For our latest Scopelean Spotlight: Careers Edition, we're featuring Rayla Heide, Franchise Narrative Director.
Rayla shares how she’s building worlds and characters from the ground up, integrating narrative with gameplay from the start. Learn about her creative approach, the importance of empathy in game development, and her commitment to iterating to greatness.
Say "hello" to Rayla.
Tell us about yourself and your day-to-day responsibilities at Scopely.
I started at Scopely earlier this year as the Franchise Narrative Director on a new project in development. It's an exciting time because we're creating a new IP, so we're building out the world, characters, and story all at the same time as we're figuring out the core gameplay loop.
It's my favorite way to work. Often, in game development, the narrative is pushed to the end of the development pipeline, but when it's integrated from the beginning, it can seep into every element of the game and become foundational to the player's fantasy.
My day-to-day involves lots of cross-discipline discussions about different gameplay features, as well as running a writer's room so we can brainstorm elements of the game story and use themes as a way to support gameplay mechanics.
What skills and qualifications are essential for success in this career?
Beyond learning craft skills in a chosen discipline, I often advocate that people learn to become diplomats. Great developers take the time to understand other disciplines and what they tend to care about, what their goals are as well as how they communicate.
That knowledge can help you advocate for the best possible player experience and understand and empathize with your teammates. We game developers are often ambitious and sometimes get stressed out or burned out, sometimes due to factors outside our control, so kindness and empathy go a long way.
Which Scopely culture tenet resonates most with you?
ITERATE TO GREATNESS. As a writer and game developer, I'm a big proponent of the iteration process and creating many drafts before you get to the real final version of something. This is a great rule for playtesting, but I've also found that this mindset can help avoid the creative trap of wanting everything to be perfect the first time around. It's okay and, in fact, good to fail at something the first time because it'll help you get closer to the final version. It's like that Edison quote about how in his journey to invent the lightbulb, “I have not failed 10,000 times - I’ve successfully found 10,000 ways that will not work.”
What advice would you give to someone starting their career in your role?
Learn as much as you can! Find a mentor (or multiple mentors!) that you trust who can give you feedback on your work as well as career advice. If you're from a marginalized group, it can be tremendously helpful to find someone from a similar background who understands the challenges you might encounter. Then, do your best to keep up that relationship. I've been lucky enough to have some wonderful mentors who have helped me navigate tricky situations and career setbacks over the years - without them; I wouldn't be here.
What do you find most fulfilling about your career at Scopely?
I've been here less than a year, but I've been impressed at how much focus Scopely has on DE&I. It's a hot topic right now in games, but some companies see it as a box to check rather than part of their strengths. At Scopely, I've seen teams invest in inclusive hiring practices to help find candidates who may not have considered a certain role, encourage training to create a more equitable environment for all, and focus on creating clear paths to success for all our team members. It's been empowering to work in an environment where I feel encouraged to speak up if I see an issue that could be improved.
What resources would you recommend for someone starting out?
GDC talks! There is a wealth of knowledge in the GDC Vault, and you can learn from so many different amazing developers from all kinds of games, which I find very inspirational and useful whenever I tackle obstacles in my career. I highly recommend going to GDC in person if you can, but if you're unable to go, there are still a ton of recorded talks you can find online and in the vault. It's also a great way to learn from developers outside your company who might have a different way of thinking about a problem that can help unlock a new approach.
Polaris Reports: Each year, the Polaris Conference gathers talented developers to discuss different topics and then produce a paper with their knowledge and findings. Examples include Decolonizing Play and a Toolkit for Encouraging Player Stories. I've been using these as resources in my job for years and am thrilled to be attending my first Polaris conference later this year.
Are you interested in becoming a Scopelean like Rayla? Apply for one of our open roles: scopely.com/join-us