Catherine Hughes

Narrative Designer and Game Writer

About

Born and based in the UK, I have worked on VR, Mobile, ARG and MMO games. My latest work has been on an unannounced VR project by Maze Theory.Narrative can play a strong role in the player's motivation and investment in a game. I am driven to mesh narrative with game mechanics to promote immersion and interactivity.Whilst I have shared some samples of my work on my website, please contact me directly to discuss specific samples you might wish to see. For access to NDA work, this can be granted when offered an interview.

Employment History

RoleCompanyYearProgression
Narrative DesignerSaltwater Games (prev. Maze Theory)Jan 2024 - Dec 2024Internal Promotion
Junior Narrative DesignerMaze TheoryMay 2022 - Jan 2024New permanent
Narrative DesignerCarbon Based LifeformsNov 2021 - Apr 2022New full-time
Narrative DesignerInnoGamesJul 2021 - Jan 2022New freelance
Narrative DesignerThe OR StrategyApr 2021 - Jan 2022New freelance

Testimonials

This page highlights testimonial quotes from those I have worked closely with. To see the full testimonials, please visit my LinkedIn page

"What truly stands out about Catherine is her collaborative and thoughtful approach. She has a very transparent process that she's always happy to share, conducts detailed research, welcomes feedback, and works effortlessly with other narrative/game designers, artists, and directors to ideate, implement, and iterate on ideas."
Richard Bunn, Lead Game Designer at Maze Theory and Saltwater Games (2025)

"Catherine truly understands what a project requires of her, and is comfortable picking up and adapting to whichever tools are best suited for the task at hand. She skilfully draws on her years of experience in a range of genres and styles of games, but doesn't allow this to railroad her into making presumptions. In fact, she's always open to new ideas, approaches, and inspiration. "
Lydia Cockerham, Senior Narrative Designer at Dambuster Studio (2024)

"Her talent for developing rich lore, world-building, and her exceptional understanding of game design made Catherine stand out. She took a hands-on approach, contributing directly to the prototype phase and even tackling game design tasks to ensure the narrative seamlessly integrated into gameplay."
Russ Harding, Chief Gaming Officer at Maze Theory and Saltwater Games (2024)

"Her passion for her craft drives her to learn and understand the nuances of different disciplines and how they can feed into the narrative she conveys...Outside of her professionalism and sheer ability, on a personal level, Catherine is a radiator of positivity and every team needs a champion of that!"PJ Nielsen, Audio Designer at Zimmer Audio (2024)

"Catherine is an exceptionally talented narrative designer...She is adept at creating intricate, futuristic lore. Her worldbuilding is incredibly imaginative, yet always grounded in meticulous research and a keen understanding of the needs of the project."
Mary Goodden, Senior Narrative Designer at Maze Theory (2023)

"Catherine's open communication, friendly attitude and personable nature place her in excellent stead to work with any employer and what they would get in return is a talented individual who is ready to develop and learn."Phil Harris, Co-Founder and Chief Creative Officer of Carbon Based Lifeforms (2022)

"I thoroughly enjoyed my time working with Catherine, and was highly impressed by her insight and attention to detail. She regularly picked up on issues missed by more senior colleagues, and proposed intelligent solutions in an assured and considered manner."
Josh Mattyasovszky, Senior Game Designer at Carbon Based Lifeforms (2022)

"Catherine is not only a wonderful narrative designer - imaginative, practical and dedicated - she is also a joy to work with. She has a can-do attitude matched by her positivity and willingness to go the extra mile to complete necessary goals."
Richard Dinnick, Senior Narrative Designer at Carbon Based Lifeforms (2022)

"Catherine quickly caught onto the established narrative and was able to match the voice and tone of our recurring characters. She was an integral part in the brainstorming of new storylines, and was able to create interesting new characters and wrote dialogue that was witty and enjoyable to read."
Thi Detert, Senior Lead Game Designer at InnoGames (2022)

"Catherine is a naturally inquisitive person and asks the right type of questions to ensure the work is done accurately and effectively. She understands the needs of a project and will do what is required to develop her knowledge to fit with what we do."
Phil Harris, Founder and Creative Director of The OR Strategy (2021)

Portfolio

Thief VR: Legacy of Shadow

The next instalment in the renowned Thief franchise, following Magpie as he explores the City and it's latest mysteries

Peaky Blinders: The King's Ransom

A narrative-driven VR game based on the popular BBC TV series with a new original story

