If you're staring at a blank page wondering how to make a cutscene script for your game, don't overthink it—start by focusing on the action. We've all been there as players, sitting through a ten-minute monologue while our thumbs itch to grab the controller again. The best cutscenes are the ones that feel like an extension of the gameplay, not a commercial break. Writing them requires a bit of a balancing act between cinematic storytelling and the realization that your audience actually wants to be playing the game, not just watching it.
Start with the "Why" before the "What"
Before you type a single line of dialogue, you need to know exactly why this scene exists. In a movie, you have plenty of time to build atmosphere. In a game, every second of non-interactive footage costs money to animate and tests the player's patience. Ask yourself: what is the one piece of information the player must have after this scene ends?
Maybe they need to know their best friend just betrayed them, or maybe they just need to see the door they're supposed to go through next. If the scene doesn't move the plot forward or reveal something crucial about a character, you might not even need it. Sometimes, a quick bit of "bark" dialogue (lines spoken during gameplay) is better than a full-blown cutscene. But if you've decided the moment is big enough for a cinematic, focus on that one core goal.
Choosing your format
When figuring out how to make a cutscene script, you'll find that there isn't one "official" industry standard like there is in Hollywood. However, most developers use a variation of the standard screenplay format or a multi-column spreadsheet.
If your game is very cinematic—think The Last of Us or God of War—a traditional screenplay format works wonders. It focuses on the "what" and the "who." You describe the setting, the character's actions, and the dialogue. But if you're working on an RPG with branching choices, a spreadsheet might be your best friend. In a spreadsheet, you can have columns for the character's name, the dialogue line, the animation trigger, and even the camera angle.
Honestly, the best format is whatever your team (or you, if you're solo) can read easily. Just make sure it's clear where the gameplay ends and the cinematic begins.
Keep the dialogue lean
One of the biggest mistakes writers make when learning how to make a cutscene script is writing too much talk. In a game, players are already highly engaged. They're "in" the world. You don't need to over-explain things. If a character is angry, let their body language show it. If a bomb is about to go off, the sound design can do the heavy lifting.
Try the "slash and burn" method. Write your scene, then go back and see how many lines you can delete while still keeping the meaning intact. If a character says, "I really think we should go to the harbor because that's where the pirate ship is waiting for us," change it to "To the harbor. Now." It's punchier, it fits the urgency of most games, and it saves on voice acting costs.
Think about the camera
You don't have to be a professional cinematographer, but you should have a general idea of where the "lens" is. When you're writing the script, include brief descriptions of the shots. Is it a wide shot showing the scale of a giant boss? Is it a tight close-up on a character's face to show their fear?
Visual cues are just as important as dialogue. If you're writing a script for a developer or an animator, they need to know what's supposed to be the focus. You don't need to use technical jargon like "dolly zoom" or "low-angle tracking shot" if you don't want to. Just describe what the player sees. "The camera pans up to reveal the ruined city" is perfectly fine. It gives the team a starting point to build the visual language of the scene.
The importance of the "In" and "Out"
The transition between playing and watching is where most games feel clunky. When you're drafting the script, think about the "In" and the "Out."
The "In" is how the gameplay stops. Does the player walk into a trigger volume? Does a boss's health bar hit zero? The transition should feel seamless. If the player is running at full speed and then suddenly snaps into a standing position for a cutscene, it's jarring.
The "Out" is even more important. This is where you give the control back. The best cutscenes end on a moment of high tension or a clear directive. If the cutscene ends with a character saying "Run!", the player should immediately be back in control and able to run. Don't leave them standing there wondering if the movie is over.
Action lines are your best friend
Don't just write a "talking heads" scene. Games are an active medium. If two characters are talking, have them doing something. Maybe they're cleaning a weapon, looking at a map, or walking through a crowded market.
When you're learning how to make a cutscene script, treat action lines with the same respect as dialogue. Instead of: JOE: We need to find the key. SARAH: I know.
Try: Joe kicks a pile of debris, frustrated. JOE: We need to find the key. Sarah doesn't look up; she's busy picking the lock on the chest. SARAH: I know.
It feels more alive. It gives the animators something to work with and makes the world feel like it exists outside of the conversation.
Interaction within the cutscene
Modern games often blur the line between a movie and a game. You might want to include Quick Time Events (QTEs) or dialogue choices. If your script includes these, you need to be very clear about how they branch.
If you're using a standard script format, use brackets or bold text to indicate a choice. [CHOICE: Save the civilian or Chase the villain] Then, you have to write two different paths. This is where it gets tricky, but it's also what makes game writing so unique. Make sure that regardless of the choice, the "Out" of the cutscene leads the player back to a logical place in the gameplay.
Remember the technical constraints
It's easy to write a script where a thousand soldiers charge over a hill while a dragon breathes fire and a castle crumbles. It's a lot harder (and more expensive) to actually build that.
When you're writing, keep your engine's limitations in mind. If you're an indie dev working with a small budget, maybe that "thousand-soldier charge" happens off-screen, and we only hear the screams and the clashing of swords while our main character hides in a cellar. Sometimes, limitation breeds creativity. A small, intimate scene with two characters can often be more impactful than a massive, buggy spectacle.
The "Mute Test"
A great trick for checking the quality of your cutscene script is the "Mute Test." Imagine the player has their volume turned off and there are no subtitles. Can they still understand the gist of what's happening? If the answer is no, your script is probably relying too heavily on dialogue.
Visual storytelling is the heart of the medium. Use the environment, character expressions, and physical actions to tell the story. If a character finds a letter from a deceased loved one, we don't need them to say, "Oh no, my mother is dead, and I am very sad about it." We just need to see them drop the letter, their hands shaking, as they sink into a chair.
Final Polish
Once you've finished your first draft, read it out loud. Seriously. Dialogue that looks good on paper often sounds like a mouthful when spoken by a real person. If you stumble over a sentence, a voice actor will too.
How to make a cutscene script better usually comes down to cutting the fluff. Keep it tight, keep it visual, and always keep the player in mind. They're there to play, so make sure that when you do take the controller away, you're giving them something worth watching. If you can make them forget they're not playing for a few minutes, you've done your job perfectly.