Now Playtesting...
Diegetic Games is Randy Lubin's game design studio. This site features story games meant to help players build rich worlds and narratives. Most of the games on this site are free to print and play; many are free to remix.
The games toward the bottom of the page are playable but still in development. Feel free to send feedback and play reports to [email protected].
"Diegesis" is Greek for narrative or plot. In stories, something is diegetic if it exists within the fiction; diegetic music might come from a character's headphones. These games are all about creating compelling stories and immersive worlds - enjoy!
Want to commission a game? Randy has a consulting firm, Leveraged Play. He designs and runs serious games that explore the future and explain the present. Clients include conferences, think tanks, leadership teams, and more.
A fantasy mockumentary game about incompetent adventures on an epic quest to save the world. Players will take turns setting and acting out scenes and also have "confessionals" with the Bard who is documenting their journey.
Premise is a collaborative worldbuilding and storytelling game. There are three sub-games – Setting, Character, and Plot – and you can play them independently or chain them together to explore a world in depth. Each sub-game has it's own template and play consists of simultaneously filling out parts of the templates, passing the sheets, and building on each other's ideas.
A game about honor culture and toxic masculinity, through the lens of an old fashioned duel. Co-designed with Jason Morningstar. Proceeds are donated to the EFF.
Tell the story of two close companions racing their way around a fantasy world. Playable via Story Synth.
Play as a group of heroes who have agreed to protect the defenseless community of Ikara from an imminent bandit raid. Inspired by Seven Samurai and playable in Story Synth.
Create a silly monster movie spoof told through 6 speeches. Playable via video chat or conference call via Story Synth.
A plot guide for Galactic 2e that helps you tell a fast paced, plot driven, single session adventure.
A rules-lite RPG that throws players into a high tech farce. Set in near-future San Francisco where something has gone horribly / hilariously wrong.
A game played while hiking where the characters are covertly crossing a border with the help of a local guide. For the Game Chef 2017 competition.
A collaborative storytelling game that enables any group to tell an epic story with a riveting plot. Players draw setting and character cards for inspiration and narrate the story through eight pivotal chapters.
A collection of three games designed for "The Power Broker" game design competition. Includes The Idealist, a story game about selling out one's values for power and two other games that have players engaging with local government.
A narrative-focused RPG about robots trying to survive on a harsh alien planet. Created for Game Chef 2016 and free to download.
A collaborative game where 2-5 players retell the story of Hanukkah. When an outcome is uncertain, players spin a dreidel to find out what happens.
A people-watching freeform larp where you vie for the fate of humanity. Designed for Golden Cobra 2017.
Earth is dying. Play as the leaders of resettlement spaceships over successive generations and explore how their cultures diverge and evolve as they encounter dire crises. Designed for Golden Cobra 2018.
A competitive card game based on a real life CIA training game. Deploy intelligence gathering tactics to defuse international crises. Raised over $150,000 on Kickstarter!
Collaborative game where players work together to fractally build a world. Take turns creating its essential locations, groups, and individuals.
A quick game where players generate a conspiracy using a blackboard and newspaper.
Collaborative game where players create a fantasy world by roleplaying the hosts and guests on TV talk shows.
Collaborative game where players draw a map and tell the story of a group going on an adventure.
A single-player game where you record videos blogs as a supervillain trying to take over the world.