The Infinite Inside

A mixed reality Virtual Reality game that explores an intricate narrative and impossible spaces

Resurgence

A post-apocalyptic MMO set 1000 years in the future when humans awake from cryopods

Hyperspace

A space-based Sandbox MMO with new exciting species and a complex galactic history

Sunrise Village

A Mobile Farm Simulation Game with a magical mystery questline involving a strange stone circle

Baking Time: 30 Minutes

A Thriller Interactive Fiction Game based on the classic tale of Hansel and Gretel

Dreams

A transcript from two psychology students' project investigating people's strange dreams

Thief VR: Legacy of Shadow

Narrative Designer @ Saltwater Games

Spring 2024 - Winter 2024

Thief VR: Legacy of Shadow is the latest instalment in the Thief franchise as it comes to VR for the first time. A pioneer of the stealth game genre, the player will be able to explore, eavesdrop, steal and sneak around the City as the mysteries of the past return to haunt them.This game was announced 4th June 2025 as part of the Playstation State of Play and is currently in development.More information about the game can be found on the official website here.

My contributions included:

  • Writing dialogue for characters, including barks and diegetic conversations

  • Designing and writing quests and objectives

  • Working within a team to define the plot and story beats

  • Delivering documentation for environments, characters, story beats and art assets

  • Collaborating with art and level design to develop story-rich environments

  • Providing narrative input on game mechanics and systems

  • Establishing a list of Accessibility concerns and sorting them into a priority list

Peaky Blinders: The King's Ransom

Junior Narrative Designer @ Maze Theory

Spring 2022 - Spring 2023

'Peaky Blinders: The King's Ransom' is a follow-up to the iconic TV series. Taking place in 1920s Birmingham, this Virtual Reality game welcomes old and new characters to explore a new story of conniving schemes, vicious rivals and underhand dealings.

My contribution included:

  • Implementing player guidance text

  • Writing NPC barks and diegetic dialogue

  • Co-directing a VO recording session

  • Naming achievements and writing their descriptions

  • Researching and writing radio broadcasts for the in-game radios

  • Writing localisation context for all in-game text

  • Playtesting and providing detailed feedback of bugs/issues in playthroughs

Reception:

  • Shortlisted for VR Game of the Year at the VR Awards

  • Nominated for VR/AR/XR/MR Game of the Year at the TIGA Awards

  • Games Enquirer praised the game as having 'one of the best narrative stories in VR today'

  • Metro described it as an 'exemplary storyline, utterly in keeping with the TV programme'

  • Gamer Journalist recognised it as 'a great continuation of a canon story that greatly folds into the main narrative'

The Infinite Inside

Associate Narrative Designer @ Maze Theory

Spring 2023

'The Infinite Inside' is an original mixed reality VR game. Exploring the Plinth, players discover its impossible spaces, intricate narrative and mind-bending puzzles.

My contribution included:

  • Participating in Writers' Rooms and level design conversations

  • Collaborating on character profiles

  • Providing narrative input on game mechanics

  • Assessing Accessibility constraints and seeking solutions

  • Working on narrative symbology

Reception:

  • Shortlisted for XR Game of the Year at the VR Awards

  • Received 3 nominations at the TIGA Awards: Best VR/AR/XR/MR Game, Best Puzzle Game and the Creativity In Games Award

  • Nominated for VR Game of the Year in the Steam Awards

  • Featured in Meta Quest's best puzzle games of 2024

  • The Sixth Axis rated the game 9/10 and described it as an 'enchanting mixed reality puzzle game, and one which merges the real world and the virtual in stunning, evocative fashion'

  • God is a Geek gave it 9/10 and stated '[it] gives you that same feeling Monument Valley or Journey did while playing. You're relaxed and immersed, solving intricate and intelligent puzzles while remaining fascinated by what you're seeing'

  • UploadVR scored Infinite Inside 4/5, noting how the game 'skilfully combines [storytelling and puzzle] elements into an experience that feels both challenging and satisfying'

  • At the time of writing, Infinite Inside has achieved a rating of 4.6 out of 5 on Meta Quest with 78% of reviews being 5 stars

Resurgence

[Junior] Narrative Designer @ Maze Theory

Spring 2022 - Spring 2024

The Resurgence World explores the End of Earth as we know it, and the future post-apocalyptic world that players will jump into after spending 1000 years frozen in cryostasis, awaiting the new world in the MMORPG. Players must learn how to survive in an environment teeming with new dangers, exploring and collaborating with other Survivors.The story of how the apocalypse comes about is explored in the ARG, setting up the players' understanding of the world they leave behind.

