• Game UI can be divided into 4 classes: Non-Diegetic, Diegetic, Spatial, Meta
• Non-Diegetic:
  • Does not exist in the game story or game space
  • None of the characters in the game are aware of the existence of the component
  • Very useful in strategy games but can interrupt immersion in fast-paced games
  • Often appear as stat metres
  • Usually keep track of points, time, damage and resources that the player may collect
• Diegetic:
  • Does exist in the game story and game space
  • Characters are aware of the components
  • They can be distracting or difficult to view, over a non-diegetic component, when positioned or implemented badly
  • Some diegetic components have the option to convert to a non-diegetic component, for easier viewing. Examples of this are handheld maps that can be toggled to a 2D view
  • Common diegetic components include maps, speedometers in vehicles, ammo and gun iron sights
• Spatial:
  • Does not exist in the game story but does exist in the game space
  • Characters are not aware of the components
  • Appear within the game’s space, eg above character’s heads
  • Often used as visual aids to label objects, characters or landmarks
  • Examples include button prompts, character names or health, objective markers or arrows on the road in racing games
• Meta:
  • Does exist in the game story but does not exist in the game space
  • Player’s avatar may or may not be aware of the components
  • Used to signify things like damage taken by shaking the screen, blurring it or obscuring it with blood

Bowers, M. (n.d.). Level up – a Guide to Game UI (with Infographic). [online] Toptal Design Blog. Available at: https://www.toptal.com/designers/gui/game-ui.