Ken Levine (screenwriter)

Ken Levine (born September 1, 1966) is an American game developer, writer, and creative director, best known for his work on the BioShock series. He is the co-founder and president of Ghost Story Games (formerly Irrational Games).

Levine's career in the video game industry began in the early 1990s at Looking Glass Studios, where he worked as a writer and designer on Thief: The Dark Project and System Shock 2. His work on System Shock 2 is particularly celebrated for its atmospheric horror, compelling narrative, and innovative gameplay mechanics.

In 1997, Levine co-founded Irrational Games, which would later become 2K Boston and then revert back to Irrational Games before eventually becoming Ghost Story Games. At Irrational Games, he served as creative director and lead writer on BioShock (2007), BioShock 2 (2010; Levine primarily oversaw the narrative but did not direct), and BioShock Infinite (2013). The BioShock series is critically acclaimed for its complex philosophical themes, engaging storylines, and distinctive art deco-inspired visual style, particularly the first and third installments. Levine's writing often explores themes of free will, determinism, utopia, and dystopia.

After the release of BioShock Infinite, Levine restructured Irrational Games into a smaller studio known as Ghost Story Games, with a focus on creating narrative-driven games with a more experimental approach. Ghost Story Games' first title is currently unreleased.

Levine's contributions to video game writing have earned him numerous awards and recognition within the industry. He is considered one of the most influential figures in video game storytelling.