Video game writer, narrative designer, and voice director,
with a DPhil in Ancient History from the University of Oxford.
Currently Narrative Lead at CaptureAge.
Dr. Ben Angell
(With research assistant Clio)
Chronicles: Alexander the Great
An epic, narrative-driven campaign experience for Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition.
As Narrative Lead, I:
Turned the events of Alexander’s life into an 18-level campaign
Designed the story, characters, and narrative arc
Wrote the script
Storyboarded cutscenes and oversaw cutscene creation
Cast and directed voice actors
Contributed to level design concepting and provided ongoing design feedback
Provided historical guidance across the studio
Briefed and oversaw soundtrack production
The inaugural chapter of the Chronicles saga and the highest-ever rated Age of Empires DLC.
As Narrative Lead, I:
Established the narrative direction for this new, campaign-focused DLC series
Designed the story, characters, and narrative arc for a campaign from the Ionian Revolt through to the end of the Peloponnesian Wars
Wrote the script
Storyboarded cutscenes and oversaw cutscene creation
Cast and directed voice actors, establishing a new VO style in the Age franchise
Led the level design team throughout most of the production
Provided historical guidance across the studio
Chronicles: Battle for Greece
Age of Mythology: Retold
An exceptional remaster of the RTS classic.
As Narrative Lead at CaptureAge, I provided writing and narrative design on multiple parts of the project.
The latest instalment in the city builder franchise, set in the golden age of Rome.
Working as a Game Writer in the pre-production phase, I:
Conducted historical research to aid narrative, design, and art
Established story themes
Concepted characters
Anno 117: Pax Romana
A hugely successful city builder set in the Industrial Revolution.
As Game Writer on four DLC projects, I:
Wrote all types of in-game text, from dialogue to item descriptions
Cast and directed voice actors
Wrote marketing text including trailer VO
Wrote and storyboarded in-game cinematics
Concepted characters, stories, and worldbuilding details
Contributed historical research across departments
Anno 1800
My work
Writing
Dialogue is my key strength. I have no affinity for plain naturalism: my dialogue is proudly stylised, rich in language, and perfectly attuned for voice performance. My characters are distinct, with strong, unique voices. The humour is dry, dark, and thoroughly British.
Voice Direction
Working with actors is my favourite part of the job. I take meticulous care when casting, and direct with careful sensitivity, working collaboratively with actors and allowing them to shine.
Design
Level design and game design often take up just as much of my time as narrative design. A lifelong gamer across many genres, I’m particularly adept at representing narrative through gameplay mechanics.
Research
It turns out that a Doctorate in a Humanities subject can have some professional use after all. I work with designers, artists, SFX artists and composers to ensure historical accuracy and narrative consistency across the entire project.
Leadership and Vision
With obsessive attention to detail, I work across the studio to ensure coherence with the narrative and creative vision. I have also always been heavily involved in marketing and product strategy, with a strong understanding of what audiences want.
My story
Prior to joining the video game industry, I had spent most of my life in academia, gaining a BA, an MSt, and then a DPhil in Ancient History. As well as research, I taught extensively, particularly at the Ashmolean Museum.
Prior to university, I had never studied Classics — not an option at the state schools which I attended. It was video games which had sparked my passion for the ancient world, and so it was very fitting that things should come full circle.
In 2021, I moved to Germany to join Ubisoft Mainz, working on Anno 1800 and Anno 117.
In 2023, I returned to the UK to begin work as Narrative Lead at CaptureAge, a fully remote company working on content across the Age of Empires franchise.
