Transmedia In-Universe Narrative: Approach and References

In the previous publication, we opened the first entry point into our meta-universe — a living landing page that will change together with prototypes and lore. Now, briefly and directly: the approach we chose and the examples we rely on.

Transmedia in-universe narrative is when parts of the story live on different media and platforms, and each part adds meaning from inside the world. It does not duplicate the same message; it expands the world. The fiction frame remains transparent and respectful to the audience. This is how our landing page works: it speaks in the voice of the world, while clearly acknowledging that it is a game.

Examples we grew up on

• ArkhamCare / Batman: Arkham Asylum — an example of expanding canon through a diegetic artifact. The site lived as part of the Arkham universe, added institutional tone and archival texture, and served as a bridge between game and web environment. Terminologically: an in-universe site, a world artifact that carries new knowledge about the setting and supports its integrity.

• 13 Ghosts — Illusion-O — the viewer chooses whether to “see” the ghosts by looking through different filters. Terminologically: audience co-participation, a gentle intensity switch placed in the viewer’s hands.

• The Rocky Horror Picture Show — a cult of joint viewing, rituals, props, and callbacks. Terminologically: ritualized participation, the rules of a joint game that strengthen the feeling of community.

• Insidious: Spectral Sightings — short web inserts about Elise’s team that expand the lore between the larger stories. Terminologically: webisode-bridges, compact autonomous parts that add texture to the world.

• The Blair Witch Project — a historical example of online myth-building in the late 1990s. Pulling this off “in its original form” today is unrealistic because of ethics, platform rules, and media literacy. We take from this case not deception, but the lesson of careful framing and precise world-building.

Why do we need this?

The living landing page is our layer of “reality” inside the game. Beyond atmosphere and engagement, the landing page and a series of micro-tests will help form a player profile. Based on it, the core of the game will adapt delivery: pace, triggers, and nuances of interaction.

Simply put: you play us, and we learn how to play to you.

If this kind of play with reality resonates with you, join the discussion and prepare for the first micro-tests.

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