--- key: mechanic/game-mechanics--gm-diegetic-inventory type: mechanic id: game-mechanics--gm-diegetic-inventory lang: en title: Diegetic inventory summary: >- The hero lays items out in a physical container or on a surface. Choosing an item remains part of the scene and the character’s actions. updatedAt: '2026-10-22' status: active url: >- https://gamemechanics.pro/en/knowledge/mechanic/game-mechanics--gm-diegetic-inventory/ jsonUrl: >- https://gamemechanics.pro/api/v1/knowledge/en/mechanic/game-mechanics--gm-diegetic-inventory.json markdownUrl: >- https://gamemechanics.pro/content/knowledge/en/mechanic/game-mechanics--gm-diegetic-inventory.md aliases: - In-world inventory tags: - Game design techniques - Resources - Diegetic sourceIds: - source-f3c3c0c50c9ad20b - source-3cf66d591c4fde4e - source-15e313cb43886018 - source-557590f4082fd602 sources: - id: source-f3c3c0c50c9ad20b title: 'Game Mechanics: Diegetic inventory' url: 'https://gamemechanics.org/patterns/diegetic-inventory' verifiedAt: null - id: source-3cf66d591c4fde4e title: The Forest (2013) url: 'https://gamemechanics.org/patterns/diegetic-inventory/game/the-forest' verifiedAt: null - id: source-15e313cb43886018 title: Sons of the Forest (2023) url: >- https://gamemechanics.org/patterns/diegetic-inventory/game/sons-of-the-forest verifiedAt: null - id: source-557590f4082fd602 title: Industria 2 (2026) url: 'https://gamemechanics.org/patterns/diegetic-inventory/game/industria-2' verifiedAt: null relations: [] placements: - catalogId: game-mechanics id: gm-diegetic-inventory title: Game design techniques url: >- https://gamemechanics.pro/en/mechanics/game-mechanics/#gm-diegetic-inventory categoryIds: - gm-category-resources - gm-category-diegetic supersededBy: [] attributes: preview: updatedAt: '2026-10-22' title: In-world inventory description: >- The hero lays items out in a physical container or on a surface. Choosing an item remains part of the scene and the character’s actions. image: src: images/mechanics/interaction-diegetic-inventory.webp width: 1200 height: 675 game: Sons of the Forest sourceUrl: 'https://gamemechanics.org/patterns/diegetic-inventory' originalUrl: 'https://cdn.gamemechanics.org/sons_of_the_forest_inventory.jpg' credit: Endnight 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: Supplies laid out on a folding mat alt: >- Supplies and tools lie on a mat in Sons of the Forest, with sticks and tape placed in the central work area. markers: - x: 53 'y': 58 label: Items lie on a physical work surface - x: 70 'y': 54 label: Interaction prompt beside the laid-out items tips: - Keep frequently used items in recognizable positions. - Communicate whether threats remain active while choosing an item. examples: - title: Sons of the Forest url: 'https://gamemechanics.org/patterns/diegetic-inventory' 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 inventory id: game-mechanics--gm-diegetic-inventory type: mechanic key: mechanic/game-mechanics--gm-diegetic-inventory lang: en status: active url: https://gamemechanics.pro/en/knowledge/mechanic/game-mechanics--gm-diegetic-inventory/ The hero lays items out in a physical container or on a surface. Choosing an item remains part of the scene and the character’s actions. ## At a glance ![Supplies and tools lie on a mat in Sons of the Forest, with sticks and tape placed in the central work area.](https://gamemechanics.pro/images/mechanics/interaction-diegetic-inventory.webp) [Sons of the Forest](https://gamemechanics.org/patterns/diegetic-inventory) · 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. Items lie on a physical work surface 2. Interaction prompt beside the laid-out items - Keep frequently used items in recognizable positions. - Communicate whether threats remain active while choosing an item. - [Sons of the Forest](https://gamemechanics.org/patterns/diegetic-inventory) ## How it works Items are accessed through a container represented within the world. ## Variants ### How the technique works - Items are accessed through a container represented within the world. ## 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 inventory](https://gamemechanics.org/patterns/diegetic-inventory) (id: source-f3c3c0c50c9ad20b) - [The Forest (2013)](https://gamemechanics.org/patterns/diegetic-inventory/game/the-forest) (id: source-3cf66d591c4fde4e) - [Sons of the Forest (2023)](https://gamemechanics.org/patterns/diegetic-inventory/game/sons-of-the-forest) (id: source-15e313cb43886018) - [Industria 2 (2026)](https://gamemechanics.org/patterns/diegetic-inventory/game/industria-2) (id: source-557590f4082fd602) CC-BY-4.0 · gamemechanics.pro contributors