About

Lauryn Ash is a San Francisco-based writer, narrative designer, and speaker specializing in the intersection of systemic gameplay and deep storytelling. With over a decade of development experience, Lauryn brings a holistic approach to worldbuilding, mechanics, and tone. 

Originally a literary writer, she broke into the games industry by analyzing the invisible threads of player experience, asking “What creates harmony between gameplay and story?” in her award-winning academic framework on Ludonarrative Harmony.

She received a dual undergraduate degree in Creative Writing (Playwriting and Poetry) as part of the University of Iowa’s Writer’s Workshop, and an International Arts Studies degree, followed by her Masters of Interactive Technology: Level Design from SMU Guildhall. 

When she isn’t architecting virtual worlds, she can be found creating real world ones, writing for film and television, and hunting down the perfect cup of coffee in San Francisco’s hidden corners. She remains an avid explorer of cities, a texture enthusiast, and a player who tests the experience to see how far physics can go.