Diegetic Games

Diegetic Games

Build Worlds, Tell Stories

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About Diegetic Games

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.

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Get updates on new games, playtests, and design notes.

Leveraged Play

Want to commission a game? Randy's consulting firm designs and runs serious games for conferences, think tanks, and leadership teams.

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Featured Games

Seizing the Crown
Story Game Playtesting

Seizing the Crown

A political fantasy game where rival factions strive to consolidate power and eliminate rivals until only one remains.

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Working the Case
Story Game For Sale

Working the Case

A 30-minute collaborative mystery game. Play the role of investigators as you uncover evidence, understand the suspects, and discover the culprit.

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Behind the Magic
Story Game For Sale

Behind the Magic

A fantasy mockumentary game about incompetent adventurers on an epic quest to save the world. Take turns setting and acting out scenes and have confessionals with the Bard documenting the journey.

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Storytelling Games

RPGs, larps, and more...

Premise: Setting, Character, Plot
Story Game For Sale

Premise: Setting, Character, Plot

A collaborative worldbuilding and storytelling game with three sub-games you can play independently or chain together.

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Honor Bound
Story Game For Sale

Honor Bound

A game about honor culture and toxic masculinity, through the lens of an old fashioned duel. Co-designed with Jason Morningstar.

Buy Now
Around the Realm
Story Game Play Online

Around the Realm

Tell the story of two close companions racing their way around a fantasy world. Playable via Story Synth.

Play Now
Clash at Ikara
Story Game Play Online

Clash at Ikara

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.

Play Now
Dawn of the Monster Invasion
Story Game Play Online

Dawn of the Monster Invasion

Create a silly monster movie spoof told through 6 speeches. Playable via video chat or conference call.

Play Now
Save the Galaxy
Story Game Free

Save the Galaxy

A plot guide for Galactic 2e that helps you tell a fast paced, plot driven, single session adventure.

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Hackers and Hustlers
Story Game Free

Hackers and Hustlers

A rules-lite RPG that throws players into a high tech farce set in near-future San Francisco.

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Across the Border
Story Game Free

Across the Border

A game played while hiking where the characters are covertly crossing a border with the help of a local guide.

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Plotypus
Story Game Free

Plotypus

A collaborative storytelling game where any group can tell an epic story with a riveting plot through eight pivotal chapters.

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Condemned
Story Game Free

Condemned

Three games designed for The Power Broker competition, including The Idealist, a story game about selling out one's values for power.

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Exosolar
Story Game Free

Exosolar

A narrative-focused RPG about robots trying to survive on a harsh alien planet. Created for Game Chef 2016.

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Maccabees and Menorahs
Story Game Free

Maccabees and Menorahs

A collaborative game where 2-5 players retell the story of Hanukkah. When an outcome is uncertain, players spin a dreidel.

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Among the Mortals
Story Game Free

Among the Mortals

A people-watching freeform larp where you vie for the fate of humanity. Designed for Golden Cobra 2017.

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Stellar Drift
Story Game Free

Stellar Drift

Play as the leaders of resettlement spaceships over successive generations, exploring how cultures diverge as they encounter dire crises.

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Card Games

Boxed card games

CIA: Collect It All
Card Game For Sale

CIA: Collect It All

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!

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One Billion Users
Card Game For Sale

One Billion Users

A competitive card game inspired by Mille Bornes. Raised over $70,000 on Kickstarter!

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Game Drafts

Works in progress - feedback welcome at [email protected]

Panorama icon
Draft Playtesting

Panorama

Collaborative game where players work together to fractally build a world. Take turns creating its essential locations, groups, and individuals.

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It's All Connected! icon
Draft Playtesting

It's All Connected!

A quick game where players generate a conspiracy using a blackboard and newspaper.

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Good Morning Magicland icon
Draft Playtesting

Good Morning Magicland

Collaborative game where players create a fantasy world by roleplaying the hosts and guests on TV talk shows.

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Make Haste! icon
Draft Playtesting

Make Haste!

Collaborative game where players draw a map and tell the story of a group going on an adventure.

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How (And Why) I Took Over The World icon
Draft Playtesting

How (And Why) I Took Over The World

A single-player game where you record video blogs as a supervillain trying to take over the world.

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