Ken Levine (game developer)

Ken Levine is an American game designer, director, and writer, best known for his work on the System Shock, BioShock, and BioShock Infinite video game series.

Levine began his career in the film industry before transitioning to game development. He joined Looking Glass Studios in 1995, contributing to System Shock 2 as a writer and designer. His work on System Shock 2 is highly regarded for its innovative gameplay mechanics, immersive world-building, and thought-provoking narrative themes.

In 1997, Levine co-founded Irrational Games (later renamed 2K Boston and then ultimately back to Irrational Games). At Irrational, he served as the creative director and lead writer for the BioShock series. The first BioShock, released in 2007, was a critical and commercial success, lauded for its unique setting (the underwater city of Rapture), its philosophical themes inspired by Ayn Rand's objectivism, and its gameplay that blended first-person shooting with role-playing elements.

Levine followed up BioShock with BioShock Infinite in 2013. BioShock Infinite featured a new setting (the floating city of Columbia), a new protagonist, and a narrative that explored themes of American exceptionalism, racism, and free will. Like its predecessor, BioShock Infinite was critically acclaimed for its art direction, story, and gameplay.

In 2014, Levine announced that Irrational Games would be restructured into a smaller, narrative-focused studio within 2K Games. This new studio, named Ghost Story Games, is focused on creating smaller, more experimental narrative experiences. Levine remains the president and creative director of Ghost Story Games. As of 2023, the studio has not yet released a title, although development continues on an immersive sim project.

Levine's work is characterized by its emphasis on player choice, moral ambiguity, and sophisticated storytelling. He is considered to be one of the most influential game designers in the industry.