Opening Sequence
The Siege
Extreme long shot of a Trebuchet attacking the castle walls.
About Me
John McKeown
Narrative Designer & Game Producer
I'm John McKeown. A narrative designer with a background in enterprise storytelling and a passion for video games. After years of crafting compelling narratives that drive business results at companies like Miro, I'm channeling that expertise into game narrative design and game producer roles
“I believe the best game narratives emerge from the intersection of character psychology, player agency, and systemic design. Every dialogue choice, every environmental detail, every character bark should serve both the story and the gameplay.”
Professional Background
- 10+ years in professional storytelling and communication and leading cross-functional teams
- Published author on narrative-driven product marketing
- Fortune 500 leadership, expert at cross-functional collaboration, stakeholder management, and delivering under tight deadlines
- AAA-mentored narrative design training (2025)
By the Numbers
150+Character BarksAcross 4 playable characters
38Dialogue Nodes6 unique quest endings
8WeeksFrom concept to complete documentation
4LocationsDesigned with 20+ reference images each
Scroll to see my work
Narrative Design Portfolio by John McKeown
Otumno
A Dark Medieval Fantasy Narrative Experience
In the shadow of King Kaffar's corrupted throne, Dimas fights not for glory, but for his own soul.
Scroll to begin
The Project
This concept portfolio, developed under the guidance of AAA industry veterans, documents my narrative design process for Otumno—a dark medieval fantasy ARPG where every choice echoes through a corrupted kingdom.
Project Overview
EngineUnreal Engine
Genre3D Action Adventure / PvE
TypeQuest
Duration8 Weeks
ToolsArcweave, Sheets/Excel, PPT/Slides, Miro
Role: Narrative Designer
- 01Quest branching dialogue writing, design, and implementation
- 02Bios, barks, and voice-over scripts
- 03Character design
- 04Location and building design
.jpg)
- 05World building (+ game cartography)
- 06Storyboarding and script design
Design Goals
01
Build a narrative-focused project beginning with research and finishing with documentation tailored for team collaboration.
02
Create branching and linear dialogue that is congruent with the characters and seamlessly leads to gameplay.
03
Create clear and digestible character, location, and script materials for art and design teams and team collaboration.
Storyboard
Visualizing the opening sequence: from the siege of the castle to the ritual's dark twist. Each shot designed to establish mood, character, and the central conflict to collaborate with the art and marketing teams.
01
Worldbuilding Integration
Designed shots with worldbuilding in mind, creating a sequence that can be used as the intro cinematic leading into character creation.
02
Art Team Collaboration
Included clear location, camera view, and action for use by the art team.
03
Character-Centric POV
Wrote text in the POV of the main character to maintain continuity with the character-centric narrative of the game.
04
Efficient Communication
Designed a storyboard prototype with simple assets for quick and efficient communication between teams.
Exposition
The Map
King Kaffar plotting invasion on a tactical map.
Inciting Incident
The Reveal
Acolytes summoning dark magic in the Throne Room. The King is revealed.
Environmental Storytelling
The Blight
Corruption decaying a flower in real-time.
Darkness Lifts
The Malaise
Life goes back to normal
The Twist
The Ritual
The heir courts the darkness again.
Characters
Characters built from Jungian archetypes, each carrying their own narrative weight. Their barks, bios, and design documents create a foundation for voice acting and animation teams.
01
Character Research & Design
Researched, designed, and fleshed out character motivations and personality to reflect narrative themes, combat functions, and game mechanics.
02
Bios & Barks Writing
Wrote the character bio and gameplay barks using their design, combat function, and Jungian personality archetypes in mind.
03
Weapons & Combat Design
Designed unique weapons and attacks for each character, as well as named and described their attacks (with GIFs), in support of Combat Design.
04
Character Polish
Polished the characters' personalities, bios, and barks based on the finished character designs.
Dimas serves as the player's avatar through a world of moral ambiguity. His dual combat styles—soldier and slave—reflect his journey from loyal captain to outcast survivor.
- 1Dual combat identity: trained soldier precision vs desperate survivor brutality
- 2Character arc mirrors player's moral choices throughout the game
- 3Voice lines shift from confident commands to hardened survival instincts
Tragic Hero
Dimas
The Fallen Soldier
Age 23. A former regiment leader turned slave. Once the King's most trusted captain, Dimas discovered the dark pact that fuels Kaffar's conquest. Branded a traitor, he fights to expose the truth—even if it costs him everything.
Character Design
Voice Lines / Barks
The World
Every corner of Otumno tells a story. From the corrupted castle halls to the struggling villages beyond its walls.
The Kaffari Kingdom
Once a prosperous realm, the Kaffari Kingdom fell into darkness when King Kaffar II made a pact with the demon, Otumno.
Now the land itself rots, and the sun seems dimmer with each passing day. His son King Kaffar III rolls back the veil of darkness and offers a new path forward. Will the line of King's remain unbroken in the shadow of such evil?
The common folk whisper of a curse, but only those who stood in the throne room that fateful night know the truth.
Core Themes
- Corruption & Redemption
- Cost of Power
- Truth vs. Perception
- Individual vs. Kingdom
Linear and Branching Dialogue
Dialogue systems that feel alive—where every conversation remembers your past and shapes your future. Designed for player agency without sacrificing narrative coherence.
Quest Choice Dialogue — Interactive Prototype
Step 01
Quest Design
Each quest begins with a clear objective but offers multiple paths to resolution. Player choice impacts both immediate outcomes and long-term relationships.
Step 02
Branching Logic
Using Arcweave, I designed dialogue trees that respond to player history, faction standing, and previous choices. No conversation exists in isolation.
Step 03
Character Voice
Each character has a distinct voice derived from their background, archetype, and relationship to the central conflict.
Voice Direction
Voice Over Scripts & Direction
Dimas
Goddek
King Kaffar
Sirrus
Epilogue
Let's Write the Next Chapter
Every great story needs collaborators. If you're building worlds that need voices, characters that need souls, or narratives that need structure—let's talk.
Currently seeking Narrative Design & Game Producer roles | Available Q1 2025
The best narratives aren't written—they're designed. Every choice, every word, every moment of silence is architecture.— John McKeown