As an indie game developer, I’ve picked up a variety of skills and worn many hats throughout my career. Rates that are listed assume commercial use (including Pay What You Want/”donation-ware”) and are negotiable depending on your budget, overall project scope, and how involved you need me to be during the terms of our contract. For larger projects with work expecting to span over several weeks or months, I require partial payment upfront before I begin.
Please contact me through email at baiyu.arts@gmail.com to discuss your project needs with me.
Narrative Design
Do you need someone to help plan out your story branches and how to reach them? Keeping track of flags and variable checks is something many narrative games needs, and I can help you and your narrative team coordinate this to make it easier on your programmers. Having a solid outline or flowchart that multiple people can follow is key to smooth development.
Rates: $18/hr
Availability: All project lengths
Script Writing
Do you need someone to weave words together to convey your story, connect scenes together so you can get to the best parts, or even write side quest content? I excel at humor, queer romance, drama, and emotional character-driven narratives in contemporary or fantasy settings. Please note that I do my best work when writing queer characters of color and will charge a higher rate for projects that predominantly focus on cisgender heterosexual white characters or Japanese high school settings through an “anime” lens.
Rates: $0.04/word or $40/1k words
Availability: Short projects (up to 30k words)
Proofreading & Editing
Do you need someone with a keen eye for grammar or plot details? I can proofread to comb typos and common misspellings out of your script, or do line edits to make dialogue and narration flow more naturally.
Rates: $0.03/word or $30/1k words, or $17/hr dependent on expected amount of edits
Availability: Short to medium projects (up to 60K words)
Diversity & Inclusion Consultation/Sensitivity Reading
Are you writing characters or stories and need a second opinion on the accuracy of those depictions? I have lived experience as a person from the Chinese diaspora who is demiflux, pansexual, and trans masculine with intimate knowledge of certain chronic physical and mental health conditions. I am also comfortable advising on the experiences of those from lower socioeconomic classes. For these services, it is best to contact me before script writing has begun if key plot points rely on these identities and/or experiences.
Rates: $18/hr
Availability: All project lengths
Marketing & Copywriting
Busy actually making your game to tell people you’re making a game? I can help you and your team by collecting progress reports and summing up the most important parts to write blog posts or newsletters for your fanbase and supporters. Please note that I do my best work if you can provide me with a consistent stream of progress to share; I can’t and won’t make up things about the project if substantial development work isn’t being made.
Rates: $19/hr
Availability: All project lengths
Social Media & Community Management
Please note that I am not the best at creating images or video for use on social media.
Please message me for rates and availability.
Crowdfunding Campaign/Subscription Platform Management
Please contact me a minimum of 2 months before your planned launch date so we can coordinate details. I cannot effectively help campaigns that are already launched.
Rates: $21/hr
Availability: All project lengths, minimum 3 month contract
QA Testing
Do you need someone to test your game on Android or Steamdeck? I can help test your game on these devices and keep a log of bugs and suggestions to help you make it a smoother experience for your players.
Rates: $17/hr
Availability: All project lengths
Programming (Ren’Py)
Do you need help setting up your project files, scripting in images and audio, setting up your custom GUI, or even preparing your Ren’Py game for mobile devices? With over a decade of experience working with the engine, I can polish your project into a masterpiece.
Please message me for rates and availability. Minimum rates begin at $17/hr.
Production
Do you need a Producer to keep track of things and communicate between different fields so you and your team can focus on making your game? I can help you set up a game design document, organize a shared file structure, set up version control, and prepare a kanban board or other task list so you can get the satisfaction of ticking off your to-do list.
Rates: $21/hr
Availability: Short to medium length projects, message me for more details
Project Advice, Miscellaneous
Thinking about your next project, or stuck on something in your current one? Maybe you need engine or software recommendations to speed up your production? Come to me with your questions and I can see what I can do to help.
Please message me for rates and availability.