Alex Farnham: Creating the Game
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Narrative in the Modern-Age: How BSU Graduate Alex Farnham is helping to change the game
Thursday, 31 July, 2025Writing is an art form most often associated with novels and films, but the modern medium of video games has provided a new avenue for budding writers to surprise and delight their audiences.
Alex Farnham, BSU graduate in both BA English Language and Literature and MA Scriptwriting, is a man that knows this medium well, with over six years of experience working as a writer and narrative designer for AAA studio Supermassive Games.
As part of a talk to the new cohort of MA Scriptwriting students, Alex returned to BSU to share his experiences in the industry, whilst also taking the time to reflect on memories from his time studying at Newton Park.
Speaking about his route into the games industry, Alex reflected on his journey:
“I didn't go directly into gaming. I had a bit of a journey. I got various jobs, from editing a magazine about a garden centre to writing radio ads.
“Once I entered the industry, I found it to be collaborative and ever-changing, where everyone from all walks of life and disciplines have to work together to create something. It's not like film writing where you write the script and then give it to a director, this is a much more iterative process.”
Games writing, relatively, is a more contemporary medium, with video games switching to focus on more narrative-based gameplay in the past 20 years. Major titles like The Last of Us, God of War and The Quarry (one of Alex's own works) are all clear examples of this, with narrative – at times – being viewed as just as important as the gameplay itself.
Unlike more linear storytelling methods, games writing requires a keen focus on the different narrative threads, with separate story elements branching out to create sub-plots and different character moments.
Speaking about the differences in the process, Alex said:
“With games writing, it's a balance between keeping control and curating a quality story, but also giving agency to the player so they feel like they're telling their own story. You're helping facilitate them in a more interactive, immersive way.”
Alex’s return to BSU not only allowed him to impart knowledge onto the MA Scriptwriting students, but also provided an opportunity to reflect on his own journey since leaving BSU:
“This is the first time I've been back to Newton Park for about 14 years and it was quite emotional coming back. My time here was such a good experience for me because I found it to be such a creative, free-thinking place.
“It might sound super cliché, but it’s such an amazing, beautiful place to be. I often find myself thinking about my time here. Me and my friends often get together and reminisce about everything.”
Looking to press play on the next chapter in your career? BSU’s MA Scriptwriting course could be the perfect place for you take your next step.