In-world

Referring to the fictional universe or setting of a narrative, game, or other form of media. It encompasses all elements within that reality, including characters, locations, history, and rules. It's a term used to distinguish events, logic, and entities internal to the created environment from those pertaining to the real world or the creators' intentions. The term emphasizes the immersion and internal consistency essential for audience engagement, blurring the lines between fiction and reality. Understanding the 'in-world' details is often critical to interpreting a story.

In-world meaning with examples

• The author meticulously crafted the 'in-world' politics and social structures of their fantasy novel, allowing for believable conflicts and character motivations. Every kingdom has a history and culture, which is explained through the context of the story. Readers are given rules and expectations, and can infer other characteristics of the universe based on the world's context, to maintain immersion.
• In the RPG, the 'in-world' economy, governed by gold and trade, determined which equipment the player could acquire and how they could develop their character. The players have to engage with the world and find out the rules for their self. This allows them to determine the best decisions for their player character to grow and thrive throughout the game's storyline.
• The game's designers were careful to maintain 'in-world' logic, ensuring that magical abilities had consistent effects and limitations. The world is set up, with rules to follow, that keep the universe intact. Any breaking of those rules could break the immersion of the game.
• The 'in-world' reactions of the characters to the discovery of a new artifact provided clues about its significance to the overarching narrative and the central plot. Players could discern how characters felt about certain things by how they responded.