{"schemaVersion":1,"record":{"key":"mechanic/game-mechanics--gm-diegetic-menu","type":"mechanic","id":"game-mechanics--gm-diegetic-menu","lang":"en","title":"Diegetic menu","summary":"Menu options appear on an object or device within the world.","updatedAt":"2026-10-22","status":"active","url":"https://gamemechanics.pro/en/knowledge/mechanic/game-mechanics--gm-diegetic-menu/","jsonUrl":"https://gamemechanics.pro/api/v1/knowledge/en/mechanic/game-mechanics--gm-diegetic-menu.json","markdownUrl":"https://gamemechanics.pro/content/knowledge/en/mechanic/game-mechanics--gm-diegetic-menu.md","aliases":["In-world menu"],"tags":["Game design techniques","Diegetic"],"sourceIds":["source-047fb80a86180e80","source-0d8eb657a3d268ec","source-a39d442575002718","source-f79dc0dc5c9fb588","source-4a14e598946ee9e2"],"sources":[{"id":"source-047fb80a86180e80","title":"Game Mechanics: Diegetic menu","url":"https://gamemechanics.org/patterns/diegetic-menu","verifiedAt":null},{"id":"source-0d8eb657a3d268ec","title":"Medal of Honor (2010)","url":"https://gamemechanics.org/patterns/diegetic-menu/game/medal-of-honor-2010","verifiedAt":null},{"id":"source-a39d442575002718","title":"Metro 2033 Redux (2014)","url":"https://gamemechanics.org/patterns/diegetic-menu/game/metro-2033-redux","verifiedAt":null},{"id":"source-f79dc0dc5c9fb588","title":"Resident Evil 7: Biohazard (2017)","url":"https://gamemechanics.org/patterns/diegetic-menu/game/resident-evil-7-biohazard","verifiedAt":null},{"id":"source-4a14e598946ee9e2","title":"Metro Exodus (2019)","url":"https://gamemechanics.org/patterns/diegetic-menu/game/metro-exodus","verifiedAt":null}],"sections":[{"id":"principle","title":"How it works","body":"Menu options appear on an object or device within the world."},{"id":"variants","title":"Variants","body":"### How the technique works\n\n<a id=\"gm-diegetic-menu-rule\"></a>\n\n- Menu options appear on an object or device within the world. <a id=\"gm-diegetic-menu-definition\"></a>"},{"id":"context","title":"Context and limits","body":"All 199 Game Mechanics entries at the check date: player actions, systems, presentation techniques and contested patterns. Entries are grouped by their first source-card category; all categories appear in their descriptions. Definitions use original wording. References link to game-specific galleries; images and videos remain at the source."}],"relations":[],"placements":[{"catalogId":"game-mechanics","id":"gm-diegetic-menu","title":"Game design techniques","url":"https://gamemechanics.pro/en/mechanics/game-mechanics/#gm-diegetic-menu","categoryIds":["gm-category-diegetic"]}],"supersededBy":[],"attributes":{"preview":{"updatedAt":"2026-10-22","title":"In-world menu","description":"Menu options appear on an object or device within the world.","image":{"src":"images/mechanics/atmosphere-diegetic-menu.webp","width":1440,"height":810,"game":"Metro 2033 Redux","sourceUrl":"https://gamemechanics.org/patterns/diegetic-menu","originalUrl":"https://cdn.gamemechanics.org/metro-2033-redux-main-menu.jpg","credit":"4A Games; image via GameMechanics.org","rights":"Game imagery © its respective rights holders. Source host: GameMechanics.org. Visible source watermarks preserved. All rights reserved; excluded from MIT and CC BY 4.0.","caption":"New game on paper, continue on a screen","alt":"Metro 2033 Redux: New game on paper, continue on a screen.","markers":[{"x":54,"y":43,"label":"Menu option on the typewriter paper"},{"x":84,"y":54,"label":"Continue option on the television"}]},"tips":["Retain readable labels, clear focus and conventional keyboard navigation."],"examples":[{"title":"Metro 2033 Redux","url":"https://gamemechanics.org/patterns/diegetic-menu"}]}},"endsAt":null,"provenance":"Editorial reference index based on the 199 public Game Mechanics pattern pages checked on 2026-10-20. Original concise RU/EN definitions by gamemechanics.pro; pattern names, category associations and game-reference URLs retained from gamemechanics.org. The source gallery includes a film analogy. Linked materials retain their original rights; references are upstream attributions, not independent verification.","license":"CC-BY-4.0","codeLicense":"MIT","attribution":"gamemechanics.pro contributors","catalogKey":"catalog/game-mechanics"}}