Narrative designer Cara Ellison began her gaming journey on a BBC Micro her father "borrowed" from work. Transitioning from games journalism to design, she has worked on titles like Dishonored 2, Void Bastards, and was senior narrative designer on Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 before developer changes.
In a recent interview, Ellison discussed her current projects and gaming habits. She is now a senior narrative designer at Gravity Well Games and is working on Sleight of Hand, a deckbuilding stealth game she sees as a spiritual successor to Bloodlines.
Ellison shared insights into her PC, highlighting her enduring love for the original Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines, which remains installed despite its technical challenges. She praised its atmosphere, writing, voice acting, and unique conversation animations as key to its cult status.
Her most-played game on Steam is Kentucky Route Zero with over 100 hours, partly due to her journalistic research. The game she will never uninstall is Sunless Sea, captivated by its mysterious world and exploration.
For writing, Ellison relies heavily on Scrivener due to the lack of standardized narrative tools in game engines like Unreal. Her desktop, featuring a Vertigo screenshot wallpaper, is relatively tidy, separating work projects like Sleight of Hand scripts from leisure.