Biography:
Jennifer Brandes Hepler is a video game developer, author, and scriptwriter. She gained recognition for her work at BioWare, a game developer based in Edmonton, Alberta. Known for her contribution as a senior writer, Hepler played a major role in shaping the narrative of the Dragon Age fantasy role-playing video game franchise. Beyond her time at BioWare, Hepler continued to make significant contributions to the gaming industry through projects such as the mobile strategy video game Game of Thrones Ascent and the 2018 point-and-click adventure game Unavowed.
Hepler’s passion for storytelling began to emerge during her high school years, where she devoted a substantial amount of time to writing and selling short stories. It was during her college years that she met Chris Hepler and became immersed in the world of role-playing games after being introduced to games like Vampire: The Masquerade and Shadowrun. Together, they co-wrote sourcebooks for role-playing games such as Shadowrun, Earthdawn, and Paranoia. Following this, the couple transitioned to working as scriptwriters in Hollywood, working on various projects, including CBS Television’s The Agency.
Hepler’s career took a significant turn when she met representatives from BioWare at the Game Developers Conference. This encounter led to her employment at BioWare in 2005, marking the beginning of her remarkable journey in the gaming industry. Hepler played a pivotal role in the development of the Dragon Age franchise, contributing to the first three mainline titles, starting with Dragon Age: Origins in 2009. Her work involved the creation of dwarven civilization and culture in the game’s setting, Thedas. Hepler crafted the origin stories of dwarven player characters, as well as the narrative for the Deep Roads region. Through her writing, Hepler aimed to portray the dichotomies between extreme wealth and power, and extreme poverty and disenfranchisement within the dwarven culture.
Dragon Age: Origins garnered critical acclaim and commercial success, with its story and characters receiving particular praise. Hepler’s writing contributions extended to subsequent sequels, where she played a significant role in the development of memorable characters such as Anders and Cassandra Pentaghast. Hepler’s talents were also employed in the massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) Star Wars: The Old Republic, where she worked on multiple questlines.
After leaving BioWare, Hepler became the lead writer of Game of Thrones Ascent, a mobile strategy game based on the popular television series. She also explored the episodic RPG genre, with an attachment to write for Ambrov X, set in the Sime~Gen Universe, pending a successful Kickstarter campaign. Hepler’s passion for storytelling extended beyond video games, as she contributed to the 2015 book The Game Narrative Toolbox, discussing the role of narrative designers within video game development teams.
Hepler joined Kognito, a health simulation company that develops interactive conversation-based apps to educate, motivate, and assist clients. In 2016, she served as the editor for Women in Game Development: Breaking the Glass Level-Cap, a book that sheds light on the experiences of female video game developers, including the challenges they face in the industry.
Jennifer Hepler continues to make her mark in the gaming industry as a story co-designer, bringing her unique perspective and talent to the forefront of video game narratives.