sound design, and gameplay are powerful narrative tools by themselves.