• NARRATIVE DESIGNER •
• GAME WRITER •
• STORYTELLER •
Welcome to my website! I'm Zia!
For the last ten years, I've been collaborating with clients worldwide, writing stories for Video games, TV, and Film, from my office in Vancouver, BC. I was only eight years old when I authored my first story, earning third place in a national comic book writing contest and winning a Pocket Game Boy. I've loved Storytelling and Video Games ever since. As a seasoned and experienced storyteller, I excel in dialogue, story structure, world-building, and collaborating with others.
P O R T F O L I O
BENNYS BACKROOMS
Release Year: 2024
Publisher: GameName LLC.
Platforms: Steam
Role: Senior Narrative Designer + Game Writer
Play with 1-4 players online as you attempt to escape the Backrooms together and survive. But be careful, the ultimate monster, BENNY, lurks deep within every randomly generated maze-like level, bent on finding you and killing everyone!
Working on this game changed my life. This was my first iceberg project. I wrote the entire lore—from characters to level settings, cinematics, and audio journals. Working with GameName LLC has been an absolute delight
CRYPTO PROPHECIES
Release Year: 2021
Publisher: GameFi
Platforms: PC / Mobile Online
Role: Senior Narrative Designer + Game Writer
“Crypto Prophecies” is an original NFT zero-sum price prediction game where players match up online in a heads-up battle placing wagers by casting spells on whether Crypto stocks will rise or fall.
I was honored to author this unique game’s entire lore, premise, locations, characters, and name-generating over 100+ assets, including characters, weapons, armor, pets, and more.
GUNBORG: DARK MATTERS
Release Year: 2022
Publisher: ORBMIT Productions
Platforms: Switch / Steam
Role: Game Writer
"Gunborg: Dark Matters" is a classic arcade-style action platformer redefined with astonishingly smooth gameplay and an incredible 80's synth-wave soundtrack.
I had a blast working on this project. I was responsible for editing the game's story and providing new dialogue for pre-existing cut scenes before its official release to help intrigue players in a deeper backstory bubbling just underneath the game's surface.
ZOA PROTOCOL
Release Year: TBA
Publisher: ZOA LLC.
Platforms: PC
Role: Senior Narrative Designer
A Third Person Sci-Fi Action/Survival RPG, “ZOA Protocol” tasks Players to battle overwhelming forces to liberate an Alien-occupied Earth.
Inspired by the sci-fi comics and books I read in the 90s, I crafted this game's entire narrative and backstory, developed the missions and quests, and created all its characters, including the protagonist ‘Subject ZOA398.’
SOULBOND: REBELS ARISE
Release Year: 2021
Publisher: Metabond LLC.
Platforms: PC
Role: Lead Narrative Designer
SOULBOND is a community-led P2E MMORPG that allows you to choose characters from one of the five original nations.
This game was fun to work on, and I was permitted complete creative control as I developed a complex fictional world amidst deep cultural conflict. I authored the entire narrative and backstory, crafting a world of five diverse nations, each with its unique governing system, hierarchies, notable figures, and magic system.
FALLING OUT
Release Year: 2022
Publisher: Firestoke
Platforms: Steam
Role: Narrative Designer + Game Writer
FALLING OUT is a light-hearted rogue-lite platformer where you take control of a comedic married couple trying to escape a dangerous maze full of traps and monsters!
Not only was I lucky enough to write the story for a fun project with fascinating and slick gameplay, but I helped transform the original creatove direction of the game, making it more inclusive and forward-thinking.
Take a look for yourself!
MUSEUM MULTIVERSE
Release Year: 2022
Publisher: Made in Brooklyn Games
Platforms: PC
Role: Game Writer
"Museum Multiverse" is a virtual reality puzzle platformer. This 3rd person experience chronicles the adventures of a child that has mysteriously awoken in an abandoned museum.
Collaborating with project creators Hessvacio Hassan and Manny Marquez, we crafted an engaging overarching narrative, backstory, and exciting cinematics.
THE LAST BASTIAN
Release Year: 2022
Publisher: Voidpeak Games
Platforms: PC
Role: Lead Narrative Designer + Game Writer
"The Last Bastion" is a survival-management game where you lead an army of defeated soldiers across a setting inspired by medieval India.
As the Lead Narrative Designer, I help refocused an established plot-heavy narrative to highlight more character-driven stories and moments, making each mission and quest I wrote more engrossing and action-packed with heavier stakes and consequences.
PROJECT CANOPY
Release Year: 2022
Publisher: SocksandGoats Studios
Platforms: PC
Role: Narrative Designer
"Project Canopy" is a first-person sci-fi survival adventure set on an alien jungle planet. Players must harvest, Build, Craft, and Explore to survive and unlock the jungle's mysteries.
This game was my love letter to the TV Show "LOST," except I aimed to make one giant absorbing mystery layered in gripping backstory revelations, resulting in a mind-blowing ending and satisfying conclusion. "Project Canopy" hasn't been released yet, but trust me, this is one game you shouldn't sleep on!
USURPER: SOULBOUND
Release Year: 2022
Publisher: Caspian Interactive
Platforms: PC
Role: Game Writer
Usurper: Soulbound is a challenging Rogue-lite Action RPG. Players are ghosts that must possess the bodies of their enemies to fight their way back to the world of the living.
This was a great game, and I loved writing its main story, fleshing out its locations, items, magic system, and characters, and shaping its vast lore.
NIGHTS QUEST
Release Year: 2022
Publisher: Nights Quest LLC.
Platforms: Card Game
Role: Game Writer
"Night's Quest" is a combination tabletop card game, a D&D adventure, and beer! A collectible drinking card game full of fun quests and challenges. I helped design the game's lore and backstory.
On Kickstarter, they crowdfunded £11,283 of their £7,600 goal.
SCARY TEACHER 3D
Release Year: 2020
Publisher: Z&K Games
Platforms: PC
Role: Game Writer
"Scary Teacher 3d" is an action-adventure mobile game about a genius girl pulling pranks on her worst high school teacher.
With over 100M+ downloads and a 4.2/5 rating on GooglePlay, this is one of the most popular games I've written to date! As Narrative Designer, I help write the story arcs of many episodes, toilet-humor dialogue, and brain-scratching puzzles!
EYES OF DARKNESS
Release Year: 2021
Publisher: Gianluca Marotta
Platforms: PC
Role: Narrative Deisgner + Game Writer
"Eyes of Darkness" is an RPG, psychological horror indie darling featuring early 90's graphics and music.
In homage to "Twin Peaks" and "Silent Hill," I penned the twisted tale of an Inspector searching for his ex-girlfriend in a small town with a big mystery. I had a lot of fun writing the ensemble of characters, locations, puzzles, plot, backstory, and multiple endings!