Volunteer Game Designer — AI Tools & Games for Human Communication

Crossing Party Lines (CPL) provides opportunities, training, and support for civil, respectful discourse between Americans with dissimilar ideologies. Our primary offering is the CPL meetup regularly scheduled, facilitated meetings to which all are welcome. At our meetups, attendees discuss current hot topics while facilitators focus the meetings to teach and model skills and create a safe space for members to

• Be heard by and listened to by people with different political views.
• Express views without negative repercussions.
• Learn from one another through active listening.
• Develop curiosity about perspectives that may be new and unfamiliar to them.
• Find connection with members who espouse different views.
• Develop skills required for civil, respectful discourse.

In 2016, two groups named “Crossing Party Lines” started independently of one another on opposite ends of the country, only a few months apart. They joined forces to bring civil, respectful conversation to the rest of the country.,

Help design interactive scenarios, branching simulations, and games that turn difficult conversations into engaging learning experiences.

Crossing Party Lines is seeking a thoughtful Game Designer to join our Apps and Agents team. We are developing interactive experiences and conversational agents that help users practice perspective-taking, navigate polarization, and de-escalate emotionally charged dialogue.

What You’ll Do

• Design branching dialogue trees, role-play scenarios, and core gameplay loops for conversational training tools.
• Balance narrative agency with pedagogical goals, ensuring scenarios provide meaningful choices without didactic railroading.
• Collaborate with AI engineers and communication experts to integrate dynamic LLM behaviors into structured gameplay mechanics.
• Prototype systems for progression, constructive feedback, and debriefing mechanics.
• Playtest interactive prototypes, analyze user behavior, and iterate on mechanics to maximize engagement and emotional safety.

You May Be a Good Fit If You

• Have experience in systems design, narrative design, branching dialogue, or educational games.
• Understand how mechanics drive behavior, empathy, and learning outcomes.
• Thrive in early-stage, ambiguous environments where mechanics intersect with novel generative AI systems.
• Value intellectual diversity and can build scenarios that treat differing political and social viewpoints fairly.

What You’ll Gain

• Practical experience designing mechanics for autonomous and conversational AI systems.
• Portfolio-ready systems and narrative design work in the civic tech and serious gaming sectors.
• Direct collaboration with developers, subject-matter experts, and product leads.
• Professional references reflecting your contributions and impact.

Time, location, and support

This is a remote volunteer position. You may complete most of the work on your own schedule.

We hope volunteers can contribute approximately 8 or more hours per week , although hours are flexible. Team members should also be available for one or two online team meetings per week .

You will report to Lisa Swallow, co-founder of Crossing Party Lines and lead of the Apps and Agents team. You will work closely with other volunteers and developers and will receive background information, product specifications, and access to the CPL frameworks underlying the applications.

We welcome applicants from different backgrounds, professions, political viewpoints, and lived experiences. Crossing Party Lines does not ask volunteers to agree politically. We ask them to approach differences with curiosity, respect, and a sincere desire to understand.