Suspension of Disbelief and Buy-In: Foundation Elements

TTRPGs thrive on a balance of imagination, mechanics, and collaboration. Suspension of disbelief and buy-in anchor this balance. Yet unlike film or literature, where they operate intuitively, TTRPGs often treat them as secondary. By recognizing their importance and treating them as explicit design elements, TTRPGs can more effectively immerse players in their worlds.

Over the years, the hobby has made great strides in genre emulation, yet much of it still leans toward high-level abstraction or meta-thinking. This can create a gap between the broader narrative tools provided and the grounded, intuitive moments that draw players into the story. Other art forms frequently operate on an instinctual level, drawing audiences in before deeper analysis takes over. By embracing these “low-level” approaches alongside the high-level, TTRPGs can foster richer and more immediate player experiences.

Shared Creative Agreement

Suspension of disbelief and buy-in form the mutual creative agreement between players that allows a game to come alive. They enable everyone at the table to accept the game’s internal logic, even when mechanics momentarily interrupt the narrative flow. This interplay mirrors other art forms: just as audiences accept a musical breaking into song or a fantasy novel’s improbable magic system, TTRPG players embrace dice rolls and abstract mechanics as long as they fit the narrative’s framework.

Even seemingly mechanical actions (like rolling to pick a lock) become cinematic through framing: sweat on the character’s brow, the subtle click of tumblers. As designers and players consciously weave such elements into play, abstractions gain purpose and immersion. This shared understanding deepens collaborative storytelling, yielding cohesive and rewarding table experiences.

Embracing Genre Buy-In in the Arts

Storytelling in literature and film offers a wealth of inspiration for TTRPGs. In novels, genre surfaces through tone and setting, guiding expectations without instruction. A locked-room mystery primes readers for clues, while a dystopian sci-fi immerses through bleak, evocative details.

Film, too, thrives on intuitive genre signaling. Horror films needn’t declare a dark house dangerous, eerie music and shadowed corridors signal it. These cues align audience expectations with the story’s logic.

TTRPGs can harness these same principles. Consider cyberpunk: neon-lit imagery, hacking mechanics, and slang-heavy narration immerse players in its high-tech grit. When GMs and players narrate to match genre tones (noir’s desperation or fantasy’s swashbuckling) they forge experiences rivaling books or film. By consciously embedding genre elements into both design and play, TTRPGs can create intuitive, immersive experiences that rival their literary and cinematic counterparts.

High-Level and Low-Level Approaches in Genre Emulation

A key TTRPG design challenge is balancing high-level abstraction against low-level mechanics’ immediacy. High-level systems, like those found in Fate or Apocalypse World, offer broad frameworks for emulating genre. These systems encourage players to interpret moves or outcomes based on the story’s context, trusting their genre familiarity to shape the experience.

In contrast, low-level mechanics embed genre directly into gameplay. Horror games excel at this: Call of Cthulhu’s sanity meter creates a creeping sense of dread, while Dread’s Jenga tower delivers tangible, escalating tension. These mechanics require little explanation. These mechanics resonate instinctively, syncing players to the game’s emotional core. Balancing these approaches sustains flexibility and immersion for all players.

The Power of Framing

Framing binds mechanics, narrative, and buy-in. A game’s presentation of rules, themes, and world shapes players’ expectations and engagement. Consider Blades in the Dark: its mechanics for resource management mirror the desperation of its criminal protagonists, encouraging players to think like their characters. This alignment of narrative and mechanics ensures that even gamey elements feel thematically grounded.

Session zero is another powerful tool for framing. Collaboratively setting boundaries, themes, and expectations builds shared understanding of tone. This agreement fosters trust and primes immersion, aligning suspension of disbelief with the intended experience.

Good framing also acknowledges potential dissonance. Games pairing heavy themes with simplistic or universal mechanics can risk breaking immersion, unless they deliberately address that gap. Thoughtfully integrating mechanics into storytelling mitigates these risks. The result is a cohesive, harmonious experience that sustains player engagement.

Toward More Immersive and Reflective Design

TTRPGs have barely tapped genre emulation’s potential. Explicitly designing for suspension of disbelief and buy-in better aligns mechanics with narrative, reducing meta-thinking and deepening engagement. Emphasizing intuitive, genre-informed mechanics and strong framing practices can elevate the medium, making it more accessible and resonant.

What do you think? Are suspension of disbelief and buy-in given enough attention in TTRPGs? Come yell at us on Bluesky about it!