Hello!

It's me, your friendly neighborhood Adam Saltsman, director and co-founder of Finji, a hybrid game developer (Overland, Canabalt) and publisher (Tunic, Chicory, Night in the Woods) located in Grand Rapids, MI. We are ready to hire an interactive writer to help us finish Usual June.

This is a full-time work-for-hire contract position with a duration of one year. We are accepting remote collaborators for this role. You would be writing all of the dialog for our next project, including implementing quest markers, tracking variables, giving feedback and guidance for interaction areas, and helping choreograph multi-character scenes. For larger story elements and quests you would be collaborating closely with all the other creative stakeholders on the project. Finji works with a diverse set of collaborators and folks from under-represented groups are strongly encouraged to apply.

We will be accepting applications until May 20, 2025.

The Job

This position would begin with a 3 week work-for-hire trial contract before moving ahead with the full contract period.

Trial Period Responsibilities

• Start familiarizing yourself with existing game and related materials
• Collaborate on in-game dialog in a test scene

We will not be administering a quiz on all the technical possibilities of our cutscene system at the end of the trial period, but knowing how the game basically works will be important. You’ll have access to everyone for questions and shortcuts throughout.

Full Contract Responsibilities

• Write all character dialog (speech bubble system, no VO).
• Write all quest logs and inventory item descriptions.
• Review all writing, choreography, and interactions in-game as a core part of the process.
• Review and update existing chapter outlines as needed.
• Build up and/or finalize missing town history, lore, and character arcs as needed.
• Use a variables system to help control progress, interactions, quest log, etc.
• Work closely with rest of team to arrange story and progress markers in 3D levels.
• Help maintain out-of-game story reference documents.
• Be part of the feedback loop with trailers and other marketing efforts.
• Help write blurbs, summaries, and elevator pitches for marketing material for the game.

We are building this game using the Unity game making software, which is where the actual dialog testing will happen. Most of the actual writing will take place outside of Unity, in a familiar writing application, but some scene variables will have to be set in Unity. Multiple technical team members can help with this process and with onboarding.

We will expect you to use your expertise to give the game a signature vibe and sensibility. We will also expect you to incorporate ideas from outside your discipline (within reason), engage with ideas through a risks/benefits lens, and work closely with the art and tech teams to make the best game we can.

This role does not require or expect any travel, but opportunities to travel with the studio may be available.

Compensation

• Competitive base pay (distributed at the start of each month)
• Annual bonuses tied to company profit.
• Finji schedules more than 4 weeks of paid studio shutdown time every year.
• Studio commitment to a sustainable work-life balance and strict no-crunch policy.

About You

You love to write expressive text that does a lot with a little, and doesn't depend on voice delivery to really work. You're interested in interactive storytelling, and don't mind a little bit of technical work mixed in with the writing. You have a good sense of humor. You probably have a healthy appreciation for YA lit and teen paranormal shows. You're very interested in writing for a diverse cast. You have a strong creative voice, but still know how to put the design needs of the project first. You've shipped at least two apps, or games, or shows, or ... somethings.

You’re a good communicator. If someone asks you “Can we do _________?” you usually answer in one of the following ways:

• “Sure! Put it on my list.”
• “I don't understand why you would want this. Can you explain?”
• “It sounds cool, but it will cost X time / energy. Is it worth it?”
• “We can’t do that, but maybe we can do something else to address the underlying need?”

When you don’t know how to do something, you research it and make a plan. Most of these plans are good, but you’re open to feedback and ideas from people outside your discipline. You clearly understand what problem we’re all trying to solve before getting to work on a detailed solution.

How to Apply

We’re funneling all interested parties through a new email address (click the apply button). Please include the phrase “finji writer” in the subject line. We will reply to all serious inquiries in a timely fashion.

What to Submit

• Short cover letter
• Portfolio site
• Resumé or CV (with clear indication of shipped products and your role on those teams)
• Current location

You should expect to provide references or letters of recommendation if your application advances. This role also will require a brief, paid test as part of the interview process.

Final Thoughts

Even if you don’t have the longest resumé or the biggest portfolio, we’d still love to hear from you. We are looking for candidates that like to solve problems in creative ways and who are good at communicating and collaborating. In our …experience, experience doesn’t guarantee those particular qualities.

A majority of Finji staff are from backgrounds under-represented in games. Even if you don't see yourself represented in the rest of the game industry, this might be a good place for you.