Why a novel's world should not be built like a game world

Chris Winkle argues on Mythcreants that worldbuilding has to fit its medium, and that novelists who import big game worlds often end up with settings that are generic and hard to fix.

Games prioritise flexibility. Because players choose their characters, quests and order of play, designers offer many species, classes, magic types and side quests, each a self-contained story with loose ties to the rest. That variety is why game worlds often default to generic high fantasy or space opera, and it is accepted in games because add-on content is the norm.

Novels are linear. Readers cannot pick another path, so one strong storyline matters more than breadth. A novel can lean on a single protagonist and a rare, high-stakes element, such as the first magic user in a thousand years. Controlling what readers learn creates mystery, and piling on fantastical elements dilutes it. Cohesion matters most: every element should serve the story and the theme of the world.

The article points out how an angel and an orc in one setting imply clashing mythologies, and uses the Marvel universe as an example of a world without a real theme. Writers who absorb game settings through long play often do not notice how unusual the mix looks to others, and cutting favourite elements later hurts.

Exceptions exist, and commenters noted that tie-in novels and Warhammer 40K have succeeded in print. Still, the advice to ask where your inspiration comes from at the start is worth keeping.

Source: Mythcreants