Volunteer Game Designer — AI Tools & Games for Human Communication

What You’ll Do

• Design branching dialogue trees, role-play scenarios, and core gameplay loops for conversational training tools.
• Balance narrative agency with pedagogical goals, ensuring scenarios provide meaningful choices without didactic railroading.
• Collaborate with AI engineers and communication experts to integrate dynamic LLM behaviors into structured gameplay mechanics.
• Create systems for progression, constructive feedback, and debriefing mechanics.
• Playtest interactive prototypes, analyze user behavior, and iterate on mechanics to maximize engagement and emotional safety.

What You’ll Gain

• Practical experience designing mechanics for autonomous and conversational AI systems.
• Portfolio-ready systems and narrative design work in the civic tech and serious gaming sectors.
• Direct collaboration with developers, subject-matter experts, and product leads.
• Professional references reflecting your contributions and impact.

Time, location, and support

• This is a remote volunteer position.
• You may complete most of the work on your own schedule.
• We hope volunteers can contribute approximately 8 or more hours per week, although hours are flexible.
• You will report to Lisa Swallow, co-founder of Crossing Party Lines and lead of the Apps and Agents team.
• You will work closely with other volunteers and developers and will receive background information, product specifications, and access to the CPL frameworks underlying the applications.