So I’ve been trying to think of a term for when people are removed from their life and placed in a LitRPG/PF world, whether they were still alive or if they died first and revived in another world. Isekaied is about the only one I can think of and was just wondering if anyone else had any ideas?
Feel free to make suggestions for terms if you don’t already know of one. Maybe like Systemnapped rather than kidnapped?
I am looking forward to seeing what everyone comes up with 😁 And thank you in advance!
Edit: There have been some really great responses here! I really appreciate everyone taking the time and answering my question. This really is a great community 🥹
Well portal fantasy is just another term for isekai
Agreed, but what would you call the act of being transported? Just portaled? Kinda like Isekai becomes Isekaied?
I mean...you just used it. "Transported".
Jason Statham'd
Totally under rated response.
Transmigrated, Transported, Summoned into another world, etc., you’ve really just gotta find a word that means ‘moved unexpectedly’.
Very true. The thing that makes Isekaied (and now Truck-kuned) stand out to me is that they specifically mean transported to another world, usually with a power up. I’ll admit I wish there was a similar term for LitRPGs of any type. Like “I’ve been RPG’d!”
Reincarnated is pretty common too
Truck-kuned.
Ha! I love this one! Great suggestion 😂
Generic/Literary Terms:
Historical context: Before "isekai" became the catch-all term in English fandom (roughly the last 15-20 years), these stories were mostly just classified by their surface genre—science fiction (if time travel/technology-based), fantasy (if magical), or alternate history. A Connecticut Yankee was shelved as satire/fantasy adventure. They weren't marketed as a distinct subgenre; the displacement was just the plot device.
The term "fish out of water" was common descriptively, though that emphasizes tone more than mechanism.
Wow, thank you! This is great and I love how well you laid it out. Made it really easy to read through. I’ll be referencing this in the future
I call those types of books "Portal" books, whether the people actually go through a portal or not. I think it's more useful for English speakers (especially those unfamiliar with LitRPGs).
Reincarnated - if MC gets born in the new world.
Transported - if MC is in the new world with their old body.
Transmigrated - if the MC takes over the body of someone else.
I usually associate isekai with japanese shounen series.
I agree! Though there are some LitRPG series where the MC will mention that they’ve been “Isekaied” 🤷♂️ Thank you, I like how you associated the type of story with the term. That is really helpful for me in getting a look inside other people’s minds
I've always categorized them as "Planetary Romance" but that's because I'm old and remember when this was all "John Carter of Mars type stories."
Truckkuned
i'll just drop a couple I'm not seeing anywhere using ctrl+f
teleport
translocate
reincarnate is mentioned; but if you didn't die and the spirit moves just "incarnate"
Norse mythology has the Bifrost. extending that mythology "bridge"
often there is a concept of ascension; i guess you could "descend" instead.
planeswalker.
From the Amberversise (Roger Zelazny) you could "walk the pattern" or "use the logrus". which is to say you could wrap up the means of how its done with the worldbuilding and it has its own name.
you could look to Egyptian mythology and cross the Sea of Stars, Journey the Starry Heavens or Walk through Duat with Ra.
Portal fantasy
Transmigrated
Reincarnated
Summoned
I was going to suggest these as well, but IMO isekai'd just seems right, at least when talking about the genre with other readers.
I'll die on this hill:
LitRPG is gameplay mechanics, that's it.
Beware of Chicken is western Isekai, not lit RPG. There are no RPG mechanics. No leveling, no game mechanics, nothing.
Apocalypse Parenting is LitRPG, not Isekai.
HWFwM is both LitRPG and Isekai
Most LitRPG is also Isekai
As far as your question goes, I've found it to be easier to start the conversation with: Do you know what Isekai is?
If they say yes, then say "LitRPG is basically a western version of that."
If they say no, then say "Basically, the main character ends up in another world for some reason, usually doesn't matter cause they never end up returning, and they utilize earth knowledge and videogame knowledge to game the entire system and get really powerful really quick. You typically read it because you enjoy feeling like your always getting better and more powerful with clear numbers and something that's basically a progression bar."
You could use a different term for it, but you'll still have to make the explanation, so there's no point. Think of this: YOU couldn't think of a different term, and you're someone actually into this whole thing, so the person you're talking too absolutely won't know the term.
Just a philosophical comment about cultivation novels: there are absolutely levels, though. 'ninth gate of the initiate realm', first gate of the heavenly realm', etc, as well as skills/powers associated with them. These are game mechanics, just not the same language and use as a more d&d based system.
I personally categorize most cultivation novels, therefore, as litrpg ... But I agree that the feeling is a little different; it's rare that the game mechanics are actually discussed or explored, unlike more typical litrpgs. So I have no beef with people who do see them as different, and typically specify 'cultivation' when making recommendations.
I really don't consider a system like that to be litrpg though, especially in a story like Beware of Chicken, where the main character couldn't care less about it. Hell, the system isn't even very well established.
LitRPG is basically heavy numbers, and spending point to get upgrades. "I need to kill X number of rats to upgrade my punch" type thing.
Sure, if a character goes from using a punch to "heavenly punch" or something like that, then I agree, that's litRPG. But meditating and practicing to get better at fighting and magic is just basic ass fantasy.
Fuck. Involuntarily Relocated dimensionally.
F.I.R.D. (read as "fired")
😂
I'm trying to remember what 'TRON' used ... I think dematerialized or digitized. That would apply specifically to going into a digital world, of course.
Guardians of the flame was an isekai litrpg series in the 1980s (not unlike the D&D cartoon in premise, though very different world and characters). I think (but it's been 30 years) that the characters mostly talked about being kidnapped.
If you're religious, raptured.
A while back I pointed out that the whole Jesus story is an isekai. Mysterious reincarnator with knowledge and power nobody else has? Favoured by the system? Gets away with things nobody else can? Hidden bloodline? Makes mayonnaise, I mean wine? Slaps a couple young masters, dies, and comes back stronger?
Ha, that’s hilarious. Love it
Transmigrated
Spirited Away
Transmigrated
There are some Portal Fantasy books that actually involve having a permanent portal between two worlds, so that might be a bit tricky.
IMO these kind of books differ quite a lot from an usual Isekai, since a portal usually has to be guarded by both sides (major plot) and whoever controls them may have people go in and out freely.
In most isekai, even if the MC decides not to go home, finding out if it's possible is usually another main plot.
If you write earth as a non magical world, you can set hidden criteria to 'ascend' to a magical world.
Ravenloft’d it was the first time I stumbled across the idea in the early 1990s.
Oh cool, I had never heard of this before. Thank you
Dimensionally Punted
really like this one.
I was going to go with "Punted" : forcibly moved into a new dimension
That’s funny! I like this as well, thank you
Kidnapped
I like Discount Dan’s “Noclipped”. Probably a little specific though.
boxed
Translocated
Planar shifted
Reincarnated
Summoned (by a summoner/mage/diety/rutual)
Awaked
Yeeted
Hoodwinked