Sophie Mallinson
Can a computer give you hope for the future?
Hi! I'm Sophie. I'm a game designer, writer and translator.
Currently a senior designer at Maxis — creators of The Sims — I combine my creative and technical skills to deliver experiences that empower players to tell their own stories. Before that, I was a narrative designer at Arkane Studios, imagining new worlds and building new systems for franchises such as Dishonored, Wolfenstein and Deathloop.
My work has been nominated for the WGA’s Outstanding Achievement in Videogame Writing, the IGF’s Excellence in Narrative award, and multiple BAFTAs. In a past life, I translated mobile mystery games and robot dialogue from French to English.
I'm influenced by reality TV, horror, virtual pets, conspiracy theories, magical realism, tarot, slice-of-life anime and ASMR.
Elsewhere online...
Eat, drink, play: the recipe for memorable food in video games (The Guardian)
How ‘90s interior design software laid the foundation for today’s life sims (PC Gamer)
The real-world history behind Dishonored’s disgusting food (VG247)
How Neopets has influenced a generation of game developers (GameDeveloper.com)
Want to collaborate?
I'm open to interview requests, paid speaking opportunities, and new adventures beyond the realm of video games. I work remotely from my home in Vancouver, British Columbia.