About Diegetic Games

Diegetic Games is game design studio of Randy Lubin (me). I love storytelling, games, and the intersection of the two. I believe that anyone can be an amazing storyteller and I design my games to empower people to tell better stories.

Most of my games have free print-and-play versions so you can immediately get started. Several of my games are still in draft form but if they’re on this site, they’re playable.

I love any and all feedback so send it my way! I also love play reports - how did your story turn out? What worked, what didn’t? You can email me at [email protected].

Support me on Patreon

I’m designing games with the support of my fans on Patreon, where I’m sharing early drafts and design notes. You can pledge as little as $1 per game (every bit helps!) and I’ll be releasing games roughly every three months.

Join other incredible patrons such as: Alice Tobin, Allison Chang, Avital Lubin, Dustin Freeman, Greg Lubin, Harry Pottash, Kevin Murphy, Madelyn Miller, Raphael D’Amico, Rob Abrazado, Wendy Lubin.

Diegesis and Hyperdiegesis

“Diegesis” is Greek for narrative or plot. A more modern use of the term classifies something as diegetic if it exists within the fiction. For example, diegetic music might come from a character’s headphones but non-diegetic music is part of a soundtrack that the characters don’t hear.

Both the classic and modern definitions of diegesis are indicative of my design style. My games tackle various elements of narrative and I try to make all elements of play stem from the fiction itself.

My initial name for this studio was ‘Hyperdiegesis’ - one of my favorite terms - but it’s too tough to parse and spell. The term was coined by Matt Hills, who defined it as:

[…] the creation of a vast and detailed narrative space, only a fraction of which is ever directly seen or encountered within the text, but which nonetheless appears to operate according to principles of internal logic and extension

Stories that are internally consistent and hint at a wider world have the amazing ability to ensorcell an audience. They encourage the reader / viewer to imagine the elements of the world that the authors elided or omitted. If you’ve ever wondered about the contractors working on the Death Star, you’ve engaged with hyperdiegesis. I want my games to help people build worlds and tell stories that generate rich hyperdiegeses.

About Randy Lubin

I make games because I enjoy the design process and I love playing games and telling stories. Game design is a lifelong hobby for me but I’m not trying to make it a career. I tend to make my designs because I want to see them exist in the world, because they are something I would want to play.

When not playing or designing games, I’m working in the San Francisco startup scene. I love technology and it’s potential to improve the world. You find out more about me and my other endeavors on my personal website.