My contribution included:

  • World-building and developing lore to create a unique experience for Resurgence

  • Drafting a quest story for a demo slice

  • Brainstorming and developing distinct faction identities

  • Organising and running Writers' Room sessions to collaborate on the Resurgence narrative

  • Integrating lore from the ARG seamlessly into the MMO

  • Collaborating with art to develop concept pieces

  • Working within Unity to create narrative beats for the prototype

  • Writing marketing copy for social media posts and the game's website

  • Working with art to develop concept pieces

  • Collaborating with AI developers on an AI tool for the game's website to engage new players

Hyperspace

Narrative Designer @ Carbon Based Lifeforms

Autumn 2021 - Spring 2022

'Hyperspace' was a space-based MMO under development from 2021-2022. Set in a galaxy bristling with life and opportunities, the game had an extensive lore-base with a detailed galactic history, new exciting species and a variety of economic factions for players to ally themselves with.See here for more specific details.

My contribution included:

  • Collaborating on worldbuilding and developing the game's lore

  • Working on narrative concept briefs for the art team

  • Ideating and writing documentation for several playable species, economic territories, historical events and more

  • Writing narrative content for the game's website

  • Fleshing out the narrative beats for a scene in the game's demo

  • Working on environment design for the player's basic starter ship

  • Contributing to game design through discussions of game systems, written work for the GDD and the integration of narrative concepts

Sunrise Village

Narrative Designer @ InnoGames

Summer 2021 - Spring 2022

'Sunrise Village' is a mobile exploration and farming sim game focused on resource management and adventure, where players develop the main village; farm and create commercial goods; and unlock new areas to explore through a storyline filled with fun quests.

I joined the creation of InnoGames’ project Sunrise Village during the development of Chapter Four, and stayed on until the late stages of Chapter Five. During this time, my contribution included:

  • Collaborating across international timezones with InnoGames' internal team

  • Writing cutscenes and quest texts for the main story adventures

  • Brainstorming and designing the story in each chapter stage with the team to fit within the structure of the overall game's flow

  • Ideating new environments and characters to join the existing ranks of NPCs

  • Writing fun and witty dialogue, whilst maintaining the tone and voice of existing characters

  • Writing quest text for seasonal events, specific to the event itself and the NPCs giving the quest

Baking Time: 30 Minutes

Independent Designer

Spring 2021 - Summer 2021

'Baking Time: 30 Minutes' is a fantasy thriller Interactive Fiction game, adapting the story of Hansel and Gretel into a solo playable experience. You awake up in a cabin in the middle of nowhere, with no memories of how you wound up there or where your brother is. Your only options are to explore the area that you've found yourself in.This game was an individual project, made as part of my Masters Dissertation.

My work included:

  • Ideating the game concept through brainstorming sessions

  • Conducting research of Hansel and Gretel stories, as well as similar Twine games

  • Teaching myself how to use Twine

  • Designing and implementing the branching narrative choices, puzzle mechanics, game endings, and interface

  • Writing the game script, character dialogue, and choice options

  • Reviewing, editing, and playtesting the game

  • Organising playtesting by others and creating a form to receive detailed and helpful feedback

Dreams

Narrative Designer @ The OR Strategy

Spring 2021 - Spring 2022

Set in 1980's America, this set of 12 recordings illustrates the struggles of two very contrasting characters who are forced to work together on their Psychology major project: finding people willing to describe their dreams, and then discussing various dream theories to develop their understanding of the person and their psyche. These recordings take place in a wider alternate reality developed by the company and explored in other projects.

My contribution included:

  • Researching state of affairs in the late 20th century to establish a suitable year in which to set the story

  • Exploring culture and key events that would impact the characters

  • Researching dream theories that were around and taught at the time

  • Concepting one of the two main characters, using Myers-Briggs to establish various personality tropes and conceived of various key events in his life that had influenced his behaviour

  • Writing several dream anecdotes with distinct tones and characteristics

  • Writing collaboratively on 12 transcripts of conversations analysing those dreams, inserting comedy through the character's interactions with each other and the dreams themselves

Samples

Below are a range of portfolio samples in PDF format.
Please bear in mind that these samples do not include my more recent NDA work.

Contact