Sarah Longthorne - Games Writer & Narrative Designer

Testimonials

Testimonials

TESTIMONIALS

Whenever I was involved in a discussion with Sarah, I always felt positive with the outcome. This is because she is a fantastic narrative designer who consistently comes up with great ideas on how to make both the narrative and level design work in tandem. In a sea of big voices, Sarah would still make herself heard in a concise and respectful manner, striving for the best solution for the project. And with everything on her plate, Sarah still took time to help develop other members of the level design team in their narrative design skills which is simply inspiring.

Sarah is incredibly easy to work with and an absolute delight to have on the team. She is a highly skilled writer, extremely supportive, and has actively helped to create a positive and effective working relationship between design and narrative.

I cannot recommend Sarah highly enough.
— Michael Michael, previously Lead Level Designer at The Chinese Room
Collaborating with Sarah Longthorne during my time at WB Avalanche was one of the most positive experiences of my career. Her dialogue, storytelling, and branching narrative skills are impressive, but it’s her understanding of how players interact with characters emotionally that made her work stand out. Sarah is also a wonderful collaborator and I looked forward to every interaction I had with her. She understands how to take the best ideas in the room and translate them into meaningful player experiences. In our line of work that skill is worth its weight in gold. I would work with her again in a heartbeat and hope to do so again in the future.
— Lis Moberley, previously Narrative Designer at WB Avalanche
The two high-profile titles Sarah has contributed to over the past year are still both under NDA, but her contribution to both has been remarkable given her age and industry experience. The two titles couldn’t be more different in tone, but Sarah’s thorough research and creative adaptability mean she has adjusted to the change effortlessly.

Sarah’s impact at Sumo is also felt well beyond her project-specific work. She regularly gives talks and workshops at local Universities, and in her spare time has mentored three junior narrative designers. Sarah is also one of the studio’s most vocal members on topics of diversity and representation, helping to push us all towards better standards of inclusivity in our games and our work.

Even considering her narrative skills alone Sarah has a hugely promising future ahead of her, however given her tireless efforts to help others enter the industry, and to make minority voices heard, I believe she will not only be involved in many more great games but also become a leading voice to make our industry a better, more representative place.
— Derek Littlewood, Design Director at Sumo Digital Nottingham
Sarah was always a pleasure to work with. She showed an incredible level of commitment, tremendous attention to detail and an ability to pick up systems and mechanics with intelligence and conviction. She followed direction with accuracy, challenged decisions in a thoughtful and constructive manner, and was an asset to the entire team from her first day. As a writer, she was able to adopt any tone of voice and her work was always filled with thought, wit and humour. We will miss her!
— Michael Othen, previously Co-founder and Creative Director at Fusebox Games
Sarah had only been part of Fusebox for a short time before I joined, but she’d already fully established herself as an integral member of the writing team, fleshing out the design and story for Love Island The Game Season 2. Though she was new to the team, she wasn’t hesitant to get stuck in with the other members or put her views ahead. She integrates herself with the wider workforce easily and likes to get stuck in with activities outside of work.

Sarah has amazing energy for writing and is able to produce quality scripts at an astonishing rate. As well as being able to create great content, though, Sarah also has tremendous skill as an editor, able to recommend fantastic line edits as well as overall structural changes. She also has a mind for narrative, constantly able to think how to approach a project or script in a way that will be satisfying for the player, and is able to spot potential problems or inconsistencies before they arise.

It’s safe to say, that you can trust Sarah with any part of the narrative process and she will be a valuable asset to any team.
— Ben Sabin, previously Narrative Designer at Fusebox Games
Sarah is an outstanding writer at Fusebox Games with a fantastic attitude, kind nature, and overall brilliant standard of writing. Her analytical and creative mind is fine-tuned to the demands of interactive fiction. When Sarah joined Fusebox Games she was given the task of creating the first stand-alone episode for the popular narrative game: Love Island. Sarah took ownership of this daunting challenge with ease, commitment, and passion. Her ability to manage the possible twists and turns of the already constructed narrative was thoroughly demonstrated within this special episode — and in every other aspect of the project she has worked on since. She is an invaluable part of our team and it is a pleasure to work alongside someone with such a sincere passion and care for any creative task at hand. I truly believe that her creative energy and writing ability will continue to inspire and impress those who work alongside her.
— Frances Wakefield-Harrey, previously Lead Narrative Designer at Fusebox Games
I’ve had the privilege of working with Sarah for several years. She’s an excellent, versatile writer — equally at home with characterful dialogue, rich prose, or clear, crisp marketing copy. She brings passion, drive and fresh ideas to every project she works on, and readily takes feedback on board. Sarah’s adaptability, intelligence and boundless willingness to learn mean that she can turn her hand to anything that’s required of her. Highly recommended.
— William Darbishire, Narrative Designer at Jagex
Sarah was great to worth with. On short notice, she was able to provide narrative consultation assistance with two in-development projects and help iterate upon multiple versions of different storylines and narrative outlines.

I have also had the privilege of mentoring Sarah on her journey towards her current career in narrative design. She is a great writer and is passionate about what she does, crafting her work with a great deal of thought, attention, and flair. It will be great to see where she goes next!
— Greg Buchanan, best-selling author and Director at Buchanan Productions
Sarah was so easy to work with. Quick, professional, and very communicative. Not only did she respond to emails promptly, she also handily met the time estimates for her work and kept me posted on her progress along the way. She’s a great collaborator who takes feedback well and uses it to improve.

Sarah’s writing style was polished and in keeping with the style guide we gave her. Her plot structure fit well within our wordcount limit and made excellent use of building tension. I’m looking forward to working with her again!
— Sam Riordan, previously Content Lead at MetaArcade
[Sarah] is one of the most active, prolific and proactive members of staff at Jagex, and she has made countless contributions to the narrative and quest content of [RuneScape]. Her story contributions for our Menaphos Expansion and Ghost Stories of Gielinor event, in particular, were well-loved by the community, and her stock is rising with the ‘Lorehounds’ of the game, who search out for story details.

Sarah is a core member of the Writer’s Group at Jagex, and contributor to our Lore Council, as well as representing Jagex at various external conventions and workshops. She is relied on for copy for the website and email, and they are always direct, but with trademark colour and wit.

It’s also worth noting her design abilities. For our internal ‘Workshop’ initiative, which is a place for Jagex staff to pitch their gaming ideas, Sarah is probably the most dedicated supplier of ideas, and recently won a trip to China as the best game designer within the Workshop initiative.
— David Osborne, Lead Designer at Jagex