[ADDENDUM] A Lesson in Abstraction

re: Diegesis in Games

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What you decide to include or remove from your game determines what kind of game you’re running.

Revelatory stuff, I know.

But seriously, too many people take the “game” to be the rulebook, which just… isn’t true? The rulebook provides the rules, mechanics, lore, and all that junk, but the game is the manifestation of those things at the table. Just like how the source code of a video game isn’t the game you’re playing and enjoying.

It’s the logic behind the game that actually manifests before you.

So when we say something is diegetic, what we really mean is that it’s the manifestation of what is happening in the game at the table. It’s not the die roll or the tracking of numbers on a character sheet, but the actual character experiencing victory, defeat, love, etc.

On the same page? Good. Let’s break down what you should consider keeping diegetic and what you can safely abstract without breaking immersion. I’m coming from the perspective you’re running a middle-ages style fantasy game, so your mileage may vary if you’re doing sci-fi or modern or whatever.