---
key: mechanic/game-mechanics--gm-diegetic-health-display
type: mechanic
id: game-mechanics--gm-diegetic-health-display
lang: en
title: Diegetic health display
summary: A world device or equipment component indicates character health.
updatedAt: '2026-10-22'
status: active
url: >-
https://gamemechanics.pro/en/knowledge/mechanic/game-mechanics--gm-diegetic-health-display/
jsonUrl: >-
https://gamemechanics.pro/api/v1/knowledge/en/mechanic/game-mechanics--gm-diegetic-health-display.json
markdownUrl: >-
https://gamemechanics.pro/content/knowledge/en/mechanic/game-mechanics--gm-diegetic-health-display.md
aliases:
- Health displayed on equipment
tags:
- Game design techniques
- Health
- Diegetic
sourceIds:
- source-d3a006ebd8e9b924
- source-b9e105934aa02043
- source-9adad83692c030f7
- source-60b4114028054449
- source-14ed743f6d1cf26d
sources:
- id: source-d3a006ebd8e9b924
title: 'Game Mechanics: Diegetic health display'
url: 'https://gamemechanics.org/patterns/diegetic-health-display'
verifiedAt: null
- id: source-b9e105934aa02043
title: The Getaway (2002)
url: >-
https://gamemechanics.org/patterns/diegetic-health-display/game/the-getaway
verifiedAt: null
- id: source-9adad83692c030f7
title: 'X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009)'
url: >-
https://gamemechanics.org/patterns/diegetic-health-display/game/x-men-origins-wolverine
verifiedAt: null
- id: source-60b4114028054449
title: 'Resident Evil 7: Biohazard (2017)'
url: >-
https://gamemechanics.org/patterns/diegetic-health-display/game/resident-evil-7-biohazard
verifiedAt: null
- id: source-14ed743f6d1cf26d
title: Dead Space (2023)
url: >-
https://gamemechanics.org/patterns/diegetic-health-display/game/dead-space-2023
verifiedAt: null
relations: []
placements:
- catalogId: game-mechanics
id: gm-diegetic-health-display
title: Game design techniques
url: >-
https://gamemechanics.pro/en/mechanics/game-mechanics/#gm-diegetic-health-display
categoryIds:
- gm-category-diegetic
- gm-category-health
supersededBy: []
attributes:
preview:
updatedAt: '2026-10-22'
title: Health displayed on equipment
description: A world device or equipment component indicates character health.
image:
src: images/mechanics/atmosphere-diegetic-health-display.webp
width: 1440
height: 576
game: Dead Space
sourceUrl: 'https://gamemechanics.org/patterns/diegetic-health-display'
originalUrl: 'https://cdn.gamemechanics.org/dead_space_health_display.jpg'
credit: Electronic Arts; 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: The suit’s meter changes with health
alt: 'Dead Space: The suit’s meter changes with health.'
markers:
- x: 8
'y': 68
label: Filled meter on the back
- x: 75
'y': 60
label: A red remainder at low health
tips:
- >-
Supplement color with shape or fill level and keep the indicator
visible.
examples:
- title: Dead Space
url: 'https://gamemechanics.org/patterns/diegetic-health-display'
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
---
# Diegetic health display
id: game-mechanics--gm-diegetic-health-display
type: mechanic
key: mechanic/game-mechanics--gm-diegetic-health-display
lang: en
status: active
url: https://gamemechanics.pro/en/knowledge/mechanic/game-mechanics--gm-diegetic-health-display/
A world device or equipment component indicates character health.
## At a glance
[Dead Space](https://gamemechanics.org/patterns/diegetic-health-display) · 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.
1. Filled meter on the back
2. A red remainder at low health
- Supplement color with shape or fill level and keep the indicator visible.
- [Dead Space](https://gamemechanics.org/patterns/diegetic-health-display)
## How it works
A world device or equipment component indicates character health.
## Variants
### How the technique works
- A world device or equipment component indicates character health.
## Context and limits
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.
## Connected materials
## Sources and 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.
- [Game Mechanics: Diegetic health display](https://gamemechanics.org/patterns/diegetic-health-display) (id: source-d3a006ebd8e9b924)
- [The Getaway (2002)](https://gamemechanics.org/patterns/diegetic-health-display/game/the-getaway) (id: source-b9e105934aa02043)
- [X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009)](https://gamemechanics.org/patterns/diegetic-health-display/game/x-men-origins-wolverine) (id: source-9adad83692c030f7)
- [Resident Evil 7: Biohazard (2017)](https://gamemechanics.org/patterns/diegetic-health-display/game/resident-evil-7-biohazard) (id: source-60b4114028054449)
- [Dead Space (2023)](https://gamemechanics.org/patterns/diegetic-health-display/game/dead-space-2023) (id: source-14ed743f6d1cf26d)
CC-BY-4.0 · gamemechanics.pro contributors