Hendrik Hihn
Hey there!
My name's Hendrik, a game designer from Germany.
Below, you can learn more about my work.
Atmora: Expedition to the North
Across the Sea of Ghosts, the lost continent of Atmora awaits. Devastated by a cataclysm long ago, few souls have ventured to this cursed place and returned to tell the tales of great secrets and the ruins of a once-great civilization.
This project is part of the larger Beyond Skyrim umbrella, seeking to create new landmasses beyond the borders of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim that feature new content in a similar fashion to downloadable content or expansion packs.
Responsibilities and role(s)
Project Management
• Managing and maintaining development tools, design documents and -plans.
• Overseeing the progress of different departments and mediating between them.
• Planning and documenting themes and design directions.
• Creating design bibles and references for project members.
• Consulting with department directors and project members to find solutions for any problems they might be facing.
• Performing extensive PR for recruitment, creating trailers and teasers for social media.
Narrative Lead, Narrative Designer
• "Planning narrative direction of a 20+ hour game.
• Coordinating and managing a team of >20 writers and editors.
• Creating story- and questlines, as well as NPC dialogue, collaborating with developers to create unique stories.
• Consulting with fellow writers and editors, as well as Level and Quest Designers, on important points of interest, settlements and dungeons.
• Editing and proofreading to ensure narrative cohesion.
Concept Artist
• Concepting and creating ingame assets like clutter, armor, furniture and tilesets.
• Collaborating with other concept artists and 3D artists to shape memorable designs for an arctic horror atmosphere.
• Designing and breaking-down large points of interest and planning of city-size ruins.
Beyond Skrim: Roscrea
Deep within the mists of the Sea of Ghosts, there lies an archipelago ripped straight from the pages of legend. For centuries, Roscrea has endured as the kingdoms and empires of Tamriel rose and fell. To some, it is a place for a new beginning. For others, a treasure worth stealing.
This modding project is part of the larger Beyond Skyrim umbrella, seeking to create new landmasses beyond the borders of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim that feature new content in a similar fashion to downloadable content or expansion packs.
Responsibilities and role(s)
Writer, Editor, Senior Writer
• Collaborating within a team of 25 writers, editing and proofreading as one of four senior editors.
• Reviewing dialogue and worldbuilding, ensuring lore consistency between documents.
• Concepting, writing, and editing multiple questlines, ambient and NPC dialogue, and ingame literature.
• Planning and coordinating with the implementation department to ensure written documents work as intended.
Concept Artist, Art Co-Lead
• Managing the concept art and the 3D department to ensure artisitic, and visual coherence.
• Conceptualizing and creating assets, such as armor sets, character art, as well as furniture and clutter.
• Coordinating of a team of >15 concept artists and illustrators, and >20 3D artists
• Collaborating with the writing department to ensure a faithful adaptation of written quests, adventures, and NPCs.
• Hosting and planning a project-wide "Get It Done" event: a design sprint, inviting over 60 artists to band together to finish remaining tasks.
• Creating PR in the form of teasers and trailers.
Harthstone Isles
This small archipelago might've remained undiscovered for all time, if the East Empire Company hadn't stumbled over it when a drunk captain took a wrong turn starboard on their way to Roscrea. Whilst humble in size, this spa-to-be is home to a small community of unique individuals (for better or worse) and is a shining beacon of Imperial expansion that doesn't butt heads with Solitude.
Platform: PC (Nexusmods)
Team Size: ~65
Duration: October 2022 - July 2023
Release: 14th of July 2023
responsibilities and role(s)
• Taught a team of 15 new writers and guided them on their journey to become narrative designers.
• Served as the leading writer to ensure a cohesive narrative direction and quality.
• Acted as the concept art lead to help new artists familiarize themselves with the workflow and the basics of creating concepts with 3D modelling in mind.
• Collaborated with the other departments to create a believable and humorous world.
Hestra's Nest
When the sun rises and dawn breaks, the inhabitants of this idyllic land emerge; wanderers lost in the mountains, adventurers ailed by knee-related injuries, warriors seeking to guard a once prosperous trading route, and Forsworn looking to further their cause. South of Markarth, a small gathering of Reachmen have build their dwellings to establish a bastion feared by both trolls and men. As certain as the fireballs of a Hagraven, the berserkers and briarhearts fortify Hestra's Nest to show the Empire that leather, bone, and fur will conquer the lands once more.
Platform: PC (Nexusmods)
Team Size: ~35
Duration: September 2021 - June 2022
Release: 25th of June 2022
responsibilities and role(s)
• Accompanied 13 new writing students on their journey as their writing teacher.
• Supported the writing team as the narrative lead to ensure a consistent tone and dialogue quality.
• Helped create a believable world by Level Designing a large portion of the exterior worldspace.
Skyblivion
Skyblivion is a fan made recreation of the 4th Elder Scrolls game, Oblivion, in the Skyrim engine. Our goal is to bring the Elder Scrolls community a free remaster of Oblivion that includes all weapons, armors, quests, locations and NPCs.
Platform: PC
Team Size: ~85
Release: 2025
responsibilities and role(s)
• additional writing
Henantir's Steamcrag
Deep beneath the slippery steps of Hrothgar, the Snow Tower lies sundered, kingless, bleeding... Or so it’s been told. In truth, the empty halls of long forgotten kings are brimming with life, mischief, and abnormalities that we're really better off without. Descent into the depths of Henantir's Steamcrag and explore the Blackest Kingdom Reaches and the colorful bunch of lost souls who have made this place their home.
Platform: PC
Team Size: ~40
Duration: October 2023 - Present
Release: 2025
responsibilities and role(s)
• Served as the teacher and writing lead to 10 writing students, guiding them from the inital concept to implementation.
• Acted as the concept art lead, teaching new students the fundamentals of concept art, and ensured a cohesive visual language.
• Worked with other development departments to create an immersive world.
Arcane University
The university is a place for focused, self-driven learning of the skills relevant to Skyrim modding, supported by some of the best and most experienced teams in the modding community.
responsibilities and role(s)
• Teaching and mentoring both novice and veteran writers and storytellers as writing teacher, giving directions and feedback to scripts for quests and dialogue.
• Concepting and setting up a curriculum aimed to teach new and advanced artists alike through drawing sessions and feedback, while also serving as concept art teacher
• Conception, planning, and execution of short-term game development projects.
• Holding public lectures that delve deeper into specific topics of interest, like creating believable villains for game narratives, and designing armor and clothing with purpose in mind.