We wanted to shine a light on the women who have played a pivotal role in the Tomb Raider franchise since its inception, integral to the development, publishing, and promotion of Lara Croft and the series at large. 

Today, we want to celebrate the works of three exceptional women from the early days of Tomb Raider: Vicky Arnold, Heather Stevens (née Gibson), and Susie Hamilton.  

The Tomb Raider concept is attributed to Toby Gard, who not only created the idea but also crafted the initial character - Laura Cruz, who later transformed into Lara Croft. While Toby is recognized for shaping Lara's design and envisioning her as an upper-class British aristocrat, it was the scriptwriter Vicky Arnold that truly brought Lara to life. Vicky Arnold, who holds a degree in Film Writing from Bournemouth, was brought on board to flesh out the story of Tomb Raider (1996), connecting the diverse locations and levels into a coherent storyline.  

Arnold also helped define Lara, finalize her biography, and created one of the franchise’s most recognizable antagonists - Jacqueline Natla. She wrote the action and dialogue for the FMVs, cut-scenes, and in-game speech. One of Arnold’s roles was also writing for Lara in character, whenever it was needed for PR. She would work closely with Susie Hamilton, the Global Public Relations expert for Core Design.  

Hamilton – an institution of the Core Design era – was a writer herself, having authored The Official Tomb Raider Files Featuring Lara Croft, a book detailing Lara’s backstory and interesting new tidbits from the first five Tomb Raider games. Hamilton played a crucial role in the launch of Tomb Raider (1996) in Cairo, Egypt. Her responsibilities included organizing a two-day press junket and product launch, which garnered praise from numerous journalists as one of the best PR events they had ever attended as stated in the 20 Years of Tomb Raider: Digging up the Past, Defining the Future. 

Heather Stevens (née Gibson) - one of the original developers at Core Design - worked on Tomb Raider (1996) and Tomb Raider II. She first entered the gaming industry by working for Rare Designs Ltd., after which she started her tomb raiding path when she joined Core Design. Stevens became one of the two main level designers for Tomb Raider (1996) and Tomb Raider II. Stevens’ work included designing Croft Manor and creating the first-ever level of the franchise - Peru's Caves. She designed 8 levels for Tomb Raider (1996) and 11 levels (3 co-designed) for Tomb Raider II. 

Stevens, along with Hamilton, was asked to provide some voice work for Lara Croft, primarily consisting of in-game exertions. Some of these vocalizations made it into the final version of the game, cementing both Stevens and Hamilton as one of the first voice actors for Lara Croft. 

Stevens, Arnold, and Hamilton were instrumental in the success of the Tomb Raider franchise. Stevens crafted some of Tomb Raider’s most beloved levels, known for their intricate and challenging yet rewarding design. Meanwhile, Arnold's script broke away from stereotypical portrayals of female characters, giving depth to Lara Croft's personality and weaving a captivating narrative that continues to engage both longtime fans and newcomers to the series. Hamilton ensured that Lara Croft became a household name in the late 90s, securing her icon status far into the future.  

If you're interested in delving deeper into their work, you can find more information at the following locations: 

• Read the interview with Heather Stevens on Tomb of Ash 

• You can also check out a more recent interview with Heather Stevens done by The Retro Hour (Retro Gaming Podcast) 

• Read GameSpot’s interview with Vicky Arnold from 1998, preserved by the tribute fan website, Core Design 

• You can also read an article by Llewella Chapman where she examines the roles of Vicky Arnold and Heather Stevens, the women behind the early Tomb Raider franchise 

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